Wayfarer

Chapter 183: Slaying the Serpent King

As night fell, a brilliant moon appeared in the night sky. In a hall on Taiqing Island, Zhao Tianheng frowned at an elder before him. "You said that Xiao Nanfeng's invited disciples from all divisions for an overnight training session for fist techniques?"

"That's right. In the past, few disciples would stay on the island overnight, but there might be three thousand there at present."

Zhao Tianheng frowned. "Could Xiao Nanfeng have guessed that something was up?"

"Division Leader, do you mean to suggest that Xiao Nanfeng invited so many disciples over in order to have them help safeguard the Isle of Xiao?" the elder exclaimed.

Zhao Tianheng's face was dark. "Those Ascension-realm disciples will hardly be enough for the assailants that will appear tonight. It's a fool's dream."

"Division Leader, are the assailants here solely to deal with Xiao Nanfeng?" The elder frowned.

Zhao Tianheng was silent for a moment before shaking his head. "They'll destroy the whole island."

"Then the three thousand Taiqing disciples...?"

"It's all Xiao Nanfeng's fault. It has nothing to do with us," Zhao Tianheng replied coldly.

The elder's heart thumped. He was shocked that Zhao Tianheng's desire for the Immortal's Destruction could trump the lives of thousands of Taiqing disciples.

On the Isle of Xiao, bonfires burned tall and wide as disciples gathered.

By the bonfire, Xiao Nanfeng instructed cultivators in the way of the fist—Taiqing disciples and the inhabitants of the island alike. The atmosphere was surprisingly festive.

"The fist technique I've just demonstrated is the Lifesaving Trio. It only has three forms, but these forms might just manage to pull you out of a sticky situation and help you survive in times of need. Have you all learned it?"

"Yes! Thank you for your instruction, Senior Brother!" the Taiqing disciples all around shouted.

Xiao Nanfeng was far too different from the seniormost disciples of the other three divisions. Not only did he go on expeditions and allow everyone to consume draconic aether to boost their cultivation, he publicly imparted fist techniques to all disciples so that they might improve their repertoire of skills. The Ascended disciples felt proud of their division, whereas those from the other three divisions were mentally comparing him to their own seniormost disciples and finding them lacking.

"Now, everyone, give it a go in the plaza!" Xiao Nanfeng commanded.

The Taiqing disciples surged forward, eager to test themselves. They quickly discovered the strength of the fist technique and were motivated to test it again and again.

Xiao Nanfeng walked to the side to take a break. Someone quickly brought him refreshments.

"Benefactor, the signal flares are prepared. They may be fired at any time," Zheng Qian reported.

"Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Zheng. As long as we can get past tonight, when Zhao Yuanjiao and the others safely return tomorrow, we'll have nothing to worry about in the future."

Zheng Qian nodded solemnly.

As the two of them were conversing, Ye Sanshui rushed over. "Young Master, as you predicted, there's fog descending on the island!"

Xiao Nanfeng immediately stood up. The raid he was worried about was going to take place, after all. Huge clouds of fog appeared in the sea all around them, covering up the Isle of Xiao.

"Something's wrong. Fire the flares!" Zheng Qian cried out.

Flares shot into the sky like fireworks, startling the sparring Taiqing disciples. They stopped what they were doing and looked toward Xiao Nanfeng.

"What's the matter, Senior Brother? Why are you firing signal flares into the air? Is there a problem?" the disciples asked.

"There's an enemy raid. Prepare for combat!" Xiao Nanfeng cried out. He rushed off into the forest.

Beside him, Ye Sanshui added, "Everyone, there's fog forming all around the island. Something's wrong. It must be a formation intended to entrap the Isle of Xiao."

"Who dares?"

"They dare raid the territory of the Taiqing Sect?"

The Taiqing disciples drew their blades and looked warily around them.

Ye Sanshui immediately commanded the three thousand fighters of the island to protect the other inhabitants.

Fortunately, everyone on the island was gathered here, and there would be no need for a panicked search.

The flares made huge, resounding explosions as they soared into the air, but the fog seemed to prevent any light or sound from making it to the Taiqing Island.

Just as the search for the raiders grew underway, a huge sound came from the air. Everyone raised their heads.

A giant purplegold serpent was attempting to break through the formation of red fog. A large number of red ropes spawned from the formation and wrapped around the serpent.

"A sea serpent, sixty meters long? Could it be a serpent king?"

"The protective formation around the Isle of Xiao is tremendously strong. It was even able to kill the second-in-charge of the Bloodkill bandits, a Spiritsong-realm expert!"

