Chapter 21: The Eight Desolations Demon-Locking Array
Although Song Rentou had no idea how Guliang Yuan had figured out that Ye Fan was the Child of Destiny, Guliang Yuan's recent changes convinced him that his master uncle would never make a baseless claim.
He began to panic.
According to legend, anyone who opposed the Child of Destiny never came to a good end. Moreover, this Child of Destiny was notoriously difficult to kill—this was a matter of life and death!
Guessing what was going on in Song Rentou's head, Guliang Yuan glanced at him and asked, "What are you panicking about?"
"Difficult to kill doesn't mean impossible to kill. Come with me to Infinite Peak; I'm going to summon some help."
Song Rentou's eyes lit up instantly. "Master Uncle is brilliant!"
Watching Guliang Yuan's retreating figure, Song Rentou hurriedly followed.
"Master Uncle, wait for me!"
***
While Guliang Yuan methodically made his preparations, Ye Fan was still locked in an argument with Meng Yao.
Meng Yao was shouting, "Ye Fan, how could you become like this? When we were little, you always said you'd give me the best of everything. Now that I'm asking you to kill someone for me, you won't even do that! I don't care about the future—I want Guliang Yuan dead right now!"
Ye Fan wore an expression of utter helplessness. How he wished he could kill Guliang Yuan! But he simply couldn't manage it right now.
At that exact moment, the old man inside the jade pendant transmitted his voice to Ye Fan once again:
"Ye Fan, stop dawdling! That person just now might well have been Guliang Yuan's scout. Get out of here, fast!"
Hearing his master's warning and looking at Meng Yao, Ye Fan took a deep breath.
"Yao'er, trust me, the future will definitely make Guliang Yuan pay the price. For now, will you come away with me?"
Seeing Ye Fan reach out to grab her, Meng Yao instinctively stepped back, causing him to grab only empty air.
Through Guliang Yuan's attitude, Meng Yao knew that he was playing for keeps this time. She had originally regarded Ye Fan as her last resort, never expecting that Ye Fan, who had been boasting only days ago about the powerful master he had sworn allegiance to, would turn out to be so utterly useless.
As for running away with Ye Fan...
If it were the her from before she met Guliang Yuan, she might have agreed immediately. But now, accustomed as she was to being surrounded by crowds of attendants and servants, the prospect of returning to a life on the run filled her with reluctance.
Yet it seemed she had no other choice.
Thinking of her current destitute state compared to her high spirits at Yaochi Holy Land just days ago, a wave of profound sorrow washed over Meng Yao.
Regret surged into her heart once more.
Perhaps she really had made a mistake?
If she hadn't rekindled her old romance with Ye Fan, she would right now be participating in the Saintess Selection Trial—still surrounded by attendants, the center of everyone's attention...
*No, I haven't done anything wrong!*
*Guliang Yuan is the one who is wrong! From beginning to end, I was just a sacrifice for his cultivation practice! I am the victim! I have to stay alive; I cannot die. I will make Guliang Yuan pay!*
*As for my family... I will avenge them!*
At this thought, she looked at the anxious-looking Ye Fan before her and nodded heavily.
"Fine, I'll go with you!"
Overjoyed, Ye Fan opened his mouth to speak, when suddenly the winds and clouds in the heavens and earth violently shifted!
Billowing dark clouds blotted out the sun! Gale-force winds rose, sending sand and stones flying!
Eight beams of light shot into the sky from eight different directions, forming a massive array that firmly trapped Ye Fan and Meng Yao in the center!
A clear, resonant male voice, sounding both distant and near, echoed across the heavens and earth:
"Where do you think you're going?"
Hearing that voice, the expressions of both Meng Yao and Ye Fan changed drastically!
Before their eyes, Guliang Yuan walked through the empty air, lotuses blooming beneath his every step as he descended from the void.
Behind him, Qianqu held an umbrella.
