Chapter 48: Finish the Job
Si Chen was satisfied. On the other side, however, Fang Heng's expression had turned as ugly as if he'd swallowed a live fly.
He watched helplessly as Si Chen bent down and pocketed the dragon pearl crackling with violet lightning, his eyes nearly shooting flames.
That pearl was supposed to be his Fortuitous Encounter — his hope of breaking through to the Nascent Soul Stage and even catching a glimpse of the Soul Transformation Grand Dao!
To control the Yin Corpse Banner, he had spat out mouthful after mouthful of blood essence, suffering grievous damage to his Vital Energy. He had been certain that with this terrifying corpse-dragon, he could sweep everything aside, reclaim the dragon pearl, and salvage his dignity.
Yet what was this scene before him?
This enormous draconic corpse had not only failed to crush that insufferable Si Chen as he'd intended — it had instead thrashed and writhed on the spot as though seized by some tremendous fright, and had even turned to attack its own master!?
"Why?! Move! Kill him! Kill him!"
Fang Heng shrieked like a man gone mad.
He couldn't understand it. Ever since he had crossed paths with this Si Chen, everything had spiraled out of his control.
He, Fang Heng, was the one who should have been challenging those above his rank. He, Fang Heng, was the one who should have claimed the Fortuitous Encounter. He, Fang Heng, was the one who should have held all the cards!
And yet now, everything was reversed!
He didn't understand. He truly didn't understand!
* * *
After pocketing the dragon pearl, Si Chen was in excellent spirits.
Fang Heng didn't understand — but Si Chen knew exactly what the corpse-dragon was afraid of.
He glanced at Old Mo's ashen face and Fang Heng's manic state, and suddenly found it all rather amusing.
"How about I give it a try?"
The remark came out of nowhere, and everyone froze for a moment.
Give what a try?
Then, turning to face the restless corpse-dragon, he spoke calmly: "Hey. Stop moving around."
At those words, Heishan and Chifeng both went rigid.
"B-brother?" Heishan scratched his shaggy head, wondering if Si Chen had rattled his brain during the fight. "Who are you talking to with that thing? If it can actually understand you, I'll eat that banner right here on the spot!"
Chifeng let out a low growl, equally baffled.
They could both see clearly — even the wicked banner had lost control of the corpse-dragon. What good would a single word from Si Chen do?
Even Lü Ci, who had been watching from the shadows and readying himself to slip away at any moment, couldn't help the twitch at the corner of his mouth. Was this kid so giddy from getting the dragon pearl that he'd lost his mind? A Foundation Establishment Cultivator talking to a corpse-dragon that even a dedicated evil treasure couldn't control — what kind of dream was he living in?
They all assumed the corpse-dragon had gone out of control because its cultivation during life had been too high for the Yin Corpse Banner to fully contain.
Si Chen paid no mind to their doubts. He simply turned back to the corpse-dragon and quietly added the second half of his sentence.
"Go. Kill them."
In the next instant, a scene that made every scalp crawl and every worldview shatter unfolded before them.
The enormous corpse-dragon, which had been trembling ceaselessly just moments before, actually stopped struggling the moment it heard Si Chen's command.
Then it let out a roar that somehow sounded like relief — and hurled itself in a frenzy toward its former master: Fang Heng and Old Mo!
The ferocity of the assault was several times more savage than when it had been out of control!
"No! Impossible!!" Fang Heng screamed in terror, shaking the Yin Corpse Banner in his hands with all his might, desperately trying to re-establish the connection.
It was utterly useless.
The corpse-dragon had broken free of the Yin Corpse Banner's control entirely!
"Young Master, watch out!"
Old Mo was horrified beyond words. He shoved the still-futilely-shaking Fang Heng aside, unleashed every last drop of his spiritual power without reservation, and thrust both palms forward, once again condensing a thick, massive shield of spiritual power in an attempt to block this earth-shattering blow.
Boom——!!
