Catching Cicadas

The False Moon in the sky, and demons surged in from all directions. Li Fan could only hear the roaring of wild beasts, the cracking sounds of flesh being torn apart, and the demonic sounds of chewing and swallowing from outside the city, separated by a wall. The air was filled with a strange, metallic scent.

He could only suppress his hunger and thirst, clinging to the wall and climbing back and forth, using the natural camouflage of the night to conceal himself. When he saw any Hu Barbarians had accidentally fallen into the ditch, he would pounce on them, stab them in the back, and cut their throats. Fortunately, the Tai Sha Sword Embryo was sharp enough to deal with Divine Transformation, and it was a piece of cake to deal with them. Stabbing these Nascent Soul Nascent Soul Stage would be even more fatal. Moreover, Li Fan would finish them off with a couple more stabs until he was in a good mood, so there was no problem at all.

Soon, about twenty corpses lay between the earthen ramparts and the city wall. These men were easy to kill, but Li Fan found the process somewhat strange. Their physical bodies Nascent Soul Realm, but their actual skills were lacking. Li Fan couldn't rely on his strength to restrain them now, and when ambushed, most of them reacted slowly, caught off guard and easily killed. They didn't seem like warriors who had honed their skills for centuries and survived on the battlefield. Their equipment, Cultivation Method, and experience were all too poor...

Could these Hu Barbarians have also achieved their cultivation level quickly, just like him?

Suddenly, a strange rhythmic fluctuation came from the city. Li Fan was startled and didn't have time to think about anything else. He quickly jumped from the earthen rampart to the city wall to look around.

A deep purple sphere appeared from the city, expanding rapidly like a bubble reflecting the stars of the sky. In an instant, it expanded, enveloping the entire Shuofang Town, reaching all the way to the gate and enveloping the people inside. Any Hu Barbarians or demons attempting to sneak into the city from other directions were stretched and pulled into the night sky in a vortex the moment they bumped into the bubble, disappearing without a trace.

The Wusheng Laomu, the Vacuum Home.

Li Fan had seen this move before, but it was far more powerful than the A Guang from Shatang Village had pulled out... How could that mere Foundation Establishment blind old woman possess such a formidable ability to summon Void Star?

Well, it seems the combat strength of the Tai Su Dao cannot be measured by the cultivation level of the Taiji Realm at all...

But this is for the best. With the disciples of Moshan forming the first layer of defense, the earthen ramparts the second, and the Vacuum Home the third, Shuofang City tonight can be considered impregnable, right? As long as the one who has attained enlightenment doesn't appear in person...

'Alert! System is offline!'

Sigh... Is this mouth blessed or something...?

At that moment, a flash of silver light streaked past, heading straight for Li Fan. For a split second, his heart skipped a beat, thinking he was about to be killed instantly.

Then Xuan Tian's voice came again, "Qingyue! Hurry! It'll be too late if we don't leave now!"

Li Fan: "... What, the Chanyu has arrived? So be it, I've already come to terms with it."

Xuan Tian roared, "It's not the Divine Sect! It's the Xuanmen! The Xuanmen has laid a trap!"

Huh? What?

"Aaaaaah--!"

Suddenly, a scream came from above Li Fan's head.

He looked up and saw a torrent of blood raining down on him.

Second Senior Sister Yue Lanzi's humanoid body was cleaved in two by a sword rainbow that streaked across the sky, falling from the heavens. A large amount of flesh, feathers, and internal organs fell into the bubble of the Void Star, where they were pulled and rolled away, disappearing into nothingness.

The terrifying sword-like rainbow that stretched across the night sky has not yet dissipated, as if a Milky Way had suddenly pierced through the sky, cutting through the darkness. Coupled with the blood rain falling like red leaves, the scene was simply magnificent and astonishing.

But Li Fan had no time to appreciate this 'spectacle'. Relying on his blindness, he immediately spotted a masked girl who had been severely injured and lost consciousness amidst the exploding and falling flesh. She was falling from the sky. He immediately used his hands and feet to scramble up the earthen mound.

"Where's Qiongqi!"

"It's gone to the feast!"

"Damn! Take off!"

Li Fan gritted his teeth and leaped into the air, forming hand seals as he flew. He felt excruciating pain throughout his body, as if his meridians were being cut and twisted by knives and swords, but at least he managed to fly. Before Yue Lanzi fell into the Vacuum Home and was swept into nothingness, he swept her up in his arms and landed on the earthen mound. Then he immediately lay down on the ground.

After finishing the attack, he forced himself to circulate his internal energy, but it felt like his Inner Landscape had been pierced by the sword force, leaving him powerless to fight.

