Wayfarer

Chapter 320: Downfall of the Spirit Emperor

The heavenly hand gripped the Spirit Emperor tightly. Regardless of how he roared or struggled, he was unable to break out from its grip.

"Xiao Nanfeng, sit cross-legged on the fingertips of the heavenly hand," the Divine Emperor instructed.

"Understood!" Xiao Nanfeng nodded.

He did as he was told. Suddenly, a ball of white energy emerged from the hand and surrounded Xiao Nanfeng, then pulled him deep within the fist—not toward the Spirit Emperor, but to an unusual space in which he lay submerged in some mysterious fluid.

"Distill!" the Divine Emperor commanded.

"Argh! Divine Emperor, have you forgotten about our fond memories together? You said you would help me become a heavenly emperor, that you would continue helping me! How could you do this to me now?!" the Spirit Emperor howled.

"I was wrong. You're not deserving of my promise. Better that you die now," the Divine Emperor replied.

"You wench!" the Spirit Emperor howled. "Despite how well I've treated you, you've betrayed me! I'm going to kill you!"

The Spirit Emperor struggled furiously, causing the heavenly hand to shake. However, as the Divine Emperor marshaled her strength, the hand clenched more and more tightly around the Spirit Emperor. He wasn't able to escape; all he could do was shout and scream.

As he spat curses and insults at the Divine Emperor, she grew more and more certain of her decision. Distilling the Spirit Emperor would both help Xiao Nanfeng achieve a significant advancement and end the threat of the Spirit Emperor for good. He couldn't be allowed to revive once again.

The distillation process was particularly long; it took three whole months for the heavenly hand to meld into Xiao Nanfeng's body. The Spirit Emperor was nowhere to be seen, either. Xiao Nanfeng floated cross-legged in the air.

With a crack, the crystal tablet shattered, all its energy spent. The crystal shards disappeared in a cloud of fog, revealing a huge quantity of black water. The black water gathered into the shape of the Divine Emperor.

The Divine Emperor looked expectantly at Xiao Nanfeng. "How does the primordial state feel?"

Xiao Nanfeng's eyes were closed; he didn't speak. Within his body came the Spirit Emperor's shouts. "His consciousness has retreated to his truesoul!"

"Spirit Emperor? You're not dead?!" the Divine Emperor cried out.

"Of course I'm not dead! How vicious you were—my cursed spiritual avatar and the heavenly hand, both gone for good!" the Spirit Emperor cried out.

"Get out here!" the Divine Emperor shouted.

"Get out? I won't! Divine Emperor, you're interested in this kid, aren't you? Then I'll possess him and see how you treat me from now on, haha!"

"You bastard!" the Divine Emperor shouted.

"It's too late. I've found his truesoul. I just need to devour it and I'll be able to take control of him. No, no—what's going on? There's something wrong with his truesoul!" the Spirit Emperor shouted.

The Spirit Emperor's cursed spirit was knocked loose from Xiao Nanfeng's body and sent out into the open. It oscillated in and out of visibility like a shadow or mirage.

"His truesoul isn't of this world. There's something wrong with him!" the Spirit Emperor cried out.

Incensed, the Divine Emperor didn't care a whit for what the Spirit Emperor was saying. "Die!"

With a strike of her palm, she obliterated the Spirit Emperor's cursed spirit, releasing a cloud of golden fog which she swallowed.

"No!" the Spirit Emperor howled, his voice still barely visible through the fog.

Within moments, the Divine Emperor had swallowed it all. A burst of energy emanated from her, clearing away what remained of the sea of clouds.

The Divine Emperor had grown stronger once again, but she didn't care about that at the moment. She hurriedly inspected Xiao Nanfeng's body.

Suddenly, Xiao Nanfeng's eyes opened.

Upon seeing the Divine Emperor, he couldn't help but caress her face. The Divine Emperor's cheeks were soft and tender, and particularly pleasant to the touch.

"What are you doing?!" The Divine Emperor blushed as she dodged to the side.

"Ah, sorry, I couldn't help myself..." Xiao Nanfeng smiled wryly as he came to his senses.

"You!" The Divine Emperor glared at him with eyes that were ridiculously beautiful.

"I did it without thinking. I apologize," Xiao Nanfeng said.

The Divine Emperor rolled her eyes. Despite appearances, however, she didn't feel mad at all.

Suddenly, she frowned. "Don't move. Let me inspect you."

"What is it?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

The Divine Emperor didn't speak. She reached out and touched Xiao Nanfeng's face, sending a gust of energy within his body. She closed her eyes and followed its progress through his body before finally opening her eyes again.

"Did you touch my face to get back at me for touching yours?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

The Divine Emperor blushed again. "Who would be so childish? I was just worried that the Spirit Emperor took you over, that he's pretending to be you, so I confirmed your identity."

