Chapter Fifty-Three: No Way Out!

Yang Nan instantly retreated, lifted the Realm Ring, and swept Li Hao, Die Yi, and the other women inside. Of the thousand demon soldiers, only some thirty shrimp-commanders remained alive, and the Dark-Erosion Dharma troops were nowhere to be seen. How could they fight on?

Yang Nan was just about to unleash the Radiant Light Spell and flee first, when Yang Lan, arms folded not far away, smiled coldly. “Trying to run? Look around you first.”

He had abandoned the Great Roc King, yet now he watched Yang Nan like a venomous serpent.

Yang Cheng gave a slight wave of the hand, and hundreds of elite soldiers with powerful crossbows rose up from the walls. Their icy arrows were all aimed at Yang Nan.

If Yang Nan made the slightest move, those countless armor-piercing shafts would swarm down like locusts.

Seeing the Great Roc King forced into repeated cries of fury, and the two masters brought by Li Hao driven back step by step by four enemies, on the brink of defeat, Yang Nan let out a quiet sigh and said, “Tell them to stop. I’ll come back with you.”

He placed his hands behind his back, his face utterly calm. It was only now that a trace of despair showed itself. This was exactly the effect Yang Lan wanted. He had no intention of killing Yang Nan here. If Yang Nan was to die, it would have to be after he had surrendered the title of heir and the scroll of the sages to him.

A fish already in the net had nothing to fear.

Yang Lan waved his hand lightly, and the six masters suddenly halted. The Great Roc King and the two masters, relying on the last of their strength, returned to Yang Nan’s side. In only an instant, their power had been exhausted, and each of them was wounded to a greater or lesser degree.

Six against three. If not for the Golden Summit Great Roc’s ferocity, they would already have been utterly defeated. To have held out until now was no easy matter.

Yang Nan suddenly raised the Realm Ring again. With a flash of black light, he swept the three who could no longer fight into it. Yang Lan lifted an eyebrow and raised the Overlord Weapon in his hand. That overwhelmingly tyrannical force crashed down like a colossal hammer. He laughed as he said, “Nephew, I know you’re full of tricks. Even if you use the scroll of the sages, I doubt it can withstand the pressure of my Overlord Weapon. Once I’ve crippled your power, let’s see what more you can do.”

Yang Nan was struck by that fierce force and coughed up blood, but he only chuckled. The look of dejection on his face vanished in an instant, replaced by unmistakable delight. “Yang Lan, today’s debt will be repaid by me another day.”

Even if Yang Nan were to die, he would never submit. Besides, he still had treasures he had not yet used.

A brilliant seven-colored divine radiance suddenly burst from his chest. Vast beyond measure and boundless as the heavens, it instantly repelled the mad, domineering aura of the Overlord Weapon, leaving it unable to penetrate even the slightest bit.

“Hm? What sort of strange thing is that?” Yang Lan was shocked to discover that his force could not pin Yang Nan down at all.

“Yang Lan, do you think I only have the scroll of the sages?” Yang Nan, the corner of his mouth still stained with a thread of blood, curled into a cold smile. Protected by the seven-colored light, his body shot upward with a violent spring and flew straight toward the outer wall.

“Seeking death!”

Yang Lan roared in fury and drove the Overlord Weapon again, yet when that mountain-like force reached Yang Nan, it was as though it had struck a lump of cotton. It had no effect at all.

“Slash for me!”

With a furious bellow, Yang Lan’s Overlord Weapon let out a piercing howl and crashed toward Yang Nan like a soaring mountain. The seven-colored radiance around Yang Nan condensed, and at once it rebounded the overwhelmingly tyrannical weapon with violent force.

“Back down!”

Boom!

Three long rainbow sword lights tore down from the sky, striking precisely where the seven-colored radiance enveloped Yang Nan. At once, the radiance dimmed even further. Yang Nan was startled and looked up, only to see Li Yun and the other two senior brothers staring at him with murderous intent.

If he did not use the Radiant Light Spell, the little copper coin’s divine glow would vanish at once.

In that instant, Yang Nan was driven back to the ground, the thought flashing through his mind. Under a single blow from the Overlord Weapon, the seven-colored light of the little copper coin had already been cut away by more than half. Surrounded and assailed by so many masters, it could not possibly hold much longer.

Even with that seven-colored radiance, it was not endless. Nor was it invincible.

Before Yang Cheng could issue another command, the strong crossbows in the hands of the hundreds of elite soldiers unleashed a storm of arrows. The shafts came like a flight of locusts.

Clang, clang, clang!

Countless arrows struck Yang Nan, only to be blocked by the divine radiance and fall uselessly to the ground.

Struck again and again by the rain of feathers, the seven-colored light was like an oil lamp starved of fuel. In an instant, it went out.

Seeing that Yang Nan was trying to flee, the six masters each displayed their divine arts and all rushed toward him.

