Volume Twelve: Invitation to Hell - Chapter Forty-Seven: Fierce Battle

After finding Die Wuying, Yaoguang lost interest in the remaining merchant families and led the group back to their residence.

"Master, how certain are you about tonight's duel?" Jiang Yun asked.

"Die Wuying is, after all, a princess of the Demon Clan," Chen Haixu chimed in.

"One hundred percent," Yaoguang said, taking a sip of water. "Even their Demon Lord is no match for me now. Do you think a fallen Demon princess can withstand even a few blows from me?" Yaoguang smiled.

"You've actually fought the Demon Lord? When was that?" Xuanchen couldn't help asking.

"Before I descended the mountain, someone from the Demon Clan trespassed onto my Spirit Mountain and injured my young attendant. I detained the intruder, only to discover it was a Demon elder. The Demon Lord came personally to demand his release, so we fought. Within a hundred moves, the Demon Lord was defeated. Refusing to accept it, we fought again, and he was defeated within a hundred moves once more. Well, fights often lead to friendship, so we became friends, and I released the elder for the Demon Lord's sake. That's all there is to it." Yaoguang shrugged, looking entirely indifferent.

"Does that make you the greatest in the world?" Chu Tianyou laughed.

"Oh, stop it," Yaoguang waved her hand dismissively.

At that moment, a knock sounded at the door. Opening it, she found Three-Eyes standing outside.

"Divine Lord, I didn't come for anything else; there is only one thing I need to tell you," Three-Eyes said as he sat down.

"Speak," Yaoguang nodded.

"You must be careful of Die Wuying's bewitching arts. She somehow obtained the lingering soul of a Blue-Eyed Fox and gained its seductive power. This bewitching art easily traps people in illusions, and once inside those illusions, danger lurks at every step. It is an attack on the spirit," Three-Eyes warned.

"A Blue-Eyed Fox?" Yaoguang was momentarily startled, then thought for a moment. "I think I know. Legend has it that a kind of fox lives in the Eastern Wilderness, with emerald-green eyes and extremely powerful seduction skills. After these foxes cultivate human forms, they enter the mortal world to beguile lecherous young lords, probing the deepest desires in men's hearts. When sharing a bed, while the man is dazed, they kill him and drink his blood to increase their own cultivation. That's what's known as a fox spirit. Die Wuying is truly capable, managing to travel all the way to the Eastern Wilderness," Yaoguang remarked.

"And then there is Zhu Qinghuang. Actually, Zhu Qinghuang is already a Rakshasa Ghost, commonly known as a Ghost Asura. Even heavenly lightning might not be able to handle him, unless it is the Myriad Thunder Array of the Cosmic Pace." At this point, a hint of terror flashed in Three-Eyes' eyes. "You must be very careful during tonight's duel."

"One uses bewitching arts, the other is a Rakshasa Ghost—truly impressive. No wonder these two cannot last much longer," Yaoguang nodded.

"What do you mean?" Nalan Yu asked.

"A Rakshasa Ghost is the most formidable among spirits, having transformed into a Rakshasa whose malevolent aura and ghostly energy have reached their peak, allowing it to manifest a form of its own. However, because Zhu Qinghuang used Die Wuying's body as his vessel from the very beginning, even as a Rakshasa Ghost, he cannot leave Die Wuying's body for too long. The resentment, malevolence, and ghostly energy of a Rakshasa Ghost consume the host's mental strength and lifespan as the price. In other words, Zhu Qinghuang is devouring Die Wuying. And as for Die Wuying—if I'm not mistaken—she also acquired the Blue-Eyed Fox's bewitching arts by ruthlessly killing a fox to take it. Skills obtained under such circumstances carry a backlash. This backlash will grow increasingly severe over time, eventually devouring her entire soul power. These two aren't finding a way out; they're just playing with fire," Yaoguang shook her head speechlessly. "Alright, I know how to deal with the two of them. Don't worry, Three-Eyes."

