Chapter 119: A Knife in the Back (Part One)

The other two, Su Bing and Huo Liu, suddenly let out furious roars. A torrent of Netherforce, roughly at the second stage of the True Nether Realm, surged forward like mountains collapsing and seas overturning. It not only enveloped the Demon Marshal, Mo Linhai, but also swept Jiang Feng and Duan Xingyun into its grasp.

“Not good! Get into the Royal Cauldron!” Jiang Feng saw the danger at once. Milky-white Netherforce filled the heavens and the earth, pressing in from every direction. Most terrifying of all, within that Netherforce came the rolling roar of a tiger, crashing toward them with a force even more dreadful than his own Eight-Dragon Sonic Slaughter.

This was the might of Netherforce at the True Nether Realm. It could even contain sound.

If Jiang Feng cultivated True Netherforce, he would be able to merge the Eight-Dragon Sonic Slaughter into it. Once the Netherforce was unleashed, the sound would roll like thunder, increasing its power several times over.

The three men had joined forces, their strength exceeding one hundred thousand horse-power. Without a magical treasure to block the attack, Jiang Feng knew that the three of them would be shattered instantly, their Netherforce dispersed and their bodies crushed into mincemeat.

“It seems I underestimated the disciples of the Langya Chamber of Commerce in Lingbo Town.”

The moment Jiang Feng flew into the Royal Cauldron and entered its depths, he understood the situation clearly.

The overwhelming Netherforce crashed viciously against the White Emperor Glazed Cauldron, as though it meant to blast apart this supreme treasure of the Great Demon King and grind it into a slab of iron.

After taking the Mad Demon Life-Reducing Pill, Lei Peng, Su Bing, and Huo Liu—three direct disciples of the Langya Chamber of Commerce in Lingbo Town—had seen their Netherforce swell explosively, exceeding one hundred thousand horse-power. The assault continued without pause, leaving no room to resist or contend with it.

Of course, only disciples of the Langya Chamber of Commerce in Lingbo Town could be so crazed, extravagant, and reckless as to squander their lifespans in a desperate struggle.

If an ordinary direct disciple of the Langya Chamber of Commerce, such as Cang Baizi, possessed this secret pill, consuming it would allow him to unleash tremendous power—but afterward his lifespan would be exhausted, his physical body ruined, and his life extinguished. Even if he survived, he would become a white-haired, frail old man, forever incapable of further cultivation.

These three men, however, had struck Jiang Feng as extraordinarily robust from the first moment he saw them. They had clearly cultivated some secret body-tempering art. They had also taken pills that extended their lifespans. Losing a hundred years of life was certainly a grave price, but it would not be fatal. Compared with the immense merit gained from killing a Demon Marshal, the risk was worthwhile.

As for Jiang Feng and the others, the three direct disciples did not regard them at all. They could crush them to death with casual ease.

Hum, hum, hum—hum, hum, hum…

Although Jiang Feng and Duan Xingyun had moved quickly enough to hide within the Royal Cauldron, they were far from safe. The immense Netherforce continued to batter them, even penetrating the great formation within the cauldron. The enormous tiger roars seeped into its interior, shaking Duan Xingyun’s Netherforce until it nearly dispersed.

With no other choice, the two men sat cross-legged within the cauldron and devoted all their strength to protecting their minds from collapse.

Several times, Jiang Feng tried to activate the Spatial Displacement Formation inside the Royal Cauldron, but no matter how he urged it on, the cauldron seemed frozen within the Netherforce. It was trapped in a quagmire and could not break free, utterly incapable of shifting away.

Even when he cast the Five-Fire Divine Thunder, the spherical flames were completely scattered the moment they touched the Scarlet Tiger Netherforce. They did not even have the chance to explode.

When Jiang Feng released his Wood Emperor Netherforce, the instant it came into contact with the Scarlet Tiger Netherforce, his entire body went numb, and his mind seemed ready to burst apart. He was simply no match for it.

Looking outward from within the Royal Cauldron, he saw Netherforce everywhere, pressing inward like an iron wall. It seeped through every gap like a spirit serpent and had already begun corroding several of the formations surrounding the cauldron.

