Wayfarer

Chapter 272: Slaying the Crane Spirits

"Ahem!" After inhaling some of the dust and smoke around, Yu'er slowly opened her eyes in a fit of coughing.

"Senior Sister, are you awake?" Xiao Nanfeng exhaled in relief. He helped her down from his back and placed her on a large clean rock.

Yu'er opened her eyes in a daze, as though attempting to recall how it was that she had ended up unconscious. Then, thinking back to the attack she had seen heading toward Xiao Nanfeng, she instinctively drew her sword and shielded Xiao Nanfeng behind her. "Be careful, Nanfeng!"

That she was still looking out for Xiao Nanfeng right after waking up made him feel warm and fuzzy inside. "Don't worry. Envoy Ying, who tried to attack me, has been dealt with by the Divine Emperor."

"What? That was Envoy Ying? The cursed king in your ring dealt with it?!" Yu'er gaped.

She knew just how frightening Envoy Ying was. How strong did the Divine Emperor have to be to manage to take him down?

Yu'er glanced at Xiao Nanfeng's left hand's middle finger, where the tattoo of the storage ring had reappeared. It was clear that the Divine Emperor was still plaguing Xiao Nanfeng.

"What will you do, Nanfeng?" Yu'er worried.

"Don't worry. The Divine Emperor won't trouble me," Xiao Nanfeng replied, smiling.

Yu'er rolled her eyes playfully. If her parents had heard such a ridiculous claim, they would surely think it nonsense. What cursed effigy didn't kill all those around them?

"If there's no danger, we should leave now," Yu'er said.

"No, let's cultivate and break through right now," Xiao Nanfeng replied.

"Oh?"

"I'll guard you first. Distill the remaining draconic aether in your body," Xiao Nanfeng suggested.

Yu'er didn't know why Xiao Nanfeng was so insistent on doing so now, but she nodded and entered a meditative state. Golden light flared around her.

The smoke and dust all around them seemed about to dissipate, but Xiao Nanfeng conjured up a large quantity of white fog in its stead. Their surroundings turned hazy.

After two hours, Yu'er's body released a tremendous wave of energy as she opened her eyes.

"Have you distilled all the draconic aether in your body?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"Of course," Yu'er replied, smiling.

"Great. My turn next. Use fog to shroud our surroundings, like this," Xiao Nanfeng instructed.

Yu'er immediately realized that their surroundings had to be unsafe, that there might well be an ambush waiting for them. She nodded and conjured more fog in their surroundings.

Xiao Nanfeng sat cross-legged as he began to distill draconic aether into pure yang origin qi, which he channeled into the eighth sun in his dantian.

Xiao Nanfeng's body glowed with golden light as an eighth nascent spirit gestated within his eighth sun.

Two hours later, a gust of energy seeped out of his body. He opened his eyes.

"The eighth stage of Spiritsong? What a strange cultivation technique you have. It takes you this much energy to increase your cultivation by just a minor stage?" Yu'er asked curiously.

"I'm building up my strength at the moment. It's not yet time to show my true power," Xiao Nanfeng joked.

Yu'er huffed in exasperation.

"We'll likely have another fight up ahead," Xiao Nanfeng warned her.

"Oh? Do you think Cui Haisheng has an ambush prepared for us?"

Xiao Nanfeng nodded. "I do think so. Cui Haisheng has been raiding Yongding daily these last few days. It's to ensure that I have to leave Croak, Warble, and You Jiu in Yongding to safeguard it from his advances so that I would have to fight Xu Ming in a disadvantaged state. He wants me to die here, but he would never have expected that you've reached Wingform too, Senior Sister. We're in peak condition right now."

"Damn that Cui Haisheng," Yu'er cursed, vexed.

"I expected an ambush, but the fight between the Divine Emperor and Envoy Ying was too intense. I'm worried that it may have scared the ambushers, so I covered the region in fog to prevent them from realizing what's going on," Xiao Nanfeng explained.

"You want to lure them over?" Yu'er asked, her eyes brightening.

"Exactly, Senior Sister. We're in peak condition now, so there's nothing we have to fear from the likes of them. Shall I pretend to be badly hurt?" Xiao Nanfeng suggested.

"You really are devious, aren't you? I like it," Yu'er replied excitedly.

Four crane spirits hovered in the air above Mt. Swallowtail.

The crane spirit in the lead was thirty meters tall and exuded the strength of a Wingform-realm spirit. Behind it were three Spiritsong-realm cranes.

They were staring at the formation around Mt. Swallowtail. The entire mountain had shook and rumbled before the white fog of the formation turned to black. Then, sky and earth alike shuddered. A storm brewed on the horizon. Finally, a beam of blue light had pierced through the heavens before everything returned to normalcy. Where the smoke and dust had dissipated, however, it had been replaced with thick fog.