The two great elders, Song Rentou and Wang Defa, guarded his left and right flanks.
Eight Void Refining experts and twenty Deity Transformation experts entered their respective positions within the array, completely sealing off the surrounding space.
This array was none other than the Taishang Holy Land's ultimate confinement array: the Eight Desolations Demon-Locking Array!
With eight Void Refining masters operating the array, even a Mahayana Stage cultivator who arrived in person could be trapped for a time!
To kill Ye Fan, this Child of Destiny, Guliang Yuan had truly spared no expense.
Looking at Guliang Yuan, who resembled an immortal banished to the mortal realm, Ye Fan felt a sense of unreality. How could Guliang Yuan have changed so drastically in just a few short days?
When his gaze drifted to Qianqu standing behind Guliang Yuan, Ye Fan's pupils constricted violently!
*How could there be such a beauty in this world?!*
He had previously thought Meng Yao possessed extraordinary looks, but compared to Qianqu, the difference was as vast as clouds and mud!
*I hate this! Why?! Why does Guliang Yuan have such a good birth, and why does he have such a beauty by his side?!*
This was also Meng Yao's first time seeing Qianqu, and she instantly felt a sense of shame at her own inferiority. But she quickly recovered, growing angry at herself for feeling inadequate just now. She consoled herself: *What use is good looks? In the world of cultivation, strength is all that matters in the end!*
Guliang Yuan naturally had no interest in guessing what the two of them were thinking. He said coldly:
"Meng Yao, remembering our past relationship, I gave you more than one chance. Unfortunately, not only did you fail to cherish them, but you even joined forces with an adulterer to try and murder me. Since that's how it is, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
Without waiting for Meng Yao to reply, Guliang Yuan turned his head and gave an order:
"Elders, the rest is up to you."
The crowd shouted their assent in unison, each unleashing their magic treasures and attacking the pair!
Gold, wood, water, and fire manifested together; lightning dragons roared amidst the dark clouds!
Just feeling the overwhelming might of these twenty-eight attacks, Ye Fan and Meng Yao felt enveloped by a terrifying dread that left them frozen in place, unable to move.
They were completely dumbfounded!
First, they hadn't expected Guliang Yuan to be so decisive—he started fighting the moment he opened his mouth, not even giving them a chance to speak. Based on their past experience with enemies, shouldn't the opponent gloat and mock them thoroughly before making a move? They had no mental preparation for this whatsoever!
Second, they never dreamed that Guliang Yuan would deploy such a massive lineup just to deal with them! Although their cultivation levels were too low to discern the exact realms of the twenty-odd people on the field, they could roughly tell that all of them were above the Nascent Soul stage!
*Are you serious? There are only two of us in the Foundation Establishment stage—aren't you overestimating us just a bit?!*
Just as the attacks were about to land on Ye Fan, an aged sigh drifted leisurely into the air:
"Sigh, stop."
The moment this voice sounded, a vast wave of spiritual soul power erupted from the jade pendant on Ye Fan's chest, intercepting all the incoming attacks.
Immediately following, an old man with white hair and a white beard appeared out of thin air, shielding Ye Fan and Meng Yao behind him.
Sensing the Integration Realm pressure emanating from the old man, the elders of Taishang Holy Land instantly grew vigilant. When Guliang Yuan had told them he needed to mobilize so many people just to kill a single Ye Fan, they had taken it lightly. Now, it seemed they were fortunate that their little master uncle had brought so many reinforcements.
Behind the old man, Ye Fan and Meng Yao felt the threat of imminent death vanish and finally snapped back to their senses.
At that moment, a sudden gust of wind blew past, and they felt a chill run down their spines. Only then did they realize their backs were completely drenched in cold sweat.
Seeing that the situation was stabilized, the old man stroked his white beard. "Old man Baitousheng, and you—"
Before the old man could finish speaking, Guliang Yuan cut him off directly:
"You tell us to stop, and we stop? Who do you think you are?"
