Chapter 162: Chapter 156 - Honghuang Daluo Qi 【Looking for Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets】_1
The immortals of the Thunder Department naturally would not contradict the orders of Taoist Master Gou. After all, as long as he was not demoted, he was their superior. Secondly, they did indeed have grievances with Sha Chen. What Taoist Master Gou was doing was also what they wanted to do.
Kui Mulang and his gang demanded Tianpeng call for help, but there was no response from Flowing Sand River for a long time. They got angry, so they tied him to a stone pillar, piled up firewood, lit a fire, and intended to burn him alive.
Tianpeng kept calling for help, saying, "You damned monster, release me, release me! Otherwise, the Jade Emperor will not let you off."
"Don’t you know you’re on the wrong path, getting further and further astray? Release me, otherwise, even heaven won’t spare you!"
Kui Mulang sneered, "You said you could lure out that coward, Sha Chen, but he hasn’t come. So now, you must die."
He snorted, "I’m going to burn you alive and see if he’s truly hard-hearted enough to watch you die!"
Tianpeng struggled continuously in the midst of the flames. He kept begging for mercy, "Li Xiong, release me, release me! I have a great relationship with Old Sha. Just give me a bit more time; he will definitely come to save me!"
Kui Mulang said, "It’s too late."
Tianpeng then said, "You’ve got it wrong, you’ve really got it wrong! I’m not on good terms with him, please release me!"
Kui Mulang responded, "Then you are useless. Why should I keep you around?"
Tianpeng, on the verge of tears, cursed, "You plague-spreading monster! This won’t do, that won’t do! It serves you right your wife was ridden by others! I’d even like to plant my flag on her!"
Kui Mulang flew into a rage. He grabbed a whip, lit it on fire, and began lashing Tianpeng, seething with anger.
「Beneath the Flowing Sand River.」
Sha Chen had known about the commotion above for a while but had remained unmoved.
Because he needed to teach Tianpeng a sufficient lesson, to let him know that running here whenever there was trouble would get him killed sooner or later. He also wanted to see what other tactics Kui Mulang had up his sleeve and whether there were any other ambushes nearby. After all, he had made quite a scene last time, which had truly caused a stir. If Kui Mulang was merely a pawn intended to lure him out, he really needed to be careful. Only after checking repeatedly and confirming there were no issues did he finally relax. But he still didn’t hurry to go out; the lesson for Tianpeng wasn’t sufficient yet.
"Host detected receiving a call for help from the Lucky Person Tianpeng. You have the following options:"
"Option one: Rescue Marshal Tianpeng, receive a reward of one [Honghuang Daluo Qi]. Honghuang Daluo Qi: Can increase the Daluo vital energy within the body, and condense the Three Flowers above the head and the Five Qi in the chest."
"Option two: Ignore it and let Marshal Tianpeng’s life be at stake, receive a reward of the Magical Tool [Nine-tooth Ironrake]. Nine-tooth Ironrake: The Magical Tool of Marshal Tianpeng, created from celestial iron by Lord Lao Zi of the Great Monad, infused with Daoist energy, it is an Innate Spirit Treasure."
Sha Chen was momentarily stunned, his expression turning strange. Not saving Tianpeng meant obtaining his Magical Tool. It seemed like the system expected him to scavenge corpses later. However, he hadn’t considered not saving Tianpeng at all; no matter how good the reward, he had to save him. After all, although Tianpeng was a bit of a scoundrel, he wasn’t bad at heart. Even when tied up and brutally beaten by Kui Mulang, he hadn’t revealed anything about the Flowing Sand River. Moreover, Sha Chen had heard clearly from within his dwelling that Tianpeng had been chased for several years before escaping to this place. If he hadn’t been truly desperate, he probably wouldn’t have come. The only infuriating thing was that Tianpeng seemed only capable of causing trouble; despite being told to keep a low profile, he just loved stirring things up. What’s more, Tianpeng was also a part of his plan to confront Buddhism. Actually, he was also observing whether Buddhism would intervene to save Tianpeng, especially after Kui Mulang’s severe abuse and potential killing. This was the perfect opportunity for them to win Tianpeng over. But he saw no sign of Buddhism. This puzzled him. Did they no longer consider him important?
As he pondered this, he felt the time was almost right. It was time to make his move and save Tianpeng.
「On the bank.」
Kui Mulang was growing impatient, ready to kill Tianpeng and then figure out a way to force Sha Chen to show himself. Tianpeng, gritting his teeth, was also preparing to play his trump card. He considered detonating the Nine-tooth Ironrake and escaping in the ensuing chaos. But the Magical Tool was linked to his lifeforce; if it were destroyed, he feared he would suffer serious injuries. It could even affect the foundations of his future cultivation, making him extremely hesitant. But, compared to his life, he decided to take the risk and gamble.
Just as Kui Mulang sneered, poised to deal a deadly blow, the waters of the Flowing Sand River churned and surged toward Tianpeng. In an instant, the massive fire was doused. An even greater tempest was forming, threatening to sweep Tianpeng away.
