Volume One: The Journey Begins for the Outcast, Blazing Demon-Slaying Chapter Eighty-One: Two Old Men, The Feather of the Three Pure Palace

As Chen San and Chang Yu gradually faded into the distance, Yang Chengzi took a deep breath and closed his eyes. The instant his eyes shut, a surge of demonic energy crashed into his consciousness. This demonic aura blotted out the sky and sun, scorned all life, and as it entered his mind, even the sea of his soul rippled. His hand, gripping the Shangqing Sword, began to tremble unconsciously, fear spreading rapidly through his heart.

Suddenly opening his eyes, sweat dripped from Yang Chengzi’s brow. He silently recited the Calm Mind Incantation, tightened his hold on the Shangqing Sword, and dashed toward the place where the demonic energy spilled forth.

Three elders stopped near Chen Xin’s house. After descending the mountain, Elder Tai Xuan had used his arts to move the path leading to the back mountain, leaving no road for ascent. From then on, the way up the mountain was gone.

Demonic energy billowed from the spot where Chen San had pulled out the tree trunk. There was no time left to reinforce the seal with the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation. The three elders stood back to back, watching as demonic energy surged up from the ground. With a heavy thud, Master Sui Chang’s monk staff stabbed deep into the earth, shattering the stone slabs beneath.

“We must not let it escape to harm more lives.” As he spoke, his hands pressed together in prayer, golden ripples emanating from his entire body.

The prayer beads and robe draped across Master Sui Chang floated in the golden ripples. The sound of scripture reverberated, tugging at the heartstrings, drifting through the whole of Chen Family Town. Golden seals of admonition appeared beneath Sui Chang’s feet, spreading rapidly in all directions, like chains of light.

Tai Xuan was alarmed, “Why must you go to such lengths?”

Master Sui Chang gave no reply. At that moment, demonic energy surged skyward. The abandoned houses collapsed like a mountain sliding, dust swirling up to obscure the heavens and earth.

“Sword!” Two aged voices rang out almost simultaneously.

With a thunderous clang, Elder Tai Xuan’s Sword of Forgetfulness and Grandmaster Tai Yuan’s Frost Thunder Sword fell like meteorites, plunging straight down at their feet. The upright energy released was like a storm, instantly sweeping away the swirling dust.

Tai Yuan was startled, forming seals with his hands, stepping upon the Starstride. The moment he finished his incantation, he leapt forward, spinning back to slash. The soul of his sword, fierce and domineering, descended like a heavenly axe, cleaving down before Sui Chang and Tai Xuan.

The chanting of scripture faded from Chen Family Town. Sui Chang closed his eyes, sat cross-legged, and the golden seals at his feet coiled forward, drawn toward the scene ahead.

A white phantom deity appeared, towering like a giant, its hands inscribed with sealing incantations, descending like a tidal wave.

A great demon, its body entwined like two swimming fish, emerged as the dust settled, appearing before them. At that instant, the three elders struck as one. The soul of Frost Thunder Sword, proud and peerless, slashed through the air, splitting the demon in two.

Sui Chang’s sealing incantations whipped out like lightning, binding one demon; Tai Xuan’s phantom deity, bearing sealing incantations, lunged at the other.

Tai Yuan recognized the demon as it appeared, calling out before it touched the ground, “This is the ancient calamity phantom demon: Chimei and Wangliang, impossible to kill.”

No sooner had he spoken than Chimei Wangliang vanished like a shadow, the sword soul landing, upright energy erupting like a storm, scattering broken rubble in every direction.

The white phantom deity’s hands clapped empty air where Chimei Wangliang had disappeared, leaving a massive sealing incantation on the ground.

Master Sui Chang’s golden seals seemed to pierce the demon’s illusions. Dozens of scripture chains swept through the air, their rattling echoing from the sky. Suddenly, the chains snapped taut, binding Chimei Wangliang’s true form.

Now, Chimei Wangliang was ensnared mid-air by golden chains. With a mighty crash, the chains tightened, dragging the demon down. The chanting of scripture resumed, echoing once more.

A lotus phantom blossomed beneath Sui Chang, growing larger until it encompassed much of Chen Family Town. The chains drew tighter, pulling Chimei Wangliang into the lotus phantom.

Yang Chengzi arrived at this moment, awed by the apocalyptic scene before him, hesitant to advance. Yet his master and the others were risking their lives against the great demon—how could he stand idle?

Determined, he leapt into the air beside Sui Chang, slid his palm along the Shangqing Sword, sacrificing his own Dao blood, summoned the power of his soul, stepped upon the Heavenly Gang pace, raised his sword, recited an incantation to call down the power of the stars and forge the Evil-Dispelling Seal.

“Thunder and wind shatter the heavens, Heavenly Gang and Northern Dipper slay demons, Li, Kan, Zhen, move heaven and earth.”

As the words fell, clouds boiled overhead, the sky filled with countless crimson spots rushing into the clouds, the dark masses surging like a sea. As the lights vanished into the clouds, the turbulence slowly ceased.

Beneath the clouds, a golden seal—the Heavenly Gang Evil-Dispelling Incantation—pressed down. Yang Chengzi, exerting his utmost strength, stepped forward one last time, pointed his sword at the demon, and sent the Heavenly Gang Evil-Dispelling Seal crashing onto Chimei Wangliang.