With that, Guliang Yuan cupped his fists toward a patch of empty air and said, "Senior Sister Sun, I must trouble you to make a move personally."
As Guliang Yuan's voice fell, a section of the void suddenly tore open, and an old woman leaning on a dragon-headed crutch stepped out from within.
Her face was covered in wrinkles, yet she possessed a head of glossy, pitch-black hair. She walked through the void with a trembling gait, as though she might collapse at any moment.
After emerging, the old woman looked toward Baitousheng, but her words were directed at Guliang Yuan:
"Earlier, I thought Junior Brother was making a mountain out of a molehill by inviting me out. Now, it seems I should thank him."
"Six thousand years ago, this Baitousheng killed my direct disciple, and I beheaded him with a single sword stroke. I thought he was thoroughly dead, but to think a remnant soul of his still lingered in this world."
"Today, I've come at just the right time!"
Not only Guliang Yuan, but even the other elders, along with Ye Fan and Meng Yao, were stunned to discover such a backstory here!
This was a case of old grievances and new hatreds piling up together!
If this master and disciple duo of Ye Fan didn't die now, it would simply be impolite.
***
Chapter 22: My Great Saber Does Not Kill Women
From the moment the old woman appeared, Baitousheng's expression had turned as dark as ink.
He had once imagined a reunion with his mortal enemies. In his daydreams, it would happen many years in the future, when he led an invincible Ye Fan with their swords pointed directly at the Taishang Holy Land.
He never, in his wildest dreams, expected it to be this kind of scene.
By now, he was at the end of his rope; his imposing demeanor just moments before had been entirely put on. He had hoped to use that moment of shock to seize the chance and bolt with Ye Fan.
Now, it seemed... running away was going to be difficult.
He glanced sideways at the bewildered Meng Yao, a surge of resentment rising in his heart. It was all this woman's fault!
*More hindrance than help!*
While Baitousheng frantically racked his brain for countermeasures, Elder Sun on the opposite side was not about to give him a chance to escape.
Elder Sun gently traced her crutch across the empty void, and a pitch-black sword qi that seemed capable of cleaving everything in existence materialized out of nowhere!
Influenced by this sword qi, the surrounding space began to collapse and reconstruct continuously!
Using a crutch as a sword, her sword intent soared to the heavens!
Clearly, Elder Sun's sword intent had reached the realm of ultimate perfection!
The moment this sword qi appeared, it shot straight toward Baitousheng. It looked unhurried and leisurely, but in reality, it arrived in the blink of an eye!
Sensing this sword qi, Baitousheng felt his soul leave his body in sheer terror!
Six thousand years ago, Elder Sun had been capable of killing him; six thousand years had passed, and while Elder Sun continued to progress, he was nothing more than a remnant soul—how could he possibly fight this?
Lacking even the will to resist, he blindly chose a direction and plunged straight into the ground, hoping to use the earth to bypass the Eight Desolations Demon-Locking Array.
Yet, as one of the ultimate arts of the Taishang Holy Land, how could this array be so easily circumvented?
When Baitousheng had tunneled twenty miles underground, he collided head-on with the glowing barrier of the Eight Desolations Demon-Locking Array.
A jolt of shock went through Baitousheng. Just as he prepared to change direction, he suddenly felt a chill behind him.
Snapping his head around, he saw an exquisitely sharp strand of sword qi passing right through his neck.
An expression of disbelief crossed Baitousheng's face. He wanted to say something, but as he opened his mouth, no words came out.
Immediately after, his primordial spirit turned into fine powder and completely dissipated!
Looking back up at the surface, despite the sword qi having penetrated twenty miles deep into the earth, the ground itself remained in pristine, flawless condition!
Having finished this, Elder Sun let out a slow sigh.
"The grievances of six thousand years ago are finally resolved."
"Yet what use is it? My disciple can never come back to life after all."