Kui Mulang scoffed, "Sha Chen, you finally decided to join the fray? I thought you’d continue cowering like a turtle."
Then, he reached out, grabbed Tianpeng by the back of his neck, and yanked him out of the water. Tianpeng tried to counter with a groin kick, but Kui Mulang kicked his leg, breaking it and causing Tianpeng to grimace in pain. But then, Tianpeng turned his head and spat, forcing Kui Mulang to dodge and release his grip.
Tianpeng managed to break free, intending to flee. But his path forward was blocked by Kui Mulang’s four powerful demons, and from behind, Kui Mulang struck his back with a Wolf Fang Club.
Tianpeng coughed up a mouthful of blood, his aura weakening, his hands trembling as he held the Nine-tooth Ironrake. Though his cultivation had reached the Greater Primordial Golden Immortal realm, his injuries were so severe that he couldn’t even overpower four Golden Immortal-level demons.
Kui Mulang, a cold smile on his face, was about to rush forward and deliver the final blow to Tianpeng.
Suddenly, the waters of the Flowing Sand River parted, revealing a majestic figure, one that seemed to span heaven and earth. Before this figure, Kui Mulang appeared as insignificant as dust.
Kui Mulang scoffed, "Petty tricks! You dare show them off before me? Law of Heaven and Earth, transform!"
He too unleashed his Divine Power, his body instantly expanding 10,000-fold, becoming as towering as Sha Chen. Standing atop the Flowing Sand River, wielding a steel blade and his Wolf Fang Club, he lunged forward.
On the other side, Tianpeng was overwhelmed with joy and cried out, "Old Sha, you’ve finally come out! They clearly came prepared, hundreds of demons ambushing me alone. They have no martial honor!"
Sha Chen glanced at him and said, "You’re drawing everyone to me. What if I can’t beat them?"
Tianpeng retorted, "Don’t frame me! They came here first. You’re the one who stole another man’s wife, so they came looking for you. I just happened to pass by and got caught!"
It would have been better if this hadn’t been mentioned. Once it was, Kui Mulang exploded with rage. He felt as if the sky above him wasn’t just the heavens, but a vast expanse of green.
He roared, "Sha Chen, you scruffy god, you stole my wife! I’ll castrate you!" With that, he charged forward to fight.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
In the sky, lightning flashed and thunder roared as clouds gathered, unleashing thunderbolts. Kui Mulang looked up, his expression turning ugly. It was none other than the eight great gods of the Thunder Department, and they had arrived in full force.
He looked up and bellowed, "You Thunder Gods, are you trying to ruin my business?"
Taoist Master Gou said indifferently, "Your private grudges are none of our concern. It is time for the Heavenly Court’s thunder punishment for Sha Chen, and we are here to carry out our duties."
Then, under Kui Mulang’s stunned, shocked, and complex gaze, rolling thunderbolts hammered down upon Sha Chen. Kui Mulang was dumbfounded for a moment. Anyone who didn’t know better would think he wasn’t the demon, but Sha Chen was. These immortals not only didn’t capture him, but they were actually helping him by attacking Sha Chen!
He laughed heartily and said, "Sha Chen, look at how much of a failure you are! You’ve offended so many people. At this critical moment of life and death, not only did these immortals not save you, they kicked you while you were down!"
The faces of the Thunder Department gods turned sour; Kui Mulang’s words were too cutting.
Since coming out, Sha Chen had remained vigilant, repeatedly ensuring no powerhouses from Buddhism or the Heavenly Court were around. Relieved by this confirmation, he now had the leisure to respond. He snorted coldly, "A life-or-death situation? Do you think you’re worthy of creating one for me?"
Tianpeng cried out, "Old Sha, stop bluffing! Hurry up and open the cave entrance so we can escape! We can’t win this fight!"
No sooner had he spoken than Sha Chen reached for the Sky Shaking Bow, drew it, and fired an arrow toward the heavens. The arrow immediately injured Taoist Master Gou and his companions, causing them to scream in fright and rage.
"Sha Chen, we are acting on orders! If you injure Heavenly Immortals, are you trying to rebel?" Taoist Master Gou roared.
Sha Chen replied calmly, "I was dealing with a demon. I’m just new to archery, and my shot went astray, that’s all."
Then he put the bow away, grabbed the Undefined Flying Rings, and with them, killed the demons that had been attacking Tianpeng. Next, he seized the Giant Que Sword and exchanged a few blows with Kui Mulang.
He frowned slightly. Indeed, although he’s not yet a Daluo Golden Immortal, his strength surpasses that of an average peak Greater Primordial Golden Immortal.
Kui Mulang sneered, "Unexpected. You do have some skill. But since you know how formidable I am, prepare to die!"
"Let me show you the might of the Twenty-Eight Mansions!" Then, he lunged forward again.
WHAM!
Sha Chen swung the Giant Que Sword, slapping it down. He severed Kui Mulang’s Wolf Fang Club, sent his broadsword flying, and battered Kui Mulang backward repeatedly.
Sha Chen stood with his sword in hand and declared, "Such a weak constellation."