"Divine Lord, I'll see you at the dueling platform tonight," Three-Eyes said, and departed.

With a plan formed in her mind, Yaoguang lay down and fell fast asleep. She didn't wake up until ten o'clock that night. Getting up, she discovered she was still the last one to rise. After eating and packing her things, the group headed toward the dueling platform.

The dueling platform was different from the arena; it was a large stage located in the remotest corner of the camp, nestled right between the canyons of two mountains. Not everyone was permitted to enter this area. Firstly, the admission fee was exorbitant—three thousand per person. Secondly, it was protected by powerful magical arrays; anyone lacking sufficient capability would simply pass out upon entering, let alone watch a duel here.

By the time Yaoguang arrived, a crowd had already gathered, consisting of merchants and participants of the ghost market. Getting closer, Yaoguang spotted Old Man Bai and Thousand-Hands, who were once again serving as supervisors.

Old Man Bai looked slightly surprised upon seeing her, then smiled and nodded in greeting. Thousand-Hands, however, merely let out a cold snort.

Yaoguang detested Thousand-Hands from every angle and wished she could rip him apart right then and there.

Choosing to completely ignore him, Yaoguang walked to the front of the dueling platform. The stage stood six meters high, with no stairs around it. This dueling platform clearly intended to give challengers a harsh warning right from the start.

Yaoguang looked up, and Die Wuying was already standing on the stage, looking down at her.

Seeing that Yaoguang hadn't moved for a while, someone in the crowd who loved drama shouted out, "If it's too high and you can't get up, you shouldn't have challenged her. Talk about losing face now."

Yaoguang turned her gaze toward the source of the voice, channeled her inner energy into her dantian, and roared directly at the man, "Insolent!"

The next second, the cultivator slammed backward onto the ground, looking utterly bewildered, while the onlookers all froze in unison.

Yaoguang's roar was infused with the power of a Divine Lord, making it far deeper and more profound than her previous roars. With her current level of cultivation, a roar like this could easily shatter a cultivator's soul. That shout just now was merely a minor punishment to teach him a lesson.

Every spectator felt as though, for a split second, the high-powered loudspeakers of a stadium had all blown out simultaneously.

Turning back around, Yaoguang tapped her foot lightly and floated effortlessly up onto the high platform.

The next moment, Old Man Bai's voice drifted up from below, "My, today's youngsters are truly formidable. An old man like me can finally retire."

Right after that, an object flew out from Yaoguang's hand on the stage, tracing a perfect parabolic arc before landing squarely in Old Man Bai's arms. Catching it before he could even look, Old Man Bai heard Yaoguang's voice echo from the stage, "Old Man Bai, some top-grade peach blossom wine from Qingqiu. Drink as you watch how I make my name known across the four seas in today's battle."

Old Man Bai was stunned at first, then overjoyed as he pulled off the cork. A rich, fragrant aroma of wine instantly wafted through the air. Taking a sip, Old Man Bai's eyes lit up immediately. "Exquisite! Absolute perfection! Tell me, little girl, where did you get such a fine thing?"

"I have a whole room of it," Yaoguang answered offhandedly. And indeed she did—Consort Taoying, the primary wife of the Third Prince of Qingqiu, was her Peach Blossom Immortal, so she had as much of this stuff as she wanted.

"You're something else," Old Man Bai took another sip, smacking his lips in satisfaction while the surrounding onlookers drooled with envy. "I need to make this last," Old Man Bai muttered as he prepared to plug the bottle.

*Whoosh, whoosh.* Two more sounds cut through the air as another two perfect parabolas traced across the sky. Old Man Bai caught them, nearly jumping for joy—two more bottles!

The onlookers nearby were about to go crazy. A single bottle of this Qingqiu peach blossom wine was already worth a fortune in the cultivation world; what kind of status did this young woman possess to give away three bottles just like that? Everyone knew that Qingqiu's top-grade peach blossom wine was not only a rare vintage sought after for millennia, but cultivators who drank it could actually enhance their spiritual power—it was comparable to a divine elixir!

