CHAPTER 742: 617 TALENT WAR

Shi Pi the Elder, upon hearing Shi Sheng’s words, suddenly felt an extremely intense revulsion arise within his heart!

"Why do I encounter Shi Feiyang wherever I go? Last time at the East Sea, when I tried to ensnare Yu Wa and her disciples in one fell swoop, I ran into that man surnamed Shi. And now, here to take away Li Jingxu’s disciple, I’ve again come across his student. Even if he were a true Heavenly Immortal, it wouldn’t be a big deal, but it just so happens that he possesses a Heavenly Treasure specifically designed to counter Demon Path Techniques!"

Shi Pi the Elder had suffered a great loss at the hands of the Seven Treasures Golden Banner and the Xie Family sisters’ Demonic Destruction Great Technique last time, ruining quite a few Magical Treasures, and he had also suffered substantial injuries to his own Primordial Qi.

He contemplated in his heart, realizing that defeating or killing Shi Sheng would be no easy task—bound to cause an upheaval, and if not handled properly, he might even let the other party escape...

Shi Sheng sensed his emotional shift and became secretly vigilant, thinking that if the old demon gave in to his violent nature, he himself would not be able to subdue him, potentially unleashing a disaster.

The old and the young stood on the cliff, motionless, like two pine trees.

After a long time, Shi Pi the Elder suddenly let out a cold laugh, his figure vanishing in an instant.

Shi Sheng regained his composure and knew that the other had descended to the valley below. He quickly steadied his body and, using an Escape Skill, stealthily followed.

Meanwhile, Atong and Zhao Changsu had flown through a long underground tunnel and arrived at another underground palace—this was the very location of Golden God Monarch’s Demon Palace.

Golden God Monarch was a junior disciple of Shi Pi the Elder and a notable figure within the Asura Sect. However, after suffering a setback years ago, and having prematurely predicted an imminent celestial and human tribulation, he was left with no choice but to kneel before Sect Hierarch Shi Pi the Elder and petition for protection.

Shi Pi the Elder left him with a prophecy, making him swear to the Demon God to stay hidden underground for hundreds of years and not resurface; otherwise, seeing the light of day again would mean certain death.

And so, he took his wives, disciples, and followers to secretly cultivate underground without emerging. Decades ago, he had managed to dodge that calamity, but still wary, he dared not leave the house casually until recent years when he started gradually becoming active again.

Atong had early on opened a pathway from under her own valley’s ground to this place, using her divine demonic powers, and spoke to Golden God Monarch about Shi Pi the Elder.

Golden God Monarch dared not oppose Shi Pi the Elder, plainly stating he did not wish to get involved in others’ private affairs.

Atong, however, would not allow it, telling him that Shi Pi the Elder had been gravely injured under the Seven Treasures Golden Banner and had fallen in his Dao Level, significantly weakened in strength. She also promised that if he helped her subjugate Shi Pi the Elder, afterwards she would gift the Five Mountains Divine Peaks and Divine Sword Peak to Golden God Monarch.

Golden God Monarch weighed the options for some time before he agreed.

Atong had brought Zhao Changsu this time, and since everyone had been Elders within the Demon Cult and had all participated in the Red Lotus legal assembly, they recognized each other and quickly became merry with conversation.

"I have already calculated that the old ghost will come soon... Not good!" Atong suddenly cried out in alarm, "The old ghost has arrived!"

Golden God Monarch and Zhao Changsu were both shocked, "Where?"

Atong had already turned into a streak of Blood Flame and flew back the way she came, "At my place!"

At this time, Shi Pi the Elder had already found Chen Yan, broken the binding magic on him, and temporarily suppressed the Divine Demons released by Zhao Changsu.

Chen Yan was drenched in sweat, extremely weak, and, upon seeing Shi Pi the Elder without any signs of evil, he thanked him, "Thank you, senior, for saving my life..."

"You don’t need to thank me as I saved you with a motive in mind." He flicked his horsetail whisk, releasing a streak of Demon Light, attempting to fully restore Chen Yan’s memories of his past life.

Suddenly, a white light flew towards them, dispelling the Demon Light, and Shi Sheng appeared out of thin air in a corner of the room.