"Elder, what's going on down there? Is Xiao Nanfeng really fighting against the Jingang disciples at the moment?" one Spiritsong-realm crane asked.

The Wingform-realm crane stared at what lay below it for quite a while before replying, "There's sure to be a huge fight going on. Perhaps they've used some powerful treasure. It's a pity that the smoke, dust, and now fog have gotten in the way."

"Elder, Xiao Nanfeng is Ku Jiang's disciple, and he's also protected by Hong Lie. Is it really alright for us to target him?"

The Wingform-realm crane was silent for long moments before shaking its head. "If anything happens, Cui Haisheng will take the blame. There's nothing to be worried about."

Just then, a male cultivator drenched in blood suddenly emerged from the fog—none other than Xiao Nanfeng.

Xiao Nanfeng's clothes were badly damaged, and injuries criss-crossed his body. He clutched his chest and spat out a mouthful of blood, as though drawing on his last reserves to flee.

The four cranes' eyes lit up as they swooped toward him.

"Who's there?!" Xiao Nanfeng reared back, drawing his blade and guarding against the four spirits. When he saw them approach, he shouted, "What are you crane spirits doing here?"

The four crane spirits had surrounded Xiao Nanfeng, but owing to the disturbances in the region, didn't immediately strike.

"Xiao Nanfeng, what did you encounter within the formation?" the Wingform-realm crane questioned. "Why aren't there any Jingang disciples chasing after you?"

"You know me? Are you here to ambush me?" Xiao Nanfeng demanded.

"Answer us immediately, or face the consequences," the Wingform-realm crane threatened.

"Would you let me go if I did? Ha!" Xiao Nanfeng coughed out a mouthful of blood.

The four cranes looked at him coldly and disdainfully.

"If I'm not mistaken, you're part of the cranes that help support the Taiqing Immortal Sect's mail system. Several cranes specially help my master, Ku Jiang, make his way around the world. You're part of the Taiqing Immortal Sect, and I advise you not to make a serious mistake. I am a sectstarter of the sect, and you should know the importance of my status," Xiao Nanfeng emphasized.

"A sectstarter? Considering how wounded you are, do you think you'll be able to make it out of here alive? If you're unwilling to tell us what happened within, then we'll find out ourselves. We have nothing against you; we're simply acting on orders—and someone wants your life," the Wingform-realm crane baldly stated.

It flapped its wings as two Spiritsong-realm cranes rushed toward Xiao Nanfeng.

The two cranes cut at Xiao Nanfeng with their steely wings, intending on killing him in one blow.

"Those who attack the sectstarters of the sect shall die!" Xiao Nanfeng's eyes turned cold as he slashed at the attackers with his blade.

"Something's wrong," the Wingform-realm crane shouted. "If he really is badly wounded, he wouldn't be able to swing his blade so solidly. Be careful!"

Xiao Nanfeng beheaded the two crane spirits in the blink of an eye. Their blood spurted into the air.

"Xiao Nanfeng, you lied to me! Die!" The Wingform-realm spirit spread its wings in outrage, launching a barrage of feathers like throwing knives straight at Xiao Nanfeng.

"As for you, you're a traitor to the Taiqing Immortal Sect. Your punishment is death!" a voice exclaimed from Xiao Nanfeng's back.

Yu'er shot forward with a red Immortal sword, shattering the Wingform-realm crane's feathers as she charged toward it.

"What?!" The Wingform-realm crane attempted to defend itself as the Immortal sword sliced off much of the Wingform-realm spirit's feathers, and even part of its wings.

The Wingform-realm spirit howled in pain.

Only then did it see that the fog surrounding Mt. Swallowtail had vanished, leaving behind ruined, scarred ground and a bevy of corpses wearing the robes of the Jingang monks. Their heads were nowhere to be seen; their corpses looked ghastly.

Yu'er struck at the Wingform-realm crane again. Her strength was incredible.

"You've destroyed the Jingang Temple? Everyone there is dead, but you're uninjured? Impossible!" the Wingform-realm crane exclaimed, spreading its wings as it attempted to flee.

"It's too late for you to get away!" Yu'er shot forward even more quickly. She flashed right up to the crane and struck it down.

At the same time, Xiao Nanfeng caught up to the last Spiritsong-realm crane and bisected it with his blade as it trembled. Blood spurted all around him.

Without any hesitation, Xiao Nanfeng then turned to the Wingform-realm spirit, cutting it down alongside Yu'er.

The Wingform-realm spirit, badly injured, was sent flying in a streak of blood.

"Impossible. How could you be so strong?!"

The Wingform-realm crane attempted to flee, but it was sandwiched by Yu'er before it and Xiao Nanfeng behind. It had no choice but to defend against their attacks.

"Master told me that, two centuries ago, despite the calamity that befell the sect, cultivators gave their lives to protect you. Even so, you dare to betray the Taiqing Immortal Sect? Death is what you deserve!" Xiao Nanfeng declared.

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