Several protective formations encircled the White Emperor Glazed Cauldron. They were gradually being eaten away by the Netherforce, yet Jiang Feng was powerless to resist. The disparity between them was simply too great.

It was like defending a city by relying on favorable terrain: a few thousand soldiers might hold off an army of ten thousand, but if an army of one hundred thousand attacked, the defenses would inevitably fail.

If this continued, the Royal Cauldron would sooner or later be seized by the enemy.

“Jue, what should we do?”

“This is a moment of extreme danger! Their strength is far greater than ours. We can only defend ourselves rigorously and must not attack. Wait and see how the Demon Marshal’s battle with them turns out.” Jue’s voice sharpened. “Yellow Springs Netherforce—Corrosion of Immortals!”

At last, Jue revealed his true strength. A vast yellow vapor poured forth from him, forming bubble after bubble. They resembled the poisonous gases rising from a swamp, capable of corroding everything.

The bubbles of Netherforce surged into the several invaded formations. The instant they came into contact with the Scarlet Tiger Netherforce, it began to corrode. Its whiteness vanished, replaced by broad patches of filth.

It was like splashing a great quantity of soy sauce across pure white snow.

“What kind of nether art is that? Corrosion!” Jiang Feng watched in astonishment as Jue’s technique fouled and eroded the enemy’s Netherforce.

“Corrosion is simply one method of manipulating Netherforce. Once you reach the True Nether Realm, cultivate various nether arts, master the complete Profound-Heaven Secret Art, and absorb Nether Soulforce, you will be able to wield corrosive Netherforce as well.” Jue’s voice had grown somewhat breathless, clearly showing that the strain on his mind was immense. “But I cannot hold out for long either. Calm your mind and wait for an opportunity. The moment one appears, we will rush out and flee once more.”

“Good.”

Jiang Feng stilled his thoughts.

High above, the three direct disciples of the Langya Chamber of Commerce in Lingbo Town continued to pour forth their Netherforce while battling the Demon Marshal. The fight raged with astonishing intensity.

“Senior Brother, my Netherforce seems to have been fouled. For the moment, I cannot refine that White Emperor Glazed Cauldron,” Su Bing said to Lei Peng.

“They are turtles trapped in a jar. They cannot hold out for long. First, concentrate your Netherforce and prepare several magical treasures. We must kill the Demon Marshal! We cannot let him escape this time. If we fail to kill him, we will receive no compensation. The hundred years of lifespan we have lost is already too great a price. Moreover, our physical bodies have suffered devastating damage, and our minds have been eroded by the Mad Demon Pill. We will never again be able to glimpse the True Nether Realm.”

“You think that sacrificing a hundred years of your lives will allow you to kill me? I must say, you are far too naïve. Prepare yourselves to die!”

As the three direct disciples unleashed their Netherforce, the Demon Marshal remained motionless. A white bone relic emerged from the back of his head, transforming into blossoming bone lotuses that completely blocked the Netherforce. No matter how violently the Scarlet Tiger Netherforce surged, it could not invade him in the slightest.

The moment he struck, ghostly white demonic light erupted. With one step, a massive bone lotus bloomed beneath his feet. Demonic energy soared into the heavens, forcibly parting the Netherforce. When he punched, three White-Bone Demon Gods condensed into existence and lunged directly at the three men.

Roar! Roar! Roar!

The three savage White-Bone Demon Gods tore through the Netherforce, unleashing violent howls as they charged forward. In the blink of an eye, they had reached Lei Peng, Huo Liu, and Su Bing.

“White-Bone Nether Art!”

Seeing the White-Bone Demon Gods rushing toward him, Lei Peng knew that they were no ordinary creations. They had been condensed from White-Bone Netherforce and had melted down an unknown number of heavenly and earthly demons, containing boundless demonic nature. Once they pounced upon someone, they would devour the victim until not even the bones remained, leaving no chance for retaliation.

Gritting his teeth, Lei Peng suddenly summoned a five-pointed, wheel-shaped magical treasure. It spun rapidly, and countless sparks flew from its edges. It was clearly a treasure artifact.

This was his magical treasure, the Golden-Flow Dharma Form.

