Chapter Three: The Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell (Part One)

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Shi Jun had originally thought that Lie Jin would be furious, but to his surprise, he suddenly fell silent, which caught him off guard. At the same time, a pang of guilt welled up in his heart—after all, this elder uncle did care about him to some extent; otherwise, why would he have stopped him? Perhaps this newly acknowledged uncle would be very disappointed in him from now on. But Chiyang… she was in danger!

With that thought, Shi Jun forced himself to calm down and whispered to Qin Xiaoya and Lie Jin, “I’m not eating anymore. I need to step out for a bit.”

Qin Xiaoya stirred slightly, hesitating to speak, then cast a long, deep look at Shi Jun and sighed. Lie Jin, however, remained cold-faced and ignored him.

“…Go early and come back soon. Be careful,” Qin Xiaoya finally couldn’t help but admonish.

Jun nodded and smiled, turning to leave.

Just as he reached the door, Shi Jun suddenly felt a scorching pain in his back. His legs buckled, and he collapsed to the ground, utterly drained of strength. At the same time, a rushing wind sounded in his ears, and a black-and-white light screen expanded before him. Within the screen, a cluster of emerald green flames roared fiercely, crackling softly as they surrounded him completely.

At that moment, Shi Jun’s nose was filled with a foul, burning stench. His body was aflame with a piercing, agonizing pain. More worryingly, he suddenly heard his mother’s startled cry from behind: “Brother Lie, what are you doing…”

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Dizzy and dazed, both shocked and angry, Shi Jun’s mind remained clear. He took a deep breath and instinctively formed hand seals, activating his defensive treasure, the “Ice Shield.” The shield’s protection instantly took effect, but unfortunately, it was already too late.

Lie Jin, after all, was one of the top grand demon cultivators in the Demon Realm. Having launched a sneak attack, he would never give his opponent a chance to breathe. With a slight lift of his right hand, a powerful whirlwind mixed with sparks of fire swept over Shi Jun. His body shook violently, and as his vital energy surged, the counterattack spell of the Ice Shield, “Freeze to Three Feet,” hadn’t fully activated before Lie Jin dispelled it without a trace, causing Shi Jun to be greatly alarmed.

Previously, Lie Jin had noticed that although Shi Jun’s spiritual power was extraordinarily strong, he seemed inexperienced with incantations and hand seals. Observing him closely, Lie Jin knew this young man was not familiar with the powers he possessed, let alone skilled in their use. Furthermore, Shi Jun had told him about his past, revealing he had no cultivation base or combat experience, so Lie Jin hadn’t taken him seriously at first.

But after witnessing Shi Jun’s extraordinary method of subduing the Duan Yu Gold, Lie Jin had to reassess his abilities. Now, he dared not be careless; unable to truly harm Shi Jun, he had to first find a way to restrain him.

Lie Jin used seventy percent of his magical power to cast the “Heaven and Earth Flow” prohibition barrier around Shi Jun, then attacked with the “True Fire of the Moon.” Trapped inside “Heaven and Earth Flow,” Shi Jun could not break free without knowing the counter-spell. Even if he could, he would still have to face the “True Fire of the Moon” enveloping the barrier’s outer layer—a double safeguard. Although the “True Fire of the Moon,” formed from Lie Jin’s magic, was incredibly fierce, even catching Shi Jun inside the barrier wouldn’t guarantee safety. But if Shi Jun suffered only minor injuries, it would prevent him from recklessly venturing into the Demon Realm and courting death—well worth it.

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After much thought, Lie Jin concluded this was his last resort. Besides, with his magical power, even if Shi Jun couldn’t withstand the true fire and was injured, he was confident he could heal him. That’s why Lie Jin had suddenly launched the sneak attack earlier.

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Seeing his son suddenly engulfed in flames, Qin Xiaoya’s heart shattered. She cried out and stumbled forward, only to be effortlessly held back by Lie Jin, who softly comforted her by her ear: “Don’t worry. I’m only restraining this boy so he won’t act recklessly. The Demon Realm is full of dangers. Do you want him to go there and die?”

Qin Xiaoya sobbed, “But, but…”

“Don’t worry, I won’t harm him,” Lie Jin reassured, patting her back like a child.

Seeing her son trapped in the strange flames, his face contorted with pain and anger, Qin Xiaoya couldn’t take in a single word of Lie Jin’s comfort. Yet she had no idea how to save him. Bitter and desperate, she suddenly summoned strength from nowhere, violently breaking Lie Jin’s grip and shouting, “Let him go! You’re going to burn him alive!” Her long, dark hair fell down in a cloud from the bun at the back of her head, her beautiful face glistening with tears, filled with fury, pleading, and sorrow. Lie Jin’s heart softened, but he couldn’t truly release Shi Jun. He turned his face away.

“Xiaoya,” Lie Jin hesitated for a few seconds, suddenly realizing his lapse. He quickly smiled gently and changed his tone: “I really only cast the spell to restrain him, so this boy doesn’t run wild. If he faces danger, it won’t be good.”

