Chapter 149: Chapter 133: Please, Fellow Daoist, Go to Your Death

Seeing him smile as he toyed with the Fire Crow Gourd, Feng Ling said, "This treasure was refined using a method from the Flame God Palace’s legacy technique, the *Profound Fire Manual*. Without cultivating it, you can’t unleash the treasure’s true power—for instance, the Fire Crow Array..."

Fang Cheng’s expression instantly darkened. So much for his excitement.

A faint smile touched Feng Ling’s lips. "However," she added, "my Feng Family has studied Fire Element Techniques for a thousand years. While we never obtained the renowned Fire Crow Escape Technique or the Celestial Fire Demon-Slaying Sword Technique from the *Profound Fire Manual*, we did trade for a fragment of the Fire Crow Gourd’s refinement method from a traitorous disciple of the Flame God Palace..."

Fang Cheng said, "If you give me the refinement method, I can give you several extra bottles of Celestial Dew."

Feng Ling let out a soft sigh. "I am your Demon Servant. You don’t have to give me anything. I have to carry out your orders anyway."

Fang Cheng smiled and put away the Fire Crow Gourd. "That *Profound Fire Manual* is indeed an extraordinary cultivation technique. The escape technique Bai Su Yi used must have been the Fire Crow Escape Technique. It really is marvelous—even my Divine Sense couldn’t pinpoint her real body."

Feng Ling nodded. "The Flame God Palace’s legacy is on par with the Yinluo Sect’s."

Fang Cheng then pulled a transparent, fist-sized Treasure Bead from Qiao Kui’s storage bag. "Huh?" he said in surprise. "This is also a Second-Order Magical Artifact!"

Inside the Treasure Bead, the top third was filled with fluffy white clouds, the bottom third with clear water, and the middle third was empty.

A small, exquisite pleasure barge floated on the clear water, and many fish and shrimp swam about as if alive.

Feng Ling recognized it at a glance. "That is the Water Cloud Bead," she said. "Like the Stone Meditation Hut, it’s a small spatial magical artifact—an evolution of the storage bag that can house living beings."

Fang Cheng easily refined the Water Cloud Bead. When he probed it with his Divine Sense, he discovered an aquatic space about half an acre in size.

The air inside the Treasure Bead was fresh and humid. He could even "regulate" the climate with his mind; torrential downpours, gentle drizzles, or clear skies with a few wispy clouds were all just a thought away.

In the center of the water floated the pleasure barge. A two-story pavilion sat on its deck, containing a grand hall and several lavish rooms.

’What a fine magical artifact!’

Fang Cheng praised it inwardly as his gaze swept discreetly over Feng Ling’s graceful figure. He had just made another arrangement for after their exploration of the ruined tower was finished.

Feng Ling didn’t notice the strange look in his eyes, her mind still focused on the aftermath. "Qiao Kui and Yang Zhe both came from extraordinary backgrounds," she said. "The powers behind them are nearly on par with the Feng and Ye Families. With Bai Su Yi having escaped, we need to be careful when we leave. We could face trouble from their families’ Life Talisman Masters."

Fang Cheng nodded. "I understand."

Feng Ling continued, "The elders of my Feng Family and the Ye Family should be here as well. We just need to find them and regroup as soon as we get out."

Fang Cheng gazed at Feng Ling’s stunning face. Hearing the genuine concern in her voice, he let out a soft chuckle. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly sensed something and turned his head to look into the distance.

In the distance, a streak of clear light drifted gracefully toward them.

The Escape Light carried a serene, peaceful, Zen-like aura. It seemed slow but was deceptively fast, arriving in a flash.

Within the Escape Light, a silver-haired young man spotted Fang Cheng and broke into a benevolent smile. He slowly decelerated and began to descend.

An easygoing smile appeared on Fang Cheng’s face as well, but he secretly released his Poison Gu.

The moment Jiang Nian’an landed, he smiled. "Brother Fang, I didn’t expect to meet you here. I imagine you’ve had a fruitful venture?"

Fang Cheng rose calmly and replied, "The harvest was decent. Brother Jiang, shouldn’t you be searching for Celestial Dew? Why do you have the time to seek me out for a chat?"

Beside him, Feng Ling also slowly concluded her meditation, her gaze on Jiang Nian’an cool and distant.

’Bad timing,’ Jiang Nian’an cursed inwardly. ’This damned pair seems to have just recovered their Magical Power...’

His face wreathed in a smile, he cupped his hands. "I saw you here, Brother Fang, and came over specifically to apologize. The incident with the True Words Mirror at the Netherworld Marketplace... I was being reckless."

"Think nothing of it." Fang Cheng waved a hand dismissively.

Jiang Nian’an hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Brother Fang, I felt a strange connection the moment I saw you. I was wondering, have you seen a golden, rope-like magical artifact?"

