Chapter Twenty-Eight: I Fell Into His Trap

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The Battle King, Old Bear Three, Liu Ruoyan, and Little Bug were all friends of Nantian. Upon hearing what had happened, none dared to ask for help; just as they were about to step forward to check on him, Long Yi stopped them: “He is the Tiger-Faced Immortal incarnate. If you do not fear death, then by all means, try.”

The Tiger-Faced Immortal conserved his strength. Like him, unless absolutely necessary, he would not use his spells. But once he did, it was always with his full power.

Even if Long Yi was right, the Battle King, limping, swayed and staggered his way over. Nantian had shown him kindness; he would do what he could.

After the Battle King approached, Old Bear Three followed closely behind, leaving only Liu Ruoyan and Jiao Ying rooted to the spot.

The three reminisced for a while, never mentioning the current predicament, and as they spoke, they even ignored the uncertainty surrounding Wuyun’s fate.

“We and Old Tree were trapped in that illusory dream array, our lives hanging by a thread. Later, the Tiger-Faced Immortal was sealed and came to inspect us. Zuo Yi and You Er from the Multi-Space Trading Guild were the first to surrender. The two of them chose fleeting survival, helping to conquer the Qi Dynasty with all their might, offering strategies to dismantle the court. Empress Gu then led the Ninth Prince to pay homage to the Tiger-Faced Immortal and set up a new temple...”

Long Yi’s face turned ashen at the news. His original plan had been to go on ahead, hoping the Tiger-Faced Immortal would chase after him directly; who could have guessed this demon emperor would not take the bait.

Imagine—if even a Celestial King such as himself was so formidable, how could a demon emperor of the Celestial Emperor’s level ever be so easily outwitted?

“Prince Ji, the current Star King of Luofu, upon hearing this, raised an army to attack. Three hundred thousand cultivators were captured and now form a formation outside this Magnetic Star, their fate uncertain.”

“Those wretched Zuo Yi and You Er!” Battle King fumed at the news, vowing revenge, but Nantian waved his hand to dissuade him: “They still harbored some hope of survival, thinking the Multi-Space Trading Guild would send masters to help. As it turned out, a diviner died from attempting to predict the outcome, and the four great experts sent were snatched away by the Tiger-Faced Immortal at a glance. Now, throughout the entire Qianluo Space, the strong are fleeing from every star. Any cultivator with ties to Sage Tyrant, to Sword Mountain Sect, or to the Luoshui Star has withdrawn far away.”

The Battle King, Old Bear Three, and others chuckled dryly. That Sage Tyrant, having failed the heavenly tribulation, thought his fate unreadable, imagining some great fortune lay ahead. Unexpectedly, not only did he lose his life, but his soul as well, never to be reincarnated.

Old friendships recalled, old debts discussed—but around Old Bear Three, the Battle King, and Little Bug, layers of silken treasure artifacts formed an unbreakable barrier. Nearby, Long Yi appeared thoughtful, though his mind was ever fixed on the mouth of the swirling vortex.

Amid their conversation, Nantian suddenly blinked rapidly. The ever-vigilant Battle King hurried to shield Old Bear Three and the others, pulling them back—but it was too late. The very mouth that had just spoken of the Tiger-Faced Immortal’s reluctance to enter suddenly spat forth three syllables:

“Still! Still! Still!”

The sound swept away Long Yi’s crimson mist, shattered the mirage, and froze the Battle King in his tracks, as well as the ever-guarded Old Bear Three and the weakened Little Bug. They all remained fixed in retreating postures.

Seeing this, Liu Ruoyan and Jiao Ying tried to pull the three back, but as Nantian spat out six bubbles, they ricocheted swiftly. Long Yi managed to slash one apart with a swipe of his claw, but Liu Ruoyan and the other five were all trapped.

Those immobilized could not break free. As Liu Ruoyan and Jiao Ying were about to use the spell Wuyun had taught them, Nantian blinked twice. A phantasm emerged, and in a blink, the man and eagle were plunged into layered illusions.

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“You wish to persuade the Imperial Soul to resist me? Have you forgotten—I am an immortal emperor in my own right! Though my power may be nothing special in the Twenty-Seventh Celestial Realm, here, none of you ants can hope to withstand me!”

Nantian spoke in the ancient tongue of the Tiger-Faced Immortal. Each word he uttered solidified around Long Yi, and by the time he finished, the words themselves, like living things, enclosed him in a prison.

Every glance, every word, was an assault. The Tiger-Faced Immortal, now free, remained ever wary.

Just as Nantian’s form shifted and the Tiger-Faced Immortal’s unique amethyst gem appeared on his brow, a flash streaked through the layers of the great vortex at the mouth of the jar—something seemed to emerge from within.

The Tiger-Faced Immortal focused, about to investigate, when he sensed something amiss: the five trapped in the illusory bubble array had vanished! Even Long Yi, who had been bound by the true words, was gone.