Although trapped in “Heaven and Earth Flow,” Shi Jun could still see outside and understood Lie Jin’s actions were well-intentioned. Seeing his mother so distressed, he gritted his teeth and forced a smile through the burning pain, shouting, “Mom, I’m fine, don’t worry…”

He wanted to say more, but his mother had already fainted, and he felt his breath catch, unable to utter another word. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead but was quickly dried by the flames. His clothes were scorched and torn to pieces in moments. He could only grit his teeth, enduring the searing heat.

Through the all-out battle with Lie Jin’s spells, Shi Jun was stunned to realize how formidable this uncle was. His magical power surged massively. Compared to him, the Moon Ghost King’s kind of ghost spirit was worlds apart—it was like a stone versus an egg, and Shi Jun’s little tricks were insignificant.

Since dealing with the Netherworld, Shi Jun had often been on the defensive. Though he had faced opponents like the Blue Soul, Nether Shadow Flow, Duan Yue, and even the Six Ghost Spirits, who had caused him some trouble, he had always eventually emerged victorious. No one until now had made him so utterly helpless. Now, he realized those he had faced before were not true masters. Lie Jin, clearly holding back, had effortlessly nullified his once-reliable “Freeze to Three Feet” spell. If he fought seriously, Shi Jun wouldn’t last a few rounds. Truly, there are higher heavens and greater men.

This revelation thrilled him rather than frightened him. A strong fighting spirit surged within, and the torment of the flames became somewhat bearable.

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Seeing Qin Xiaoya suddenly faint, Lie Jin hurriedly caught her in his arms. After a moment’s hesitation, he pressed his fingers to her brow and chanted incantations. Combining his magical power with the potent healing spell “Clear Heart Charm,” he slowly flowed healing energy through her body. Soon, although Qin Xiaoya remained unconscious, the pallor of her face gradually warmed to a healthy color, and Lie Jin breathed a sigh of relief.

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At this moment, Lie Jin noticed that Shi Jun, trapped by his spell, had suddenly stopped moving. He quickly probed his body with his divine sense and learned he was unharmed. Lie Jin then resumed his stern demeanor and scolded, “I know you’re upset, but if you can’t even resist such a minor spell, how can you expect to go to the Demon Realm? To recklessly court death? If that’s the case, why bother talking about finding your father and reuniting the family? Why give your mother a hope that’s just an illusion? I’m telling you, abandon this foolish idea of going to the Demon Realm. Otherwise, I will unhesitatingly use stronger means to stop you.” With that, he carried Qin Xiaoya into the inner room.

After settling Qin Xiaoya, Lie Jin carefully closed the door and came out. He saw Shi Jun still sitting cross-legged on the floor with eyes closed. Despite the situation, the young man’s expression was peaceful, with a faint, elusive smile at the corners of his mouth, surprising Lie Jin.

Meanwhile, the black-and-white flowing light of “Heaven and Earth Flow” shimmered overhead, and the emerald green “True Fire of the Moon” blazed fiercely. The flickering light cast shadows across Shi Jun’s face, giving him an indescribable, dark, and eerie aura.

Lie Jin sat down slowly and calmed himself. His mind had mostly settled on an answer—Shi Jun, with his Contracted Heart and Insightful Eye, was not only a descendant of both human and demon but was very likely the reincarnation of the other half of the previous Nether Emperor, Xuan Xian. If so, Shi Jun’s mood and actions were easier to understand. Although Xuan Xian had lost memories of his past life, his feelings for Chiyang had not faded with his memories. That was why, upon hearing of Chiyang’s peril, he was willing to risk everything to save her.

But this boy was the bloodline of his sworn brother. How could Lie Jin allow Shi Jun to recklessly risk danger?

—At present, Shi Jun not only possessed Xuan Xian’s immense power but also bore the intertwined powers of the Immortal Lord Baopu and his godfather’s primordial spirit. Although few knew this fact yet, since powerful agents from both the Immortal and Demon Realms had appeared in the human world to track him down, the elders behind them must already be fully aware. The danger surrounding this boy was thus obvious. Moreover, Shi Jun’s strength had only just awakened, and his other half, Youming, had likely been using the “Eye of Surveillance” to watch his every move. Lie Jin still could not understand why Youming had not hastened to consume and merge with the reincarnated Xuan Xian, but he believed it was only a matter of time. At such a moment, Lie Jin wished he could immediately find a safe place to hide Qin Xiaoya and her son. How could he allow Shi Jun to rashly enter the Demon Realm for the sake of a Netherworld demoness?

But in today’s world, where could one hide from Youming’s all-seeing “Eye of Surveillance”?

Frowning deeply, Lie Jin fell into thought. After a long while, he suddenly snapped out of his reverie. Glancing around, his face changed dramatically as he sprang to his feet.

Unbeknownst to him, Shi Jun, trapped within the “True Fire of the Moon” and “Heaven and Earth Flow,” had vanished without a trace!

Furious, Lie Jin shouted, swept his sleeve, and struck the dining table covered with bowls and plates, shattering it with a crash.