"But can it hold out against a serpent king?"

As the cultivators watched on in shock, the serpent king loosed a howl that shook heaven and earth.

With its frightening strength, it instantly broke the dozen or so ropes restraining its body. It shot through the formation and into the island proper.

The fearsome aura radiating from the serpent king covered the entire island like a tsunami. The disciples cried out.

"What a fearsome aura. I can't breathe!"

"This aura is as devastating as the division leader's. Could it be a Wingform-realm spirit?"

"A Wingform-realm spirit? It could kill us all by itself!"

"Quick, launch more signals! We have to make the division leader aware immediately!"

The Taiqing disciples were all running around in panic, but the serpent didn't target them. It headed toward a mountain peak and slammed its tail down, causing the mountain range to crumble. A cave collapsed, and a startled cry rang out from within.

"The formation of red fog's gone! The serpent king has destroyed the formation!" a cultivator cried out.

The serpent king rose into the air and looked down at the cultivators from high above.

"Xiao Nanfeng, show yourself—and perish!" the serpent king roared, sending a wave of terror at the gathered cultivators. Many were forced back, and a large number stumbled and fell to the ground. They felt an overwhelming sense of despair. The serpent king's aura alone was too much for them to handle. Were they going to die?

"Xiao Nanfeng, if you don't show yourself, I'll start killing these brats!" the serpent king roared, then shot toward them.

Against the serpent king's fearsome aura, many disciples instinctively began to cry out in despair. "No!"

"I'm right here, bastard!" Xiao Nanfeng shouted from afar.

The serpent king stopped short and turned toward where Xiao Nanfeng's shout had come from.

Xiao Nanfeng shouted once again, "Rise!"

A quake rumbled through the entire island as a draconic vein was excavated from the ground by the Immortal's Destruction. It was six hundred meters long and resplendent with golden light.

"A draconic vein?" the cultivators gasped.

The serpent king frowned. It knew that excavating a draconic vein took quite some time. The fact that Xiao Nanfeng had done it so quickly meant that he had planned this ahead of time and was simply waiting for the serpent king to appear.

"You knew that I was coming? You made preparations? But so what? You won't be able to do anything but die!" the serpent king roared, swooping down toward him.

Xiao Nanfeng's gaze turned cold as he activated the Immortal's Destruction. Four more Immortal-binding chains appeared from the relic, whipping toward the serpent king.

The serpent king wove between them to dodge even as he shot toward Xiao Nanfeng, moving so rapidly that he was able to close in in almost no time at all. Even so, though it managed to avoid three of the Immortal-binding chains, it was struck by the fourth.

"No!"

The Immortal-binding chains dragged it into the air, where the other three chains quickly caught up to and tangled themselves around it.

The serpent king was well and truly bound.

"Great!" the cultivators all around shouted in excitement.

"You think these chains can hold me? Dream on. Break!" the serpent king roared.

As shining purplegold light exploded from the serpent king's body, the chains began to strain and break. They wouldn't be able to hold onto him for long.

"The serpent king's going to escape! It's coming!" Shouts came from the gathered cultivators.

Only Xiao Nanfeng remained calm. "I was never intending to trap you, only to hold you down."

He tossed out a talisman for the Immortal's Destruction, which struck the serpent king squarely on the head. The serpent king suddenly felt a premonition of tremendous danger. It raised its head sharply.

The draconic vein transformed into a ball of golden light, which shot toward the Immortal's Destruction and condensed into a three-hundred meter long supersized sword slash.

"You've expended the entire draconic vein for this one attack? You're crazy! No!" the serpent king roared in outrage.

It struggled to break free, to avoid this incredible attack. If it were free, the attack would never have been able to hit him, but restrained as he was, he wouldn't be able to flee. The attack from the Immortal's Destruction descended.

With a last-ditch effort, the serpent king finally freed itself of all its bindings. It attempted to escape, but it was too late. The attack struck him head-on.

"No!" the serpent king shouted in despair.

A blinding golden light cleaved down from the serpent king's head, bisecting it.

The attack continued forward, its destructive energy not dampened in the slightest. Even the mountain that had just collapsed was now smashed into smithereens. Huge boulders were flung through the air as the entire Isle of Xiao shook. The cultivators wobbled and fell.

Everyone was astounded by the might of this single blow.

"The demon has been destroyed. I apologize for the commotion," Xiao Nanfeng announced from afar.

Everyone turned to him in shock. That had been a Wingform-realm spirit—and it had died in just a single blow!