It was not that he had failed to notice. In the instant he possessed Nantian’s body and absorbed his soul, there was a tenth of a second’s distraction—just enough for his prey to slip away with ease.

“Well played!” The Tiger-Faced Immortal gazed intently before him. Within the vortex, a gigantic eye seemed to appear, meeting his gaze. At last, an ancient voice resounded, striking the very soul: “A demon emperor dares descend to the lower realm and commit evil—are you not afraid of divine thunder and heavenly retribution?”

“Hmph, what arrogance. If my true body were here, I would give you a wide berth. But you, a mere wisp of soul, a remnant at that, what threat are you? You think to challenge me—relying on a heavy weapon degraded from a celestial artifact?” The Tiger-Faced Immortal’s expression grew grave. The power gathering in his form intensified, and soon his true body would fully descend, shattering Nantian’s mortal flesh into a bloody mist.

The two sides remained at an impasse for a time. The Tiger-Faced Immortal unleashed spell after devastating spell, but each time his overpowering magic neared the core of the vortex, it was neutralized.

“Break! Break! Break!” The Tiger-Faced Immortal hurled dozens of treasure artifacts, all seized as spoils, letting them explode within the vortex without a care. This formidable barrage finally disrupted the vortex’s balance, and it gradually subsided.

When it had faded, the vortex was gone, the mouth of the jar vanished, and the entire space was awash in soul water, boundless and endless.

“Enlarge! Enlarge! Enlarge!” The Tiger-Faced Immortal revealed his true form, stretching several thousand meters, but it did no good; he could not break free. At this, he quieted, pondering and searching for the crucial detail.

Meanwhile, Wuyun, having been sucked inside, found himself in a hazy space. He chanted calmly, undisturbed, dispelling all manner of negative influences. Suddenly, his vision cleared, and a figure of another race appeared before him.

This being had two horns atop his head, like a water buffalo, their emerald green casting a dim glow. Before it could shine upon Wuyun, a white cloud blocked its light.

“Who are you? In this mortal world, no one can withstand my soul attacks!” the horned stranger declared, and as he spoke, the murk surrounding Wuyun began to solidify, like steel, crushing his body.

Yet strangely, though his mortal flesh should have been fragile, except for his bones—remarkably hard—he was unharmed by the onslaught!

Wuyun looked at him and smiled. “Such petty tricks, suited for the lower realms and these lesser spaces. You, an immortal emperor, seem to have fallen on hard times. By the way, I have six companions. How are they faring?”

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As soon as he finished speaking, the alien before Wuyun vanished, and the scene of Nantian’s entrance appeared. Then, as the Tiger-Faced Immortal descended, Wuyun teased, “So, are you just going to watch as my comrades are devoured by this cat demon?”

No sooner had he spoken than Long Yi and the others, captured and brought to this place, found themselves shrouded in murk. They all struggled, powerless, in pain and anguish.

It was only when Wuyun commanded a halt and everything returned to normal that the alien reappeared, his face puzzled. He stared at Wuyun and asked, “What have you done to me? Why do your words affect my actions?”

Wuyun simply smiled, saying nothing. Except for Long Yi, who remained ever vigilant, Old Bear Three, the Battle King, and the rest stared at him like fools—especially Old Bear Three, who glared at the space before Wuyun, seeing nothing there.

“Senior, who are you speaking to?” Liu Ruoyan asked cautiously. Long Yi cast a spell to see, but all he could make out was a vague shadow before Wuyun; everything else was a blur.

A dragon pearl slowly rose on Long Yi’s chest—his life pearl, containing his most potent attack, strong enough to challenge those above his rank. This was the reason he did not fear the Tiger-Faced Immortal. Yet the present scene was so far beyond his expectations that he had no choice but to prepare in advance.

Wuyun stopped him and tapped each of the six on their eyes—even Old Bear Three’s blind one—allowing all to clearly behold the alien before him, those green horns emitting a ghostly glow.

“Ox-Faced Netherfolk?” Long Yi gasped. His knowledge amused the alien, who sighed, “Immortals fear fame, gods fear strength. The terror of our kind has spread throughout the celestial realms. Which realm are you from?”

After Long Yi replied, the alien nodded approvingly. “So the Greater Celestial Realm has indeed seen much and knows of us. Aside from the top ten realms, which we do not dare provoke, our people are spread everywhere else.”

“But you are like rats in the street—everyone wants to kill you!” Long Yi braced himself and explained, “You strengthen yourselves by devouring souls; your bodies are all ghostly. If someone hasn’t cultivated their soul, you can kill them instantly—even those of the same rank. But if they’re prepared and have a celestial weapon for defense, you’re nothing but trash!”

“Hahahaha!”

Unexpectedly, the alien was not angered, but laughed along with Wuyun, joining in the mirth.

“I’ve been played by this man!”

It was not that the alien was even-tempered—he had simply been tricked!