Chapter 591: A Similar Flower

Chapter 591: Chapter 591: A Similar Flower

Entering his Star Spirit Banner meant losing one’s past to become a Star Spirit Puppet, but at least one’s Divine Soul would be preserved. In a way, it was a surrender in exchange for a new lease on life. Yang Jian’s move, unlike being forcibly captured, was more akin to making an introduction to secure his own chance of survival.

’Interesting...’

A light flashed in Xu Yunfan’s eyes; he hadn’t expected that there was still a way to cling to life even after he had shattered them.

Of course he wouldn’t refuse to let Nezha enter the banner.

This was a famous god of war from mythology. If Xu Yunfan could subdue him, he would surely become a mighty champion for the banner.

’Although, when he faced me, I did use a Grand Array to blast him to smithereens.’

He immediately transmitted his voice with his Divine Thought, his tone laced with a hint of satisfaction as he nodded slightly.

"In light of your lingering camaraderie, I shall allow it."

’You’re the one who started this. I didn’t force you into it, so I guess you could say I’m even fulfilling your wish.’

Following the location information provided by the Yang Jian Star Spirit, Xu Yunfan quickly arrived at his destination.

However, he didn’t enter rashly. Instead, he used various forms of Magic, and even a Cause and Effect Secret Technique, to probe the area first. Only after confirming there were no traps did he finally relax a little.

’Carelessness could lead to disaster, even here.’

Inside the Star Spirit Banner, Yang Jian watched Xu Yunfan’s series of actions, and the corner of his eye couldn’t help but twitch. He felt a wave of relief that he was completely loyal; otherwise, if Xu Yunfan had detected anything unusual, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

’When facing these Outer Realm Evil Demons, death might actually be a blessing.’

This was a stretch of dilapidated ruins, all that was left of an Immortal Garden. What should have been a magnificent vista of a lotus pond was now just a single murky, black puddle.

And yet, in the center of the puddle, a pristine and flawless Lotus Platform floated miraculously. Its petals were tightly closed, emitting a faint but pure aura of life and tenacious vitality.

Beside the Lotus Platform sat a short, portly Daoist in a tattered robe, his legs crossed.

His face was etched with sorrow, his gaze fixed unblinkingly on the Lotus Platform with a look of utmost caution.

As the portly Daoist stood guard, he couldn’t help but mutter to himself worriedly, his voice filled with despair and bewilderment.

"Sigh... The Celestial Realm is on the brink of collapse, the Laws are in chaos, and the Celestial Lord wails in grief. This blessed land of immortals, which has stood for hundreds of millions of years, is about to be utterly annihilated.

"Nezha, oh Nezha... your master did everything he could to find this last piece of the Spiritual Lotus Root Soul to help you rebuild your foundation and nurture your remnant soul. But even if you can come back to life in this lotus... with the Celestial Lord fallen, how long can you—can we—truly survive?

"This body, this soul... they will eventually return to nothingness. It’s only a matter of time...

"Unless... unless we can find the legendary Other Shore Celestial Boat of His Majesty the Celestial Emperor, and use it to escape this collapsing cage.

"But where is the Celestial Emperor now? Where is the Celestial Boat? Calamity is upon us... where, oh where, is our other shore...?"

At this thought, the portly Daoist heaved a heavy sigh, his face a mask of bleak despair.

He had poured countless hours of effort into securing this one sliver of hope for his disciple, yet he was unaware that the path ahead was a complete dead end.

’The Other Shore Celestial Boat?’

From the shadows, Xu Yunfan, who had been moving stealthily with his aura concealed, happened to catch the portly Daoist’s quiet lament. A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes. Based on what the Daoist said, it had to be a Spirit Treasure Level artifact.

For a moment, his heart was stirred, but he extinguished the thought in the very next instant.

A Spiritual Treasure was not something he could get his hands on right now. Possessing the Taiyin Profound Mirror Dao Fruit was already making things hot enough for him.

’If you want to grab every good thing you see, you have to be strong enough to hold onto it.’

’So this realm still has such secrets? A pity. Even if they had a boat, there’s no escape route left.’

