BW Chapter 165

Dark Domain (7)

Inside the Qiankun Cloth, Xie Changming was smugly pleased with himself, “How was that, did I shout loud enough?”

“It was only because my voice amplification talisman took effect.” Ge Yunyang looked down at Ning Xiu who was being held by Xie Changming, “Little brat, what were you shouting along for?”

Ning Xiu obediently smiled at him, “Da~”

Xie Chang’an raised his hand to signal them to be quiet, “The Qiankun Cloth is aunt’s contract treasure. With so many people here, Pei Heguang probably won’t dare to turn hostile either. We’ll wait for aunt and the others to come before we open it. Try not to let him see us.”

Neither Xie Changming nor Ge Yunyang had any objections.

Although they were still young, having grown up in the cultivation world from childhood, they had been influenced by their elders’ words and actions. Even if they were reckless, they had developed some cunning—though sometimes it wasn’t very useful.

Ning Buwei clung to the railing looking toward Chu Jun and Ning Buwei in the distance, his eyes bright, happily waving his little hands at them, “Father~ Mother~ Here I am~”

On this side, Pei Heguang didn’t make any immediate moves. The Xie Wenshi and Xie Jiangnan siblings, who had originally been mixed in with the team hunting Ning Buwei intending to fish in troubled waters, had no choice but to fly out from the crowd and hover on their swords in front of the flying boat.

In front of the high platform, Ning Buwei hissed and transmitted his voice to Chu Jun, “Did you just hear Ning Xiu’s voice?”

Chu Jun shook his head, but his gaze had already locked onto that flying boat, “Hao Zheng transmitted that Ning Xiu wasn’t at Wanxuan Academy.”

Ning Buwei, who was preparing to drag him away to escape in the chaos: “!?”

Before he could speak, under everyone’s watchful eyes, five children suddenly appeared out of thin air on the flying boat.

Before the crowd could react, Wang Bin in the air shouted loudly, “That boy is the Linglong Bone!”

After an instant of deathly silence, the scene erupted into chaos.

Ning Buwei and Chu Jun instantly vanished from their original spot, then immediately appeared on the flying boat.

The Chongzheng Alliance cultivators who had originally surrounded Ning Buwei and Chu Jun swarmed toward that small flying boat like fish crossing a river. In an instant, above the vast and boundless Gobi Desert, winds rose and clouds surged. Colorful spiritual power collisions stirred and agitated. Divine consciousness of all sizes tangled and intertwined. Sword riders, wind controllers, and even earth escape and teleportation appeared. Talismans, formations, and rare forbidden techniques all manifested before people.

It seemed that who was originally in which camp was no longer important. The Linglong Bone’s ability to revive the dead and restore flesh to bones for immortality was secondary—most importantly, using it could allow one to ascend on the spot. Whoever seized the Linglong Bone was equivalent to having one foot in the immortal realm. Who could resist being moved?

Moreover, now that the seventeen states’ spiritual power was declining and in critical danger, rather than lingering on in a steadily worsening condition, it would be better to fight desperately.

Pei Heguang’s first reaction was to grab Ning Xiu. Unfortunately, there were too many divine consciousnesses around, which actually blocked his movement for a moment. In just that moment, the panicked Xie Changming once again covered them with the Qiankun Cloth, and Ning Xiu instantly disappeared from everyone’s sight.

“Pei. He. Guang.” Ning Buwei only saw his son’s back before he disappeared again. His face was so dark it could drip water. The Suzaku knife hummed and vibrated as he angrily said, “Hand over my son!”

Pei Heguang looked completely baffled, “It wasn’t me—”

“Hand over my two nephews!” Xie Wenshi’s willow eyebrows stood on end as she interrupted him, asking coldly, “What exactly do you intend by holding so many young children hostage!?”

Xie Jiangnan angrily said, “He must want to use the children to practice some evil technique! Sister, let’s not waste words with him!”

“Hand over the Linglong Bone!” A cultivator shouted loudly, “Are you trying to monopolize it?”

Xie Jiu held his sword protectively at Pei Heguang’s side, shouting, “Everyone, this is definitely a misunderstanding. We also don’t know where the Linglong Bone is.”

Outside was a cacophony of noise. Inside the Qiankun Cloth, Xie Chang’an and the others looked at each other. Xie Changming said hesitantly, “Brother, did we… cause trouble?”

Ge Yunyang held his little sister and swallowed hard, “We’re done for, we’re done for. I just saw my dad and uncles all with dark faces. They’re definitely going to break my legs.”

“Big brother don’t be afraid~” Ge Yunxi hugged his neck, “Xixi will protect~ you~”

Ning Xiu stood on the deck, looking up at his father who was majestically holding the Suzaku knife while standing on the cabin roof. He jumped hard trying to climb up, “Father~ Xiao Shan~ came to find you~”

Xie Chang’an tried to hold him down.

The small flying boat was surrounded by hundreds and thousands of people so tightly that not even air could pass through. Many cultivators looked at each other.