A flicker in Fang Cheng’s eyes, he gave a faint, unreadable smile. "I have."

’So that’s it!’ he thought.

He Yujing had told him Jiang Nian’an harbored hostility toward him, but he never understood how he had offended the man.

Now, it seemed the man had come for the Immortal Binding Rope!

Jiang Nian’an stared at him, his gaze intense. "Brother Fang, would you be willing to part with that magical artifact?" he said in a low voice. "I am willing to trade another Second-Order Magical Artifact plus fifty thousand Lower-Grade Spirit Stones for it!"

Fang Cheng sighed. "Unfortunately, I’ve grown accustomed to using that magical artifact and have no plans to replace it. I hope you can forgive me, Brother Jiang."

Jiang Nian’an smiled. "It was presumptuous of me. In that case, let’s just pretend I never brought up the trade. However, Brother Fang, would you be willing to take out the artifact and let me see it from afar? It was left behind by an elder of my Jiang Family. Even if I can’t bring it home, just being able to see it again would set my heart at ease."

’Why not take this chance?’ Fang Cheng thought, a plan forming in his mind. ’I could bring out the Immortal Binding Rope, subdue him in one move, and then force him to tell me why he’s here.’

At this thought, he nodded and smiled. "Since you feel so strongly, Brother Jiang, how could I refuse?"

With that, he took out the Immortal Binding Rope. The Golden Rope weaved through the air around him, emitting a dazzling light.

The moment Jiang Nian’an saw the Immortal Binding Rope, his face lit up with excitement.

In the next moment, they both struck simultaneously!

With a thought from Fang Cheng, the Immortal Binding Rope shot toward Jiang Nian’an.

Jiang Nian’an, however, was already forming hand seals. He cast a peculiar magic and began refining the Immortal Binding Rope from a distance, causing the Golden Rope to writhe and sway in midair.

’Just as I suspected!’

Seeing this, Fang Cheng let out a cold laugh. The long-dormant Poison Gu suddenly released its deadly toxin.

A dark, greenish aura spread across Jiang Nian’an’s face as pustules erupted all over his body. A moment later, they began to burst with a series of wet POPS, releasing a rancid stench.

"Poisonous Gu?!"

He frowned, but his expression showed no panic.

Buddha Light erupted from his body. A strand of glazed, treasure-like flame, imbued with a sense of pure tranquility, expanded and formed a halo like a great sun behind him.

It was the Jiang Family’s ultimate technique: the Great Sun Glaze Treasure Flame Buddha Light!

When cultivated to major completion, this technique granted the miraculous effect of being impervious to all abilities. Cultivators who practiced it possessed not only formidable physical bodies but also exceptionally powerful souls.

The sheer potency of the Second-Order Poisonous Gu’s toxin only managed to fluster Jiang Nian’an for a moment. He quickly suppressed the poison, slowing its spread and delaying its effects.

Seizing the opportunity, Fang Cheng waved his hand and recalled the Immortal Binding Rope.

Meanwhile, Feng Ling acted without a word. She unleashed her White Bone Relic, which transformed from a bone pellet into a Bone Divine Needle that shot silently toward Jiang Nian’an’s temple.

Jiang Nian’an wasted no words either, simply taking out a fiery red Spirit Pill and swallowing it.

His own strength was slightly less than Wang Yuntian’s, putting him roughly on par with the three prodigies of the Flame God Palace’s Purple Qi Hall, as well as Feng Ling.

He knew it would be difficult to fight one against two.

He had planned to seize control of the Immortal Binding Rope and use the treasure to turn the tables, but the Poisonous Gu had unexpectedly delayed him.

Since it had come to this, he dropped the act. He would use his trump card and simply overwhelm them!

A flash of brilliance appeared before him. A single Buddha Bead materialized and, with a sharp DING, blocked the Bone Divine Needle.

The next moment, his figure blurred as he soared into the sky, dodging the slash of Fang Cheng’s sword light.

His aura began to climb steadily. The halo behind him spun as Buddha Light streamed from it, and the faint sound of innumerable sutra chants echoed from the void.

In the blink of an eye, his aura forcefully shattered a barrier, and he ascended to the Life Talisman Realm!

With a grand wave of his hand, eighteen Buddha Beads, each engraved with a "卍" symbol, appeared from nothing. They instantly swelled to about a foot in diameter and ignited with clear, glassy flames.

"Fang Cheng, fortune and disaster are of one’s own making. If you had just handed over the Immortal Binding Rope, I might have let you live. But now... I must ask you two fellow cultivators to meet your end!"

Jiang Nian’an declared coolly, looking down on them from above.

With that, he pointed a finger at Fang Cheng and Feng Ling. Nine of the Buddha Beads shot out in succession, hurtling toward them with overwhelming power.

The remaining nine beads circled around him, forming a protective barrier.

...