Chapter 687: The Terrifying Power of Restriction
Sect Head Qin Mo’s expression sank, “What do you want to do, Jiang Chen?”
Jiang Chen didn’t respond and took out a stalk of sky rank spirit herb with a cold laugh instead. Then, he replied in a remote, disinterested tone, “This is the first stalk of a sky rank spirit herb. If my senior sister isn’t by my side safe and sound by the time I count to five, I’ll destroy it.”
Qin Mo frowned, “What nonsense are you spewing in broad daylight, kid? Shall I let your senior sister just walk over only for the two of you to escape via a talisman?”
w.a.n.g Ha nodded in agreement, “Honored master, this kid is fond of devious plans and traps. Don’t fall for his schemes!”
Jiang Chen didn’t bother wasting any more words. He smirked oddly, rubbed his hands together and reduced the spirit herb to dust. Then, he immediately took out another one. “I’ll count to five again…” His tone was cold and cruel.
Sect Head Qin Mo trembled, even his organs started spasming. Jiang Chen had destroyed a sky rank spirit herb just like this! That was slicing flesh off Qin Mo’s body! Even w.a.n.g Han hadn’t thought that Jiang Chen would be so resolute. The expressions on all their faces were quite ugly to behold. Each new word of Jiang Chen counting down was akin to a sharp arrow. Each spoken number stabbed deep into the sect head’s heart, making the muscles on his face tic and spasm. “Hold!” Qin Mo flung out a hand.
Jiang Chen smiled faintly, “You want to talk? Return my senior sister. Remember, no tricks. If I find that any restrictions or some such have been placed on her, you won’t be able to get any of the sky rank spirit herbs either.”
Said restrictions were precisely what Qin Mo had in mind, and he felt the strength leave his limbs when Jiang Chen voiced the warning. He gritted his teeth and threw Ling Bi"er over with a “Have her!” He then had his zither strings sweep through the air to form an inescapable net, one enclosing all of the air within. This was done to prevent Jiang Chen and others from escaping via talismans. Once the net was complete and the area sealed off, even a powerful talisman wouldn’t be able to break through it. Sect Head Qin Mo was very confident that with his strength at the third level emperor realm, he’d be able to capture Jiang Chen, even if with some momentary delays.
When Jiang Chen saw Ling Bi"er fly towards him, he immediately made a hand seal and materialized the Minor Artifice Formation. “Senior sister, this way!”
This formation was something he had projected from the formation disk, so there’d been no need for many preparations to be made beforehand. Jiang Chen pulled Ling Bi"er directly into the residence.
“Junior brother, I’ve dragged you down with me.” Ling Bi"er felt that she had inadvertently ruined things with her good intentions. “I made you destroy a sky spirit herb... I’ll make it up to you in the future!”
“Heh, don’t dwell on this, senior sister. It was all a trick.” Jiang Chen flashed a smirk that was just a tiny bit sly. “Come on in with me, senior sister. That old b.a.s.t.a.r.d is strong, the formation won’t keep him out for long.”
A Minor Artifice Formation was a formation that combined the real and the illusory and it had a psychological battle at its heart. Jiang Chen held no illusions that it could actually confine his opponent. That wouldn’t be realistic at all. All that he asked of it was to delay things a bit so he could prepare his next step. After all, Jiang Chen had been able to find the foundation of this formation back when he’d been sky origin realm. The opponent he was facing now was an emperor realm expert with a level of consciousness that was in no way inferior to his at that moment in the past.
In the meantime, Ling Bi’er’s heart raced as Jiang Chen pulled on her hand. A bit of sweat formed in the palm of her hand, but she still couldn’t help but say, “Junior brother, this palace is very odd.. Are we really going to go inside? I have a sophisticated escape talisman here that can help us get away.”
Jiang Chen shook his head, “It won’t be of any use. That old man’s sealed off the entire area. Although the talisman is strong, we won’t be able to leave without a strong ability to break through the seal.”
An escape glyph was a kind of s.p.a.ce talisman that enabled one to quickly escape without leaving a trace behind. But, the glyph itself didn’t contain the power to break through seals making it useless when the area was blocked off, unless one paired it with a strong art to break through the s.p.a.ce. Jiang Chen did have the ability to break through seals and owned powerful weapons, such as the Moonshatter Awl he’d taken from Cao Jin, however, he wouldn’t take a risk without being one hundred percent certain, not to mention that he didn’t plan on leaving at all.
Whether it was this Zither sect head of the Great Scarlet Mid Region or the remnants of the Sacred Sword Palace, both had thoroughly trampled over his bottom line. Killing intent had filled his heart, and he was going to stay in order to do away with all of them in one go. Seeing how resolved Jiang Chen was, Ling Bi’er had no more doubts, albeit there was still a myriad of questions in her heart. She had an absolute trust in Jiang Chen now. She wouldn’t fear even a t.i.tled Great Emperor while together with her junior brother, much less a third level emperor realm cultivator.
Thus, the two quickly pa.s.sed through the palace as Jiang Chen swiftly led Ling Bi"er to the core of the abode. Only there would they find absolute safety.
“Junior brother, have you been here before?” Ling Bi"er couldn’t help but ask when she saw how familiar Jiang Chen was with the area.
He nodded and looked coldly in the direction of the outside. “Senior sister, what’s the situation outside?” His tone was quite serious.
