Volume 3 Chapter 37

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Volume 3 Chapter 37: Nirvana

Hearing Xu Qingfan’s words, Jin Qinghan and Lv Qingshang were startled. When they saw Xu Qingfan pick up Feng Qingtian and run ahead into the distance, they couldn’t afford to dwell on their sadness and quickly followed after Xu Qingfan.

But Xu Qingfan and his companions didn’t know that while they noticed Deng Tianao’s trail and ran into the distance, there were already more than ten newly arrived Penance Valley cultivators silently observing them from the sky.

When they discovered Xu Qingfan and the others running into the distance, several cultivators exchanged glances and discreetly followed them as they flew away, leaving only a few of the most powerful cultivators hovering in the air with solemn expressions mixed with worry.

Not long after, disciples from the Liuhe Gate, Eight Wilderness Hall, Qingxu Gate, Mercy Cloud Temple, and Five Elements Sect arrived at the place where Xu Qingfan and the others had been, but the five female disciples from the White Lady Palace were nowhere to be seen. The Penance Valley cultivators guarding these five sects joined the other Penance Valley cultivators waiting in the sky.

On Huandao Island, more than ten Penance Valley cultivators hid among the dark clouds, their expressions filled with anxiety and worry.

"Is there any news about Taoist Friend Xuan Xiu?" Xuan Xian asked the other Penance Valley cultivators with a frown.

Xuan Lian shook his head and said, "No, there is no sign of Taoist Friend Xuan Xiu within ten miles."

Xuan Han frowned as well and said, "I’ve sent the signal three times, but still haven’t received a response from Taoist Friend Xuan Xiu." After hesitating for a moment, Xuan Han added, "Moreover, the five disciples of the White Lady Palace have also disappeared, and Taoist Friend Xuan Ku, who was protecting them, is missing just like Taoist Friend Xuan Xiu."

Hearing Xuan Lian and Xuan Han’s words, the other Penance Valley cultivators frowned even more deeply, clearly worried about Xuan Xiu and Xuan Ku.

The situation on Huandao Island was becoming increasingly mysterious.

Xuan Ling suddenly said, "Taoist Friend Xuan Xiu was originally protecting the five from Jiuhua Gate in secret, but judging by what happened earlier, not only are the five from Jiuhua Gate dead or heavily injured, but Taoist Friend Xuan Xiu has also vanished. I’m afraid the same goes for Taoist Friend Xuan Ku. The situation on Huandao Island is getting more and more peculiar." After pausing, Xuan Ling continued, "Friends, I still insist that we should immediately stop the Newcomer Competition and thoroughly investigate everything that has happened on Huandao Island over the past two days. Not only have the disciples from various sects been continuously attacked, but even those that haven’t suffered injuries have already captured ten Seven-colored Deer. The competition has lost all meaning."

Hearing Xuan Ling’s words, the other cultivators in Penance Valley glanced at him with discontent. Even though they knew Xuan Ling made a valid point, they were dissatisfied that he changed the subject while everyone was worried about Xuan Xiu and Xuan Ku.

Xuan Xian also looked at Xuan Ling, knowing that this was typical of his character, but still shook his head and slowly said, "The Newcomer Competition is a tradition in the cultivation world for thousands of years. In recent millennia, whether battling demon cultivators or facing the ‘Spirit Purging Cult’ rampaging through the cultivation world, the Newcomer Competition has never been interrupted, and it cannot be now. Moreover, with only one day left, if I am not mistaken, the sect leaders and elders from various sects will soon be arriving."

Upon hearing Xuanxian’s words, Xuan Ling lowered his head, though a strange light flickered in his eyes.

Meanwhile, the disciples from the five major sects on the ground frowned and discussed the powerful explosion that had just occurred here, their worry growing compared to earlier in the day.

After examining the surroundings, Chou Xuan from Liuhe Gate sighed and said, "There’s nothing unusual around."

Hua Xian from Qingxu Gate also said, "There’s no clue whatsoever. Although this explosion was less powerful than the one during the day, the situation is the same, with no trace of evidence, nor do we know who is responsible."

Xi Jun from Mercy Cloud Temple, who had been silent, suddenly spoke, "The disciples from Jiuhua Gate and White Lady Palace have not arrived yet."

Hearing Xi Jun’s words, the disciples from the various sects fell into silence.

Could it be that the disciples from Jiuhua Gate and White Lady Palace have also disappeared on this mysterious Huandao Island?

Although the exact strength of the disciples from these two major factions is unknown, being able to stand out among the many disciples of Jiuhua Gate and White Lady Palace in the six Holy Lands and representing their factions in the Newcomer Competition means their skills should be quite formidable, at least not far off from the others present.

Yet now, the ten disciples from these two factions have also vanished just like the others.

Could it be my turn to disappear next?

Thinking of this, regardless of how proud those present were before, their hearts grew heavier with worry; even the aloof Huang Xie frowned deeply. Lv Ziqing and Shang Nianyao, who were close to Xu Qingfan, showed even greater concern in their eyes.

Deng Tianao glanced at Chou Xuan with a questioning look, and upon seeing Chou Xuan subtly shake his head, a hint of delight flashed in his eyes. He knew that with Chou Xuan’s mastery of the "Great Method of Heaven and Earth," everything on Huandao Island should be within his control. But if even Chou Xuan couldn’t find Xu Qingfan and the others, then they were truly missing on Huandao Island.

Though worried about the strange situation on Huandao Island, Deng Tianao couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction.

However, Chou Xuan’s brow did not relax, as he felt that his "Great Method of Heaven and Earth" seemed to be restricted somehow, making it much harder to use than before.

