Boom—
A deafening clap of thunder erupted above the heavens over Buzhou Mountain!
Thunder roared, as if the world were coming to an end!
"Hm? What's going on?"
Xie Fang furrowed his brow. The thunder came with an oppressive might that seemed utterly out of place beside the pressure of Pangu atop Buzhou Mountain.
And within the thunder, lightning flashed through the clouds. With a crack, a bolt struck down!
"Someone's either undergoing tribulation over there, or a great treasure has appeared!"
Xie Fang watched where the lightning had struck and pondered for a moment, then immediately set off.
Before long, he reached the side of Buzhou Mountain.
The sight before him made Xie Fang's heart leap!
Countless thunderclouds blanketed the area. Lightning coiled together like giant serpents, roaring as they unleashed endless terror!
Beneath the thunderclouds, nine demonic clouds hovered in the sky, enduring the relentless barrage!
Boom!
Boom!
Bolt after bolt of lightning, carrying the terrifying force to destroy everything, crashed down on the nine demonic clouds, as if seeking to obliterate them.
"That's the Nine Demon Pagoda!"
At a glance, Xie Fang spotted the source of the demonic clouds: a gray-black pagoda with nine openings, from which the nine clouds poured forth.
It was said that the Nine Demon Pagoda belonged to the Demon Ancestor, Luohu. Xie Fang had never expected the treasure still hadn't fallen into Luohu's hands—and that he would find it here, beside Buzhou Mountain.
The Nine Demon Pagoda was an Innate Spiritual Treasure on par with the God-Slaying Spear. The spear was famed for its offensive power, while the pagoda's greatest uses were to aid cultivation, suppress, and imprison.
"Since I've found it, it's mine!"
Xie Fang made up his mind at once. He absolutely couldn't let the thunderclouds destroy the pagoda!
He looked up at the bolts striking the Nine Demon Pagoda without pause. After a moment's thought, he lightly stamped his foot and tore through space!
In the next instant, the surrounding magical power surged, striking at the heavens!
He would disperse the thunderclouds for the Nine Demon Pagoda!
Rumble—
Xie Fang's action was tantamount to directly challenging the might of Heaven!
Thick bolts of lightning, as massive as electric serpents, grew more and more violent, striking down at Xie Fang along with the rest!
"Break!"
Xie Fang didn't dodge. With a soft shout, he summoned the Pure World White Lotus!
Then he summoned all thirty-six Sea-Calming Pearls to fight the lightning!
The boundless might of Heaven!
The primordial heavens!
They clashed head-on!
Rumble—
A muffled boom shook the air. The lightning seemed about to tear the sky apart as it crashed straight down on the Sea-Calming Pearls.
The terrifying, violent lightning was filled with an endless urge to destroy!
Yet as it struck the pearls, it was gradually absorbed by them.
The Sea-Calming Pearls contained the power of thirty-six heavens, and Xie Fang's cultivation was formidable. Even against the supreme might of Heaven, he had nothing to fear!
A true man should stand above the world, soar beyond the nine heavens, look down upon the thirty-three heavens, and view the boundless cosmos with disdain!
And there stood Xie Fang, treading upon the Pure World White Lotus and holding the Sea-Calming Pearls, towering above the lightning and gazing down from the highest reaches of the sky!
His long hair whipped about amid the lightning, making him look like a demon god of the heavens!
With the Combat Law in motion, his fighting spirit shot into the clouds, radiating supreme might!
Rumble—
Xie Fang's actions had thoroughly enraged the lightning filling the sky!
Muffled booms rolled through the air as the lightning grew ever more terrifying!
"Looks like protecting the Nine Demon Pagoda is going to take some effort."
Xie Fang glanced down at the pagoda and felt the oppressive force of the lightning around him. He couldn't help but sigh.
The lightning had reached an almost unimaginable intensity, nearly surpassing the pressure of Pangu atop Buzhou Mountain.