’The Celestial Realm is now jointly controlled by the True Monarchs of the Wansheng Sword Sect, the Primordial Sect, and the recently involved Puchen Pure Land. They’ve probably sealed off even the Outer Realm.’

However, his opportunity was right before his eyes.

Xu Yunfan stopped his Concealment. The Secret Technique that had been masking his aura instantly dissipated, and his figure appeared like a phantom above the murky puddle without any warning.

"Who?!"

The portly Daoist was jolted from his stupor, his eyes flashing with horror and alarm as he snapped his head up to look. But it was too late.

Xu Yunfan moved like lightning. He shot out an arm, his five fingers curved like a claw, and an immense, unstoppable suction force suddenly erupted, aimed directly at the lotus that held the remnant soul.

Space itself seemed to freeze as the Lotus Platform was violently wrenched upward by an invisible force.

"You dare!"

The portly Daoist’s eyes looked ready to split from their sockets as he let out a roar of utter shock and fury.

His reaction was by no means slow, but Xu Yunfan’s actions were even more strangely swift, the result of a premeditated plan.

PLUCK!

With a soft sound, the tightly-petaled lotus flew from the portly Daoist’s grasp without any resistance, taking with it the faint crimson wisp of Nezha’s remnant soul, which pulsed with an unyielding will to fight.

Caught in an invisible grasp from Xu Yunfan’s hand, it instantly transformed into a streak of light and shot into the All Heaven Star Spirit Banner, which was already humming and vibrating within his sleeve.

It all happened in the blink of an eye.

"You fiend! Give me back my disciple’s life!!!"

Witnessing his beloved disciple’s remnant soul being stolen before his very eyes, the portly Daoist’s Heart and Spirit shattered, and his reason was consumed by a tidal wave of fury.

With a furious roar, he shot to his feet and violently brandished the seemingly simple Duster in his hand.

Myriad rays of light erupted as the Duster’s thirty thousand silver-white strands exploded outward, growing explosively. Like a descending river of stars, they transformed into the Cloud Qi of the Celestial Spirits, shrieking as they tore through the air, sweeping toward Xu Yunfan in an overwhelming wave, intent on ensnaring him.

Each strand was imbued with the portly Daoist’s Immortal Yuan Thought, refined over a thousand years, making them incomparably tough—strong enough to capture dragons and bind phoenixes.

Faced with an attack that would have sent any other cultivator of the same level into a panic, Xu Yunfan’s expression remained unchanged. Instead, a trace of contempt appeared in his eyes.

’Just what I’d expect from the Outer Five Counties.’

With a mere thought, the Eight Sceneries Cloud Qi erupted from within him.

This was no simple Body Protection technique; the Qi surged and spread like a living creature.

This Cloud Qi was neither illusory nor real, neither smoke nor fire. Its colors shifted and flowed, carrying with it a fundamental power that could refine all things and reshape creation itself.

It was a power cultivated from the Profound Capital Eight Sceneries Celestial Refining Creation Cloud Scripture. Not only could it be used for Artifact Refining, but it could also dissolve other artifacts.

HISS HISS HISS!

The thirty thousand white strands of the Duster instantly plunged into the churning Eight Sceneries Cloud Qi, as if they had been thrust into an incredibly viscous, liquid metal.

The moment the seemingly soft Eight Sceneries Cloud Qi made contact with the Duster’s strands, it unleashed an astonishing Refining Power.

It was like snow melting in spring, or wax under a blazing sun.

"What?!"

The fury on the portly Daoist’s face was instantly replaced by utter horror.

He could clearly feel the Divine Thought and Immortal Essence imprints on his Duster, a Magical Treasure he had spent a thousand years of painstaking effort to refine and nurture, being broken down and refined by that bizarre, multi-colored Cloud Qi at a terrifying speed.

In the space of a single breath.

Like accumulated snow melting away, like blue smoke dissipating into the air.

The thirty thousand Duster strands, once dazzlingly silver and terrifyingly powerful, were enveloped and corroded by the Eight Sceneries Cloud Qi. They broke apart and disintegrated inch by inch, reverting to the most fundamental particles of Spiritual Qi before being completely devoured, vanishing without a trace.

All that remained was the bare Duster Jade Handle in the portly Daoist’s hand and the look of incredulous terror written across his face.

"My Duster..."