"Cough cough cough!" Li Fan coughed up blood while lying on the ground, then turned to look at Yue Lanzi.

Although she was wearing a mask, her human form was still discernible; she was probably only the size of a middle school student. Fortunately, she was not dead, but her shoulder had been slashed diagonally by a sword, almost cutting off half of her body. Moreover, the sword wound was incredibly powerful, even her Tai Su Dao Body could not recover from it. It seemed that her situation in the Divine Court could only be worse now.

Then a pair of feet wearing boots landed in front of Li Fan.

Li Fan looked up and saw a middle-aged man in white robes and black gowns, wearing a lotus-petal-shaped crown without a top, with the images of the 'Five Elders of the Five Directions' painted on the five lotus petals. Two long ribbons with sword tips hung down on both sides, with the words 'Great Compassionate Venerable of the Xuan Girl of the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden, Benevolent Savior of the World, Bestowing Blessings and Forgiving Sins' on them.

This person had a long beard and hair, one side black and the other white, which were carried by the rising Daoist energy and Dao Breath without wind. His true face was hidden in the swirling immortal energy, only revealing a pair of bright eyes. The pupils were as black and white as a Tai Chi symbol, staring directly at the Blood Execution Seal on Li Fan's forehead, as if they were spinning rapidly.

Which company is it?

The man spoke slowly and deliberately, his voice as cold as ice, coming from behind the thin mist.

Li Fan wanted to jump up and curse the damned man for killing people indiscriminately, but he couldn't move.

The Profound Heaven Sword Intent immobilized him.

Seeing that Li Fan did not answer, the Daoist priest from Emei ignored him and walked towards the unconscious Yue Lanzi.

Then a Sword Light fell, and in a moment Li Wugou, covered in bruises and tattered clothes, stood between the Daoist priest and Yue Lanzi, wiping the blood from his face and emboldened by alcohol, saying...

"Wait! I am a captain of the Shuofang Army! This righteous man helped us defend the city! Why is the Daoist priest trying to harm me!"

The Emei Daoist priest glanced at the flying sword in Li Wugou's hand.

"Where did you steal it from?"

"I'll steal from you, you big-headed devil! Aaaaaah--!"

Li Wugou, intoxicated by alcohol, was easily provoked by a single sentence and swung her sword at the Daoist's head!

There was no suspense whatsoever. Li Fan didn't even see the Daoist make a move. He just saw the two pass each other, and the old hag fell to the ground with a thud, face down, her life hanging in the balance. The Daoist also snatched all four flying swords from her.

"Azure Dragon..."

The Emei Daoist turned to look at Li Wugou's back, noticing the tattoos revealed beneath her torn robes during the fight. After a moment's hesitation, he flicked his sleeve, snatched the Emei gold medal from Li Wugou, and continued walking past her towards Yue Lanzi.

"Bullying a few young women isn't exactly respectable!"

The Emei Daoist stopped, turned to look at his senior brother Tianyu, who was standing on the earthen mound facing him, wearing a mask. Then he turned away, ignoring him, and calmly glanced at the deep purple sphere enveloping Shuofang Town before slowly speaking.

"Luo Sect?"

"Ha!" Senior Brother Tianyu laughed heartily, patting his chest. "Yes! Luo Sect! Come at me if you have any skills!"

The Emei Daoist priest turned his head and glanced at him again. The next instant, the black and white Daoist figure disappeared.

Li Fan could feel the rapidly changing temperature and pressure above his head, the deafening sonic booms and sword energy, and his head was throbbing with pain. It was as if the entire space he was in was shattering like cracked glass!

But Li Fan didn't close his eyes. Instead, he stared intently at his eyeballs, even though it was excruciatingly painful as if his eyeballs were about to burst and his vision was completely bloodshot. He knew that this was a rare opportunity to glimpse the true strength of the Enlightenment Stage!

Of course, Li Fan couldn't actually see anything. He was blind and couldn't even see the hem of the Emei Daoist's robe, but he could see the wounds on Senior Brother Tianyu's body caused by the sword.

The only word to describe it is slaughter. Senior Brother Tianyu did try to fight back, but all his avatars died as soon as they appeared!

Moreover, they were completely vaporized by the power of the Dao! They were annihilated without even a chance to leave any flesh or blood behind!

Many Dao bodies didn't even have a chance to leave behind any flesh or bones; countless Devil Embryo were swiftly annihilated! It was like flipping through a book filled with illustrations of the Revered Heavenly Demon, transforming rapidly like a revolving lantern! Just now, Tian Yu was able to move with ease among the myriad demons, but now he was completely powerless to resist and was annihilated on the spot!