“Heaven-Falling Divine Talisman!”

“Nine Heavens Blood Corpse!”

“Blue Dragon Four-Sway!”

“Buddha Seal of the Ten Thousand Laws!”

“Mystic Ink Shape-Formation!”

“Scaled Serpent into Dragon!”

Divine generals, blood corpses, divine weapons, seals, ink cords, and demon pearls all crashed down in a single overwhelming sweep. The aura carried by these six treasures was terrifying beyond words. If they landed solidly, Yang Nan would be crushed to powder in an instant. Not even a trace of residue would remain.

“Freeze!”

Yang Lan, too, held the Overlord Weapon in hand, using its domineering force to lock Yang Nan in place.

With the six treasures and Yang Lan’s Overlord Weapon sealing every direction, Yang Nan had nowhere to escape.

I can’t hold them back anymore...

A horrifying pressure descended, and Yang Nan understood in his heart that without the seven-colored radiance, he could not withstand a single combined strike from these seven masters.

If he did not flee, he would die.

As the many treasures bore down upon him, he instantly took out the Heaven-Origin Divine Talisman. Silently reciting the spell, he saw the talisman flash with spiritual light. In that same instant, a huge character for the Dao blossomed open like a burst of stars. Yang Nan’s figure flickered strangely within the character, and in the blink of an eye he vanished from where he stood.

“The Heaven-Origin Pure-Void Divine Talisman? How could he possibly possess the mountain-protecting treasure of Dragon-Tiger Mountain?” one talisman master cried out in shock, his face changing color.

He escaped right under the oppressive might of so many masters?

Yang Lan’s hand tightened around the Overlord Weapon until the veins stood out. His face twisted into something ferocious as he shouted at everyone, “Pursue him! He hasn’t gone far. Bring him back!”

If Yang Nan escaped back to Kunlun, which of the seven masters would dare enter Kunlun after him? Everything they had plotted would come to nothing.

Once the experts of Kunlun became aware of it, not only Yang Lan, but Li Yun as well, would have nowhere to stand.

Who could have imagined that this nephew, unseen for so many years, would possess such a strange treasure? Even the most fierce and overbearing weapon under heaven could not injure him.

What was that seven-colored divine light? How could the greatest treasure of Dragon-Tiger Mountain have ended up in his hands?

Yang Lan was consumed by rage. If, after such elaborate calculation, he still failed to take back Yang Nan, how could he ever show his face before the emperor again?

“Commander, calm your anger. That treasure can be used only once. He will surely flee toward Kunlun. I have already made arrangements. Even if he has the treasure of Dragon-Tiger Mountain protecting him, he will not escape,” Li Yun said, half-smiling as he tried to soothe the furious Yang Lan.

The seven masters had launched their all-out strike only to miss. In their stunned state, they heard Yang Lan’s furious shout and each summoned his own artifact to pursue.

With the Overlord Weapon protecting him, Yang Lan stepped into the void and actually ran freely through the air. His speed was like wind and lightning, astonishingly no slower than the flying artifacts of the masters.

Yang Nan escaped a thousand li in one breath. He put away the Heaven-Origin Divine Talisman and immediately coughed out a mouthful of blood. His face was deathly pale. After being struck by the six masters’ treasures, he had managed to flee in an instant, but he was badly injured. Right now, his spiritual aperture was utterly empty, with not a trace of power left. Even a minor martial adept could punch him to death.

Red Sun lay unconscious. Of the thousand demon soldiers, fewer than thirty remained. The Roc King and the two masters had suffered grievous losses in power. For him to have escaped such a calamity was already luck beyond measure.

Yang Lan had relied on the Overlord Weapon and been certain of taking Yang Nan, but he had not expected that magical seven-colored radiance on him. Though it could not last, it had allowed Yang Nan to use the Radiant Light Spell and flee a thousand li.

With those two treasures in hand, who in this world could harm Yang Nan?

It was only that if Yang Nan had earlier tried to use the Realm Ring to gather everyone inside, he would certainly have aroused Yang Lan’s suspicion. Only after falling into a position of disadvantage, only at the point of despair, would Yang Lan grow arrogant and complacent. That was the one and only chance Yang Nan had to take the others away.

As for the Heaven-Origin Divine Talisman, even if its existence might eventually become known, that was still far better than standing helplessly and waiting to be killed.

Let Dragon-Tiger Mountain send its many experts, then let them come...

The light of the little copper coin had dimmed and vanished. It seemed it could no longer be used for the time being. Yang Nan let out a sigh. If such an extraordinary spirit treasure could be used without limit, he would not have needed to flee in such a panic.

After flying a thousand li, Yang Nan looked around and discovered, to his surprise, that he was actually to the left of Kunlun Mountain, with the Kunlun Heavenly Gate only several dozen li away.