Seeing the demon reappear, Tai Yuan pressed his hands together, recited an incantation, his Dao blood boiling, robes billowing, eyes gleaming with life and death, blue light flickering. Countless golden talisman phantoms burst from his fingers, sweeping down like a flock of golden birds toward the demon.

Tai Xuan changed his hand seals, his phantom deity glaring fiercely, hands raised high, the soul of the Sword of Forgetfulness appearing in its grasp, cleaving at Chimei Wangliang.

Though centuries had passed and the seal was broken, the demon’s soul was not fully restored, wounded by the eight great incantations. Now bound by Sui Chang’s sealing arts, it could not escape into illusion. Chimei and Wangliang opened their eyes together, time seeming to freeze.

They began to weave four-handed seals, demonic energy erupting, “Bang! Bang! Bang!” Dozens of chains snapped, the demon’s form shifting. As Yang Chengzi’s Heavenly Gang Evil-Dispelling Seal descended, the entwined body transformed, a towering phantom deity appeared before them.

The demon-enshrouded phantom god was nearly identical to Tai Xuan’s. Yet this god’s face was not fierce, but divided into four directions, each bearing Chimei Wangliang’s visage, gazing upon all sides, the soul of the Sword of Forgetfulness radiant in its hand.

As the Heavenly Gang Evil-Dispelling Seal pressed down, the demon’s energy gathered. A giant hand, cloud-like, caught the falling seal, then demonic energy surged again. Amid golden ripples and the dispersal of demon power, the seal dissolved instantly in the demon’s grasp.

Tai Yuan’s golden talisman formation arrived, Chimei Wangliang gripped a sword in both hands and, with a single sky-splitting slash, sent demonic energy tearing through the air, cleaving the formation in two.

The split formation scattered to both sides, converging on Tai Yuan. He changed his hand seals, stepping upon the Heavenly Starstride. As the golden talismans approached, “Boom!”

With a final, forceful step, power of soul manifest, Tai Yuan’s body radiated golden light. Meteor fire rained from the sky, converging with the golden talismans. Before all present, a blazing phantom appeared, its body covered in golden script, radiating upright energy.

The fiery apparition gazed down upon all beings, exuding unrivaled might. The power of Li Fire entwined its form, burning heaven and earth, and the soul of Frost Thunder Sword bore the Mixed Heaven Seal, subduing gods and demons.

Though Tai Yuan’s fiery apparition resembled Tai Xuan’s white phantom, their incantations differed. Tai Xuan used Maoshan’s forbidden Phantom Heaven Incantation, the white figure born from soul power, its strength dependent on the caster’s soul.

Tai Yuan employed Maoshan’s strongest demon-slaying art: the Northern Star Li Fire Apparition. This spell, rooted in domineering soul force, invoked meteor incantations and Mixed Heaven formations, stepping upon Starstride, forming Li Fire hand seals, using soul power as medium, infusing the apparition with Mixed Heaven and Li Fire, manifesting a blazing vision to slay demons and evil.

As demonic energy, having cleaved the golden formation, hurtled forth, the white phantom deity swung its sword with all its might, meeting the oncoming demonic force. In the instant it struck the sword soul, Tai Xuan spat a mouthful of blood.

The elder gritted his teeth, veins bulging at his temples, extending down his neck like tree roots. In a flash, cracks appeared upon the sword soul.

The surging demonic energy clashed with upright energy, deadlocked in the sky. Suddenly, it exploded, demon and upright energies scattering like a storm in all directions.

As the shockwaves hit, Tai Xuan kept forming hand seals, his stance faltering, forced back two steps before regaining balance. His phantom deity wavered.

Just as Yang Chengzi began to form the Nine Heavens Thunder Seal and step the Gang pace, a deep, powerful voice called out—it was his master, Tai Yuan.

“Yang Chengzi, even if you die and your Dao perishes, you must ensure Master Sui Chang completes the final sealing incantation.”

No sooner had he spoken than the Maoshan High Priest’s token—the Three Pure Palace Feather—shot into Yang Chengzi’s soul sea, the Great Dao spreading through his soul.

Yang Chengzi was shocked, “Master!”

Tai Yuan did not turn. The fiery apparition leapt skyward, wielding Frost Thunder Sword with Li Fire, slashing at Chimei Wangliang.

Tai Xuan was equally resolute, no trace of fear in his gaze. He changed hand seals, his phantom deity, sword soul infused with sealing incantations, sprang from the earth, soared overhead, and struck at Chimei Wangliang.

Yang Chengzi halted his Gang steps, bracing himself for the worst, changed hand seals, and in a flash, the Eight Trigrams Celestial Array appeared.

“Mountain stands firm, guarding the open sun.” The array shifted, placing the mountain position beneath himself and Master Sui Chang.

Tears welled in his eyes as he watched the aged backs of his master and Tai Xuan, powerless before this calamity demon.

In the blink of an eye, Chimei Wangliang’s phantom god transformed again, “Boom! Boom!” In the clash of attack and defense, the phantom god morphed into Tai Yuan’s fiery apparition, its four faces surveying all directions.

Identical phantom gods, identical sword souls, repelling their attacks, preventing the two elders from gaining the upper hand.

The longer the battle dragged on, the more soul power drained, worsening their plight. Tai Yuan began shifting hand seals, his brows tightly furrowed, sweat soaking his robe—signs that his soul power was nearly depleted.

The incantations swirling upon the fiery apparition were like dragons, twisting and darting. Two giant Li Fire dragons burst forth, charging straight at the phantom form of Chimei Wangliang.