The direct disciples of the Langya Chamber of Commerce in Lingbo Town nearly all possessed at least one supreme dark-grade nether artifact. Even most of their inner disciples had one. They were nowhere near as miserably equipped as the disciples of the Langya Chamber of Commerce in Jiuyan Town. After all, the foremost orthodox sect beneath heaven had inherited its legacy for tens of thousands of years.

At the same time, Su Bing and Huo Liu also brought out their own treasure artifacts.

Su Bing’s supreme dark-grade nether artifact was a jade bottle, white as mutton fat. Six flying blades shot from within, glimmering with a ghostly light. Each of the six blades had tiny wings, eyes, and noses, making them seem almost like living spirits. A chilling killing intent burst from them, freezing the blood of all who sensed it.

“Six-Qi Soul-Desolation Flying-Blade Formation!”

With a furious roar from Su Bing, the six flying blades beat their wings. They surpassed the speed of sound entirely, transforming into a streak of light that slashed forward and instantly dismembered one of the White-Bone Demon Gods.

Every one of those six flying blades was actually a supreme dark-grade nether artifact.

This blade formation resembled the Seven-Kill Sword Formation, while the mutton-fat jade purification bottle was similar to the Seven-Treasure Immortal Gourd—except that its power was even greater.

“Vast Heaven and Earth Must Be Remade; Silent Earth Gives Rise to Wind and Thunder! Wind-Thunder Banner!”

Behind Huo Liu, a great banner slowly rose. Wind-and-cloud sigils covered its surface, interwoven with spherical lightning. With a single tremor, it unleashed a massive hurricane wrapped in muffled thunder. The attack struck directly, shaking heaven and earth alike.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The three White-Bone Demon Gods were shattered by the overwhelming power of the magical treasures. The three nether artifacts then turned and counterattacked Mo Linhai, the Demon Marshal.

“Excellent treasures!”

A solemn expression appeared on the Demon Marshal’s face as the artifacts flew toward him. He spoke three words of true speech:

“Soul Collapse!”

As soon as the words left his mouth, his fingers flicked repeatedly. The innate White-Bone Netherforce within his body began to vibrate according to a strange rhythm, as though it had synchronized with the frequency of earthquakes and natural disasters, resonating with the heavens and the earth.

At once, wherever his fingers pointed, whether it was the Scarlet Tiger Netherforce or the magical treasures, everything shattered.

The first to suffer the destructive blow were the six Soul-Extinguishing Flying Blades.

At his touch, the six flying blades instantly disintegrated. The formations within them collapsed and dispersed, vanishing into thin air as though they had never existed.

“Soul Collapse! You actually mastered Soul Collapse!”

Lei Peng began to roar in madness.

“Let’s go! This demon cannot be subdued!” Su Bing saw the Demon Marshal unleash Soul Collapse and shouted in panic as well.

“What a perfect opportunity!”

Jiang Feng finally sensed that his chance had arrived. He activated the Spatial-Seizing Displacement Formation once more. The Royal Cauldron sank sharply, broke through the Netherforce, and plunged into the depths of the sea.

“What kind of demonic art is Soul Collapse? How can it be so powerful? It shattered even a treasure artifact with a single strike!”

After seizing the opportunity to sink to the ocean floor, Jiang Feng was still shaken. Deep fear and wariness toward the Demon Marshal’s nether art filled his heart. Wherever the Demon Marshal’s finger touched with Soul Collapse, nothing could withstand it, nothing could remain unbroken, and nothing could escape destruction.

“It is one of the supreme nether arts of the demonic path, and it is extraordinarily difficult to master. Yet once cultivated successfully, it can shatter everything. Any form of Netherforce will immediately collapse upon contact. It is said to be an immeasurable nether art once used by the ancient Heavenly Demon God to shatter the void and destroy worlds. If cultivated to its highest realm, it could annihilate an entire space-time, then reshape earth, water, fire, and wind to create another world.

“But the Demon Marshal has not reached such a realm. I do not know how powerful his father, the Innate One, was. Regardless, we must leave quickly, lest the Demon Marshal seize the chance to strike us with a Great Soul-Collapse Technique. Then we will truly be finished. The White Emperor Glazed Cauldron may not be shattered, but our Netherforce will certainly be dispersed, and we will fall into his hands.”

Jue communicated rapidly with Jiang Feng through their minds.