“I don’t know much, but I’ve heard that many experts have come from the Great Scarlet Mid Region this time. The Zither sect is but one of many that arrived. From their words, it seems that our Regal Pill Palace was warned early and broke through the encirclement. The other sects have been surrounded and things are looking dire for them.” Even someone as calm as Ling Bi"er couldn’t help but feel a bit of panic when she spoke of the Myriad Domain’s current predicament. The current Great Scarlet’s invasion was on a large scale and looked like a complete repeat of the utter annihilation from six hundred years ago. The Myriad Domain had been much stronger then, yet had still found itself hard pressed to escape a disaster. Now... this time… Ling Bi"er didn’t dare to think of the future.
Jiang Chen was silent for a moment, “Palace Head Dan Chi actually antic.i.p.ated that great changes would come to the Myriad Domain. He had plans of disbanding the Regal Pill Palace and keeping a low profile. I hope he made it out this time. But, I’m worried that the Palace Head might find himself fleeing right back into the hands of the Great Scarlet Mid Region’s forces, if all of them had been sent out to take down the various sects.”
Ling Bi"er could easily see the same future unfolding and nodded with anxiety, “I wonder how the Regal Pill Palace is at the moment?”
“Let’s make it through this situation first before thinking of that. Senior sister, remember not to leave this area.” Jiang Chen’s brows twitched as he was saying that. Then, his eyes suddenly blazed with light that beamed in the direction of the palace’s outskirts. He had already sensed that an emperor realm cultivator had caught up to them.
“Jiang Chen, you little kid, I’ve rather underestimated you.” Sect Head Qin Mo’s sinister cackling danced in the air as he arrived in the palace. The Sacred Sword Palace members trickled in behind him, all of them staring viciously at Jiang Chen.
“Honored master, be careful of this brat’s tricks!” w.a.n.g Han spoke up fawningly.
Sect Head Qin Mo waved his hand while looking around and smiling slightly, “To think that such a residence would exist in the transcendent region. Jiang Chen, looks like you were quite lucky. There must be some startling inheritance in this palace.”
The old man’s tone was casual, but he was quite on the alert as he roved around the surroundings with his consciousness.
Jiang Chen flicked a teasing, mocking glance at the old man, “What, this catches your eye as well?”
Sect Head Qin Mo laughed heartily, “Kid, you talk tough even at this time. I rather admire your courage.”
w.a.n.g Jianyu and w.a.n.g Han both started smirking in a sinister fas.h.i.+on. It was apparent that everyone considered Jiang Chen and Ling Bi"er to be but fish in a barrel. They might have been able flee with the help of escape talismans in the outside world, but the palace was completely sealed off and their wings would be clipped as long as the exit was blocked.
Jiang Chen didn’t grace them with a response, but turned to ask Ling Bi’er, “Senior sister, is this all of them?”
Ling Bi"er started but still counted the number of people present, “Yes. This is all of them. We’re not missing anyone.”
Jiang Chen nodded, smiling leisurely, “As long as they’re all in here...”
Sect Head Qin Mo felt very uncomfortable seeing this relaxed smile. He felt that something was a bit off, but he couldn’t really put his finger on what was wrong. So instead he turned to his men and said, “w.a.n.g Jianyu, you go first. I want him alive!”
He was an exceedingly cautious person. Since the Sacred Sword Palace wanted to defect and come under his banner, this was precisely the place to make use of them. w.a.n.g Jianyu sneered, he couldn’t ask for anything more. He brandished his sword with the words, “Jiang Chen, let me send you on your way!”
Jiang Chen chuckled easily, “Send me on my way? Why don’t you look in the mirror first and check if you’re fit to do that? As for me, I’ve long since made arrangements for you all. The road to the underworld is long, and I won’t be seeing you on!”
He didn’t waste any more words after this as he sent a mental command, triggering the restrictions of the palace with his consciousness. The palace responded. It immediately went off like a volcano, countless numbers of restrictions exploding with the force capable of destroying the heavens and earth.
“What?! We need to get out!” Sect Head Qin Mo instantly sensed that things were awry and panicked. But it was too late. The unbound, unending force of the restrictions roiled forth with enough momentum to sweep away any and all obstacles. w.a.n.g Jianyu and the rest of the Sacred Sword Palace were unceremoniously pounded into dust whenever the rampaging power touched them. It turned on Qin Mo last.
The sect head felt unspeakable bitterness as he called upon his zither, trying to set up some defenses in front of him. However, the strong restrictions would continuously batter down any defenses he conjured, ripping all of them apart like paper.
Crack!!
The final defenses were destroyed as the tremendous power crashed onto the sect head.
Bang bang bang!
He had the protection of inner armor to call on as well, but was still heavily injured as soon as his defenses were broken. Qin Mo was truly scared witless now. “Jiang Chen… Jiang Chen… we can talk things through. I surrender, I have intelligence…”
However, a new dominating surge ripped apart his inner armor as soon as he finished speaking and pummeled him to nothing. The soul that departed the obliterated body didn’t even have time to flee before it too was turned to dust by another wave of power. That fierce, overweening third level emperor realm cultivator had been reduced to nothing in an instant.
The last enemy alive was w.a.n.g Han, a bit luckier than the others by virtue of hiding behind Sect Head Qin Mo. He had still been caught in the wake of the attacks, his injuries weren’t fatal, however. At this moment Jiang Chen made a hand seal and deactivated the restrictions. The entire palace returned to its previous, tranquil appearance, as if the h.e.l.lish a.s.sault from just now hadn’t happened at all. There was no one by w.a.n.g Han’s side. There wasn’t even a complete corpse on the ground. His face was ashen as he started to contemplate the sudden feeling that although the world was vast, there was no place in it for him at all. He wanted to turn and run, but recalling just how frightening the restrictions had been just now, he didn’t dare move.