C17 The Conspiracy Was Revealed and Xiao Chen Fled

The beast before them was clad in pitch-black scale armor, its back etched with deep, cursed rock runes. Its two massive pincers gleamed with lethal sharpness, and at the end of its long tail, a slender poisonous hook shimmered with a blue light.

It was a colossal scorpion, nearly six meters in length!

"Damn, it's the Heavenly Mystery Stage Black Rock Poison Scorpion!"

Yang Qiyun cried out in alarm.

Xiao Chen's brow furrowed as he spoke with urgency, "Brother Yang, I'll distract it. You go for the Spirit Drug!"

With that, Xiao Chen drew the Great Ruler and leaped into action.

The Great Ruler radiated intense heat waves, like a piece of iron glowing red-hot. A direct hit would reduce even the sturdiest rock to dust.

Yet, when the Great Ruler struck the Black Rock Poison Scorpion, sparks scattered wildly, but the creature seemed unscathed, casually swinging its massive pincers to send Xiao Chen flying.

"You beast! Face my Splitting Flames and Destruction Wave Ruler!"

Xiao Chen declared, the Great Ruler in his grasp flaring up with heat once more. The concentrated fiery force surged toward the Black Rock Poison Scorpion like a blast from a furnace.

But the scorpion countered, its pincers stirring up sand and stones to form a barrier several meters high. The ground beneath Xiao Chen softened rapidly, quickly burying his feet in a trap of shifting sands.

"Brother Yang! Have you got it? I'm losing my grip here!"

Xiao Chen yelled.

Perched atop the last stone tree, Yang Qiyun clutched the spiked sand and called back, "Got it! Brother Xiao, make a run for it!"

Enraged, the Black Rock Poison Scorpion's energy whipped up a fierce wind, hurling sand and stones in all directions. The rocks, varying in size, pummeled them like a barrage of heavy fists.

Moments later, Xiao Chen was almost entirely engulfed by the sand and stones, only his head and hands visible.

Yang Qiyun fared little better, having tumbled to the ground, perilously close to the scorpion's deadly pincers.

The Black Rock Poisonous Scorpion advanced relentlessly, its venomous hook quivering ominously. Yang Qiyun was moments away from being cleaved in two when Xiao Chen's voice rang out, "Master!"

In that instant, Xiao Chen's storage ring erupted in light, unleashing a sharp surge of energy that fragmented into thousands of blade-like beams. The scorpion's assault halted abruptly as its tough black scales exploded into pieces. It writhed in agony on the ground before finally succumbing to death.

"Master!" Xiao Chen exclaimed, his face lighting up with relief. Ming Yu reached down, pulling him from the sandy debris, and said sternly, "Chen, you must act with more caution in the future. Without the Origin Godfire, challenging those beyond your level is nearly impossible!"

"I understand! I was wrong," Chen acknowledged with a smile, rising to his feet. But as he turned to speak, he realized Yang Qiyun had vanished from where he'd fallen.

"Huh, where did Brother Yang go?"

Before the question settled, Ming Yu staggered, overcome by an immense force, and dropped to one knee.

Suddenly, four stone pillars burst from the earth, each inscribed with dense spells. Chains crackling with electricity shot out, ensnaring Ming Yu in their unyielding grasp, leaving her unable to break free despite her struggles.

"Master!" Xiao Chen cried out, alarmed. He rushed to free her, but a blast of qi energy struck him. Unable to evade, his left arm was gashed open by the force.

Perched atop a stone pillar, Yang Qiyun held a sand spear, his smile tinged with regret. "Brother Xiao, forgive me. To regain my strength, I had no choice. Rest assured, once I'm restored, I'll seek vengeance for you. The Crown Prince of the Inferno Lord won't stand a chance, even if his father himself were to intervene!"

Xiao Chen stared at Yang Qiyun, a mix of remorse and rising fury taking hold within him.

He was seething with rage!

Furious that Yang Qiyun had manipulated him!

Furious at himself for not heeding Chiang Qiushui's advice!

Furious that, once again, he had been bested by Yim Wuxie!

The fury surged to his forehead in an instant, his eyes blazing red as he unsheathed the Great Ruler and bellowed, "Yang Qiyun! You're going to pay for this! Splitting Flames Slash Wave Ruler!"

The Great Ruler gathered swirling heat waves, poised to strike. But before he could unleash it, Yang Qiyun leaped down and, with lightning speed, appeared beside Xiao Chen, delivering a crushing punch to his face.

"You're out of your depth!"

Yang Qiyun stared down at Xiao Chen with disdain. "You're merely at the Earth Mystery Stage, and you dare to oppose me? If you submit to me now, I'll regain my strength and help you reclaim what you've lost. Otherwise, hmph!"

While speaking, Yang Qiyun conjured a sphere of yellow flame in his palm. The potent qi energy of the fire enveloped Xiao Chen completely, the scorching heat threatening to dissolve him where he stood.

"It's the Sand Melting Divine Fire!"

Despair flickered in Xiao Chen's heart.

The world's divine fires weren't limited to his former possession, the Origin Godfire.

Like the Origin Godfire, the Sand Melting Divine Fire was of supreme grade, an earth attribute divine fire, capable of effortlessly melting sand and stone.

With his knowledge of divine fire, Xiao Chen felt no urge to fight.

"What'll it be? Hand over your storage ring!"

Yang Qiyun demanded, his voice resonant with authority.

Biting back his frustration, Xiao Chen yanked off his ring and hurled it toward Yang Qiyun.

"A wise man knows when to yield," Yang Qiyun caught the storage ring with a smirk. "Rest assured, Yim Wuxie has your Origin Godfire, and I intend to confront him. Once I do, I'll return that lovely lady to you."

Xiao Chen cast a final glance at Ming Yu, who was desperately struggling against her chains, steeled his resolve, and soared away.

Yang Qiyun watched Ming Yu with a sneer, murmuring, "See how devoted your disciple is? He can't stand to see you in pain, so he's fled far from here on purpose!"

Ming Yu found herself powerless under the grip of the Soul Sealing Chains, unable to summon even the slightest wisp of qi energy or utter a word. All she could do was defiantly meet Yang Qiyun's gaze, her eyes brimming with contempt.

"There's no need for such a look," Yang Qiyun casually remarked, fidgeting with the storage ring in his hand. "I wouldn't have resorted to this if I didn't urgently need to mend the gaps in my soul. A living Herb Elder is, after all, far more valuable than a dead one!"

With those words, Yang Qiyun conjured a rune in his palm. A green aura swirled around him, causing the chains to constrict even more.

"Asura Secret Technique: Soul Separating!"

Ming Yu could feel the chains relentlessly draining her soul, leaving her increasingly frail, teetering on the brink of collapse.

In that critical moment, a surge of Emperor Qi cascaded down, swiftly enveloping the area. It was accompanied by the ominous killing aura unique to the Black Hell, and a surge of formidable qi energy that sliced through the chains in an instant.

"Who dares to thwart my grand scheme!"

Enraged, Yang Qiyun unleashed a flurry of spells, transforming into a barrage of blades targeting the source of the disruption.

But a sweep of a black-golden cloak rendered the spell's blades to mere wisps of insignificance.

Yim Wuxie, with Chiang Qiushui's waist in his grasp and his cloak billowing behind him, stood atop the ascendant stone tree, a figure of celestial might.

"Yim Wuxie regrets his late arrival, for allowing Saint Ming Yu to endure such hardship!"