With those words, Elder Sun looked at Guliang Yuan. "Junior Brother Guliang, I am tired; I will be heading back first."
Having said her piece, without waiting for Guliang Yuan's reply, Elder Sun turned to leave.
But Guliang Yuan hurriedly stopped her. "Senior Sister, do not be in such a rush."
Seeing Elder Sun's puzzled look, Guliang Yuan reached out with a beckoning gesture, directly drawing the jade pendant from Ye Fan's chest into his hand.
Gazing at the pendant, Elder Sun's expression shifted slightly.
"Good scoundrel, you almost fooled this old body again."
With a flick of Elder Sun's finger, the jade pendant shattered into pieces.
Accompanied by a wisp of blue smoke, Baitousheng's nearly transparent primordial spirit appeared before the crowd once more.
At this moment, Baitousheng's face was plastered with absolute terror.
*How is this possible?!*
He had even fooled Elder Sun—how on earth had Guliang Yuan discovered him?
Regrettably, Baitousheng was destined never to know the answer.
With a wave of Elder Sun's sleeve, Baitousheng's primordial spirit once again dissolved between heaven and earth.
Guliang Yuan used his detector tool to scan the area once more. Only after confirming that all traces of Baitousheng's information had vanished did he finally let out a sigh of relief.
Learning her lesson, Elder Sun swept her divine sense across every corner within the Eight Desolations Demon-Locking Array. Once she was certain no trace of Baitousheng's aura remained, she shook her head with a smile and looked around.
"I truly am old and useless."
"The future of Taishang Holy Land still depends on you young people."
These words sounded fine when addressed to Guliang Yuan, but on the field—aside from Guliang Yuan and Qianqu—even the youngest among them, Song Rentou, was over a thousand years old. Being called a "young person" felt somewhat awkward.
Yet before Elder Sun, a Taishang elder whose lifespan spanned tens of thousands of years, being addressed as a youngster was perhaps not entirely inaccurate.
After Guliang Yuan and the others exchanged a few polite pleasantries with Elder Sun, they turned their attention back to Ye Fan and Meng Yao.
At this moment, Ye Fan stared blankly at the jade pendant lying shattered on the ground, completely dazed.
Half a month ago, he had been humiliated by Guliang Yuan. In the depths of utter despair, he discovered a universe contained within his jade pendant, housing the remnant soul of a peerless expert. Guided by Baitousheng, his cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds. He had envisioned that from then on, his rise would be unstoppable—that figures like Guliang Yuan and sects like the Taishang Holy Land would one day be trampled beneath his feet.
He never expected that before he could even enjoy his triumph for a few days, the master he viewed as his beacon of hope would perish thus in Guliang Yuan's hands.
*How could this happen...?*
He found it difficult to accept this reality.
Meng Yao looked at Guliang Yuan, who resembled an immortal descended to earth, and then at the soul-deprived Ye Fan beside him.
*Perhaps... I really was wrong...*
Before she could ponder this further, she saw Guliang Yuan walking toward her step by step.
Catching sight of the long saber in Guliang Yuan's hand, she abruptly realized that she no longer held any value whatsoever in his eyes.
She was actually going to die!
Terror gripped her. Her previous pride vanished completely.
With a dull thud, she dropped to her knees, dragging herself forward a couple of paces on the ground. Feeling the murderous intent radiating from Guliang Yuan steadily intensify, her body began to tremble slightly, her voice shaking uncontrollably:
"Guliang Yuan, don't kill me! I can do anything you want."
"I know I was wrong, I really know I was wrong!"
"Please spare my life."
"If you don't want to see me, I'll leave right this instant and never appear before you again."
Seeing Meng Yao scared out of her wits, drained of all color, Guliang Yuan suddenly grinned broadly.
"Don't be silly. My big saber never kills women."
Meng Yao, who had been trembling like a sieve, lit up upon hearing Guliang Yuan's words and snapped her head up.
