Xu Fei’s consciousness had begun to blur.
It wasn’t his body alone that was being turned into a statue. Even his soul was dispersing, similar to one rotting through death.
Countless scenes started flashing across his eyes.
All the moments: when he entered the Broad Creed Mountain; when he became Shi Tie’s disciple; when he was under Shi Songtao’s care and received his teachings; when he first got to know Xie Youchan; when he witnessed Yan Zhaoge’s growth; when he witnessed the Broad Creed Mountain’s growth in power in the World beyond Worlds.
Moreover, there were also scenes of Shi Songtao succumbing to the darkness, perishing later on, his master – Shi Tie perishing, accepting Shi Jun as his disciple, his wedding with Xie Youchan.
Countless scenes flashed across his eyes. Every one of them was so memorable; he couldn’t possibly forget them.
Just as Xu Fei was in a daze, he saw a silhouette appearing beside him.
“Senior apprentice-brother Xu!” Yan Zhaoge closed in onto him. Xu Fei’s entire body was about to turn into a stone statue.
When Xu Fei saw Yan Zhaoge, his lips moved a little, forcefully shaping a smile.
“I can’t finish the wine in my chalice, yet my sorrow of parting has vanished. Let’s not bother when we shall part, cause after reunite, we shall go drunk.”
He groaned softly and took a last look at Shi Jun, Ying Yuzhen, Yan Zhaoge, and the others present. He smiled faintly and shut his eyes.
Xu Fei’s entire body became shrouded in the cinereous-green brilliance and transformed into a stone statue.
The statue’s facial features looked so lively. The only thing stopping it from looking like an average person was its coarse surface.
“Freeze!” Yan Zhaoge yelled, and a scroll appeared in his hand.
It was the Earth Queen’s texts.
Its powers were sucked dry through repeated usage, and the text’s insightful strength had weakened tremendously.
However, Yan Zhaoge couldn’t care less about it any longer. He opened the scroll and placed it onto the stone statue, who was once Xu Fei.
Under the nourishment of the warm brilliance, the cinereous-green statue seemed to have recovered some brilliance of life, as if it was a statue with a life force.
Only, this brilliance was still gradually vanishing.
If things were to continue like this, the brilliance would disperse very quickly. Even the Later Earth Text wouldn’t be capable of maintaining it.
“What in the world is going on?” Finally, Yan Zhaoge decided to figure out what had transpired.
While checking in on Shi Jun and Ying Yuzhen’s condition, he listened to the others’ narration. Yan Zhaoge’s expression turned grim as if he was a volcano on the verge of exploding.
In the past, within the Eight Extremities Worlds, Xu Fei was his closest brethren.
When Shi Tie perished in the Eight Extremities Worlds, it planted a deep pain in Yan Zhaoge’s heart.
This time, Xu Fei had passed right in front of him. While a new pain was engraved into his heart, the old ones were resurfacing once again.
The tragedies of Shi Tie and Shi Songtao seemed to have continued until today.
“Earth Splitting Pearl, Earth Splitting Pearl…”
Yan Zhaoge forced himself to calm down and entered a state of deep contemplation.
“Swallowed the Earth Splitting Pearl… Swallowed the Earth Splitting Pearl and activating the Anti-Devil Countering Rune…” A thought suddenly flashed across Yan Zhaoge’s mind, “Maybe…”
He rushed forward and carried Xu Fei’s stone statue. Then, he turned to Feng Yunsheng and said, “Yunsheng, follow me!”
Feng Yunsheng was startled. However, she didn’t bother questioning any further and merely nodded, “Alright!”
“The two of you, please bring them back to the Awakened Sky Cosmos.” Yan Zhaoge said hastily, “When I was on my way here, I’ve already contacted my father and senior apprentice-uncle Long. They should be arriving very soon. When that time comes, you can return along with them.”
“While most of our previous enemies had already perished, there might be some fortunate enough to remain alive. Or, there might even be external reinforcements. The two of you, be careful.”