“Where did the Linglong Bone go?”

“What about those little kids from just now?”

“They must be nearby! Quickly search with divine consciousness!”

“Forget it, let’s split this flying boat first, the Linglong Bone can’t escape anyway!”

“Could it be that Ning Buwei hid it!? He arrived the fastest!”

“I think this guy surnamed Pei is more suspicious!”

The restless cultivators had lost patience to continue waiting. Naturally, they eyed Pei Heguang and Xie Jiu, who were originally on the flying boat, like tigers watching their prey.

Pei Heguang maintained a wooden expression as he looked toward Ning Buwei. Not knowing what he was thinking, he smiled without warmth. “Ning Chengfeng, what a good scheme you have.”

To think he would even scheme against his own biological son.

Ning Buwei sneered. “I return that sentence to you exactly as it is.”

The Suzaku knife, wrapped in black mist, struck toward Pei Heguang with the force of a thousand jun. This seemed to become a signal for many cultivators to start the chaotic battle. Immediately, with the flying boat as the center, layers upon layers of spiritual power exploded outward.

Ning Buwei suddenly disappeared from Ning Xiu’s sight. He stared blankly at the “fireworks” filling the sky, his happy expression changing to bewildered helplessness, “Where’s Father? Father~”

“Let’s go quickly!” Xie Chang’an picked him up, and immediately after, the flying boat exploded and crashed to the ground with debris flying everywhere.

Several children were rolled around a few times wrapped in the Qiankun Cloth. Before they could get dizzy, they heard a female voice rapidly chanting an incantation: “…Qiankun Cloth, come here! Retract!”

Xie Chang’an saw Xie Wenshi and Xie Jiangnan in front of him, his eyes suddenly burning with tears, “Aunt! Uncle!”

However, Xie Wenshi and Xie Jiangnan’s expressions were extremely grave. Xie Wenshi said to him, “Put that child down!”

Ning Xiu was probably frightened by the explosion and clung tightly to Xie Chang’an’s clothes, unwilling to let go. He said dizzily, “Big brother~ find Father~”

Xie Chang’an said, “Aunt, let’s help him find his father!”

“Find my ass!” Xie Jiangnan tried to pull Ning Xiu out of his arms, “He’s the Linglong Bone that everyone is fighting over. His father is the great demon Ning Buwei. Are you trying to get yourself killed by still carrying him around!?”

“Chang’an, quickly put him down!” Xie Wenshi said anxiously, “Now whoever carries the Linglong Bone becomes everyone’s target. Never mind you—even the family head might not be able to protect him! Let go quickly!”

“No, I can’t! He’s still so small, he’ll be trampled to death!” Xie Changming beside them blocked their way, “If you won’t help, we’ll find him ourselves!”

“Nonsense!” Xie Jiangnan pulled him aside.

Xie Chang’an held Ning Xiu and backed up two steps, then heard someone shout loudly amidst the chaos. “The Linglong Bone is in the Xie family’s hands!”

The corner that had originally drawn little attention instantly became the focus.

Ning Buwei blocked Pei Heguang’s attack with one slash. Hearing the sound, he turned around sharply and met Ning Xiu’s pitiful gaze. His heart immediately skipped a beat. As if money meant nothing to him, he scattered a handful of talisman papers in front of Pei Heguang. In the explosion sounds, he leaped up and flew toward where Ning Xiu was on his Suzaku knife.

“Block Ning Buwei!” Wang Bin shouted loudly, then led people following close behind, blocking Ning Buwei’s path.

“Seeking death!” Ning Buwei kicked with his foot, and the Suzaku narrow knife spun back into his hand. Evil qi a hundred times more concentrated than the surrounding black mist scattered everywhere. Countless blood-red eyes instantly enveloped the people blocking his way. Fierce ghosts shrieked and withered bones wailed.

“His Suzaku knife is incomplete! Everyone don’t be afraid, attack together and kill him! Seize back the Linglong Bone!” Wang Bin rushed out from the black mist, and behind him actually appeared a huge dharma form of a Fusion stage cultivator. The dharma form raised its palm and pressed straight down toward Ning Buwei with lightning speed, leaving him absolutely no room to escape.

With a tremendous boom, the earth shook and mountains moved. Countless cracks exploded open in the dark brown earth.

However, after the smoke cleared, they saw that the dharma form’s palm was actually being held up by Ning Buwei with his Suzaku knife. The dharma form’s pure righteous qi splattered on his clothes, still leaving scattered sparks. Wrapped in black mist with blood-red eyes, he stood alone on the devastated Gobi, like an evil ghost crawling out of hell, revealing a bone-chillingly cold smile.

“If you want to kill me, you’d better see if you have the ability!”

The Seven Killings Soul-Devouring Formation that had been set up at some unknown time quietly emerged from underground, enveloping everyone within it. Then countless large and small formations appeared in the air. White bones still dripping with blood and flesh crawled out from the Gobi and lava, densely packed and innumerable.