"Really?"
Guliang Yuan nodded. "Really. Go on, leave."
Behind Guliang Yuan, the two elders Song Rentou and Wang Defa frowned simultaneously at this behavior.
*What is going on?*
*Didn't Master Uncle decide to stop acting like a boot-licker? Why let her go now, of all times?*
The other elders exchanged glances, puzzlement written across their faces.
Meanwhile, feeling an immense sense of relief, Meng Yao didn't even spare a glance at the nearby Ye Fan as she scrambled away on all fours toward the edge of the array.
*Now that the crisis of life and death is lifted, the fury in my heart returns! Guliang Yuan, do you think I'll be grateful just because you spared my life? In your dreams! Just you wait—once my cultivation reaches success, I'll make you pay!*
As she fantasized like this, she suddenly felt a chill in her abdomen.
Lowering her head to look, she saw the tip of a blade protruding from her Dantian region.
Stopping in her tracks, she slowly turned her head. It was Guliang Yuan, holding a short dagger, who had pierced straight through her Dantian from behind.
Guliang Yuan yanked the dagger out with a sharp motion, and blood began to flow steadily from Meng Yao's abdomen.
Desperately, Meng Yao tried to stem the flow with her hands, but no matter what she did, she couldn't stop the bleeding.
Gradually, her vision began to blur, her limbs grew weak, and she collapsed limp onto the ground.
Before her consciousness faded away completely, she heard Guliang Yuan's calm, indifferent voice drifting over:
"My big saber doesn't kill women, but I happen to carry a small dagger."
"Amen, Immeasurable Heavenly Venerate, good, very good!"
***
Chapter 24: The Death of Ye Fan, and a New System Quest
Looking at Meng Yao lying in a pool of blood, both Song Rentou and Wang Defa wore smiles of satisfaction.
*Now that hits the spot!*
Guliang Yuan used his inspection technique on Meng Yao's corpse once more. Seeing that no information could be detected from her anymore, he flicked his finger, conjuring a ball of flame out of thin air that reduced the body to flying ash and vaporized even the blood. Only then did he turn his attention to Qianqu:
"Qiu'er, let me tell you: the world of cultivation is far more perilous than inside the holy land, and cultivators possess endless life-saving tricks."
"To avoid being hunted down for revenge in the future, once you come into conflict with others, you must exterminate them utterly and leave the opponent no breathing room."
"Reducing their bones to dust and scattering their ashes is merely the baseline. In a few days, Master will pass on to you a set of techniques specifically targeting primordial spirits."
"Only when the flesh is pulverized and the soul is utterly annihilated can one truly rest easy."
Qianqu nodded heavily. "Master's words—Qianqu will surely engrave them upon her heart."
Guliang Yuan smiled faintly. "A child worth teaching."
Listening to Guliang Yuan's instructions, the group of elders wore strange expressions.
*Aren't you being just a bit too cautious?*
Yet, recalling Baitousheng's near-successful fake death just moments ago, they figured Guliang Yuan made a lot of sense. They quietly resolved that the next time they fought an enemy, they would do exactly this!
Having instructed Qianqu, Guliang Yuan cast his gaze toward Ye Fan.
True to his status as the Child of Destiny, Ye Fan had quickly recovered from the shock of his master's death. Fixing his eyes onto Guliang Yuan, he shouted:
"You only rely on a slightly higher cultivation base and a loftier position! Using someone else's hands to kill me—what kind of ability is that?!"
"If you have the guts, suppress your cultivation to the exact same realm as mine and let's have a proper, fair fight!"
"If I still lose to you then, I will submit willingly!"
Guliang Yuan looked at the jumping, shouting Ye Fan as if watching a clown.
*Suppress my cultivation to fight you? Why don't you just ask me to tie myself up while we fight?*
*You look mediocre at best, but your imagination is certainly something else.*