Chapter 149
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Frightened by the warning, the three Elders held back their strokes. "What are you doing?" Yunya Zi croaked through his coughs of blood, "Kill him!"
Urged by their leader, the Elder of the East Chamber was the first to attack. His fist had nearly reached Xiao Chen's head when an invisible force slammed into him with the force of a mountain. The insurmountable blow sent the old man tossed into the air, choking up blood from his mouth.
"Hmm... Your powers have enhanced... That's what you get after absorbing almost ten year's of Liku's powers, I guess..."
The same indifferent voice resounded again, although the speaker was still nowhere to be seen. But everyone present was more surprised by the contents of what he said. Perfected Immortal Liku was but a warrior renowned across the lands, powerful in his own right. Was it true that this Elder of the Skygale Sect had indeed usurped part of his powers?
The Elders of the West and North Chambers traded a quick look. They charged at Xiao Chen, their movements quick and forceful that even the winds heaved and huffed as if in response. But before they could reach Xiao Chen, they were also pummeled by invisible forces like how the Elder of the East Chamber was beaten.
"My words have fallen on deaf ears, it seems!"
The voice rang again, this time laced with cold fury. A handsome man, whose enchanting features as elegant as the purest of jade, appeared out of thin air. Gliding gently to the ground with the grace that even the fairest of maidens would plead inferior to, None-flower Dust, the Seventh of Heaven's List flicked open his fan casually, the tail of his speckless robes fluttering like the feather's of a peacock's rear.
Whispers and murmurs began rolling through the crowd of onlookers. None-flower Dust might not be an official member of the Devil's Practice, but there was still the unmistakable whiff of malevolence about him. As one of the most potent warriors of the land who possessed the might to deny the will of the Immortals' League, it was plain that he was here to retrieve Xiao Chen.
He drifted lithely toward Xiao Chen like a butterfly circling a withering flower, chuckling with disapproval. "You just love to force things through even when there's zero possibility of winning," he sighed, chastising Xiao Chen's brashness with a shaking head. "What a reckless abandon... Heavens... You're fortunate that I still owe a certain someone a favor..."
The Devil's Three Turns' temporary enhancement to one's strength was undeniably great and powerful, but it was not without a terrible price; one that not even the drawbacks of using the Immolation Spell of the Three Elements could lightly compare. In his present state, Xiao Chen was so close to death that he was merely awake through sheer will alone lest he would have long fainted. Still, despite his incapacitation, he could still feel everything that was transpiring around him.
None-flower Dust halted his ramblings and waved his arm, flailing his sleeve and whisked Xiao Chen into his arm. He began to turn and leave, when Yunya Zi, still panting and heaving wearily, yelled, "Stop him! He must never leave!"
None-flower Dust stopped in his tracks and regarded Yunya Zi frostily. "Yunya Zi," he called out to the older man with an amused expression, "Look at yourself. You're looking into the face of Death yourself. Still, you wish ill upon others?" With a derisive snicker, he began walking away.
Just then, the air in front of him flickered and a few figures appeared before him, barring his way. "If you would please, Master None-flower! This evil man must answer for his crimes!"
"Hahahaha!" None-flower Dust merely guffawed. "Who are you and why should I heed your words? I am None-flower Dust. I come as I may, and leave as I will. Nothing will stop me." With a kick, he took into the skies and flew away, heading east.
The three Elders of the Skygale Sect drew their swords and rode on them, tearing through the sky in pursuit. But None-flower Dust merely chortled with disdain. With a gentle wave of his feathered fan, a gust of wind blew suddenly, engulfing the three Elders and buffeted them with a fury that cast them back to where they came from.
"Dreams are sundered as my sword glittered, the spring blossoms withered ere the year departed..." None-flower Dust's voice sang softly as his figure grew smaller in the distance and finally flitted out of sight.
Gradually, Xiao Chen faded into unconsciousness, his last thoughts being the safety of Murong Xian'er. He could no longer speak and he knew nothing of why None-flower Dust would help him again and again.