The corpse-dragon's skull slammed into the spiritual power shield like a meteor.
They held for only an instant before the shield shattered like glass, piece by piece. Old Mo took the full impact and was sent flying, spitting a great mouthful of blood in midair, his aura plummeting in an instant.
The power the corpse-dragon unleashed after receiving Si Chen's command was even more terrifying than when it had been out of control!
"Why?! Why does it listen to him?!" Fang Heng was blasted off his feet and crashed to the ground. Staring at the completely defected corpse-dragon, his composure shattered entirely.
Heishan's jaw dropped, his bear eyes going wide as copper bells. "I… Holy shit! It… it actually understood?!"
Chifeng's tiger eyes were equally round, filled with disbelief.
Lü Ci sucked in a sharp breath and quietly shuffled several steps back, the fear in his gaze as he looked at Si Chen now completely overwhelming any hatred.
This kid… what in the world was he?
Si Chen stood in place, watching calmly as the corpse-dragon, under his command, launched a frenzied assault on Fang Heng and Old Mo.
He gave a satisfied nod.
Seeing Si Chen nod, the corpse-dragon seemed to receive tremendous encouragement and attacked with even greater ferocity. Its massive tail swept sideways and lashed down hard toward Fang Heng, who had already collapsed on the ground — it looked as though he was about to be smashed into a pulp.
"I am Fang Heng… of the Fang Clan! How could I… fall here?!" In that moment between life and death, Fang Heng let out a desperate, furious roar.
Old Mo, critically wounded by a single blow, was frantic but had no time to intervene.
At that very moment, a streak of sword light faster than the corpse-dragon's tail flashed past!
It was Lü Ci!
He had actually made his move at this moment!
His body and sword became one, transforming into a streak of flowing light. Rather than attacking the corpse-dragon, he swept up Fang Heng from the ground at the very last instant before the tail came crashing down, yanking him clear!
Thud!!
The draconic tail slammed down with tremendous force. The ground where Fang Heng had been lying instantly cratered, shards of rock flying in all directions.
Lü Ci landed at a distance, carrying the gravely wounded Fang Heng, his expression dark.
His decision to save Fang Heng had nothing to do with any sense of chivalry.
If Fang Heng died here, the Fang Clan's wrath would fall first and foremost on his Liuyun Sword Sect!
Others might not know, but he understood all too well just how terrifying a force the Fang Clan was. Right now, all he wanted was to get this dead weight out of this godforsaken place as quickly as possible!
"Th-thank you, Sect Master Lü…" Old Mo said weakly, his breath faint.
Lü Ci couldn't be bothered to respond — he was barely keeping himself together as it was.
He looked toward Si Chen, drew a deep breath, and did his best to keep his tone measured: "Si Chen! You've already obtained the dragon pearl. Can today's matter end here?"
"I… the Liuyun Sword Sect, is willing to let this go. From this day forward, we will no longer be your enemy!"
He was yielding.
A Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator, yielding to a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
The humiliation was beyond imagination — yet circumstances were stronger than any man. When life and death were on the line, revenge and face meant nothing.
Every gaze instantly converged on Si Chen.
Heishan and Chifeng also stared at Si Chen in bewilderment. Just what kind of background did their brother have?
Si Chen looked at the battered, disheveled Lü Ci attempting to negotiate peace, and felt not the slightest wavering in his heart.
How were these people even more naive than he had been when he first entered the world?
They always seemed to believe that as long as they set aside their so-called pride and offered a breezy "let's let it go," all the killing intent, scheming, and encirclement that came before could simply be treated as if it had never existed.
Si Chen's gaze shifted to the corpse-dragon, which, having missed its strike, seemed somewhat agitated — as though waiting for his next instruction.
"You did well just now," Si Chen said softly, as if praising an obedient pet.
The corpse-dragon's massive body gave a faint shudder, and somehow conveyed a sense of being flattered.
"Now — finish the job."