The Demon Lord's Invasion

Chapter 47: A Stinging Sensation

Three days after the group had ventured deep into the Boundless Abyss Sea, an island finally appeared before the vast, deep-blue expanse. Yet the group paid it no mind; instead, their gazes were fixed on a black line stretching above the island! As they drew closer, the black line grew larger. At first, it looked like a single strand of hair, but once they were within one li, the fissure alone was already a hundred zhang wide, and its length stretched straight into the heavens, as if cleaved open by a celestial blade. Inside lay Chaos, radiating a chilling, oppressive force. “Many major factions have already arrived, but it will still take over a month to set up the grand formation. Based on past estimates, this rift should remain open for another two or three years. However, to be on the safe side, you’d best make your way out within a year,” Tie Wu Yi said as he led the group down to the island beneath the spatial rift. Once they reached the island, Jiang Tang realized it wasn’t an island at all, but a powerful magical artifact forged from a mountain, floating on the sea like a ship. “The dozen or so stone huts up ahead are Xian Zong’s quarters. There’s one for each of you; feel free to settle in and rest,” Tie Wu Yi said. The disciples wasted no time—the days of continuous travel had indeed left them exhausted. Jiang Tang didn’t rush over, but instead turned to Tie Wu and said, “Master, going in there will likely be a life-or-death situation for this disciple. Do you have any treasures, life-protecting magical artifacts, or spirit weapons? Please give me a better chance of coming back alive.” “You little rascal—you managed to break into the top ten at the early Foundation Establishment stage, so your strength is naturally extraordinary. What is there to worry about?” Tie Wu scolded with a laugh, but still produced three talismans. “These three Mystic Light Shield Talismans can block a full-power attack from anyone below the Golden Core stage. I don’t have any others to give you.” “Thank you, Master,” Jiang Tang said, overjoyed as he accepted them. “Don’t get too excited just yet. This time, it’s not just humans entering Spirit Island—there are also some genius demon clan members. I really don’t know if that’s a blessing or a curse for you,” Tie Wu Yi sighed. “Beast Clan!” Jiang Tang was somewhat taken aback, unable to understand why the human factions of the Four Directions Heaven would allow the Beast Clan to meddle in this matter. “Xiao San,” Tie Wu Yi suddenly whispered, “Don’t trust anyone!” Jiang Tang paused, then looked at Tie Wu Yi and smiled. “Senior Master Lu said the same thing.” “Heh, that old guy… All right, I still need to go work with cultivators from other sects to set up a grand formation to stabilize the fissure. You should get some rest.” ” Just as Tie Wu Yi finished speaking and was about to leave, he suddenly stopped in his tracks and said to Yu Chang, “If even major sect affairs cannot deter Junior Uncle from this journey, it’s clear there must be someone here you care about. As for Xiao San, aside from his divine sense, he’s no different from an ordinary disciple now. I ask that you understand this, Junior Uncle.” Yu Chang was taken aback for a moment, then nodded expressionlessly. Only then did Tie Wu Yi transform into a streak of light and fly toward the mountaintop. “Your master sure knows a lot,” Yu Chang said with a smile to Jiang Tang. Jiang Tang rolled his eyes and ignored her. Tie Wu Yi was a Yuan Ying cultivator with profound cultivation. When Jiang Tang first joined the sect, Tie Wu Yi had thoroughly scrutinized him inside and out—not even his divine sense could be concealed from him—so naturally, he could guess a thing or two. A seventeen-year-old boy who had only just reached the Foundation Establishment stage yet possessed a spiritual sense at the mid-stage of the Spirit Martial Realm—this was clearly the result of his spiritual essence being stolen. Add to that the fact that Yu Chang, on the verge of turning thirty, had abandoned her preparations at the sect to come work as a bodyguard—given the path she cultivated and the bloodline she inherited—how could Tie Wu Yi not have guessed eighty to ninety percent of the truth? Ignoring Yu Chang, Jiang Tang walked to the stone hut, pushed the door open, and stepped inside. Just as he casually closed the door behind him, he