Finish the Job

Si Chen was satisfied, but Fang Heng's face looked as ugly as if he had swallowed a fly alive.

He watched helplessly as Si Chen bent down and pocketed the Dragon Pearl wreathed in violet lightning, his eyes all but spitting fire.

That opportunity should have been his! It was his hope of breaking through to Nascent Soul, and even glimpsing the great path of Spirit Transformation!

To control the Yin Corpse Banner, he had spat out Essence Blood repeatedly, gravely depleting his vitality. He had thought this terrifying Corpse Flood Dragon would let him sweep aside everything, reclaim the Dragon Pearl, and salvage his dignity.

But what was this spectacle before him?

Instead of crushing that hateful Si Chen as he intended, the enormous Flood Dragon carcass thrashed and writhed madly in place as though frightened out of its wits, even turning around to attack him!?

"Why?! Move! Kill him! Kill him!"

Fang Heng roared like a man possessed.

He could not understand why everything had slipped out of his control ever since he met Si Chen.

He, Fang Heng, should have been the one challenging opponents above his realm! He should have been the one seizing opportunities! He should have been the one controlling the whole situation!

But now, everything was reversed!

He did not understand. He truly did not!

After putting away the Dragon Pearl, Si Chen was in excellent spirits.

Fang Heng did not understand, but he knew what the Flood Dragon Corpse feared.

He glanced at Elder Mo's livid face and Fang Heng's crazed expression, suddenly finding it rather amusing.

"How about I give it a try?"

The remark came out of nowhere, leaving everyone stunned.

Give it a try? Try what?

Then he slowly addressed the restless Corpse Flood Dragon. "Hey, stop moving around."

Both Black Mountain and Red Wind froze at his words.

"B-brother?"

Black Mountain scratched his furry head, wondering whether the fight had rattled Si Chen's brains loose. "Why are you chatting with that thing? If it can understand you, I'll eat that banner on the spot!"

Red Wind also gave a low growl of confusion.

They had both seen it clearly: even that sinister banner could no longer control the Flood Dragon Corpse. What good could a few words from Si Chen possibly do?

Even Lü Ci, who had been watching secretly and preparing to slip away at any moment, could not help twitching at the corner of his mouth. Had obtaining the Dragon Pearl made the brat giddy enough to lose his mind?

Even a sinister treasure made specifically for the task can't control that Corpse Flood Dragon, and you, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, think you can try with nothing but empty words? Not even dreams work that way!

They all believed the Flood Dragon Corpse had gone out of control because its cultivation realm in life had been too high for even the Yin Corpse Banner to handle.

Si Chen ignored their doubts and simply finished his instruction to the Corpse Flood Dragon in a soft voice.

"Go. Kill them."

The next instant, a scene unfolded that made everyone's scalps crawl and shattered everything they thought they knew!

Upon hearing Si Chen's command, the enormous Flood Dragon Corpse, which had still been trembling incessantly, actually stopped struggling.

Then it let out a roar that sounded almost relieved and hurled itself madly at its former masters-Fang Heng and Elder Mo!

Its assault was several times fiercer than when it had been out of control!

"No! Impossible!!" Fang Heng screamed in terror, frantically shaking the Yin Corpse Banner in his hand as he tried to reestablish the connection.

But it was utterly useless!

The Flood Dragon Corpse had completely broken free of the Yin Corpse Banner's control!

"Young master, watch out!"

Horrified beyond measure, Elder Mo shoved aside Fang Heng, who was still futilely shaking the black banner. His spiritual power erupted without restraint as he thrust both palms forward, once again forming a massive, thick shield of spiritual power to stop that earth-shattering blow.

BOOM!!!

The Corpse Flood Dragon's head slammed into the spiritual shield like a meteor.

After holding for only an instant, the massive shield shattered piece by piece like glass! Elder Mo was sent flying backward by the tremendous impact, coughing up a great mouthful of blood while still in midair. His aura weakened at once.

Under Si Chen's command, the Flood Dragon Corpse unleashed power even more terrifying than when it had been out of control!

"Why?! Why does it listen to him?!" Flung away by the shock wave, Fang Heng landed in a miserable heap. Watching the Flood Dragon Corpse turn completely against him, he utterly broke down.

Black Mountain's mouth hung open, his bear eyes as wide as bronze bells. "I... holy shit! It... it really understood him?!"

Red Wind's tiger eyes were also wide with disbelief.

Lü Ci sucked in a breath of cold air and discreetly shuffled several more steps backward. In his gaze toward Si Chen, fear had completely eclipsed resentment.

This brat... just what the hell is he?!

Si Chen stood where he was, quietly watching the Corpse Flood Dragon attack Fang Heng and Elder Mo in a frenzy at his command.

He nodded in satisfaction.

Seeing Si Chen nod, the Corpse Flood Dragon seemed enormously encouraged and attacked with even greater zeal. Its thick tail swept across, lashing viciously toward Fang Heng, who lay collapsed on the ground and was about to be smashed into pulp.

"I am Fang Heng... of the Fang Household! How can I... perish here?!" At the brink of death, Fang Heng let out a desperate, furious roar.

Gravely wounded by that single blow, Elder Mo stared with eyes nearly bursting from their sockets, but he had no time to save him.

Just then, a streak of sword light flashed past, faster even than the Flood Dragon Corpse's tail!

It was Lü Ci!

He actually made his move at that moment!

Man and sword became one as he transformed into a streak of sword light like a flowing cloud. Instead of attacking the Corpse Flood Dragon, he swept up Fang Heng from the ground by the narrowest of margins, dragging him clear at the very last instant before the tail struck!

BAM!!!

The dragon's tail slammed down, instantly gouging a deep crater where Fang Heng had been lying and sending shattered stone flying.

Carrying the severely wounded Fang Heng, Lü Ci landed some distance away, his face grim.

Naturally, he had not saved Fang Heng out of any chivalrous impulse.

If Fang Heng died here, the Fang Household's fury would burn his Flowing Cloud Sword Sect first!

Others might not know, but he understood perfectly how terrifying the Fang Household was! All he wanted now was to take this burden and leave this accursed place as quickly as possible!

"Th-thank you, Sect Leader Lü..." Elder Mo thanked him weakly, barely clinging to life.

Lü Ci could not be bothered to acknowledge him. He could barely keep himself safe now.

He looked at Si Chen and drew a deep breath, trying to make his tone sound as gentle as possible. "Si Chen! You already have the Dragon Pearl. Can we end today's matter here?"

"I... the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect is willing to let this matter go! We will never oppose you again!"

He had yielded.

A Nascent Soul Cultivator had yielded to a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

The humiliation was unimaginable, but circumstances were stronger than any man. In the face of life and death, revenge and dignity no longer mattered.

Every gaze instantly converged on Si Chen.

Black Mountain and Red Wind also stared at Si Chen in bewilderment. Just what was their brother's background?

Si Chen looked at the bedraggled Lü Ci, who was trying to negotiate peace, without the slightest wavering in his heart.

Why are these people even more naive than me, when I've only just entered the world?

They always seemed to believe that, as long as they set aside their so-called pride, a casually uttered "let it go" would make all their earlier murderous intent, schemes, and encirclement disappear as though none of it had ever happened.

Si Chen turned his gaze toward the Corpse Flood Dragon, which seemed somewhat agitated after missing its strike, as though awaiting his next instruction.

"You did well just now."

Si Chen spoke softly, as though praising an obedient pet.

The Corpse Flood Dragon's enormous body trembled slightly, somehow conveying that it was overwhelmed by the favor.

"Now, finish the job."