Three days later, None-flower Dust and he ventured into a quiet and tranquil mountain valley. Despite being late into autumn outside, spring was in a perpetual stasis in the valley. Lush greeneries and colorful flowers bloomed proudly in the cheerful chirps of birds professing their songs of love. There was a lagoon in the valley and beside it sat three little cottages build side-by-side. With lightness skill, None-flower Dust skimmed over the meadows and the surface of the water, reaching the cottages with hardly an effort. Three times he shouted, "Gui Xian!" (Literally, Wraith Immortal)
Thrice his voice resounded off the mountains, but there was still hardly any response. "Old man," None-flower Dust muttered, at last, smiling slyly, "On the count of three, I will burn down your shabby huts if you still refuse to see me."
"One!"
"Two!"
"Three!"
On the third count, None-flower Dust opened his palm and conjured a blue speck of flames. A hoarse and frailed voice croaked from inside of the cottage on the middle. "Oh my! Oh my! Come on now, Little None-flower!" The feeble voice of an old man called hurriedly, "Heaven forfend if you should burn down my house! I'll never rest till I have my revenge!"
The wooden door creaked opened almost immediately, allowing None-flower Dust to enter. They walked through the threshold and found the insides of the cottage festooned with an assorted array of medicinal weeds and spices hanging from the eaves, while the air inside reeked of the aroma of herbs. But there was no one to be seen.
The frail voice of an old man croaked again. "Why are you here with a dead man? Is that a body you are giving me as compensation for burning down my house last time?"
"You speak too much," None-flower Dust snapped, placing Xiao Chen on a bed. He turned to speak at the old man again, "Save him."
A figure slowly came into view, ghostly and spectral. With hairs and beards as white as snow, the translucent body of the old man shimmered as he moved toward the bed to inspect Xiao Chen. He was no longer human, but merely a soul body. He checked Xiao Chen's pulse and chuckled. "Ah... He's in a terrible state."
"Can you save him?" None-flower Dust pressed, his brows creasing into a frown.
Gui Xian snickered, his face beaming with pride, "Of course I can. Did I not save you too when you were almost dead yourself? Come to think of it, I had..."
"Enough with your blather! Get to work!"
"Why the hurry? You could've let me finish." But Gui Xian paused suddenly and sighed. "What a pity... What a pity if he can be saved..."
"What are you talking about?"
"Heh heh heh heh!" The eyes of Gui Xian twinkled as he studied Xiao Chen's body. "Oh my, an indestructible body..." he lamented longingly, "The fabled indestructible body... If only I have one like his..."
He carried on mumbling incomprehensibly, peering with yearning at Xiao Chen's body. "This man is protected by the Spirit Silence Room," None-flower Dust snapped, "I'd suggest against harboring any malevolent intent on him. Not unless you wish to incur the wrath of Bai Susu."
"Ah... I see..." Gui Xian sighed with dejection, "What a pity... A pity indeed."
"How long do you need?" None-flower Dust pressed again.
"His soul is as good as tattered... But each of his soul's fragments will return in every seven days. It will take only forty-nine days for his soul to be restored. But..."
"But what?" None-flower Dust asked seriously.
"But I'm afraid all of his powers will be no more."
None-flower Dust's forehead wrinkled with distress. "Is there no other way?" He asked. "Of course there is. This is but mere child's play to me!" Gui Xian barked indignantly with pride.
"Very well then. I'll leave him with you. I'd best be off then." None-flower Dust said and vanished, reappearing outside the door. He disappeared again, this time for good, but he left a lingering message that echoed hollowly into the valley, "Take care. There might be others who have found you by now."
"I'll be thankful enough if you were to leave me alone, you rascal?" Gui Xian hissed irately.
Forty-nine days passed by like a blur. The gentle, cooling breeze heralded the passing of autumn. Xiao Chen opened his eyes finally. He had woken up several times before but each time his eyes opened, he remained dazed and fuzzy only to lose consciousness again. He stared blankly as he finally regained his vigor and feel his strength returning to his fingers. The voice of an old man called out to him suddenly, "You've woken up finally, boy."
