084 An Unexpected Encounter

Beneath the deep azure sky, a streak of light soared leisurely through the air.

Within the light, Jin Yuege furrowed her delicate brows. “The restriction left in the little parrot’s soul by her previous master is terribly vicious. If I forcibly erase it, her soul will surely be destroyed…”

Pang Yue replied, “If we can find True Water of the Shadow, we may cleanse this restriction. Judging by its technique, it seems to bear the mark of evil sects.”

Jin Yuege glanced at the small parrot perched on her shoulder, cherishing her. “That’s all we can do for now. When I return to the Dragon Palace, I’ll immediately have someone collect True Water of the Shadow.”

The little parrot chirped brightly, “Thank you, Master! Once I’ve cultivated my powers, I’ll serve you to the best of my ability!”

“With you by my side, I won’t be so lonely,” Jin Yuege replied with a gentle smile.

As they traveled, suddenly an intense light flared from the left ahead and shot violently toward Pang Yue!

With a wave of his hand, Pang Yue released a pale golden bubble that instantly enveloped the light.

Upon closer look, it was a dazzling silver flying dagger!

The dagger sliced through the bubble, leaving behind a trail of phantom shadows, yet it could not break free.

Not far ahead, a splendid cloud carriage approached.

Seated within was a woman of astonishing girth, flanked by two sturdy men, and followed by six or seven cultivators.

The cloud carriage blocked Pang Yue’s path directly.

The little parrot grew tense.

Pang Yue halted his flight, glanced at the little parrot, then calmly regarded the woman atop the cloud carriage and called out, “Who goes there, blocking our way?”

The woman sized him up, her face twisted with disdain. “Demon cultivator? You are not worthy to know my name or origins!”

She then turned her greedy gaze to Jin Yuege and laughed. “Such a tender and lovely girl—what clan are you from?”

Jin Yuege frowned. “I hail from the Crimson Blood Golden Flood Dragon clan. Are you cultivators from Spirit Devouring Island?”

The woman burst into laughter, pointing at Jin Yuege. “Exactly! I am Li Jinfeng, mistress of Blood Phoenix Island, a subordinate of Spirit Devouring Island. Your Crimson Blood Golden Flood Dragon clan should know me well!”

Jin Yuege’s expression turned thoughtful, and after a moment she said, “So you are the daughter of Li Shifeng, the seventh elder of Spirit Devouring Island!”

She quietly transmitted information about Spirit Devouring Island to Pang Yue.

Aside from the island master, Spirit Devouring Island boasted eighteen Golden Core elders. Li Jinfeng, as the seventh elder’s daughter, was notorious for her arrogance in the outer seas. The intelligence about her had once been relayed to the clan by the wind scouts.

“So you’re not entirely ignorant after all!” Li Jinfeng smirked. “Return my little parrot to me, and I’ll let you live a few more years. When my father celebrates his seven-hundredth birthday, I’ll feast upon you!”

“Sigh…”

A weary sigh echoed in the air.

Then, a sweep of pitch-black sword light twisted overhead, cleaving Li Jinfeng cleanly in two!

Thunder rolled across the sky.

Pang Yue glanced at Jin Yuege and chuckled. “Why waste words with her?”

Even as he spoke, the black sword light danced and darted like a shooting star, flashing across the foreheads of several Spirit Devouring Island cultivators.

These cultivators, accustomed to the outer seas, had never witnessed such swift and ruthless swordplay. Before they could react, the sword light pierced their protective spiritual shields and their skulls, leaving them utterly dead.

Only one unremarkable cultivator slipped past the sword light, moving like a phantom.

“Hm?”

Pang Yue’s expression shifted as he regarded the survivor.

The man was none other than a cultivator surnamed Ruan.

He smiled faintly, undisturbed by Pang Yue’s attack, and calmly asked, “You wield your sword well, but aren’t you afraid the Golden Core elders of Spirit Devouring Island will trouble you?”

“That’s none of your concern,” Pang Yue replied, pursuing with his sword light while summoning his forbidden demon insect technique. He blew a golden bubble into the air, instantly trapping the Ruan cultivator.

The little parrot watched in awe, secretly thinking, “Master’s partner is truly formidable! So ruthless!”

Ruan then formed a strange hand seal, breaking free from the golden bubble, and flicked his finger against the black sword light.

Zing!

The sword light trembled and revealed its true form—a tall, black miniature mountain radiating powerful demonic energy appeared in midair.

The Untainted Heavenly Demon!

“Demonic path usurper? So you belong to the Demon Talisman Sect!”

“No wonder I felt a strange sense of familiarity. We met in the Absolute Ice Domain!”

Ruan smiled slightly and hovered in midair, pausing his flight.

Pang Yue recalled his black mountain, gazing at Ruan with a somber expression. “Why don’t I remember meeting you?”

Ruan raised a single hand in a Buddhist gesture, bowing his head. “Amitabha. I am Hui Ding, a humble monk. You once cleaved two of my avatars with your remarkable sword light.”

“Meeting you again today, it feels as if the past was only yesterday. Your cultivation has advanced swiftly—how admirable!”

Pang Yue’s eyes narrowed in realization. “So it was you!”

Years ago, the mastermind who disrupted the void’s energy, corrupted the cultivators of the five great factions, and trapped him, Luo Qingyuan, and Ye Xue in the Primordial Secret Realm for eighteen years was this very cultivator before him.

No—before him now was only an avatar!

“Let me test your strength, fellow cultivator!” Hui Ding’s avatar examined Pang Yue with interest, then suddenly smiled, flashed forward, and struck with an open palm.

The palm carried no hint of smoke or flame, yet its profundity was immense, layered with countless powers and giving Pang Yue a sense of imminent danger.

In terms of force, this palm rivaled his flying sword.

Pang Yue responded with a cold smile, summoning the pitch-black miniature mountain overhead.

Hui Ding’s avatar struck the mountain, leaving a faint palm print as it shuddered.

Pang Yue flicked his finger, sending another marble-sized black mountain flying straight at Hui Ding’s avatar.

A heavy, thunderous boom echoed across the void!

The Untainted Heavenly Demon possessed not only formidable defenses but was also incredibly heavy by nature. When propelled at great speed, its impact could be devastating.

Hui Ding’s avatar twisted bizarrely, transforming into a slender shadow to evade Pang Yue’s lightning-fast attack.

Pang Yue pressed his hand down, encasing Hui Ding’s avatar in a golden bubble.

Then, layer upon layer of bubbles appeared, one inside another, forming over a dozen layers in an instant.

Hui Ding’s avatar tried his old trick, but could not immediately break through so many layers of forbidden arts.

Pang Yue summoned two Untainted Heavenly Demons.

The two pitch-black mountains separated by ten miles, then suddenly converged, colliding at great speed!

Between them was the golden bubble—and Hui Ding, struggling to break free.

Just as Hui Ding was about to pierce the final bubble—

Boom!

The two black mountains smashed together with unparalleled force.

Hui Ding’s avatar was instantly pulverized into a bloody mist!

Ripples spread through the void between the mountains.

Thunder rumbled, echoing far and wide.

Countless fish floated dead atop the sea, slain by the sheer shockwave.