There's no way! Because there isn't a single body capable of withstanding the sword force of this Emei Daoist! Not a single one!

However, Li Fan still managed to see the dazzling sword marks left on his retina from the violent deaths of these Daoists! This was the Daoist's sword path!

Three sword strikes! He used three sword techniques in total! With just a thrust, a slash, and a parry, he killed a total of forty-five of Senior Brother Tianyu's Dao bodies!

If it were him! Since he's seen through the sword path! If it were Li Fan! No! If it were the Thousand-Faced Immortal! That one sword strike would be enough to kill this bastard! Xuan Tian!!

But Xuan Tian wouldn't let him move.

"Lie down! You idiot! The formation is already set up! You think he's the only one who came!"

What?! There's more than one!

Could it be that even the Xuanmen sect has arrived?

So many Dao Lords, just hiding on the sidelines watching?

Why?

What are they waiting for...?!

"It's you?"

The Emei Daoist suddenly reappeared, his right hand wielding a sword whose blade twisted and swayed like a rippled water snake, obscuring its shape. In his left hand, he held a masked head, looking up at the night sky, for the person he was waiting for had arrived.

"But you, you harmed the Three Elders of Emei?"

The figure in crimson robes fluttering in the wind from the sword energy above was none other than Mo Zhi, the lord of Mo Mountain. He wore no mask, and was still dressed in crimson—no, in blood-red robes—with a dazzling red character flashing like a light bulb between his brows.

'Punish'

"Hey, you bunch of bastards! It's rare for me to see my old friend, and we can't even have a peaceful drink or a fight."

Beneath the mountain lord's open red robe, countless sword wounds were clearly visible, but he merely wiped them away with a casual stroke of his hand, then rolled up his sleeves, spread his five fingers, and opened his palm towards the Emei Daoist.

"Come on, give me back my head."

The Emei Daoist's face was still shrouded in mist, obscuring his true features, but Li Fan could hear the joy in his voice.

"The demonic path deserves no mercy; those who follow it will be killed without exception."

Suddenly, a brilliant light shone brightly in the sky and disappeared in an instant.

Li Fan's eyes went blind in an instant, or more accurately, the earth-shattering power unleashed by the two Dao Lords directly blasted his eyes apart! His entire eye sockets were instantly evaporated!

In that long moment, Li Fan felt as if he had been thrown into a furnace and stir-fried. His not-yet-fully-healed skin and flesh were scorched again, and his fat was fried like oil being deep-fried, sticking him to the mound of earth.

Fortunately, the battle between these two Dao Lord level cultivators did not last long. Li Fan could sense that the two only exchanged one move before it ended.

Li Fan desperately used his remaining Dao power to revive an eyeball to observe the situation on the battlefield.

He could see the mountain lord, dressed in red, kneeling beside Yue Lanzi, his right hand snatching back Tian Yu's head, but his left hand being severed.

The Emei Daoist in white robes and black shirt stood behind the mountain lord, his white sword gleaming, pointing directly at the mountain lord's back.

For a moment, Li Fan's heart skipped a beat, but upon closer inspection, he discovered that the figure of the Emei Daoist had actually transformed into clouds and mist, dissipating with the wind.

"You... are very good!"

The cold and ruthless Emei Daoist priest's voice was trembling, trembling with extreme joy!

"You're great! You can help me! You can help me! Hahaha! Hahahaha!"

Shouting inexplicably, the figure of the Emei Daoist transformed into Daoist energy and scattered in all directions. The four flying swords and the Emei gold plaque also fell to the ground with a clatter. From the scattered clouds of immortal energy, a shredded paper figure, seemingly made of some kind of talisman, drifted down, but it spontaneously combusted upon landing and turned into ashes.

Holy crap... what's going on?! That was... a talisman?!

"Master, you're not good enough! You beat even an Emei clone like this? Didn't you boast about beating up the Emei Daoist back in the day? Is it because you haven't fought in a long time? Or are you drunk and can't muster any strength?"

The head held in the mountain lord's hand was even being analyzed.

But Senior Brother Tianyu is truly skilled; how could he survive being hacked like that...?

"Bah! Do you know how many times I was stabbed by the Blood Talisman Sword! I only have 70% of my strength left! Hmph! The Three Great Sects are all lunatics who fight and kill all the time! Alright, enough nonsense, go and help your junior sister!"