While the Liberal Emperor and the Tranquility Emperor didn’t understand his intentions, they still replied, “Please don’t worry about us.”
“Senior apprentice-uncle Yan…” Shi Jun looked at Yan Zhaoge eagerly.
Yan Zhaoge said, “Little Jun, return first, and don’t bother asking too much. For now, take care of your wounds. After I return, I’ll find a solution for you. When Aunt Yuzhen wakes up, you should accompany her more.”
“Through this retribution, you’re all cleansed from the devilish marks. As long as no other Infernal Devils plant a brand new devilish mark, you two would be safe.”
Shi Jun replied, “Yes, senior apprentice-uncle Yan.”
While he was reluctant to be separated from Xu Fei, he still left along with Ying Yuzhen, the Tranquility Emperor, and the Liberal Emperor.”
“Let’s go!” Yan Zhaoge and Feng Yunsheng instantly disappeared into the distant void.
On the way, Yan Zhaoge asked, “Where’s that scoundrel?”
Feng Yunsheng opened her palm, presenting a blue-black ember in a cube’s shape, which resembled a solitary confinement prison.
She asked, “Where shall we go?”
After Yan Zhaoge mentioned a location’s name, he immediately dived into the prison, disappearing without a trace.
Feng Yunsheng took a deep breath and retracted her fingers, stashing the prison away. Without stopping, she continued her advancement forward.
Within the prison of black ember, there was a separate standalone world.
Blue-black embers were prancing about within this world. By intertwining with each other, they seemed to form chain-like flames.
Numerous chains coalesced together at the center, where one person was being imprisoned at. He was currently bounded, unable to move even an inch.
Yan Zhaoge coldly stared at him.
He lifted his head, showing his pale face.
He was Chen Qianhua.
Chen Qianhua looked at Yan Zhaoge. While his aura was weak, he still smiled and asked, “You’re here?”
“The Earth Devil’s aura seemed to have weakened just now. What happened? Did he die?”
He shook his head, “The Earth Devil’s cultivation is too high, and I’m unable to predict his future movements. Now that I’m being imprisoned, I can’t cast the Origin Heavenly Scripture anymore, making his future movements even more unclear.”
Chen Qianhua couldn’t tell the Earth Devil’s future due to their disparity in cultivation. As such, he didn’t mind it all that much.
If Chen Qianhua’s cultivation could increase, many things wouldn’t be a secret anymore.
In contrast, he was much more interested in people like Yan Zhaoge, Yan Di, and Nie Jingshen.
“Such a pity. If that mother-son duo turned into Devils, how would you deal with them?” said Chen Qianhua with a sigh.
Yan Zhaoge’s cold stare suddenly turned into a smile.
Chen Qianhua’s vision blurred. Soon after, Yan Zhaoge was already right in front of him.
A long brilliance extended from his finger, forming the shape of a dagger. Yan Zhaoge waved his finger and started slicing on Chen Qianhua’s body.
Then, the second slice, the third slice…
“Are you trying to slice me tens of thousands of times?” Although Chen Qianhua was in immense pain, he still kept his indifferent expression, “I’ve experimented it myself. It’s nothing much.”
Yan Zhaoge didn’t answer him. He merely continued slicing his body.
Very quickly, wounds covered Chen Qianhua’s entire body. He was already on the brink of death.
“You’re furious? Haha…” Chen Qianhua smiled weakly.
However, at the very next moment, he couldn’t smile any longer.
Because he realized that all his previous wounds had disappeared as if they were merely an illusion.
Then, Yan Zhaoge continued slicing him once again, with his same expressionless face.
Chen Qianhua’s eyes widened.
This slice was precisely the same as the very first slice. No matter if it’s the sliced location, the degree of slicing, the strength used, the length, or the depth, they were all the same!
“What are you doing?!”
Chen Qianhua, someone who didn’t seem to care about anything, suddenly yelled.
Yan Zhaoge calmly said, “Why are you in such a rush? This is merely the beginning.”