Seeking Immortality 038

At this moment, he fully understood that his current predicament was all because of this kid. He opened his mouth and lunged at Fang Zhiyi. Several Imperial Astronomers who had been chasing Fang Zhiyi quickly retreated upon seeing this. Fang Zhiyi turned his head to glance back.

"You're still not dead yet?"

"Kid, you're dead meat!"

Suddenly, he felt something tap him from behind.

Chi whipped his head around and saw a huge black hand floating behind him.

It was the rampaging black souls from the battlefield. They had now gathered together. Chi froze for a moment, and then that massive hand slapped him across the face.

"Damn it!"

Chi tried frantically to fight back, but found his attacks were useless. The moment he bit down, those things scattered. When he turned around, they reassembled into a giant hand and slapped him across the face again.

Though this kind of attack caused no real damage, the humiliation was beyond measure.

Under the assault of these things, Chi was furious. In all his years since emerging into the world, he had never suffered such disgrace!

He quickly came to his senses, and his vicious eyes locked onto Fang Zhiyi, who stood there with an expression like he was enjoying a good show.

"Presumptuous human!" Chi roared.

"Oh, oh, oh, presumptuous human. What, are you going to eat me or something?" Fang Zhiyi mocked, imitating Wang Kui's tone.

Chi had reached the peak of his fury. He slammed his tail once, and the giant hand made of black souls scattered instantly. Seizing the opportunity, he twisted his body, opened his mouth, and lunged at Fang Zhiyi.

The massive creature's movement was so forceful that it scraped off quite a few rocks from the cliffs. The remaining Imperial Astronomers scrambled to get out of the way.

"This Chi is no easy opponent. Its scales are far too tough," Zhongli frowned, observing. At this point, the great battle was nearing its end, and the only monster left was this Chi. "Looks like we've been used as tools by that kid."

Zhao Yue said in a low voice, "This was originally the Imperial Astronomers' job anyway."

"No pay, no work..." Zhongli muttered. Suddenly, Zhao Yue looked up at the sky, realizing something. "Stop talking nonsense! Retreat!"

Chi roared skyward, feeling immensely satisfied. That was it? That ant had done his best to escape, but still ended up in his belly. Now, as long as he dealt with the remaining rabble, he could still...

A bad feeling made him pause, and then he abruptly looked up at the sky.

Countless strange talismans gathered in the air above. The already gloomy sky was packed so thick with dark clouds that they seemed ready to press down.

"It's over," exclaimed Zhongli, who had fled far away, catching his breath. "They don't treat us like people at all. Those directors set up the Heavenly Thunder Formation without even giving us a heads up?"

Zhou Lian, covering his face with a twisted expression of hatred, thought about how that demonic cultivator had dared to slap him in public. If he hadn't been devoured, Zhou Lian would have made sure to torture him properly!

"Charge!" As the Red-robed Director pointed his finger toward Chi's position, thunder exploded.

Dazzling white light descended from the sky, even fiercer than the tribulation lightning a monster faced during its ascension.

Wang Kui had sensed something was wrong earlier. He grabbed Chu Xiangye, who was holding his head in terror, along with two other frightened fools who couldn't even stand, and dragged them into a hollow. When the thunder struck, the deafening roar knocked him unconscious on the spot.

No one knew how long passed. Finally, the thunder stopped. The poisonous miasma that had filled the valley had already dissipated.

The massive figure of Chi still stood there, its entire body charred black.

"It's over. Have them clean up and find this monster's inner core..." The Red-robed Director was about to give orders when suddenly he heard cries of alarm.

Chi wasn't dead after all!

Chi slowly twisted his body, his voice filled with madness. "Hahahahaha! How could ants like you possibly hurt me!"

The layer of skin that had been burned to charcoal began to fall off, gradually revealing skin covered in disgusting holes.

"Evil beast!" The Red-robed Director squinted. Had this Chi really cultivated to such a level?

But then, Chi's massive body suddenly began to thrash uncontrollably, his enormous form slamming repeatedly against the surrounding cliffs.

This sight left the remaining people dumbfounded again.

"You actually ate it, huh? And you think you can become a dragon?"

Chi suddenly lifted his head to the sky and let out a roar of excruciating pain. Then, black smoke began to pour out of his mouth, eyes, and nostrils. He finally understood—that human had let himself be eaten on purpose!

But it was too late. Although he had fought with all his might against the things inside him, the earlier clash with the heavenly thunder had drained his strength.

He could even feel something hammering fiercely at his inner core.

After a deadly struggle, the massive Chi suddenly collapsed heavily to the ground. His body gradually shrank, taking on the appearance of a python.

But his stomach remained swollen, as if something was still inside. Suddenly, a section of a sword pierced through. Then, a disheveled figure rolled out from Chi's belly.

"Pfft! Damn!" Fang Zhiyi's clothes were in tatters. He had thought of many methods, but in the end, only this approach of breaking out from the inside worked. However, he hadn't expected Chi's insides to be so dangerous. Even with all the black souls he had nurtured, they had been used up at an alarming rate.

If it hadn't been for Xu Xuan—no, Xuan Jizi's black soul smashing Chi's inner core, he might not have made it out alive himself.

Even more terrifying than that was the frantic alarm sound from Xiao Xiaohei.

"Demonic cultivator! You're still alive!" Zhou Lian shouted. Only about twenty or thirty Imperial Astronomers were still standing, and they looked at the young man before them with a mix of fear and shock.

He had been devoured by Chi, and yet he had managed to kill the beast from the inside out?

"Kill him! Kill him! Whoever kills him, I'll have my uncle grant them rewards!" Zhou Lian's face throbbed with pain. His heart was now filled with nothing but hatred for Fang Zhiyi.

No one paid him any attention. However, the Red-robed Director standing on the cliff glanced at Fang Zhiyi. With a flick of his finger, a bolt of clear sky thunder struck straight down.

"Sigh," said the life-loving Zhongli, closing his eyes. Actually, he kind of liked this kid. The people he killed hadn't exactly been innocents...

"What the hell!"

The exclamation at his ear made Zhongli open his eyes instantly. "No way, Zhao Yue, was that you just now?"

Zhao Yue, usually calm and indifferent, was staring wide-eyed at the center of the battlefield.

Zhongli followed his gaze.

"Merit Golden Light? What's going on?"

It wasn't just him—everyone else was dumbfounded too.

"How can a demonic cultivator have Merit Golden Light protecting him?" Zhou Lian was utterly incredulous.

Fang Zhiyi laughed, laughed wildly. He even threw down his black sword and slowly spread his arms. A strange energy surged down from the crown of his head, making him feel light as air.

Zhongli suddenly realized something. "Damn... the people he killed were all demonic cultivators and evildoers."

Zhao Yue turned to exchange a glance with him, shock evident in both their eyes.

So this was how it worked?

Merit Golden Light was granted by the Heavenly Dao—it wasn't something you could get just through cultivation!

"I've never seen such an abundant amount of Merit Golden Light before..."

As Fang Zhiyi’s body slowly floated upward, Zhou Lian, his face still swollen, did something no one expected.

“You’re a rogue cultivator, not even a decent person—how the hell do you get to have merit? I’ll kill you!!!”