Chapter 153
The blue lightning danced through the heavens and the earth like a dragon or a serpent, illuminating the entire Jiu Shan Sect.
His master stood beneath the thunderclouds, hands clasped behind his back, moving as if strolling leisurely through a garden.
The fierce wind whipped his robes, making them flutter and snap.
With a mere gesture, he summoned a bolt of lightning from the sky, striking down at the shadowy figure of a middle-aged man.
Thunder magic was inherently powerful and yang, highly effective against various demonic arts.
Moreover, this man was in a soul state, lacking the protection of a physical body, making him all the more wary of the thunder.
In Zheng Fa's eyes, this man had no chance of fighting back against his master; he was merely struggling to hide.
As he watched, Zheng Fa's expression grew serious.
"Zheng Shixiong, what are you thinking about?"
Noticing his demeanor, Zhou Qianyuan couldn't help but ask curiously.
"I'm wondering if I was ever respectful enough to this old... no, to my esteemed master," Zheng Fa replied. As soon as he spoke, he felt his master glance back at him, a meaningful look in his eyes, and the strikes seemed to intensify.
...
The middle-aged man in the demonic sect had been dodging for a while, but it seemed he realized that continuing like this would lead to certain death.
With a determined bite of his teeth, he stopped in his tracks. The shadow split in two, and one half braced itself to take a hit from the heavenly thunder.
The other half, however, showed no mercy, turning its back and fleeing outside the Jiu Shan Sect.
The master did not pursue, seemingly content to let him escape.
A smile crept onto the middle-aged man's face, as if he believed he had narrowly escaped death.
But he hadn't even made it a hundred steps.
A transparent, glass-like purple barrier suddenly appeared before him.
This barrier resembled an inverted bowl, enveloping the surrounding space.
The purple hue of the barrier was formed by strands of purple lightning, looking even more dangerous than the heavenly thunder behind him.
The middle-aged man halted, his face filled with despair.
"Friend, my Zhou Tian Shen Lei Array has not been unleashed for a long time," the master said with a leisurely smile. "Please, take a moment to appreciate it."
The middle-aged man glanced at the purple lightning ahead, seemingly aware that he was trapped in a dead end.
He surveyed his surroundings, and without a word, clasped his hands in front of his chest, forming a seal, and began to murmur softly like a devoted follower.
At first, the murmurs were faint, but gradually they grew louder, and Zheng Fa could even hear a faint echo coming from Jiu Shan.
The middle-aged man recited four lines of incantation.
"In chaos and darkness, the great freedom of heaven."
"Divine might boundless, countless divine powers."
"Borrow your divine strength, with sincere prayers."
"Honor your name, shining in the world."
The repeated recitation seemed to summon a force from the heavens.
The shadowy figure of the middle-aged man gradually solidified, forming a black body, and his aura became increasingly chilling.
It felt as if some presence was descending upon Zheng Fa and the others through this man.
"Step back!"
The master shouted to Zheng Fa and Zhou Qianyuan, the relaxed expression on his face vanished.
Zheng Fa quickly retreated with Zhou Qianyuan.
As he backed away, he watched as his master sent out several golden talismans, seemingly reinforcing the Zhou Tian Shen Lei Array, preparing for battle.
...
Gradually, the middle-aged man stopped his recitation.
His expression had transformed completely, as if he were a different person.
The earlier fear and panic had vanished.
All that remained was cold indifference and arrogance.
He glanced at the master, as if realizing that this opponent was formidable, and unexpectedly turned to head towards Chen Ting behind him!
Zheng Fa was taken aback, suddenly understanding the man's intention—
A traitor is more despicable than an enemy!
"Stop!"
From the side, Uncle Pang's furious shout rang out. Zheng Fa turned to see Uncle Pang rushing towards Chen Ting, seemingly trying to save his disciple.
But at this moment, the middle-aged man, empowered by the great freedom of the Demon Ancestor, moved with incredible speed.
Uncle Pang's rescue was already a bit late, and he couldn't match the other's pace.
Clearly, it was too late.
Chen Ting glanced at Uncle Pang rushing towards him and suddenly smiled, beginning to chant an incantation:
"With my blood, I offer to you."
"With my soul, I lay at your feet."
"In the beginning of chaos, the vast depths of the nine hells..."
"Grant me my true form, forever at your side."
Zheng Fa could see that the previously imposing middle-aged man suddenly halted, his expression shifting from triumph to sheer terror.
Zheng Fa felt goosebumps rising on his neck, as if some terrifying presence was watching him.