There was also another problem: no one had even seen where she pulled them from... Could this young girl have already cultivated the Void Cauldron, allowing immortals to store infinite objects?!

At that moment, someone shouted, "Fellow cultivator, do you have any more? We're willing to buy it!"

"Thirty thousand a bottle. Yun'er, collect the money." With a wave of Yaoguang's hand, two wooden crates materialized at Jiang Yun's feet. Among the cultivators, some actually stepped forward to pay, saying as they handed over the money, "Ten years ago, I spent over a hundred thousand just to get a single bottle! Thirty thousand? I've run into a living goddess today. Hahaha, this is truly a treasure."

Ignoring the crowd below, Yaoguang turned her attention back to Die Wuying and said, "Please."

Die Wuying smiled and nodded. A massive magnetic field began to gather around her, and a whirlwind started to whip up on the flat ground.

Yaoguang simply watched quietly. She saw Die Wuying's beautiful eyes change color, shifting from black to emerald green, and begin to emit a faint, soul-captivating green light.

Bewitching arts. Yaoguang remained motionless. At that moment, she noticed the world around her transforming: the dim surroundings grew bright, and red—everywhere was red. It was a wedding scene, and Yaoguang was no longer wearing her white Zen-style two-piece outfit, but a magnificent bright red traditional Chinese bridal gown. Not far away stood a handsome, upright man, slowly walking toward her. It was her immortal partner, holding a bouquet of roses in one hand and a diamond ring in the other, walking toward Yaoguang with a beaming smile.

For a split second, Yaoguang was momentarily dazed, but then she smiled bitterly. "Well played, Die Wuying. You actually use this memory to confuse me. As expected, the Blue-Eyed Fox's bewitching arts can stimulate the deepest desires in one's heart. Entering into matrimony with an immortal partner—isn't that the deepest desire in my heart?"

However, Die Wuying was wrong. Her immortal partner was indeed the deepest desire in Yaoguang's heart, but he was also her ultimate reverse scale. Using this matter to toy with her wouldn't leave Yaoguang dazed; it would only ignite the most violent fury in her heart.

Putting on a smile of peerless beauty, Yaoguang ran toward the 'immortal partner,' threw herself into his arms, and whispered softly, "You're so wonderful."

Just as the 'immortal partner' was about to speak, Yaoguang continued, "You really have a death wish."

The next second, a cold smirk curled the corner of Yaoguang's lips. A plume of blue flame surged up rapidly from beneath the 'immortal partner's' feet, instantly engulfing his entire body.

The illusion shattered to pieces in that exact instant. The red hue vanished, revealing once again the dark night sky.

*Spit!* Die Wuying coughed up a mouthful of blood and glared resentfully at Yaoguang. "You actually broke my illusion."

"Didn't you know that the deepest desire in my heart is also my greatest reverse scale? Those who dare to joke about this matter are currently at King Yama's Iron-Ring Mountain. You only coughed up a blood; you got off easy," Yaoguang sneered.

Without a word, Die Wuying stepped through the paces and formed hand seals once more, sending sand and rocks flying across the surroundings. A black tornado rose from the ground and swept toward Yaoguang.

The Demon Clan's Black Windstorm—anyone who encountered it was usually doomed, because the Black Windstorm could tear souls to shreds.

Yaoguang leaped into the air, chanting an incantation. A column of water surged from the distant mountain peak, forming a massive waterspout that collided with the black tornado the very next second. Right at that moment, a pitch-black fierce wolf lunged toward Yaoguang.

The wolf's eyes gleamed with an eerie blue light.

Just as the spectators were breaking out in a cold sweat for her, a Northeast tiger materialized beside Yaoguang and pounced directly onto the black wolf. The next moment, the two locked in a fierce brawl.

