Wayfarer

Chapter 675: Uprooted

"Activate the formation!" Blue Lantern shouted.

Within the giant blue sphere, the cultivators activated the formation banners as quickly as they could. The sphere flew away as Xiao Nanfeng and Xia Xingchen emerged from it.

As they did so, they saw Long Er being trapped by a kasaya in the distance while Long San, in human form, continued to deal his wounded head a flurry of heavy blows.

Long Er screamed as he suddenly fell to the ground. Long San followed after him, sealing Long Er's cultivation.

Xia Xingchen was astounded. "How did you manage to capture Long Er so quickly? He's even stronger than Long San. Even if Long Er were no match for him, Long Er should at least have been able to run off!"

"I detonated another Golden Immortal relic," Xiao Nanfeng explained.

Xia Xingchen gave him an odd look. Was this what a parvenu would do?

"Mountain Lord Xia, we're tight on time. Let's hurry back to the Southeastern Aquatic Palace," Xiao Nanfeng suggested.

Xia Xingchen nodded as the two cultivators made their way to the bottom of the sea.

By then, the underwater combat was over.

Yu'er's eyes brightened upon seeing the two cultivators head over together. She rushed up to Xiao Nanfeng. "Nanfeng, is the fighting at the surface over? Are you injured?"

Xia Xingchen cleared his throat in annoyance upon seeing Yu'er focus her attention on her boyfriend rather than himself.

Xia Lan, following behind them, exclaimed, "Father, have you managed to take down the four lords of the Southeastern Aquatic Palace?"

"Isn't that to be expected? What nonsense," Xia Xingchen replied brusquely.

Xia Lan: ...

Had he said something wrong? Why did his father seem so upset?

"Father, what do you think of Xiao Nanfeng now?" Yu'er clutched Xiao Nanfeng by the wrist and smiled at her father proudly.

"Hmph!" Xia Xingchen snorted, even more unhappy than before.

Ye Dafu rushed toward them from nearby. "Your Majesty, we've quelled the spirits of the Southeastern Aquatic Palace. The majority have surrendered and have had their cultivation sealed. Only a few managed to escape."

"Ignore those that have. Send these sea spirits to Dazheng immediately. Filter them according to their backgrounds. Those that haven't acted in malice will be allowed to redeem themselves with merit; otherwise, send them to Chang Bing and have them forged into relics and pills," Xiao Nanfeng instructed.

"Understood!" Ye Dafu replied, nodding.

"Scour the Southeastern Aquatic Palace for any remaining treasure. Then, we'll leave."

"We've already started retreating, and the treasure-hunting teams are about to finish up."

Xiao Nanfeng nodded.

The cultivators flew into the depths of the Southeastern Aquatic Palace. Indeed, the fighting was already over, and the sea spirits had all been taken away by the Immortal army. A scant few were trying to cart off whatever was unsecured within.

Very quickly, the Southeastern Aquatic Palace became nothing but a pile of ruins.

Xia Lan turned to Xiao Nanfeng. "Your subordinates really are... comprehensive... with their task. There's nothing remaining here—you've even taken the stone slabs used for flooring away!"

Xiao Nanfeng glanced askance at Xia Lan. "You don't have a family of your own, and naturally don't understand how expensive such materials can be. Do you know how many generals and soldiers Dazheng has to feed? Being wasteful is shameful."

Yu'er nodded fervently beside him. "That's right, Third Brother! Don't talk about stuff you don't know anything about."

Xia Lan glowered at them. If not for his father's presence by his side, he would have given the couple a good scolding.

"Can we not drag the black coffin away?" Xiao Nanfeng asked again.

Ao Zhou shook his head. "We can't. Damn it, I even tried using an ancestral dragon's technique on it, but nothing seems to work!"

Xiao Nanfeng waved a hand, causing a spectral figure of light to emerge from his palm—what remained of Long Yi's soul.

Xiao Nanfeng asked, "Long Yi, how do you activate and move this black coffin?"

"I don't know. I can't move it myself!" Long Yi's soul replied anxiously.

"Do you intend to lie to me even when I have your very soul in my grasp?" Xiao Nanfeng demanded.

"I'm telling the truth. I really don't know how to move the coffin. I was following orders to guard the black coffin and occasionally allowed to exchange for some treasures myself. I'm not familiar with it at all," Long Yi exclaimed.

"On whose orders were you guarding the coffin?"

Long Yi pursed his lips in silence, as if he didn't dare to respond.

"I control your life. Whose secrets are you still trying to protect? Tell me!" Xiao Nanfeng exclaimed.

Long Yi gritted his teeth. He was just about to speak when a red flame suddenly appeared in the center of his forehead, burning away what remained of his soul.

"No! Forgive me, Immortal Emperor. I never said anything. Spare me! No!" Long Yi shrieked.

The red flames quickly encased and devoured his soul.

"Who dares?!" Xiao Nanfeng attempted to obtain a sample of those flames, but they suddenly dissipated before he could.

"Someone was trying to hide the truth," Yu'er murmured.

Xia Xingchen frowned. "Cursed flames? Someone must have deposited this curse in Long Yi's soul long ago to kill him remotely at any time..."

"The Immortal Emperor that Long Yi's talking about, you mean. He knows of the situation in the Southeastern Aquatic Palace and is worried that Long Yi will reveal his secrets. That must be why he made his move." Xiao Nanfeng frowned. He turned toward Xia Xingchen. "Mountain Lord Xia, do you know who this Immortal Emperor might be?"