Xie Fang had inherited Pangu's Combat Law. Now, with his full strength unleashed, he was determined to test himself against the fearsome might of Heaven!
The lightning grew stronger and stronger, and Xie Fang's aura grew more powerful with it!
Faintly, the Combat Law mingled with the Slaughter origin within the Primordial Sky Measuring Ruler, and a formidable killing intent began to stir.
Huff—
Huff—
Huff—
Just then!
The Nine Demon Pagoda seemed to sense the growing fighting spirit within Xie Fang, and let out a series of low murmurs!
Perhaps it was drawn to the Combat Law within him.
Perhaps it was drawn to his effort to shield it from the lightning.
Vmmm—
In the next instant, the Nine Demon Pagoda's transformation caught Xie Fang completely by surprise!
With a resonant hum, the pagoda drew back all nine streams of Demonic Qi it had released. Then it spun wildly and flew straight to Xie Fang!
Xie Fang caught it instinctively. A faint feeling of delight from the Nine Demon Pagoda flowed into his mind, leaving him utterly bewildered.
What was this? It had recognized him as its master just because he'd shielded it from the lightning?
After all, he'd only stopped the bolts because he was worried they would damage the pagoda!
He hadn't expected such an unexpected gain.
As all this unfolded, someone concealed nearby on the mountainside watched with a bewildered expression!
"What? The Nine Demon Pagoda recognized him as its master just like that?"
"If I'd known, I should've stepped in and shielded it from the tribulation!"
"Damn it! Damn it!"
The Nine Demon Pagoda's sudden recognition left both Xie Fang and the person hidden in the shadows stunned.
Once the hidden figure recovered, he was overcome with regret.
He had been watching as the lightning battered the Nine Demon Pagoda again and again.
He'd planned to wait until the lightning weakened the pagoda, then step in and subdue it.
Who could have known...
The Nine Demon Pagoda had already developed a spirit, and had taken the initiative to recognize as its master the person who shielded it from the tribulation!
"Damn it!"
As the man seethed with regret, the lightning still raged above!
Sensing that the Nine Demon Pagoda had found its master, the lightning grew even more terrifying, bearing down from the heavens!
"Hahahaha! Excellent! Let's join forces and withstand this tribulation lightning!"
Xie Fang roared with laughter and swept out both hands. The Nine Demon Pagoda appeared at once, rising to meet the lightning!
His cultivation was already unfathomably deep. With the Nine Demon Pagoda at his side, he was all the more formidable!
In an instant, under Xie Fang's control, the Nine Demon Pagoda unleashed boundless power. Demonic Qi surged from it, threaded with destructive force!
Beneath that power, the countless bolts of lightning in the sky vanished with a thunderous crash!
"What a treasure!"
Xie Fang examined the Nine Demon Pagoda, reluctant to part with it. He hadn't expected it to possess such tremendous power in addition to aiding cultivation and restraining or capturing others.
Had he held the Nine Demon Pagoda when he faced Yin-Yang Ancestor, Xie Fang was certain he could have kept him there!
Then Yin-Yang Ancestor wouldn't have escaped!
"Ah, Nine Demon Pagoda, I am Xie Fang, master of the Three Immortal Islands of the East Sea. Are you willing to recognize me as your master? From now on, I can take you with me to suppress everything beneath the heavens and stand at the peak of the nine heavens!"
Feeling the Nine Demon Pagoda's emotions, Xie Fang asked it.
The Nine Demon Pagoda already had a spirit. If it was willing, Xie Fang could skip the step of refining it and begin refining the Forbidden Seals within it directly.
Otherwise, Xie Fang would first have to refine it into his own treasure.
Vmmm, vmmm—
The Nine Demon Pagoda flew to Xie Fang's shoulder of its own accord and rubbed against him. Then, with a whoosh, it flew into his embrace.
That meant it was willing to recognize him as its master!
Before you continue