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Frightened by the warning, the three Elders held back their strokes. "What are you doing?" Yunya Zi croaked through his coughs of blood, "Kill him!"
Urged by their leader, the Elder of the East Chamber was the first to attack. His fist had nearly reached Xiao Chen's head when an invisible force slammed into him with the force of a mountain. The insurmountable blow sent the old man tossed into the air, choking up blood from his mouth.
"Hmm... Your powers have enhanced... That's what you get after absorbing almost ten year's of Liku's powers, I guess..."
The same indifferent voice resounded again, although the speaker was still nowhere to be seen. But everyone present was more surprised by the contents of what he said. Perfected Immortal Liku was but a warrior renowned across the lands, powerful in his own right. Was it true that this Elder of the Skygale Sect had indeed usurped part of his powers?
The Elders of the West and North Chambers traded a quick look. They charged at Xiao Chen, their movements quick and forceful that even the winds heaved and huffed as if in response. But before they could reach Xiao Chen, they were also pummeled by invisible forces like how the Elder of the East Chamber was beaten.
"My words have fallen on deaf ears, it seems!"
The voice rang again, this time laced with cold fury. A handsome man, whose enchanting features as elegant as the purest of jade, appeared out of thin air. Gliding gently to the ground with the grace that even the fairest of maidens would plead inferior to, None-flower Dust, the Seventh of Heaven's List flicked open his fan casually, the tail of his speckless robes fluttering like the feather's of a peacock's rear.
Whispers and murmurs began rolling through the crowd of onlookers. None-flower Dust might not be an official member of the Devil's Practice, but there was still the unmistakable whiff of malevolence about him. As one of the most potent warriors of the land who possessed the might to deny the will of the Immortals' League, it was plain that he was here to retrieve Xiao Chen.
He drifted lithely toward Xiao Chen like a butterfly circling a withering flower, chuckling with disapproval. "You just love to force things through even when there's zero possibility of winning," he sighed, chastising Xiao Chen's brashness with a shaking head. "What a reckless abandon... Heavens... You're fortunate that I still owe a certain someone a favor..."
The Devil's Three Turns' temporary enhancement to one's strength was undeniably great and powerful, but it was not without a terrible price; one that not even the drawbacks of using the Immolation Spell of the Three Elements could lightly compare. In his present state, Xiao Chen was so close to death that he was merely awake through sheer will alone lest he would have long fainted. Still, despite his incapacitation, he could still feel everything that was transpiring around him.
None-flower Dust halted his ramblings and waved his arm, flailing his sleeve and whisked Xiao Chen into his arm. He began to turn and leave, when Yunya Zi, still panting and heaving wearily, yelled, "Stop him! He must never leave!"
None-flower Dust stopped in his tracks and regarded Yunya Zi frostily. "Yunya Zi," he called out to the older man with an amused expression, "Look at yourself. You're looking into the face of Death yourself. Still, you wish ill upon others?" With a derisive snicker, he began walking away.
Just then, the air in front of him flickered and a few figures appeared before him, barring his way. "If you would please, Master None-flower! This evil man must answer for his crimes!"
"Hahahaha!" None-flower Dust merely guffawed. "Who are you and why should I heed your words? I am None-flower Dust. I come as I may, and leave as I will. Nothing will stop me." With a kick, he took into the skies and flew away, heading east.
The three Elders of the Skygale Sect drew their swords and rode on them, tearing through the sky in pursuit. But None-flower Dust merely chortled with disdain. With a gentle wave of his feathered fan, a gust of wind blew suddenly, engulfing the three Elders and buffeted them with a fury that cast them back to where they came from.
"Dreams are sundered as my sword glittered, the spring blossoms withered ere the year departed..." None-flower Dust's voice sang softly as his figure grew smaller in the distance and finally flitted out of sight.
Gradually, Xiao Chen faded into unconsciousness, his last thoughts being the safety of Murong Xian'er. He could no longer speak and he knew nothing of why None-flower Dust would help him again and again.
