Chapter Sixty-Three: The Seven-Colored Merit Pagoda

Seeing Zhang Xiao’s face darken as his gaze turned toward Bai Cailing, the coldness in his eyes made Bai Cailing feel as if she had fallen into an ice cavern, her complexion turning pale. “Heh, curious why Cailing carries Lan Fang’s aura, aren’t you?” Zhang Yifan sneered and lightly clapped his hands. Two female disciples then pulled a girl dressed in a red wedding gown from a nearby corner. Zhang Xiao’s eyes widened—wasn’t this Lan Fang, the very person he had been searching for? Yet Lan Fang’s eyes were tightly shut, her face as pale as frost. If not for Zhang Xiao sensing a faint, lingering life force from her, he might have already charged forward recklessly.

“Heh, this is a minor secret technique of my Demonic Pavilion. It can seamlessly graft another’s aura and even life fluctuations onto someone else. There is a price, of course, but it’s nothing major—just some temporary weakness,” Yang Wansan of the Demonic Pavilion explained with a smirk. Hearing this, Zhang Xiao sneered coldly: “Very impressive. Even I can't see through the formation here. Seems it’s your handiwork, Tianlong’er.”

Tianlong’er nodded calmly at Zhang Xiao. “Give up. This place has become a complete world in itself; no teleportation formation can escape it.” As their conversation continued, the black spots on Zhang Xiao’s palm multiplied, cold sweat trickling down his forehead.

Li Peng of the Five Poisons Sect sneered, “How does it feel? Not bad, huh? Don’t worry, you won’t die so easily. There’s more torment waiting for you. Ha ha ha.” As if responding to Li Peng’s words, faint black spots began appearing on Zhang Xiao’s face, his body trembling uncontrollably, clearly suffering significant effects.

The nine exchanged glances, silently debating who should strike first. Though Zhang Xiao was poisoned, they knew he still had a doppelgänger with strength rivaling his true self, so none wanted to be the first test subject.

Zhang Xiao smiled coldly. “A bunch of useless fools, yet you dare to be leaders of the nine great sects? Since you won’t act, I won’t hold back.”

With that, his doppelgänger burst forth from his brow, wielding the Heavenly Sound Bell, striking toward the group. The bell’s chime rolled like a vast ocean wave, forming a giant hand that slammed down on them. Zhang Yifan and the others’ faces changed, shocked that Zhang Xiao, poisoned as he was, dared to strike first.

Song Qing held a flying sword shimmering with icy light, slashing out sword rainbows that, surprisingly, failed to cut through the doppelgänger’s sonic wave. His face darkened as he spun, forming hand seals while wielding his sword.

“Rising Dragon Ascends to Heaven!” With a fierce shout, Song Qing’s flying sword transformed into a dragon that surged upward. The others also unleashed their treasures, determined to kill Zhang Xiao’s doppelgänger in one blow.

At this moment, Zhang Xiao’s true body sliced through the air like a sharp blade, charging toward Lan Fang. “Stop him!” Zhang Yifan roared angrily. Female disciples hidden nearby formed defensive formations to block Zhang Xiao, but Zhang Xiao had long refined his Divine Footwork to the second level. Except for top-tier formations capable of creating their own worlds, ordinary formations could not hinder his steps.

Like a phantom, Zhang Xiao weaved through the female cultivators’ defenses. Nearby, Bai Cailing suddenly drew a white jade flying sword and thrust it—not at Zhang Xiao, but at the unconscious Lan Fang. Though swift, Bai Cailing’s sword was no match for Zhang Xiao’s speed.

Seeing Bai Cailing’s move, Zhang Xiao’s eyes burned with killing intent. He grasped the flying sword with one hand, squeezing tightly. The sword shattered with a crisp snap. Bai Cailing’s face turned pale. Though this white jade flying sword was a common ninth-rank treasure, it was her life treasure, forged through Kunlun secret techniques. Though Bai Cailing’s cultivation had yet to reach Nascent Soul, she had surged into the inner sect due to this life treasure. But this also meant the sword was spiritually linked to her life and soul.

Now, crushed in Zhang Xiao’s grip, Bai Cailing’s spirit was pierced. Blood poured from her eyes, nose, and other orifices, staining her face.

Yet Zhang Xiao did not kill her. From Ni Weilan, he had learned the whole story: the root cause was this jealous woman before him. Zhang Xiao struck Bai Cailing’s forehead, knocking her unconscious. He spared her life but shattered her spirit sea, ensuring that even if she awoke, she would never reach Nascent Soul in this lifetime. This was her cruelest punishment.