He watched helplessly as Chen Ting dissipated into the air like sand in the wind.
What was even more bizarre was that the middle-aged man also began to vanish in sync with Chen Ting.
No matter how unwillingly he roared in anger, trying to strike at Chen Ting, he could not escape his fate.
In less than five breaths, the two had completely disappeared before Zheng Fa and the others.
Just when Zheng Fa thought both had returned to the void, a figure slowly appeared before them—it was Chen Ting. He seemed unchanged, yet somehow transformed into another person entirely.
What caught Zheng Fa's attention was a small mark that faintly appeared on Chen Ting's forehead, resembling the unique talisman he had seen in Lin Bufan's blood.
But it was slightly different.
Chen Ting's aura was even more potent than before, seemingly stronger than ever.
Uncle Pang beside Zheng Fa looked at him with a complex expression.
Chen Ting suddenly spoke to Zheng Fa, "Zhang Wuyi has become lost in the Thunder Pool; the great freedom of the Demon Sect has been searching for her whereabouts."
Zheng Fa was taken aback, finally realizing the truth behind Senior Sister Zhang's disappearance.
Then, Chen Ting bowed three times to Uncle Pang, saying, "Though I am unworthy, I have never harmed a fellow disciple."
"…"
Uncle Pang pursed his lips, remaining silent.
After saying those two sentences, Chen Ting turned to leave, as if he had nothing more to say.
Only his half-sung, half-recited words echoed from afar.
"The heart seeking the Dao is like iron, unwavering in wind and rain."
Watching his distant figure, the master suddenly turned to Uncle Pang and said, "Aren't you going to stop him?"
"…" Uncle Pang shook his head, seemingly unwilling to say anything.
The master, however, wore a strange expression and asked, "If I heard correctly, did Chen Ting just offer himself as a sacrifice to the Nine Hells Demon Ancestor? Isn't he from the great freedom of the Demon Sect? How did he get involved with the Nine Hells Demon Ancestor?"
Zheng Fa was taken aback, wondering what kind of treachery this Chen Shixiong was up to.
"…How would I know?" Uncle Pang shrugged, at a loss for words. "But I suspect my disciple… I mean, Chen Ting probably didn't want to be possessed, so he pulled this stunt. Using our hands to hold that man back while he directly sacrificed both of them?"
"No, three," the master said after a moment of silence. "Chen Ting consumed the True Blood Pill, and he has already merged his bloodline with that man. So when he sacrifices himself, the middle-aged man is doomed as well... The most impressive part is that it seems he also sacrificed the divine power of the great freedom Demon Ancestor that the man summoned."
"…"
Hearing this, the others present fell silent.
"I noticed the mark on Chen Ting's forehead; his bloodline concentration is likely at the level of the Holy Son of the Nine Hells Demon Sect... It seems the Nine Hells Demon Ancestor is quite pleased."
Zheng Fa couldn't help but grin.
This Chen Ting was truly ruthless.
He had known all along that even if Chen Ting cooperated with them, he would not want to stay in the Jiu Shan Sect.
Whether it was his previous impersonation of Senior Sister Zhang or his role as an insider in the great freedom of the Demon Sect, he could never regain the trust of the Jiu Shan Sect.
If Uncle Pang were a bit more ruthless, he might even take Chen Ting's life.
But Zheng Fa hadn't expected his senior brother to pull such a stunt.
The master realized this too, a hint of regret appearing on his face. "You've trained this disciple well."
Uncle Pang looked a bit frustrated. "I knew he had some issues, but this person is exceptional. Besides, which cultivator doesn't have secrets?"
"…What a pity." The master patted Uncle Pang's shoulder, sighing. "This style of action can be considered your true legacy."
"…Huh?"
Uncle Pang's eyes widened as he looked at the master.
"By the way," the master suddenly turned to Zheng Fa. "If Zhang Shizhi is lost in the Thunder Pool, it might have something to do with you."
"Ah?"
"The Thunder Pool is the best place to cultivate the 'Shen Xiao Yu Lei Zhen Fa.'"
The master's words plunged Zheng Fa into silence.
He was currently cultivating the 'Wu Lei Fa Shen,' and in the future, he would ideally practice the 'Shen Xiao Yu Lei Zhen Fa.'
Judging by his master's performance today, this true transmission was indeed powerful.
But just like the 'Wu Lei Fa Shen' required Xuan Lei stones, the resources needed for the 'Shen Xiao Yu Lei Zhen Fa' were even more precious.
...
In modern times, Zheng Fa brought the old man Bai to Tang Lingwu's home.
Table of Contents