Three days later, None-flower Dust and he ventured into a quiet and tranquil mountain valley. Despite being late into autumn outside, spring was in a perpetual stasis in the valley. Lush greeneries and colorful flowers bloomed proudly in the cheerful chirps of birds professing their songs of love. There was a lagoon in the valley and beside it sat three little cottages build side-by-side. With lightness skill, None-flower Dust skimmed over the meadows and the surface of the water, reaching the cottages with hardly an effort. Three times he shouted, "Gui Xian!" (Literally, Wraith Immortal)
Thrice his voice resounded off the mountains, but there was still hardly any response. "Old man," None-flower Dust muttered, at last, smiling slyly, "On the count of three, I will burn down your shabby huts if you still refuse to see me."
"One!"
"Two!"
"Three!"
On the third count, None-flower Dust opened his palm and conjured a blue speck of flames. A hoarse and frailed voice croaked from inside of the cottage on the middle. "Oh my! Oh my! Come on now, Little None-flower!" The feeble voice of an old man called hurriedly, "Heaven forfend if you should burn down my house! I'll never rest till I have my revenge!"
The wooden door creaked opened almost immediately, allowing None-flower Dust to enter. They walked through the threshold and found the insides of the cottage festooned with an assorted array of medicinal weeds and spices hanging from the eaves, while the air inside reeked of the aroma of herbs. But there was no one to be seen.
The frail voice of an old man croaked again. "Why are you here with a dead man? Is that a body you are giving me as compensation for burning down my house last time?"
"You speak too much," None-flower Dust snapped, placing Xiao Chen on a bed. He turned to speak at the old man again, "Save him."
A figure slowly came into view, ghostly and spectral. With hairs and beards as white as snow, the translucent body of the old man shimmered as he moved toward the bed to inspect Xiao Chen. He was no longer human, but merely a soul body. He checked Xiao Chen's pulse and chuckled. "Ah... He's in a terrible state."
"Can you save him?" None-flower Dust pressed, his brows creasing into a frown.
Gui Xian snickered, his face beaming with pride, "Of course I can. Did I not save you too when you were almost dead yourself? Come to think of it, I had..."
"Enough with your blather! Get to work!"
"Why the hurry? You could've let me finish." But Gui Xian paused suddenly and sighed. "What a pity... What a pity if he can be saved..."
"What are you talking about?"
"Heh heh heh heh!" The eyes of Gui Xian twinkled as he studied Xiao Chen's body. "Oh my, an indestructible body..." he lamented longingly, "The fabled indestructible body... If only I have one like his..."
He carried on mumbling incomprehensibly, peering with yearning at Xiao Chen's body. "This man is protected by the Spirit Silence Room," None-flower Dust snapped, "I'd suggest against harboring any malevolent intent on him. Not unless you wish to incur the wrath of Bai Susu."
"Ah... I see..." Gui Xian sighed with dejection, "What a pity... A pity indeed."
"How long do you need?" None-flower Dust pressed again.
"His soul is as good as tattered... But each of his soul's fragments will return in every seven days. It will take only forty-nine days for his soul to be restored. But..."
"But what?" None-flower Dust asked seriously.
"But I'm afraid all of his powers will be no more."
None-flower Dust's forehead wrinkled with distress. "Is there no other way?" He asked. "Of course there is. This is but mere child's play to me!" Gui Xian barked indignantly with pride.
"Very well then. I'll leave him with you. I'd best be off then." None-flower Dust said and vanished, reappearing outside the door. He disappeared again, this time for good, but he left a lingering message that echoed hollowly into the valley, "Take care. There might be others who have found you by now."
"I'll be thankful enough if you were to leave me alone, you rascal?" Gui Xian hissed irately.
Forty-nine days passed by like a blur. The gentle, cooling breeze heralded the passing of autumn. Xiao Chen opened his eyes finally. He had woken up several times before but each time his eyes opened, he remained dazed and fuzzy only to lose consciousness again. He stared blankly as he finally regained his vigor and feel his strength returning to his fingers. The voice of an old man called out to him suddenly, "You've woken up finally, boy."