turned around to see that Yu Chang was already sitting on the stone bed inside. “Stop messing around. If word gets out, I’ll really be hunted down.” Jiang Tang was truly at a loss for words. “My father survived being hunted down for ten thousand li back in the day—what are you afraid of? The more desperate the situation, the more your potential is unleashed. The stronger you get, the stronger I’ll become!” Jiang Tang turned his face away and stared into space for a long time. He really didn’t know what was going on in this world. The Nikuang Mountain Main Clan’s chilling ways were already more than he could handle, and Yu Chang—she was downright sickening! She was a woman of unparalleled beauty and a prodigious genius. It would’ve been one thing if she’d chosen to follow the Path of Devotion—but why fixate on him of all people? If this had been in the past, he would’ve welcomed it, but now… he couldn’t afford to cross her. He didn’t want to go head-to-head with Nikuang Mountain just yet. Besides, Qiong Sang was absolutely right: if Yu Chang lost control and forced herself on him, never mind whether it would derail the old monster’s grand plan for Xian Zong—the wrath of Yu Chang’s mother alone was more than Jiang Tang could handle. “I’m not even afraid of a woman—what are you, a man, afraid of?” Yu Chang lay sprawled across the stone bed, her posture infinitely alluring. Jiang Tang didn’t even dare to look at her; he silently walked over to the stone table, sat down, and began flipping through the talismans his master had given him. Yu Chang seemed to have returned to her usual self; she didn’t utter a word, but she stared intently at Jiang Tang. She kept staring like that for a full day and night. Jiang Tang simply couldn’t take it anymore, so he decided to step outside. The sea breeze of the Wuyuan Sea was bitterly cold. If Jiang Tang hadn’t used his spiritual energy to ward it off, he would have suffered frostbite in an instant and turned into an ice pop within half a quarter-hour. Yet, for some reason, despite the extreme cold, the seawater never froze. Jiang Tang scooped up some seawater, intending to follow Dongfang’s example and study it, when suddenly he heard a soft gasp of disbelief. “Jiang Tang? You’re Jiang Tang, aren’t you!” “Hm?” Jiang Tang turned his head at the sound and saw a graceful figure walking toward him from the shore not far away. “Yuan Shangpiao!” Jiang Tang never would have imagined running into an old acquaintance from the Sand Sea right here. “It really is you! Oh my, you’ve gotten fairer, taller, and even more handsome—I almost didn’t recognize you, little brother. But your face is still so youthful!” As she spoke, Yuan Shangpiao had already walked up to Jiang Tang. Looking down at him from above, she flashed a seductive smile and bent down, reaching out to poke his shallow dimple—but suddenly, Jiang Tang’s head was pulled into the embrace of a woman who’d appeared out of nowhere. She swatted Yuan Shangpiao’s finger away and said, her eyes flashing with murderous intent, ““He’s not someone you can lay a finger on.” Yuan Shangpiao felt a chill run through her body; it was as if she’d fallen into an ice cave, and she remained frozen in shock for a long time. “Stop it,” Jiang Tang said weakly. Who else but Yu Chang could treat him like this! He tried to break free, but when he did, not only did he fail, but Yu Chang held him even tighter, as if flaunting her supple, soft curves, forcing Jiang Tang to channel his spiritual energy to quell the heat. “Hah!” Yuan Shangpiao smiled wryly, clearly having figured something out. Without so much as a glance at Yu Chang, she turned to Jiang Tang and said, “I could tell back then that you had this kind of potential, but I never thought you’d actually end up with her!” “Get lost.” Jiang Tang rolled his eyes and snapped, “We’ll catch up on Spirit Island when we get the chance.” “Got it.” Yuan Shangpiao giggled, and as she turned away, her slender waist—barely concealed by her sheer gown—swayed and undulated, exuding pure allure! Jiang Tang couldn’t see it, but he could feel it from the way Yu Chang was tightening her grip on him—it was killing him! “If I run into her out there, I’ll cripple her.” After saying this, Yu Chang finally let go of Jiang Tang. Jiang Tang didn’t dare to intervene; if he dared to say even a single word in Yuan Shangpiao’s defense, it would only add fuel to the fire. Yuan Shangpiao