Chapter Sixty-Six: I Cultivate Demonic Arts and Dare to Defy the Heavens

The result was that the pan shattered to pieces, but the opponent’s forehead remained completely unscathed.

Qi felt no regret about this; the frying pan had performed its role of obstruction admirably. The distance between them had widened once more; at least until reaching Mount Qiqi, the pursuer would not be able to catch up.

He let out a slight breath of relief. Indeed, no matter how mad, a deity is still a deity—strange but practical items were never in short supply. When he glanced back, the other’s figure had already vanished from sight, while the silhouette of Mount Qiqi now emerged on the horizon ahead.

As Qi had expected, chaos reigned in that direction—flames, frost, blades of wind, lightning, and all manner of magical instruments and treasures streaked across the sky. Screams echoed sporadically, most of them belonging to disciples of the Qiqi Sect’s branch. Though both sides pitted branch disciples against ordinary elites of the demonic sect, a gap in strength was still evident.

Yet there was no sign of Shui Wuyuebai; her whereabouts unknown, Qi could only hope to find her for assistance.

But time allowed no delay. He weaved through the battlefield at the foundation stage, hugging the ground, sealing his own presence and seeking ways to evade pursuit. Since Shui Wuyuebai could not be found, the plan would have to change.

Within a few breaths of Qi entering the foundation-stage battlefield, the refined demonic cultivator arrived at the spot where he’d just stood, his once neat and flowing hair now slightly disheveled.

Suppressing every trace of his presence, Qi blended perfectly into the battlefield’s chaos, vanishing like a fish in the sea.

No matter how diligently the demonic cultivator searched, he gained nothing for his efforts. Scowling, he pressed deeper into the fray. As the young sect master had predicted, this one was unpredictable and truly managed to escape, if only for the moment.

This was no open wilderness; within the battlefield, he was soon spotted by a Qiqi Sect core formation stage cultivator, who, having just dispatched his own opponent, charged at him with deadly intent.

Qi himself was occasionally harried by foundation-stage demonic cultivators, but always escaped with his exceptional speed. After circling the battlefield, he still found no trace of Shui Wuyuebai.

With the immediate crisis averted, he was in no rush. Any attempt to leave would draw too much attention, and then his pursuers would not be limited to only one core formation demonic cultivator. He had to remain on the battlefield and avoid standing out—there were simply too many experts here.

At last, Qi selected a mid-foundation-stage demonic cultivator specializing in poison fire as his opponent, engaging in a measured and unhurried struggle.

...

On the other side, Shui Wuyuebai led Snow White to the royal palace of Qi in barely half an hour, bringing Snow White a measure of relief since the capital remained peaceful and prosperous.

This peace was owed to Shui Wuyuebai, who had stationed herself here until recently. She had only been gone for two hours, and the demonic sect’s assault had begun less than an hour before; thus, the turmoil had yet to reach the capital.

Knowing that a nascent soul stage master was temporarily guarding the city, the demonic sect dispatched their own nascent soul cultivator, leading a group of lesser demons in assault.

Just after Snow White reunited with her father and mother, her face darkened with worry. Without a word, Shui Wuyuebai swept all three into her portable celestial mansion and turned to leave.

“Well, isn’t this Fellow Daoist Bai of the Qiqi Sect? Why such haste? Why not stay for a few cups of tea?” Amid boisterous laughter, a plump, bald middle-aged man caught up with her.

“Fat Butcher the Bald from the demonic sect, do you really think you can stop me?” Shui Wuyuebai’s white robes fluttered as she halted. Flight was not her strength, and Fat Butcher the Bald was clearly superior in this regard.

“Hahaha, I’ve long admired your reputation, Fellow Daoist Bai. Meeting you today, your fame is well deserved. Tell me, would you consider becoming my dual cultivation partner?” Fat Butcher the Bald laughed, blocking her path, his beady eyes leering licentiously over her features and figure.

“No interest. Move aside, or I will take action,” Shui Wuyuebai replied, her expression calm and unmoved.

“Heh, let’s see if I can’t bring you back to be my lady of the stronghold.”

...

A battle between nascent soul cultivators was cataclysmic—mountains, forests, and rivers all destroyed in their wake. The two fought throughout the night; as resentful clouds blanketed the sky, Fat Butcher the Bald gradually gained the upper hand. Within his divine sense, the capital of Qi had been massacred, the nation’s lifeblood and dragon vein sacrificed along with the city’s mortals, transforming the resentment into a dragon-shaped cloud, channeling the nation’s wrath into an eerie pattern.

Seeing the situation hopeless, Shui Wuyuebai unleashed her ultimate technique, “Demonic Mirror Ice Crystal.” Seventeen slabs of profound ice formed a grand bagua array, trapping Fat Butcher the Bald within. Using this chance, she broke free and sped toward the Qiqi Sect’s branch, hoping they could still hold out.

On her journey, she encountered another battle between two nascent soul mid-stage cultivators—the Zombie Elder and the Burly Elder. Her arrival tipped the balance, forcing the Zombie Elder into retreat.

“Earth Dog, is this all you’re capable of? You need a junior’s help just to face me?” the Zombie Elder sneered after widening the distance.

“This is no time for single combat. After the atrocities your demonic sect has committed, are you not afraid of heavenly retribution?” Burly Elder retorted coldly.

“Hahaha! If I dare to walk the demonic path, I naturally defy the heavens. Unlike you so-called immortals, who go against the heavens but still pretend to follow its will—just like those female cultivators in my lair, who long for my death but still flatter me to avoid suffering. Their hypocrisy is laughable, and I delight in tormenting them, watching their pain and struggle. That is the Way, the true nature of the world!” The Zombie Elder cackled wildly.

His words were so foul that even Shui Wuyuebai’s brows furrowed in distaste.

“Old corpse, how dare a mere nascent soul demonic cultivator speak of the Way? Even those at integration, soul split, or great accomplishment stages can be annihilated by heavenly might. Only those who transcend the tribulation and become true immortals have the right to speak so. But your arrogance is typical of the demonic path. There’s no point reasoning with you. Today, you will fall here. As long as Mount Qiqi stands, the core formation will not activate. Without the nine arrays in resonance, your sect’s plan will come to nothing!”

With a surge of energy, Burly Elder raised a giant axe over thirteen feet long, its blade as broad as a door. Combined with his inverted-triangle physique, he looked every bit a war god descended to earth.

The Zombie Elder, long used to his old rival’s posturing, burst into a sinister laugh. “The moment we left the Qiqi Sect’s branch, the mountain protection formation was already broken.”

(Nothing more to say—let’s just keep updating quietly.)