Chapter Eighteen: Heavenly Soldiers Descend

A beam of golden light descended from the heavens, enveloping Nianxue and the others like a golden bell, secure and unyielding. Relief flooded Nianxue’s heart, as if a thousand tons of weight had been lifted from within her. Her spirit trembled with joy. “It’s Father! My father is here!”

The hands with which Nianxue, in her excitement, gripped Ye Dong and the others were almost painfully tight. Looking up in disbelief, Ye Dong exclaimed, “Is it Master Chen—Daoist Rihui—come to save us?!”

The Daoist in the golden light floated down as if a celestial warrior, landing gently before them. With a commanding gesture at the astonished half-human, half-snake apparition, he rebuked, “Brazen serpent! How dare you descend to the mortal world to wreak havoc! Today, I, Rihui, uphold humanity’s cause and shall seize you!”

Xiaobao, tears and snot smeared across his face, sobbed, “This vile snake killed our brother. We mustn’t let him go!”

Tears streamed down Dachun’s face as well. “Master Daoist, you must seek justice for us!”

Rihui turned, smiling gently at the group huddled together. “Don’t squeeze him too tightly, or you’ll suffocate him—then things will get complicated.”

Nianxue was wild with joy. “The simpleton can still be saved? The simpleton can be saved!”

A hint of color returned to Ye Dong’s ashen face. “Then I’ll take him out for emergency treatment now!”

But Rihui stopped him. “No rush. A man won’t die from a little blood. Let me deal with this serpent demon first, then we’ll send him for care.”

Ye Dong wanted to protest, but Nianxue stopped him. “Don’t worry. If my father says the simpleton won’t die, then he won’t die.”

Hearing Nianxue’s assurance, Ye Dong’s anxiety slowly eased. “Yes, yes! Your father is so powerful—if he says the simpleton will be fine, he definitely will!”

The group embraced, tears flowing, their friendship deepening once more.

The half-human, half-snake apparition floated mid-air, sneering. “Do you think your mastery of the Golden Light Incantation will frighten me? I am, after all, the sovereign among serpents!”

Rihui snorted in anger. “Insult me if you must, but do not mock the Golden Light Incantation!”

He wielded his ancient coin sword like thunder and scattered a handful of talismans into the air. Strangely, they all froze, suspended mid-flight. Rihui’s voice boomed like a bronze bell: “Heaven and earth without limit, the universe lends its power! Guardians of the Three Realms, Five Emperors in attendance! All gods pay homage, thunder at my command! Supreme Lord Taiyi, by law I summon!”

At the end of his incantation, the motionless talismans split and multiplied as if by cellular division, forming thousands upon thousands of spiritual seals out of thin air.

“The Dao gives birth to One, One gives birth to Two, Two gives birth to Three, Three gives birth to the myriad things!”

The countless talismans burst into golden light, all lancing toward the serpent apparition’s soul!

Nianxue’s brows eased with delight. “This is the ‘Three Begets the Myriad’ technique my father spoke of!”

Seeing the “Three Begets the Myriad” strike with thunderous force, the serpent apparition felt genuine fear. With a convulsive shudder, she shed every last snake scale, transforming them into countless blades that clashed headlong with the golden rays.

A tremendous blast resounded—the two forces collided with a soul-shaking detonation!

Ye Dong stared, stunned. “Is this truly the modern world I live in?!”

Nianxue swallowed hard. “This is the first time I’ve ever seen such a battle!”

Xiaobao, moved to tears, cried out, “Nianxue’s father is amazing! He’s already gaining the upper hand!”

Indeed, as Xiaobao said, Rihui pressed his advantage, forcing the serpent apparition to retreat, step by step.

“Ghosts and demons lose their wits, monsters perish in thunder! Thunder Lord, veil your name!”

A divine bolt of lightning crashed down from the heavens, striking the serpent apparition directly. She was focused on fending off the golden rays and never expected this move from Rihui. Unable to dodge, she was blasted until blood streamed down, forced in desperation to shed yet another layer of skin.

Well-traveled and cunning, the serpent apparition now realized defeat was certain if the battle continued. She thought, “This Daoist Rihui’s power reaches the heavens—I can’t die here! So long as the green hills remain, there will be wood to burn. Better to escape now!”

With a sweeping gesture, she sent a dense black mist hurtling toward the innocent Officer Li and his companions.

Rihui laughed heartily. “Petty tricks of a third-rate conjurer! Expanding Golden Sun Bell!”

Instantly, the golden bell shielding Nianxue and the others swelled, encompassing all of Officer Li’s group within its protection. The black mist, upon touching the bell, vanished without a trace, like a drop of water on a red-hot anvil.

Realizing things had gone awry, the serpent apparition’s demonic aura surged as she tried to flee at full speed.

Rihui let out a quiet snort, hastily chanting an enhanced “Binding Demon Mantra”: “Heavenly Kings of the Four Directions, Guardians of the Eight Quarters, hold this ground, come swiftly to my aid! By law, I summon!”

The serpent apparition had flown less than a hundred meters when the sudden “Binding Demon Mantra” caught her completely off guard. Rihui’s mystical barrier trapped her tightly; she could not move an inch!

“Damn it! This is bad!” she cried. Her snake eyes widened involuntarily, and her icy face twisted into a forced smile as she fell to her knees, begging for mercy. “Great Immortal, spare me! I’ll return to my lair at once and never again do evil! I’ll worship you every day! Please, Great Immortal, spare my life!”

Rihui’s brows arched in fury. “Too late! You have committed countless evils; today I shall eradicate you from this world to bring peace to the departed souls!”

The serpent apparition cursed herself. “Damn it! That Green Scales tricked me into this pit of fire! Am I truly to lose a lifetime’s cultivation in a single day?!”

She struggled desperately, raking her claws at the invisible prison. “I was wrong! Daoist Rihui, I truly know my wrongs!”

But Rihui’s face remained cold as he recited, “Good and evil will be repaid, by Heaven’s will I act! The Celestial Kings obey, slay demons and punish spirits, let all monsters turn to dust! Supreme Lord Taiyi, by law I summon!”

As the incantation ended, the cage trapping the serpent apparition blazed with blinding light on all sides.

Ye Dong asked Nianxue, “What’s appearing around that wretched snake? Laser beams?!”

Nianxue shook her head. “I really don’t know!”

Suddenly, four beams of light appeared and spread outward. Everyone instinctively squinted, as if time itself had frozen. When at last they opened their eyes, they saw four colossal Celestial Kings, clad in battle armor and wielding divine weapons, glaring fiercely at the trapped serpent apparition.

Ye Dong’s fists clenched, cold sweat dripping down. “Are those…are those gods?!”

Nianxue seemed equally stunned. “From their attire, could they be the Four Heavenly Kings?!”

The serpent apparition, seeing the descent of the Heavenly Kings, trembled uncontrollably, her face frozen in terror, speechless.

Rihui raised his hand with authority. “Execute!”

The Four Heavenly Kings received the command; their divine weapons struck without mercy at the serpent apparition.

A shriek tore through the air as her spirit rapidly dissipated, and in the blink of an eye, she was reduced to dust.

Seeing the wicked serpent apparition utterly destroyed, Rihui’s heart rejoiced. He bowed respectfully to the Four Heavenly Kings. “Rihui respectfully bids farewell to the Four Heavenly Kings.”

The Four Heavenly Kings inclined their heads to Rihui in acknowledgment, then shone with the light by which they had arrived and vanished in an instant.