Frightened by the warning, the three Elders held back their strokes. "What are you doing?" Yunya Zi croaked through his coughs of blood, "Kill him!"Urged by their leader, the Elder of the East Chamber was the first to attack. His fist had nearly reached Xiao Chen's head when an invisible force slammed into him with the force of a mountain. The insurmountable blow sent the old man tossed into the air, choking up blood from his mouth."Hmm... Your powers have enhanced... That's what you get after absorbing almost ten year's of Liku's powers, I guess..."The same indifferent voice resounded again, although the speaker was still nowhere to be seen. But everyone present was more surprised by the contents of what he said. Perfected Immortal Liku was but a warrior renowned across the lands, powerful in his own right. Was it true that this Elder of the Skygale Sect had indeed usurped part of his powers?The Elders of the West and North Chambers traded a quick look. They charged at Xiao Chen, their movements quick and forceful that even the winds heaved and huffed as if in response. But before they could reach Xiao Chen, they were also pummeled by invisible forces like how the Elder of the East Chamber was beaten."My words have fallen on deaf ears, it seems!"The voice rang again, this time laced with cold fury. A handsome man, whose enchanting features as elegant as the purest of jade, appeared out of thin air. Gliding gently to the ground with the grace that even the fairest of maidens would plead inferior to, None-flower Dust, the Seventh of Heaven's List flicked open his fan casually, the tail of his speckless robes fluttering like the feather's of a peacock's rear.Whispers and murmurs began rolling through the crowd of onlookers. None-flower Dust might not be an official member of the Devil's Practice, but there was still the unmistakable whiff of malevolence about him. As one of the most potent warriors of the land who possessed the might to deny the will of the Immortals' League, it was plain that he was here to retrieve Xiao Chen.He drifted lithely toward Xiao Chen like a butterfly circling a withering flower, chuckling with disapproval. "You just love to force things through even when there's zero possibility of winning," he sighed, chastising Xiao Chen's brashness with a shaking head. "What a reckless abandon... Heavens... You're fortunate that I still owe a certain someone a favor..."The Devil's Three Turns' temporary enhancement to one's strength was undeniably great and powerful, but it was not without a terrible price; one that not even the drawbacks of using the Immolation Spell of the Three Elements could lightly compare. In his present state, Xiao Chen was so close to death that he was merely awake through sheer will alone lest he would have long fainted. Still, despite his incapacitation, he could still feel everything that was transpiring around him.None-flower Dust halted his ramblings and waved his arm, flailing his sleeve and whisked Xiao Chen into his arm. He began to turn and leave, when Yunya Zi, still panting and heaving wearily, yelled, "Stop him! He must never leave!"None-flower Dust stopped in his tracks and regarded Yunya Zi frostily. "Yunya Zi," he called out to the older man with an amused expression, "Look at yourself. You're looking into the face of Death yourself. Still, you wish ill upon others?" With a derisive snicker, he began walking away.Just then, the air in front of him flickered and a few figures appeared before him, barring his way. "If you would please, Master None-flower! This evil man must answer for his crimes!""Hahahaha!" None-flower Dust merely guffawed. "Who are you and why should I heed your words? I am None-flower Dust. I come as I may, and leave as I will. Nothing will stop me." With a kick, he took into the skies and flew away, heading east.The three Elders of the Skygale Sect drew their swords and rode on them, tearing through the sky in pursuit. But None-flower Dust merely chortled with disdain. With a gentle wave of his feathered fan, a gust of wind blew suddenly, engulfing the three Elders and buffeted them with a fury that cast them back to where they came from."Dreams are sundered as my sword glittered, the spring blossoms withered ere the year departed..." None-flower Dust's voice sang softly as his figure grew smaller in the distance and finally flitted out of sight.Gradually, Xiao Chen faded into unconsciousness, his last thoughts being the safety of Murong Xian'er. He could no longer speak and he knew nothing