The matter of Dragon-Tiger Mountain can wait for now. If need be, I’ll go find the Fairy Sister...

He looked at the Heaven-Origin Pure-Void Divine Talisman in his hand, feeling both love and hate for it. It was like a bomb whose moment of detonation could not be predicted. Who knew when it might bring him a fatal disaster?

As he was pondering this, he saw seven beams of escape light rise from the distant horizon and fly rapidly in his direction. Yang Nan was startled at once and understood that Yang Lan, leading the six masters, was in hot pursuit.

If the seven great masters had come after him, then where were Li Yun and the other two?

Yang Nan urged the little power he had left and rode a drifting cloud of water vapor toward the Heavenly Gate. Beneath the rainbow-bright gate, Li Guo and several outer disciples including Fang Sheng were opening the restrictions. Standing before the gate, they looked at Yang Nan and smiled broadly.

But that smile was not a friendly one.

Yang Nan sighed. These fools had actually barred him, a disciple of Kunlun, from his own mountain. Did they not know that at the foot of Kunlun, nothing could be hidden from the old monsters within the mountain?

By doing this, they were telling him that even if it cost them their lives, they would never let him return to the mountain.

“Uncle Yang, this disciple is under orders to guard this place. If you have no urgent matter, please return to Spirit Beast Mountain,” Li Guo said, a trace of savage delight appearing on his face as he watched the seven beams of escape light drawing ever closer. If Yang Nan wanted to enter the mountain through the Heavenly Gate today, he could forget it.

Spirit Beast Mountain was a thousand li from here. Even if Yang Nan still had power, he would never be able to fly back there.

A chill filled Yang Nan’s heart. Li Yun had acted with ruthless pressure at every step. No wonder he had dared to slaughter fellow disciples so recklessly.

It seemed they were determined to see him dead.

Although Yang Nan knew there was no hope, he still said calmly, “Li Guo, you’ve shut the restrictions and barred an uncle-master of the sect from entering. Do you know what kind of crime that is?”

“He does not need to know. I will take full responsibility for it. Junior Brother Yang, you should be thinking about how to deal with your uncles instead,” Li Yun’s figure descended swiftly from the horizon. Even as he landed, he remained as serene and immortal as ever, unhurried and composed.

He was truly curious about this junior brother of his. Treasure after strange treasure had appeared on him, yet even Yang Lan, wielding one of the ten great divine weapons under heaven, had been unable to stop him.

That was the Overlord Weapon. Even he would not dare take its blow head-on. How had Yang Nan done it?

If Yang Nan escaped today, the retaliation later would surely be unbearably fierce.

How could Li Yun not understand Yang Nan’s cruelty and venom? They had already carried things to the absolute end. Either Yang Nan would die, or they would perish. Since matters had reached this point, there could be no retreat.

“Senior Brother Li, it’s you three again. It seems you truly do not place the Kunlun Sect in your eyes. Colluding with outsiders, murdering fellow disciples of the sect—this time even Daoist Master Longxu may not be able to protect you. How pitiful...” Yang Nan said with an expression of mournful regret. He was not lamenting himself, but pitying Li Yun.

Once this deed was done, if the Kunlun Sect ever found out, Li Yun would die a miserable death.

Li Yun’s expression changed. What Yang Nan had said touched the greatest taboo of Kunlun. Not to mention a mere inner disciple— even a rightful successor would be exterminated by the sect master.

“Junior Brother Yang, you do not have that chance. The elders and ancestors will not know what happened here within the time it takes an incense stick to burn. Once you are captured by Yang Lan, do you think those old monsters will ever learn the truth? As long as everyone who ought to die is dead, who will still know the truth?” Li Yun sneered coldly, then continued, “If you survive today, you will not escape the pursuit of Dragon-Tiger Mountain’s talisman sect tomorrow. I never expected you to have the Heaven-Origin Pure-Void Divine Talisman on you. No wonder your cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds within three years.”

Even for Li Yun, who had always been steady and composed, such an immortal talisman was enough to make him change color.

Yang Nan drew out the talisman and said with a cold smile, “If I die, this talisman naturally belongs to you. As for Dragon-Tiger Mountain’s pursuit, I’m afraid they would kill you first, wouldn’t they?”

Li Yun showed no anger at all and laughed heartily. “Thank you for your concern, Junior Brother. No one in the Realm Ring of yours will get away. No one will know what happened today. As for this divine talisman, your senior brother will accept it without further ceremony.”

Yang Nan had exhausted his power, revealed all his treasures, and suffered grave injuries. At this point, unless a god descended from the heavens to save him, he would undoubtedly die here.

Why should Li Yun continue pretending?

The escape lights of Yang Lan and the others fell from the horizon as well, and the seven masters completely surrounded Yang Nan.

This time, even if Yang Nan had wings, he would not fly away.