A tiger, the king of the forest—with an earth-shattering roar, the tiger launched another attack. After dozens of rounds, it finally found an opening and clamped its jaws around the black wolf's throat in a fatal chokehold. The black wolf struggled violently on the ground, but once the king of the forest sank its teeth in, there was no letting go. This lasted for a full ten minutes until the black wolf finally lay motionless on the ground. Because it was a duel of spiritual entities, to ordinary people it simply looked like two gusts of wind violently colliding.

Yet what the cultivators actually saw was a heart-stopping hunt.

The black wolf's body began to dissipate, and the tiger let out a final roar before vanishing into thin air.

High above, the black windstorm and the waterspout were still violently intertwined.

Yaoguang looked up, formed a hand seal, and the waterspout expanded, completely enveloping the black windstorm as it swept toward the mountain peak. With a roaring crash, a torrential rain poured down upon the summit, and the Demon Clan's black windstorm dissipated within the water.

*Spit*, Die Wuying coughed up blood yet again.

"You're detestable!" At that moment, a black shadow drifted out from Die Wuying's body. It was Zhu Qinghuang. "I'm going to eat you!"

Crying out, Zhu Qinghuang lunged at Yaoguang. Yaoguang dodged swiftly as a streak of golden light shot from her hand and struck Zhu Qinghuang. However, having already cultivated into a Rakshasa Ghost, Zhu Qinghuang could not be dealt with by a mere streak of golden light; it merely left a scratch on his body.

Yaoguang was not foolish. She knew that golden light alone would be useless; it was merely a delaying tactic. In the instant she dodged, she rapidly formed hand seals and chanted an incantation.

Dark clouds began to gather across the sky, obscuring the starry night. Raindrops fell one by one.

*Rumble*, rumbling thunder rolled through the dark clouds as flashes of lightning flickered.

To summon heavenly lightning without even stepping through the paces—the onlookers were astounded. Some of the people who had come to watch tonight's duel had also witnessed Yaoguang's previous fight. Back then, summoning heavenly lightning had required her to pace the Dipper, form hand seals, and chant incantations. Yet this time, the young girl had simply formed hand seals and chanted out of thin air to summon heavenly lightning.

While the crowd murmured amongst themselves, Yaoguang had already completed her hand seals and incantations. A bolt of purple lightning was summoned down, crackling with electricity between her fingers. Without hesitation, Yaoguang directed the lightning bolt to strike toward Zhu Qinghuang. *Rumble*, before the first bolt had even fully dissipated, a second one arrived. Chanting an incantation, several shadowy figures materialized directly behind Yaoguang.

的分身 (Clones)—this was a technique approaching that of an Upper Immortal, where one separated their soul and body to form temporary clones. The clones' spiritual bodies came at the cost of consuming the main body's soul power, and the strength of the main body's spiritual energy directly determined how powerful the clones were.

There were five clones standing in a row behind Yaoguang, moving in unison as they paced the Dipper. Staring upward, the spectators saw starlight beginning to flash across the sky.

Starlight energy!

"Is that lass planning to use her clones to channel the starlight energy of heaven and earth? Is that the Cosmic Pace?!" Old Man Bai, who had been leisurely drinking wine just moments before, stopped drinking and stared in shock at Yaoguang on the high platform.

The Cosmic Pace?!
Using clones, no less?!

The crowd below fell into absolute silence.

"Big Sister's cultivation has evolved to this level?" Nalan Yu was astonished.

The stars in the sky began to shine brightly. A flicker of panic flashed across Zhu Qinghuang's eyes upon seeing those stars light up one by one.

Yet the next minute, he continued his attack. At that moment, Die Wuying resorted to her bewitching arts once more in an attempt to disrupt Yaoguang's mental focus. However, to Die Wuying's utter astonishment, a plump white bug flew out from Yaoguang's body at that exact moment, glaring with a pair of black bean-like eyes as it fluttered its wings and flew straight toward her.