The mountain lord was also annoyed. He looked at Yue Lanzi, who was still unconscious and was being protected beneath him, and pressed the severed head in his hand onto Yue Lanzi's body. The flesh under the mask merged directly into Yue Lanzi's body, and the wound was stitched up by new flesh as if glued together. The mask was thus embedded in her body.

Then the mountain lord turned to look at Li Fan, "Why are you still lying there? Where are you hurt?"

Li Fan didn't want to do it either, but he was immobilized by Xuan Tian, and at this point, he didn't blame Xuan Tian for holding him down.

He saw that, without anyone noticing, three old men had huddled together, their heads pressed together, staring at Yue Lanzi's wound, and were squatting behind the mountain lord.

But the mountain lord didn't seem to see them.

Among them was a skinny, skeletal man with a large beard. As if sensing something, he raised his head, his two diamond-like pupils shining with a deep blue light, glanced at Li Fan, and slowly raised a bony index finger to seal his lips, making a 'shh' gesture to Li Fan.

But the mountain lord, true to his bandit background, immediately noticed the signal Li Fan was giving by using his one eye to aim and scan.

So he flicked his red robe, extended his one arm into a claw, and grabbed at Yue Lanzi.

However, the mountain lord's Ghost Hand was stopped by a finger from the bearded man, while Yue Lanzi was taken into the sleeves of the other two old men.

"It's you!" The mountain lord's expression changed drastically upon seeing the old man. Six pupils flashed in his eyes as he dodged away. "Manifest!"

The head of Penglai Sect, the Supreme Zhenzhen Xianhua Daojun, dusted off his robes and stood up.

"Barefoot thieves, it's been many years. I never imagined that a brute and a stubborn mule could both comprehend the Dao? It seems that Yan Xingyun really did entrust that scroll of true scripture to you back then..."

Then the Manifestation Dao Lord stretched out his hand to the Mountain Lord, "Give me, the Heavenly Book of Ancestor Luo."

The mountain lord grinned, swallowed hard, and said, "Manifestation, no matter how many times I tell you, it's the same. We went to help a friend; we didn't take any of Ancestor Luo's heavenly books!"

Manifestation didn't mind, he withdrew his hand, stroked his long beard, and gestured with his chin toward the group of Mo Shan disciples who were still fighting fiercely against the demon horde on the other side of the earthen mound, "Then I'll put it another way, hand over the Heavenly Book, and you can exchange it for the lives of your disciples."

The mountain lord sneered, saliva dripping down and soaking his front. "Ha! Trying to threaten my Moshan with your life! You've become senile, haven't you! Your time has come! Just let it pass! What's the big deal!"

"Oh..." Manifestation suddenly laughed, "You only have about 30% of your strength left, and you still dare to fight me?"

The mountain lord's face contorted, his bones swelled and distorted, as if something was struggling to burst out from under his skin!

"You wanted to see some cryptic text, didn't you? Here you go!"

Under the False Moon, a red-backed, black-legged centipede, hundreds of thousands of feet long, burst through its red coat and shot straight into the sky! In an instant, it cast a huge shadow that almost covered the entire firmament!

The Xianfa Daojun, who had come to assist in the battle, frowned and stared at the bizarre demon in the sky. He suggested, "Manifestation, this thing is no ordinary matter. Let's activate the formation."

Manifestation shook his head, smiled, and turned to look at Li Fan, "If I win like this, wouldn't it make me seem rather despicable?"

Li Fan stared at the manifestation with one eye, still unable to move.

Manifestation chuckled, "That's true. Sometimes, if I don't show my true abilities, people will always think my reputation is just a lie."

Seeing that the sect leader intended to make a move, the two Dao Lords stopped trying to persuade him and stepped aside without showing any concern.

The Manifestation looked up at the enormous centipede in the sky, almost as large as the Yinshan Mountains, its terrifying aura already intimidating all the demons, who had all submitted to the ground. It calmly said...

"Barefoot thief, don't say I didn't give you a chance. Now you're at full strength, aren't you?"

The centipede let out a terrifying roar under the False Moon and charged towards the manifestation!

"It's Chizuki-ri! Ahh..."

"Ah, that's for the best."

Then Xianhua removed the upper part of his Daoist robe, revealing his skinny, emaciated body. He assumed a horse stance, took a starting position, and opened his fists as if drawing a bow with bare hands in front of the giant centipede that was falling from the sky.

Li Fan was stunned.

This, this pose! This is fucking...

"Four Hundred and Eightyfold Divine Fist"

The manifested figure flickered for a moment, as if a frame had been skipped, and in reality, it only threw an ordinary punch.

And so the demon god that blotted out the sky and the moon was shattered by this punch.