"Oh? I saw you close your eyes when you were touching my face. I thought you were trying to test how soft my skin was," Xiao Nanfeng joked.

The Divine Emperor scoffed.

"Are there still traces of the Spirit Emperor left in my body, then?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

The Divine Emperor shook her head. "No. He's completely gone now."

"Thank goodness!" Xiao Nanfeng nodded.

"Do you feel any different?" the Divine Emperor asked expectantly.

Xiao Nanfeng closed his eyes and began to probe his body. Then, he opened them again. "Not that I can tell, but the yin body in my mindscape has vanished."

"It has been merged with your physical body," the Divine Emperor explained.

"But I can only sense my physical body's strength, not my yin body's." Xiao Nanfeng frowned.

With a moment's thought, he summoned a considerable quantity of flame, but no spiritual power was released along with it.

"There's something special with your primordial state, of course. Once you reach that stage of cultivation on your own, any defects will be eliminated. Your primordial state has, at its core, a candle cursed spiritual avatar. Try lighting the candle flame," the Divine Emperor suggested.

Xiao Nanfeng closed his eyes in meditation once more. By intuition and touch, he sensed a candle striated with gold and silver. It seemed to have been combined with his heart. He attempted to light it up.

The flame was snuffed out the moment it lit up, but just then, he caught the glimpse of a dark room in which his yin body was located. As his consciousness reached out for his yin body, his yin body opened his eyes. The darkness around the yin body retreated, revealing the Divine Emperor before him.

Within the Divine Emperor's eyes, however, was another sinister sight. He could see a golden-robed Xiao Nanfeng brimming with flame. Suddenly, the flames grew dim and transformed into endless snow, and his golden robes turned into silver ones. He opened his eyes and found that he was in his yin body state, his physical body having vanished.

"How strange. I've transformed into my yin body directly!" Xiao Nanfeng exclaimed.

At the same time, the silver moon appeared behind his head. His deific domain summoned a snowfall for kilometers on end.

"Keep going," the Divine Emperor suggested.

Xiao Nanfeng nodded. He lit up the candle in his heart, causing the silver moon to retreat and the snow to stop. Flames blazed once more as his silver robe turned back to gold. His yin body had transformed into his physical one.

"What a mysterious sensation. My physical body seems to have been stored in a pitch-black location. Where is that?" Xiao Nanfeng asked curiously.

"Your heart," the Divine Emperor explained.

"My heart?"

"You haven't started to cultivate your heart. You'll understand more once you start. Your heart is a mysterious place; I can't explain it well myself. You'll have to meditate on it on your own."

"Very well." Xiao Nanfeng nodded. "I can sense that the candle cursed spiritual avatar has been melded into my heart, but I can only light up the flame for the barest flicker of a moment right now to switch between my physical body and yin body. I can't light up the candle any longer."

"You'll be able to do so as your strength grows. Once you can do so, you can control the candle's cursed spiritual power as well."

"Really? That's excellent news!" Xiao Nanfeng's eyes brightened.

He still remembered the prowess the Spirit Emperor had displayed with his flames. Short hops in spacetime could be a lifesaving trick if he were able to master it.

The Divine Emperor considered what remained of the Spirit Emperor's hidden realm. "We can't stay here any longer. The destruction of the heavenly laws will incur punishment from heaven. This realm will soon be doomed to desolation."

"Let's leave, then. Will you return to Yongding with me?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

The Divine Emperor shook her head. Regret flashed in her eyes. "I'm afraid not. I'll be leaving."

"Leaving? Where to?" Xiao Nanfeng exclaimed.

"What happened here will quickly be reported to the heavens above, and I'll be punished," the Divine Emperor explained.

"What?!"

"Don't worry. The heavens have never treated me well, but they won't be able to do much to me. I need to head to my hidden realm to avoid heavenly detection. I won't have anything to worry about after that."

"You have your own hidden realm, too?" Xiao Nanfeng asked in surprise.

"I do. I was too trusting of the Spirit Emperor back then. That was why I came to his realm and how I ended up suffering calamity."

"Let me accompany you," Xiao Nanfeng suggested.

The Divine Emperor shook her head. "No. It's been too long, and I'm afraid my realm may have changed in my absence. Demons might have spawned, and it would be particularly dangerous for you. I'm not confident I'd be able to protect you."

"Won't it be dangerous if you go on your own?"

"It's my hidden realm, after all, and I'll at least be able to protect myself. I'll send word to you once I've settled down."

Xiao Nanfeng pursed his lips in reluctance. Eventually, however, he sighed. "Alright. Please stay safe. Let me know if anything comes up!"

"Of course."

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