"Xuer, just break her spell," Yaoguang's voice rang out.

*Squeak, squeak, squeak.* Xuer flapped its wings and flew right up in front of Die Wuying. A wave of fragrance drifted from Xuer's body. Die Wuying was dazed in an instant—was this soul-stealing incense?! The soul-stealing incense emitted by the King of the Golden Silkworm Gu could cause a practitioner of any level of cultivation to instantly go limp, leaving them without an ounce of strength in their limbs.

By the time Die Wuying realized it, it was already too late. She had inhaled the soul-stealing incense and collapsed limply to the ground. The Golden Silkworm Gu simply hovered in front of her, fluttering its wings.

The Golden Silkworm Gu?! The crowd below erupted once more.

Back on Yaoguang's side, all seven stars in the sky had lit up. Yaoguang dismissed the heavenly lightning, leaped back, and joined her clones in pacing the Dipper. Across the stage, Zhu Qinghuang was shrouded in wisps of blue smoke being beaten out of him by the heavenly lightning.

The North Star shone brilliantly at that moment. The immense pressure brought by the starlight energy caused everyone present to feel a suffocating oppression.

Yaoguang soared into the air. Under the radiance of those stars, her entire body shimmered with brilliant flowing light. "Zhu Qinghuang, Heaven holds the virtue of cherishing life. Are you willing to accept salvation?"

"I want to be with Die'er," Zhu Qinghuang said, clearly feeling the oppressive might of the starlight energy, yet refusing to yield.

"Zhu Qinghuang, do you know that by transforming into a Ghost Rakshasa and residing within Die Wuying's body, you are draining her spiritual essence and lifespan? Her spiritual essence and lifespan are nearly exhausted. Are you willing to watch your beloved perish into nothingness?" Yaoguang's voice echoed down.

"I won't..." Sure enough, Zhu Qinghuang remained obstinate.

"Very well, don't blame this deity for being ruthless." Raising both hands, Yaoguang began channeling the starlight energy.

*This deity?* Why was this girl referring to herself as 'this deity'?
Even immortal beings wouldn't address themselves that way!

"Hey, lass, is that phoenix your master? What is her identity?" asked the person who had bought the peach blossom wine, biting on the edge of his wine bottle.

"See for yourself; I can't say," Jiang Yun shook her head. She couldn't care less about her master's battle, because her master had never lost a single fight. What she cared about was how many bottles she had sold and whether she was shortchanged on the money.

"You aren't even watching your master duel, you're counting money?" Xuanchen asked, bewildered.

"Why watch? Has Master ever lost? Master only seeks defeat. If she could ever lose, the sun would rise from the southwest," Jiang Yun replied without raising her head.

"True that." Xuanchen picked up a bottle of peach blossom wine, unscrewed it, took a few gulps, and passed it to Chu Tianyou, who also took a swig.

"The wine Taoying brews keeps getting more mellow," Nalan Yu remarked, taking a sip as well.

On the stage, Yaoguang channeled the starlight energy, gradually pressing it closer toward Zhu Qinghuang. Zhu Qinghuang began to lose his footing, and the starlight energy swirled around him, stripping away a fraction of his black aura with every rotation.

"Qing-huang..." Die Wuying looked on, extremely tense.

"Die Wuying, didn't this deity say I wouldn't kill you? This starlight energy is purifying him," Yaoguang's voice came from the sky.

"My word... using starlight energy for purification? How extravagant," Three-Eyes finally spoke up.

"Drink," Jiang Yun handed a bottle of peach blossom wine to Three-Eyes.

"Oh, Little Miss, I can't afford this," Three-Eyes said, not reaching out.

"It's a gift. Master's orders." With that, Jiang Yun shoved the bottle into Three-Eyes' hands. Three-Eyes looked like he was about to burst into tears of gratitude.