"How would I? Continue investigating slowly. I'm going to leave with Yu'er," Xia Xingchen said.

"Please let me join you in the purple moon illusory realm."

"What good would you be there? You don't cultivate the Yuqing purple moon and won't be able to get in. Yu'er and I alone will suffice," Xia Xingchen replied.

"I can help guard you," Xiao Nanfeng offered.

"There's no need. It's best that as few people know where we'll be in secluded cultivation as possible," Xia Xingchen refused.

"Father, Nanfeng isn't an outsider!" Yu'er exclaimed.

"None of that, now. Follow me. Some Mountain Lords of the Yuqing holy land must already be on their way. Hurry!"

Yu'er frowned. She had no choice but to exchange a reluctant farewell with Xiao Nanfeng.

"What about me, Father?" Xia Lan exclaimed.

"Go play on your own!" Xia Xingchen flew off with Yu'er.

Xia Lan stiffened. Did Father favor his daughter over his sons?

"Also, go tell your mothers not to worry. I'll return in a few days' time," Xia Xingchen called out from afar.

Xia Lan sighed in exasperation, but he nodded. "Yes, Father..."

Xiao Nanfeng attempted to make the black coffin budge once again, but it refused to obey him.

"Very well. Everyone, you can leave," Xiao Nanfeng said.

The cultivators swiftly departed, leaving the Southeastern Aquatic Palace in a pile of ruins.

Xiao Nanfeng continued to study the black coffin, but to no avail. Before long, however, Blue Lantern showed up.

"Your Majesty, I just heard about the situation regarding the black coffin. Let me have a look," he suggested.

"Have you finished scouring any sign of fighting from our surroundings?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"Yes, Your Majesty, and we've taken the Eye of the Sea with us as well. It's being guarded by Ye Dafu and the others."

"Good. Have a quick look, but we'll have to leave soon. People are going to show up here in no time."

"Got it." Blue Lantern nodded.

Blue Lantern considered the black coffin from all four sides, then sent a small construct of spiritual power at the black coffin. A translucent membrane flashed into existence, rippling from the contact, before it vanished.

"Can you move this coffin?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

Blue Lantern shook his head. "I can't. This coffin is being bound by heavenly law."

"Heavenly law? You're certain it's not natural law?"

"Heavenly law indeed. If I'm not mistaken, Your Majesty, someone must have deliberately fixed it in this location. As for who in the world can control heavenly law—I'm sure you can guess, Your Majesty."

"Saints?" Xiao Nanfeng narrowed his eyes.

Blue Lantern nodded. "I'm uncertain as to the specifics, but that's likely the case."

Xiao Nanfeng suddenly recalled that, back in the Sieve of Heaven, the avatar of the saint that had been helping Yin Shenhua had transformed into a giant black hand upon facing the combined assault of the Martial Aspects. It looked just like a Heaven's Hand, and was equally as invincible.

Furthermore, the black smoke that emanated from the black coffin had initially manifested in the form of a black hand.

"A saint's involvement—and very likely the same saint from before..." Xiao Nanfeng murmured.

"Saints don't act for no reason. There's likely a deeper scheme behind all this," Blue Lantern commented.

"Indeed, there may be far more than meets the eye. I'll have to report to the Heavenly Emperor immediately," Xiao Nanfeng said. Then, he sighed. "It's a pity I can't use this coffin myself."

Blue Lantern was silent for a moment before he suggested, "Your Majesty, even though we might not be able to move the coffin, I could try helping you exchange for treasure."

"Oh?" Xiao Nanfeng replied curiously.

"My sect boasts a record of a black coffin that was acquired long ago, though it was later lost again. I still know how to mediate such an exchange, but the records warned that the treasures that come from the black coffin are imbued with cursed spiritual power. We ought not make such exchanges lightly, lest their wielders be cursed to death."

"You know how to use the black coffin?"

Blue Lantern nodded. "I do, Your Majesty. What would you like?"

Xiao Nanfeng considered his options. "I heard that Long Er, Long San, and Long Si all became Golden Immortals with Long Yi's assistance. If I'm not mistaken, they must have done so with this coffin. Do you know how to use this coffin for that purpose?"

"There were such records in my sect, and we did make such attempts before. Exchanging for Golden Immortal pills requires three living or recently deceased Golden Immortals, and the resulting Golden Immortal pills will be cursed. Trying to dispel that curse will be very troublesome."

"But do you know how to do so?" Xiao Nanfeng pressed.

"My sect did come up with a method, but one applicable only to us formations masters. I can't help others with it." Blue Lantern frowned.

"You won't need to help others. Can you use the pill yourself?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"You intend to hand me that pill, Your Majesty?" Blue Lantern exclaimed in surprise.

"Dazheng needs a Golden Immortal to defend it. I'd like to give you the honor," Xiao Nanfeng said.

His own cultivation techniques were far too domineering for such pills to have any effect. Rather than transform the Golden Immortal corpses into a few True Immortal pills, why not go for a single Golden Immortal pill instead?

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Blue Lantern exclaimed, touched.

Xiao Nanfeng deposited three corpses on the floor, that of Long Yi and his two avatars.

"Will exchanging for a Golden Immortal pill take a long time?"

"No. It's a quick process."

"Let's get started, then!"

"Understood!" Blue Lantern replied.