“Soul-devouring formation! It’s Ning Buwei’s soul-devouring formation!” Someone cried out in terror. “This formation took the lives of over five hundred cultivators at Xingluo Cliff back then!”

“No, that’s not right, it’s the Seven Killings Formation! The Seven Killings Formation that Ning Fan used at Dao Discussion Mountain! More than half of my spiritual power has been suppressed!” Those with higher cultivation could see more clearly and were even more terrified.

“There’s also the Hundred Bones Thousand Ghosts Formation!” Someone slashed apart the white bones in front of them with a sword, but the white bones immediately reformed and pounced at them again.

“Damn it! We already had little spiritual power, and now we can barely use it at all! Ahhhh get away—”

The originally chaotic Dark Domain became even more chaotic because of Ning Buwei’s formations.

On the other side, Xie Chang’an stumbled forward while holding Ning Xiu. Behind them, Xie Jiangnan chased them in exasperation. “Xie Chang’an! Are you trying to die too slowly!?”

“I don’t care!” Xie Chang’an panted heavily. “He’s just a little kid… you all, you adults… bullying a little kid! It’s too much! If I abandon him—those people will definitely kill him!”

Xie Jiangnan raised his hand to block a flying arrow from the side, then spun his sword to block in front of him, “Childish! What you’re doing now will implicate the entire Xie family!”

“Xie Chang’an, give me the child.” Before Xie Jiangnan could finish speaking, Xie family head Xie Zhiang appeared in front of them. He lowered his eyes to look at Ning Xiu in Xie Chang’an’s arms, pressing the excited light in his eyes deep down, “You have rendered great service to the Xie family. I will surely reward you in the future.”

Ning Xiu looked at Ning Buwei in the distance who was surrounded by crowds, pointing him out to Xie Chang’an, “Father~ is over there~”

Xie Zhiang said kindly, “Chang’an, this child is innocent. His father is the demon head Ning Buwei. If you give him to Ning Buwei, he will only become a little demon head in the future. Give him to the Xie family, and I will personally raise him to adulthood. Give him to me.”

Xie Chang’an looked down at Ning Xiu somewhat hesitantly.

Ning Xiu gazed longingly at Ning Buwei in the distance, calling softly, “Father~”

“I…” Xie Chang’an held Ning Xiu and backed up two steps, then suddenly turned and ran, “Sorry, family head! Even if father is the great demon now, I still want to find father!”

Father Xie, who was desperately trying to block other cultivators, roared. “Rebellious son! Your father is not a demon head!”

Xie Chang’an ran with all his strength while holding Ning Xiu. Unfortunately, with his small size, short legs, and too many strong enemies, he hadn’t run far when he heard Xie Zhiang say coldly, “Then don’t blame me for being impolite!”

A dharma seal with the momentum of overturning mountains and seas struck toward Xie Chang’an’s back. The energy within it was enough to refine all cultivators within several li. Xie Wenshi and Xie Jiangnan nearby simultaneously rushed forward to block it. Xie Chang’an’s father and uncles in the distance also flew over in alarm to save them, “Family head, spare them!”

Unfortunately, that dharma seal was extremely fast. Those nearby couldn’t rescue them in time, and Ning Buwei, who was held up even farther away, was even more beyond reach. He could only activate his formation. Layers upon layers of white bones accumulated into mountains to block in front of Xie Chang’an and Ning Xiu, but they were scattered by the dharma seal in just an instant. By the time they reconvened, the dharma seal was already close to Xie Chang’an’s back.

BANG!

With a tremendous crash, that dharma seal was blocked just inches away from Xie Chang’an. His hair flew backward and was completely dissolved by that dharma seal.

A black and white Taiji Seal stood unmoved in front of Xie Zhiang’s dharma seal. A white-robed cultivator came riding the wind and landed in front of Xie Chang’an.

Chu Jun looked down at Xie Chang’an and said gently, “Thank you, young friend, for protecting my son.”

Xie Chang’an stared blankly at the stunningly beautiful white-robed cultivator in front of him, with only one thought in his mind:

This great demon Ning Buwei must have been transformed from an immortal…

“Mother!” Ning Xiu, whom he was holding, happily stretched out his short little arms toward Chu Jun.

Chu Jun took him into his arms, then stood up and casually flicked his sleeve.

The motionless Taiji Seal suddenly enlarged and rapidly pushed backward. Xie Zhiang’s dharma seal simply couldn’t withstand such vast spiritual power and was completely scattered halfway through. The man himself retreated rapidly, but it was already too late. Under everyone’s watchful eyes, he was pierced through by the Taiji Seal. He didn’t even have time to scream before turning into powder.

Xie family head Xie Zhiang, a great power near the Mahayana stage, couldn’t even last one move under Venerable Jinghe’s hand.

The crowd fell into deathly silence.

Ning Xiu pried open Chu Jun’s hand that was covering his eyes. His little head looked around, completely unaware of what had happened. He just excitedly pointed toward where Ning Buwei was and said happily in the silence:

“Mother~ help Father! Fight!”