At this moment, Zhou Yuan broke free from his fight with the doppelgänger and blocked Zhang Xiao’s path with a cold sneer. “Senior Brother, your sharpness is too exposed. I have no choice but to fight you myself. Don’t worry—when you die, I’ll forge your body into a corpse soldier. Prepare to die.”

Zhang Xiao’s body was covered in black spots—Zhou Yuan could clearly see he was poisoned to the bone and no match for him. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have come alone to stop him. Zhou Yuan swiftly drew a spirit talisman with a golden brush.

“A Soul-Extinguishing Talisman.” With a pointed flick, Zhou Yuan summoned a gloomy talisman that wrapped around Zhang Xiao, strands of dark energy winding tightly.

“Hmph! You’re still the same, arrogant as ever,” Zhang Xiao growled, silver flames erupting across his body. Black energy billowed inside and outside him, and the black spots gradually vanished under the silver blaze.

Though not immune to poison, Zhang Xiao cultivated the Seven Transformations Mysterious Heaven Technique, pure and blazing yang energy. Supplemented by the indomitable Boruo Zen Sutra, few poisons could truly threaten him.

Zhou Yuan’s face darkened. After drawing another talisman, three silver-armored corpses lunged at Zhang Xiao. Zhou Yuan also unleashed various spirit talismans that transformed into strange beasts. Facing the onslaught, Zhang Xiao roared fiercely; silver scales emerged, covering him in armor unlike before.

This time, his scales were more sinister—turtle-like horns and a dragon head formed his left pauldron, while neat rows of scales bore spiraled spikes on his right hand. This transformation even surprised Zhang Xiao himself.

Like a primeval beast, Zhang Xiao charged into the beasts summoned by Zhou Yuan, slashing wildly. Even the silver-armored corpses proved no match. Zhou Yuan’s face darkened, cursing Li Peng of the Five Poisons Sect: “What worthless poison! It’s more like fake medicine.”

As Zhang Xiao closed in, Zhou Yuan trembled, dodging instinctively. In that instant, a black streak tore through space where Zhou Yuan had just stood. He broke into a cold sweat—if not for a secret treasure that alerted him early, he might have been pierced through the heart.

Zhang Xiao, however, was more shocked. His deadly strike had been evaded. Raising his right hand, he vibrated it slightly. The spiraled spikes vanished then reappeared beside Zhou Yuan. This attack combined his knowledge of spatial fissures—a new, albeit immature, technique with formidable power.

The spiraled spikes left Zhou Yuan no room to dodge. He could only summon his life treasure—a seven-colored glazed pagoda. The pagoda immediately projected a protective light screen around him. No matter how sharp Zhang Xiao’s spikes were, they could not break through.

Zhang Xiao drew the Heavenly Yang Sword, slashing a nine-foot silver rainbow that struck Zhou Yuan’s treasure, attempting to shatter it and deliver an irreparable blow.

The silver light struck with a thunderous explosion, sending shockwaves through the surrounding space. Yet Zhou Yuan remained standing, only his expression sour. The seven-colored glazed pagoda above him still shimmered crystal clear, unscathed.

Zhang Xiao was surprised. He knew the full might of his strike; only a top-tier treasure could withstand it intact. Even the other eight sect leaders tangled with the doppelgänger paused, stunned.

“The Seven-Colored Merit Pagoda? My heavens! How much merit have your Maoshan and Ten Thousand Demons Cults accumulated to forge such a divine artifact?” Ge Tianming of the Nine Demons Palace exclaimed, staring at Zhou Yuan’s pagoda in disbelief.

No wonder Ge Tianming and the others lost composure. The Seven-Colored Merit Pagoda was forged by ancient cultivators replicating the postnatal First Immortal Treasure of the primordial era. Its power was immense, yet the forging method was extreme: no materials, only merit energy formed its seven layers—a feat few could achieve since ancient times.

Merit energy was rare, and the amount needed to forge a seven-layer pagoda was astronomical, deterring most from even trying. Yet Zhou Yuan had succeeded, stirring envy in all who saw it.

Zhou Yuan inwardly cursed his bad luck. Although newly forged and his life treasure, it was only passively defensive and lacked flexibility. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be so overwhelmed by Zhang Xiao now. Being watched with jealous eyes would only bring more trouble in the future—a grave miscalculation.

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