This greatly surprised Shi Pi the Elder, who had felt Shi Sheng sneaking in from outside and was still in the outer tunnel; however, it turned out to be only a decoy, with Shi Sheng’s true body having already silently entered the cavern.

Deceiving the Sect Hierarch of the Asura Sect with the Nine Heavens Yuan Yang Great Technique’s Divine Splitting, Shi Sheng suddenly emerged, waving his left hand to draw Chen Yan toward him and releasing Spiritual Stone Sword Qi from his right hand to parry the horsetail whisk’s Demon Light projected by Shi Pi the Elder. Shi Pi the Elder swung the whisk in a full circle, and around Shi Sheng, a ring of Asura Divine Flame surged from the ground, forming a Demon Flame Barrier between him and Chen Yan.

Shi Sheng formed a hand seal with his left hand and shot out five sparks, releasing the Five Elements Spiritual Fire. The Asura Blood Flame meant to bind him instantly turned into Five-Colored Divine Fire, blending with the bloody light, scorching each other.

At the same time, he shot out five streams of Spiritual Stone Sword Qi, which, along with the previous five, trapped the Demon Flame Barrier and forced a hole through, pulling Chen Yan through the gap.

Shi Pi the Elder raised his white eyebrows and flicked the horsetail whisk again. Amidst the flames around Shi Sheng, a loud cracking sound burst forth, like a myriad of sulfur beans being thrown into a fire, igniting numerous sparks, followed by the rise of four Divine Demons, all with fiery red hair and eyes, each with four arms, extending sixteen wheel-sized Demon Claws to grasp at Shi Sheng.

Shi Pi the Elder’s Demon was no ordinary matter; any Protective Dharma Treasure would be shattered with just a swipe of its Demon Claw.

Shi Sheng brought out the Two Realms Token, which turned into a golden banner that enveloped both himself and Chen Yan. The golden light flashed violently, and in an instant, it filled the entire cave. Soon after the golden light dissipated, the two men had vanished without a trace.

Even Shi Pi the Elder was nowhere to be seen.

This Asura Sect Hierarch, known for his immense Mana, recognized the marvels of this treasure as soon as the golden light appeared. When the light vanished, Shi Sheng and Chen Yan were already on the peak of a mountain outside. A second later, red light flickered, and Shi Pi the Elder followed suit, streaking down from the sky with his horsetail whisk, which Shi Sheng again blocked with Sword Qi.

One used a horsetail whisk and the other used Sword Qi; the two duelled for a brief moment. Above them, Shi Pi the Elder had already gathered a mass of blood clouds, surrounded by an atmosphere of blood, with Demon Flames billowing and even the ground exuding blood vapors.

He used the Asura Great Technique to isolate the space around them, preventing Shi Sheng from escaping again. "Hand him over swiftly, I only wish to know the whereabouts of the Heavenly Silver Bottle. I have no intention of hurting you or him. But if you continue to resist obstinately, I will have to be impolite!"

Shi Sheng let out the Five Elements Spiritual Flames with a chuckle. "If you want to hurt me, it won’t be that easy. I’ve received great kindness from Jile Perfected in this life, and I can’t tolerate anyone bullying his disciple after his Ascension."

Knowing that Shi Sheng possessed a Demon-suppressing Treasure that could restrain him and yet had not been used, Shi Pi the Elder patiently tried to persuade him, "I must have the Heavenly Silver Bottle; he has no use for it. Keeping it will only bring disaster upon him. Once I take the bottle, I’ll owe him a favor, and I’ll protect him until his cultivation reaches the Heavenly Immortal true fruit. Wouldn’t that be far more useful to him than a single Magical Treasure?"

Shi Sheng burst into laughter. "Whether it’s useful or not, that’s for him to decide. If you think you can bully and force him with your Mana, as long as I am here, that will absolutely not happen!"

After thinking for a moment, Shi Pi the Elder suddenly retracted his horsetail whisk and ceased attacking, "It’s fine for him to decide for himself, but first, he must retrieve his memories from his previous life. I too have had a few encounters with Jile Perfected, and once invited him and the Five Fortune Fairy to Divine Sword Peak as a guest. In a way, I am also his Elder..."

Shi Sheng flatly refused, "Before his reincarnation, he sealed his memories himself, wishing not to be burdened by too many past-life memories, lest they affect his current life’s cultivation. Forcing his memories upon him now would only go against the purpose of his reincarnation. You must let him regain them by himself."