of why None-flower Dust would help him again and again.Three days later, None-flower Dust and he ventured into a quiet and tranquil mountain valley. Despite being late into autumn outside, spring was in a perpetual stasis in the valley. Lush greeneries and colorful flowers bloomed proudly in the cheerful chirps of birds professing their songs of love. There was a lagoon in the valley and beside it sat three little cottages build side-by-side. With lightness skill, None-flower Dust skimmed over the meadows and the surface of the water, reaching the cottages with hardly an effort. Three times he shouted, "Gui Xian!" Literally, Wraith ImmortalThrice his voice resounded off the mountains, but there was still hardly any response. "Old man," None-flower Dust muttered, at last, smiling slyly, "On the count of three, I will burn down your shabby huts if you still refuse to see me.""One!""Two!""Three!"On the third count, None-flower Dust opened his palm and conjured a blue speck of flames. A hoarse and frailed voice croaked from inside of the cottage on the middle. "Oh my! Oh my! Come on now, Little None-flower!" The feeble voice of an old man called hurriedly, "Heaven forfend if you should burn down my house! I'll never rest till I have my revenge!"The wooden door creaked opened almost immediately, allowing None-flower Dust to enter. They walked through the threshold and found the insides of the cottage festooned with an assorted array of medicinal weeds and spices hanging from the eaves, while the air inside reeked of the aroma of herbs. But there was no one to be seen.The frail voice of an old man croaked again. "Why are you here with a dead man? Is that a body you are giving me as compensation for burning down my house last time?""You speak too much," None-flower Dust snapped, placing Xiao Chen on a bed. He turned to speak at the old man again, "Save him."A figure slowly came into view, ghostly and spectral. With hairs and beards as white as snow, the translucent body of the old man shimmered as he moved toward the bed to inspect Xiao Chen. He was no longer human, but merely a soul body. He checked Xiao Chen's pulse and chuckled. "Ah... He's in a terrible state.""Can you save him?" None-flower Dust pressed, his brows creasing into a frown.Gui Xian snickered, his face beaming with pride, "Of course I can. Did I not save you too when you were almost dead yourself? Come to think of it, I had...""Enough with your blather! Get to work!""Why the hurry? You could've let me finish." But Gui Xian paused suddenly and sighed. "What a pity... What a pity if he can be saved...""What are you talking about?""Heh heh heh heh!" The eyes of Gui Xian twinkled as he studied Xiao Chen's body. "Oh my, an indestructible body..." he lamented longingly, "The fabled indestructible body... If only I have one like his..."He carried on mumbling incomprehensibly, peering with yearning at Xiao Chen's body. "This man is protected by the Spirit Silence Room," None-flower Dust snapped, "I'd suggest against harboring any malevolent intent on him. Not unless you wish to incur the wrath of Bai Susu.""Ah... I see..." Gui Xian sighed with dejection, "What a pity... A pity indeed.""How long do you need?" None-flower Dust pressed again."His soul is as good as tattered... But each of his soul's fragments will return in every seven days. It will take only forty-nine days for his soul to be restored. But...""But what?" None-flower Dust asked seriously."But I'm afraid all of his powers will be no more."None-flower Dust's forehead wrinkled with distress. "Is there no other way?" He asked. "Of course there is. This is but mere child's play to me!" Gui Xian barked indignantly with pride."Very well then. I'll leave him with you. I'd best be off then." None-flower Dust said and vanished, reappearing outside the door. He disappeared again, this time for good, but he left a lingering message that echoed hollowly into the valley, "Take care. There might be others who have found you by now.""I'll be thankful enough if you were to leave me alone, you rascal?" Gui Xian hissed irately.Forty-nine days passed by like a blur. The gentle, cooling breeze heralded the passing of autumn. Xiao Chen opened his eyes finally. He had woken up several times before but each time his eyes opened, he remained dazed and fuzzy only to lose consciousness again. He stared blankly as he finally regained his vigor and feel his strength returning to his fingers. The voice of an old man called out to him suddenly, "You've woken up finally, boy."