"Drink up. There's plenty more. To be honest, what's a priceless treasure to you guys is as common as sorghum liquor where Master comes from. If it's not enough, there's more," Jiang Yun smiled.

Smiling, Three-Eyes uncorked the bottle and took a large gulp. The rich aroma of the wine filled his senses, and a surge of spiritual energy coursed through his body, making him squint his eyes in sheer comfort.

"I won't allow it!" Zhu Qinghuang screamed out.

The starlight energy spun faster and faster, and the black aura surrounding Zhu Qinghuang grew thinner. Yaoguang still showed no intention of stopping.

"Zhu Qinghuang, over the years, you have slaughtered cultivators, killed to seize souls, and harmed the innocent. Today, this deity cannot spare you. Yet because of your contract with Die Wuying, I shall deliver you without taking your life, stripping away all your ghostly energy so you may safely enter reincarnation. What you become in your next life will depend on the Underworld's judgment," Yaoguang's voice rang out, clear and distant.

Yaoguang's body rose higher. High up in the air, rays of golden light shot forth, and under that divine radiance, Yaoguang transformed: a black-and-gold Phoenix Imperial God's Robe cascaded behind her with a massive tail train, and a nine-grade flying phoenix coiled-dragon eight-treasure glazed crown materialized upon her head. Her waterfall-like hair danced without any wind, and her makeup became resplendent and luxurious. The phoenix divine mark on her forehead emerged, and the golden phoenix emblem near her neck radiated a captivating glow. The Youlan Sword in her hand emitted a brilliant blue light as she slowly descended from midair.

"That... that is a deity." Someone cried out, and everyone below widened their eyes in utter shock.

"Could this lass be the Phoenix Divine Lord? Good heavens! Thousand-Hands, you've offended someone you shouldn't have," Old Man Bai gasped.

Thousand-Hands let out another cold snort, though only he knew that his palms were slick with cold sweat.

"Zhu Qinghuang, be on your way," Yaoguang's voice echoed, and the starlight energy, accompanied by the divine golden light, began to consume Zhu Qinghuang.

"Nooooo..." Zhu Qinghuang's miserable scream pierced the heavens.

"Qing-huang... farewell..." Die Wuying wept bitterly at that moment, tears streaming down her face like rain.

"Demon Princess Die Wuying, you aided and abetted evil. Today, this deity strips away your cultivation but spares your life. Since you committed murder and destroyed bodies in the mortal realm, you must accept mortal judgment. Do you accept this?" Yaoguang's voice was majestic and unquestionable.

"Thank you, Divine Lord," Die Wuying sobbed uncontrollably.

A stream of golden light from Yaoguang's hand struck Die Wuying. A spiritual pellet appeared in Yaoguang's hand; she transformed it into a spirit butterfly, which bore the pellet and a letter of hers and flew off toward the Demon Realm.

"This deity descended today solely to resolve the grievances of the mortal world; it has nothing to do with any of you. There is no need to panic." With those words, Yaoguang retracted the powerful force between heaven and earth, restored her appearance to normal, and descended from the sky.

"Phoenix... Phoenix wins. Merchant family Die Wuying must obey all of the Phoenix's commands; the contract takes effect now." A person in black announced the result.

Yaoguang walked up to Die Wuying, pulled her up, and whispered something into her ear. The next second, Die Wuying bowed deeply.

Yao Guang pulled her up instantly, brought her flying down from the high platform, and returned to her group.

"Master, I sold ten bottles! Here's the money for you." Jiang Yun held up a large stack of cash, beaming with joy.

"Two thousand for each of you, put the rest in my bag, and let's go out for hot pot." Yaoguang then pulled out ten thousand and stuffed it into Three-Eyes' hand.

Three-Eyes was grinning from ear to ear.

"Lord Thousand-Hands, don't forget our duel. Hahaha!" With that, Yaoguang laughed heartily and walked away from the scene, leaving Thousand-Hands wearing an expression of intense hatred.