Chapter 63: Winds and Rains Arrive Together

He still refused to give up. After circling nearly half the city, he discovered that this invisible barrier was indeed contracting inward.

In fact, in the brief moment he spent investigating, it had pushed forward by another few metres.

At this rate, the barrier might shrink all the way to the center of the city in less than half a day!

"This is undoubtedly the work of the Demonic Path!" Qi-refining cultivator Zhang Chen's body was trembling. "How could it come to this? They actually dare to slaughter an entire city in defiance of the whole world!"

"Immortal, please help me! Half a lifetime of my savings is invested in this tavern!"

A man grabbed Zhang Chen's sleeve tightly, pleading with him to stop the invisible wall.

The others, who had originally been fleeing away from the city gates, also stopped upon seeing this and looked over.

Not to mention their lives, the mere loss of property alone was already too much for many to bear.

This was truly half their livelihood.

Hearing this, Zhang Chen tried to comfort them, saying, "There is no need to worry. Once we survive this calamity and root out the masterminds behind the scenes, the righteous sacred lands and orthodox sects will naturally compensate you for your losses."

After all, various sects had assets within Manyun City, so they could not possibly sit by and do nothing, and the imperial court would also allocate funds for disaster relief.

However, the problem now was not merely about external possessions!

It was that their days were numbered, and today would be their end!

Zhang Chen's forced composure finally gave way, turning into a look of despair.

Seeing this expression of utter hopelessness, the others began to panic as well.

"Immortal, what is the meaning of this..." expression?

If even the almighty cultivators in their eyes were helpless, did that not mean...

This disaster would obliterate the entire Manyun City?!

Just as panic, despair, and other negative emotions were about to spread among the crowd, a figure descended from the sky.

"Junior Brother Mao, lead the commoners to the city lake. Make sure to pacify their emotions and tell them that in this calamity... not a single person will die."

Hearing this voice, Zhang Chen looked up, tears nearly welling in his eyes.

Clad in fluttering, otherworldly martial attire, it was precisely Han Chen!

"Senior Brother Han!" Zhang Chen shouted, filled with ecstatic surprise.

In just a fleeting moment, it gave him an almost profound sense of surviving a catastrophe.

Han Chen gave a slight nod and said in a deep voice, "Junior brother, do not delay. Go!"

"Understood!"

Zhang Chen acknowledged the order, instantly regaining his vigor as he began to organize the evacuation of the commoners.

In truth, even without Han Chen speaking, his very arrival was the most effective pacification.

The crowd instantly ceased their panic and felt a glimmer of hope.

Since Immortal Zhang could not fly, but this Immortal Han could, his magical power must be even more profound. They were saved!

Watching Zhang Chen lead the crowd away, Han Chen let out a gentle sigh. "Absorbing negative emotions for one's own use... Such a demonic cultivator truly deserves to be exterminated."

His reason for not being on the "main battlefield" was to cut off the Fallen Sword Immortal's source of power.

Otherwise, fueled by the negative emotions of an entire city, the Fallen Sword Immortal's spiritual power would be virtually inexhaustible, and even a Golden Core cultivator would likely be exhausted to death.

He set off once again, dispatching righteous cultivators along the way to escort the commoners to the lake city, and quickly cleared out nearly a quarter of the city.

Of course, during this period, the invisible barrier continued to advance, turning several taverns, inns, and shops into ruins.

"Hm?"

Amidst the ruins, Han Chen caught sight of a petite figure. It turned out to be a child who had somehow strayed and been left behind, wailing while being pushed along by the invisible wall.

Han Chen descended toward the child. "Are you alright..."

Before he could finish his sentence, the wailing stopped abruptly.

The child's face twisted hideously, and their slender arms suddenly bulged out of nowhere into eerie ghostly claws, lunging directly at Han Chen.

This move was too insidious. Caught off guard, anyone would have been struck regardless.

Yet Han Chen seemed to have anticipated it. With a single thrust of his sword, he struck the palm of the ghostly claw, utilizing the recoil to flip backward and land gracefully.

Seeing the ambush fail, the "child" simply dropped the disguise and revealed its true form. Its torso and the bones of its remaining three limbs swelled just like its right arm, piercing through the skin.

Bizarrely, the skin did not stretch accordingly, yet flesh and blood grew along with it.

Before long, it transformed into a three-zhang-tall mass of flesh and blood, with a twisted spine and protruding bone spikes.

"One of the lower Demonic sects, the Bone Sect," Han Chen said calmly. "Do you not usually refine your own bodies into white bone? Why retain flesh and blood now?"

"Transforming flesh and blood to forge bones, and then growing flesh and blood from white bones—this is the Dao of Golden Core," the Bone Sect disciple replied. "As for you, you don't seem surprised by my existence at all."

Han Chen smiled faintly, Xiao Lin's words echoing in his mind:

"The hearts of demonic cultivators are difficult to fathom, but if you always think along the worst possible lines, you might occasionally be wrong, but more often than not, you will be right."

"While the Fallen Sword Immortal can certainly create his own subordinates, with his demonic-qi-灌顶 (infusion) methods, enlisting other Demonic sects to make a move is no difficult feat."

"Staying vigilant can never go wrong."

Seeing that Han Chen did not answer, the Bone Sect disciple did not mind. "In any case, I only need to stall you."

"I am afraid you cannot stall me."

"Heh, we are both in the late Foundation Establishment stage. The outcome is yet undecided, and you say I cannot stall you?"

Han Chen remained silent. A wisp of black Qi suddenly surged from the long sword in his hand, enveloping the entire blade.

The Bone Sect disciple's flesh-and-blood face instantly distorted into an even more grotesque shape. "What is this?"

He felt an unprecedented threat emanating from it!

The only answer he received was Han Chen's inescapable sword strike: "The ultimate in this world—Asura's righteous Qi."

...

Meanwhile, high above Manyun City, amidst layers of clouds, two figures stood side by side.

The Fallen Sword Immortal withdrew his spiritual sense. "You actually divided your righteous Qi and gave it to them."

Xiao Lin remained silent.

The Fallen Sword Immortal continued, "This is not a bad countermeasure, but your righteous Qi is different from my demonic Qi. Human negative emotions arise far too easily, making demonic Qi inexhaustible and limitless."

"But what about your righteous Qi? It cannot be converted simply from positive emotions, nor can it be absorbed from others, can it?"

The Fallen Sword Immortal narrowed his eyes. "In other words, the amount of righteous Qi you can mobilize at this moment should be negligible."

"Without this, how can you contend with me!"

He let out a cold shout, shattering the surrounding clouds into nothingness.

Xiao Lin still said nothing.

"Not a word. Are you mute?" the Fallen Sword Immortal rebuked. Suddenly realizing something, he pronounced each word clearly: "Alter the firmament, the art of heavenly secrets!"

"Hahahaha!"

"Xiao Lin" finally burst into laughter, reached up to wipe his face, and revealed his true appearance—it was none other than the Human Diviner!

"Senior has finally seen through the trick, sparing me the agony of continually maintaining the Heaven-Altering Art; it is truly exhausting."

The Fallen Sword Immortal said in a deep voice, "If you came in his stead, where has he gone?"

"How would I know? Senior can go look for him yourself."

"Human Diviner, you and I once had a cooperation. Why did you suddenly go back on your word... What benefits did that junior promise you?"

"Our cooperation ended long ago. How can you speak of going back on my word?" The Human Diviner smiled. "As for benefits..."

"There's no helping it. Who is to say that the opportunity for both my junior sister and me to attain the Dao lies in him?"