In the midst of this silence, Hua Xian suddenly asked the disciples from the Five Elements Sect, Eight Wilderness Hall, and Liuhe Gate, "So, my fellow Taoist friends, is it time to reconsider our proposal for joint action?"

The horizon had unknowingly begun to lighten, and the piercing cold morning wind seemed to grow stronger suddenly.

…

At the same time, on the other side, Xu Qingfan and the other two were quickly racing towards the opposite end of Huandao Island.

Xu Qingfan had previously sprinkled pollen from the "Giant Spirit Flower" on Deng Tianao, which allowed him to sense Deng Tianao rushing towards them. However, he wasn’t aware that disciples from the other four sects were also on their way soon after, nor did he know that Penance Valley cultivators had already flown above them, silently observing their movements.

In fact, unaware that Penance Valley cultivators were secretly protecting them, Xu Qingfan guessed that disciples from the other four sects would arrive after the explosion. But he decided to leave quickly, fearing that if Liuhe Gate members arrived first, they would be in danger.

Wang Qingjun was dead without a complete body, Feng Qingtian was gravely injured and unlikely to survive, and Xu Qingfan, along with Jin Qinghan and Lv Qingshang, had severely depleted Spirit Qi, making them no match for Deng Tianao and the others.

With Wang Qingjun dead and Feng Qingtian gravely injured, Xu Qingfan couldn’t allow Jin Qinghan and Lv Qingshang to suffer any harm, even if it was just a possibility. So upon sensing Deng Tianao approaching, he decisively led the other two away quickly.

At that moment, Xu Qingfan was carrying Feng Qingtian as they swiftly moved to another part of Huandao Island, with Jin Qinghan and Lv Qingshang following closely behind. Lv Qingshang was carrying Wang Qingjun’s bloodied and dusty severed arm.

Even though they sensed Deng Tianao had stopped at their previous location, they dared not let their guard down.

Meanwhile, in Xu Qingfan’s mind, he was considering their next move. Like Xuan Xian, he knew that after discovering the anomaly on Huandao Island, even if the teleportation array was destroyed, with dangers in the East Sea like fierce winds and demon beasts, the elders of various sects would still arrive within two days.

Back then, regardless of who was secretly aiding on Huandao Island, with the protection of hundreds of Condensed Core Stage cultivators, we would all be safe.

Including the day that had already passed, Xu Qingfan had about one more day to face the dangers alone, relying solely on himself to ensure safety. But how could he protect himself now?

Xu Qingfan kept pondering this problem, but what troubled him was that, until now, he still didn’t know who the enemy was.

As he sprinted and thought, the sky unknowingly turned bright. However, Xu Qingfan did not notice the change. At some point, the Wutong branch fashioned into a hairpin on his head began to emit a faint red glow, resonating with Feng Qingtian’s weak breathing. With each inhale and exhale of Feng Qingtian, the red glow from the Wutong branch brightened and dimmed correspondingly.

Although the morning wind was biting cold, Xu Qingfan, being a cultivator, had Spirit Qi defending him, so he didn’t mind. But considering Feng Qingtian was severely injured with no Spirit Qi to protect him, he might struggle to withstand the piercing cold. So, Xu Qingfan began to slowly channel Spirit Qi into Feng Qingtian’s body.

Xu Qingfan had three types of Spirit Qi within him, gained from cultivating "The Formula of Wither and Flourish," consisting of the two qi of Wither and Flourish, and Spirit Qi obtained from the Wutong branch, which was Wood-type Spirit Qi and Phoenix Spirit Qi. The Wood-type Spirit Qi had been refined into the two qi of Wither and Flourish, while the fiery Phoenix Spirit Qi was kept separately in Xu Qingfan’s body.

At this moment, Xu Qingfan was surprised to discover that when he tried to channel Spirit Qi into Feng Qingtian’s body, the two qi of Wither and Flourish were repelled, and only the Phoenix Spirit Qi could enter.

Furthermore, it seemed Feng Qingtian’s body had a special attraction to the Phoenix Spirit Qi. Initially, Xu Qingfan was cautiously channeling Spirit Qi into Feng Qingtian’s body, but soon all of the lively Spirit Qi from within Xu Qingfan began to rush towards Feng Qingtian uncontrollably, as if Feng Qingtian’s body was an insatiable black hole for the Phoenix Spirit Qi, greedily absorbing it. As time passed, Xu Qingfan found himself powerless to control it.

Soon enough, more than half of Xu Qingfan’s Phoenix Spirit Qi had been absorbed by Feng Qingtian. In shock, Xu Qingfan abruptly stopped, only to discover more astonishingly that Feng Qingtian’s body seemed to be glued to his own, unable to separate. Meanwhile, the Phoenix Spirit Qi inside Xu Qingfan surged even more frantically towards Feng Qingtian.

Seeing that Xu Qingfan stopped, Jin Qinghan and Lv Qingshang also halted and looked at Xu Qingfan in confusion, only to find his eyes filled with terror, as if he was struggling against something.

Before long, the Phoenix Spirit Qi within Xu Qingfan was completely absorbed by Feng Qingtian. Just when Xu Qingfan thought it was over, the Wutong branch disguised as a hairpin suddenly returned to its original form, causing a surge of Phoenix Spirit Qi to flow into Xu Qingfan’s body and then into Feng Qingtian’s.

Suddenly, Feng Qingtian’s body erupted in blazing flames, engulfing both Xu Qingfan and Feng Qingtian entirely. The immense rush of Phoenix Spirit Qi through his body made Xu Qingfan lose consciousness.

Before fainting, Xu Qingfan inexplicably thought of the word "Phoenix Nirvana."