wouldn’t just be crippled—she’d face a deadly fate! “One of these days, if I take a dislike to some woman, I’ll declare my love for her,” Jiang Tang said. But he didn’t notice Yu Chang’s face—which had turned as cold as ice—and instead smiled charmingly, adding, “Chang’er will make her regret ever daring to look down on my Jiang Tang.” What else could Jiang Tang say? He could only pray that those little rascals from the Nikuang Mountain Main Clan would grow up quickly and rein in this madwoman sooner rather than later. That way, when he stormed their gates in the future, he’d at most cripple them—but spare their lives. The stone hut was unbearable, but the outside world seemed even worse. Jiang Tang decided to return and wait patiently for further instructions. He waited like this for over a month. The area outside the stone house seemed to grow livelier by the day, but Jiang Tang didn’t go out. It wasn’t until Tie Wu Yi came personally to notify him that Jiang Tang finally opened the door. When Tie Wu Yi saw Yu Chang inside Jiang Tang’s hut, he paused in surprise. Then he sighed, turned away, and shook his head as he said, “It’s fate, it’s fate! Little Third, since there’s no avoiding it, let’s just charge in.” “Break through my ass.” If Jiang Tang had the strength to break through, why would he be so troubled? Just as he was about to follow Tie Wu Yi and his disciples out, he suddenly heard Yu Chang’s telepathic message: “Be careful—don’t trust anyone.” Jiang Tang was startled. He turned to look at Yu Chang and discovered she was actually smiling! It was a wry smile Jiang Tang had never seen on her face before! Even with that bitter smile, Yu Chang was still breathtakingly beautiful, leaving Jiang Tang mesmerized for a moment. His heartbeat quickened involuntarily, but for some reason, the pounding felt faintly painful! “Mm!” Jiang Tang gave a brief reply, then turned and hurried after Tie Wu Yi and the others as they walked away. At the mountaintop, in the center of a vast formation, the Ten Heroes of Xian Zong were the first to step onto it. Following them, disciples from the Yinpo Sect, Sword Gate, Kui City, the Shenwu Empire, and the major clans all entered the formation one after another. Finally, ten young men and women with bronze-colored skin strode proudly into the formation. At that moment, the elders of the major powers all performed their incantations to activate the grand formation. Gradually, the array’s radiance grew brighter and brighter, soon reaching a point where it was impossible to see through with the naked eye; within the array, more than four hundred disciples could not help but close their eyes. Suddenly, a beam of light shot upward from within the formation and, in the blink of an eye, vanished into the spatial rift. When they looked at the formation again, it was completely empty, with no trace remaining. High in the distant sky, Yu Chang withdrew her gaze, let out a leisurely sigh, and turned to soar off toward the southeast. As he traveled through the endless Chaos, Jiang Tang suddenly felt a sense of restlessness. For some reason, the bitter smile on Yu Chang’s face kept flashing through his mind, and it even caused him to feel a vague pang of heartache. “I can’t really be falling for her, can I?” Jiang Tang didn’t think he was that pathetic—falling for a crazy woman who tormented him. Jiang Tang slapped his face to snap out of it and refocused his attention. He immediately noticed that his fellow disciples had already gathered in small groups, and the disciples from other factions seemed to be doing the same—yet he alone stood by himself. Jiang Tang wasn’t surprised. His strength was meager; even making it into the top ten had been a fluke. When it came down to a life-or-death struggle, he was nothing but a burden in others’ eyes! Even Gao Heng, who had once been defeated by him, could kill him with ease. After all, the Grand Competition was just a competition; though she’d spoken of a life-or-death battle, she’d never truly intended to kill him—on the contrary, she’d gone out of her way to spare him at every turn. As for Fan Yanrui, he was nothing but a fool. In his quest to claim first place in spellcraft, he had focused solely on spellcraft, which ultimately left him vulnerable to Dongfang’s counterplay. Of course, all of this is merely how others see him. They view Jiang Tang as a liability, while Jiang Tang regards them as mere ants.