Shi Pi the Elder shouted angrily, "We are pressed for time, and we don’t have the luxury to wait for him!"

Shi Sheng shielded Chen Yan and looked up at Shi Pi the Elder, "You don’t want to wait, but you have to."

Shi Pi the Elder roared in fury and attacked once again, this time unleashing Shura Blood Flame, which brought forth numerous Golden Sabers, Golden Swords, and Golden Needles...

Shi Sheng’s expression turned grave as he pointed his fingers forward, unleashing ten streams of Five Fire Spirit Stone Sword Qi. The Sword Qi was milky white like jade at the core, wrapped in Five-Colored spiritual flames. It was a splendid sight as it charged straight ahead, striking against the Demon Flame, shattering the countless Golden Sabers. However, Shi Pi the Elder’s Demonic Flame Golden Sabers were unceasing. With a flick of the horsetail whisk, not only did the force of his frontal attack double, but two separate streams also flanked from left and right, with a third rolling downward from above.

Shi Sheng’s Sword Qi could bend or split, and with a breath of Immortal Energy expelled, the Sword Qi surged to dozens of feet long, looping back and forth to form a Sword Circle that pushed the Demon Fire Golden Sabers back ten-odd feet. They struck at each other fiercely, burning and slashing with unceasing explosions, sparks flying in all directions, a truly magnificent battle.

The more they fought, the angrier they became and the heavier their strikes. It wasn’t long before Shi Pi the Elder brought out the Five Mountains Divine Peaks and summoned twelve Asura Demon Gods, which he mixed within the Demon Fire Golden Sabers to assault relentlessly.

Shi Sheng also brought out the Heavenly Heart Ring, specialized in defeating Evil Demons, along with two more treasured artifacts. Although pressed by Shi Pi the Elder, he still stood unyielding.

The two continued their duel at the peak of the mountain, and the affected area grew ever larger. Demon Fire Golden Sabers and Colorful Flame Sword Qi intertwined. The Five Mountains hadn’t grown to a thousand feet in size but were already more than ten feet tall, forming a Five Altars Demon Formation that trapped Shi Sheng and his companion, continuously rotating and tumbling, pulling the surrounding space to twist and launch ferocious attacks inward.

In the midst of their fight, both suddenly exclaimed in alarm.

Another intruder had silently broken into the Forbidden Circle, appearing right behind Shi Sheng and enveloping Chen Yan in a burst of Buddha Light, pulling him away.

Shi Sheng immediately sent out a flurry of Sword Qi with a flick of his hand, which was blocked by the opponent’s Buddha Light. Shi Pi the Elder swept over the Demon Fire Golden Saber, only to be halted by the Buddha Light as well. Then, the air was filled with the thick scent of sandalwood.

"Bai Mei Zen Master?" they both recognized this as the famous Great Sandalwood Buddha Light of the Buddhist sect.

But soon, they caught sight of the newcomer.

A small Monk dressed in yellow shorts was enveloped in Buddha Light.

"Zhu Youmu!"

Shi Sheng flicked his hands, and ten streams of Sword Qi formed a Sword Circle enclosing Zhu Youmu, converging at the center. As expected, they were met with Buddha Light, but in the next instant, the ten streams of Sword Qi exploded, turning into Five-Colored Thunderbolt Divine Thunder, engulfing Zhu Youmu in a five-colored fireball in the center.

"Leave the person behind!" Shi Pi the Elder also shouted, setting the Demon Fire Golden Saber in place on all sides, simultaneously gathering the Five Mountains Divine Peaks, crushing down on Zhu Youmu with combined force.

At that moment, an Elder and a younger Monk appeared atop two mountain peaks to the southeast and northwest. The elder was Li Yingqiong’s father, Li Ning, and the younger was Wei Bagong reincarnated, Atong.

Both Monks raised their palms simultaneously, one towards Shi Pi the Elder and the other toward Shi Sheng, striking with the Vajra Giant Spirit God Palm!

Upon release of this Buddha Palm, it immediately expanded to cover several acres. With full force unleashed, the surrounding area within dozens of miles was shaken to the point of landslides and fissures, even the underground water was erupted, extinguishing all living beings.