Taiyi stared at the pile of things.
His pupils suddenly contracted. It was as if all the strength had been drained from his body; his legs went weak, and he nearly dropped to his knees.
It was obvious that something had happened to Nezha!
He staggered forward two steps and threw himself before the pile of Dharma Treasures, frantically rummaging between the Heaven-Mixing Ribbon and the Universe Ring for traces left behind by their owner.
Yet after searching everywhere, he found nothing.
Taiyi's chest heaved violently a few times before he abruptly rose to his feet.
He swept the Dharma Treasures into his arms, rode the wind, and accelerated. His plump body burst forth with speed it had no right to possess, becoming a streak of light as he shot straight toward Chentang Pass.
A ray of golden light tore through the clouds at the horizon, racing toward them.
A chubby figure tumbled clumsily out of the golden light.
Taiyi stopped before Nezha's remains.
The fat old Daoist, who always wore a lazy smile, now had a face full of ashen disbelief. His eyes were fixed on that pool of flesh and blood, his fingers trembling uncontrollably. For a long while, he could not say a single word.
That pile of still-warm bones and flesh lay spread across the ground like poison-coated blades, each one cutting into his heart, leaving even his breathing sharp with pain.
"Nezha... your master came too late."
He took a Jade Bottle from his robes, aimed its mouth at the lingering blood-colored aura, and gently drew it in.
A wisp of pale golden soul gathered from the shattered flesh and bloody mist. Like a faint lamp flame, it swayed on the verge of extinction before drifting into the bottle.
Taiyi sealed the bottle and tucked