Chapter 119: Spatial Storm

"It's now or never!"

Watching the Dragon Essence plummet into a spatial rift, Li Yang moved with agility, his body weaving through the void as he charged in the direction of the falling treasure. He knew this was his only chance. Within this grotto-heaven, there were three distinct factions, himself included.

Celestial Master Zhang possessed the highest cultivation level. The old ghost from Maoshan was not to be underestimated either; to hold a fragment of the Underworld's supreme treasure, the Book of Life and Death, he had to be at least a God of Golden Amnesty, in no way inferior to the likes of Celestial Master Zhang. Ancestor Youquan and Ancestor Chimei were slightly weaker, but they were both at the Immortal Realm; at the very least, they were capable of ensuring their own survival.

Only he was the weakest. If not for his mastery of spatial techniques, he wouldn't even have been qualified to watch the battle. In truth, the moment the Maoshan ghost appeared, Li Yang knew his chances had vanished. If it had just been Youquan and Chimei, they might have been evenly matched with Celestial Master Zhang, giving him a chance to stir the waters and profit. But the interference of the Maoshan ghost had completely cut off that possibility.

Yet, as the saying goes, heaven leaves a door open. The Dragon Essence falling into the spatial rift was undoubtedly a heaven-sent opportunity. Relying on his spatial gifts, he could barely attempt to seize it. This trip had yielded nothing but the loss of a precious spiritual fruit. Given Li Yang's temperament, he would not let it go, even if he knew the odds of success were slim. At this moment, he was blinded by his own greed. After all, the temptation of the Dragon Essence was too great; not only could it prolong life, but if used to refine pills, it could likely replace the Nirvana Golden Pill and help him break into the Immortal Realm. In the current state of the world, finding another such divine object would be impossible.

"Junior, you finally couldn't hold back anymore!"

The moment Li Yang approached the Dragon Essence, a cold sneer flashed in Celestial Master Zhang’s eyes. The whisk in his hand split into several strands, piercing through space and sweeping toward him.

"Oh? A little thief trying to be the fisherman, how interesting!"

"Imperial Decree of the True Lord: Seal!"

Sensing Li Yang’s presence, the old Daoist Qingxu curled his lips into a playful smile. He waved his brush, and it instantly transformed into a crimson rune that vanished into the void.

"Hiss—swoosh..."

Seeing the whisk and the talisman behind him, Li Yang focused his mind. His body darted through space like a fish, flickering in and out of existence. Six transparent wings sprouted from his back, boosting his speed to the absolute limit as he lunged for the Dragon Essence.

...

"Brother Dao, while that little thief is causing a distraction, we should leave. This grotto-heaven won't hold much longer!"

Not far away, Ancestor Youquan and Ancestor Chimei watched as the attention of Celestial Master Zhang and the old Daoist Qingxu was diverted by Li Yang. Although they were unwilling, they knew that with the intervention of Qingxu, the Dragon Essence was definitely out of their reach. If they stayed any longer, a brutal battle would be inevitable. Moreover, this grotto-heaven was on the verge of returning to nothingness; the resulting spatial storms were no joke. A single misstep could mean their own demise. As long-lived ghost immortals, they had no intention of throwing their lives away for a single Dragon Essence. Though Ancestor Chimei was reluctant, he knew that without Youquan’s help, he might lose his life if he stayed.

...

"Humph, at least those two old ghosts know when to quit!"

Noticing the departure of Youquan and Chimei, Celestial Master Zhang and Qingxu exchanged a look and snorted, making no move to stop them. At their level of cultivation, unless a formation had been set up in advance to lock down the space, preventing someone from fleeing was nearly impossible. With the grotto-heaven collapsing, it was not the time for an overly intense battle; if they were careless, they might get caught in the spatial storm themselves, which would be a poor trade-off.

Watching as Li Yang tucked the Dragon Essence away, a sharp light flashed in Celestial Master Zhang's eyes. He touched the dim Three-Five Dugo Celestial Master Seal in his hand and threw it out. The seal instantly turned into a beam of clear light, diving into the void.

"Clack, clack, clack..."

The moment the jade seal landed, the space where Li Yang stood transformed into a mire. No matter how he exerted his supernatural powers, he remained immobilized.

"Sizzle, sizzle..."

At that moment, Qingxu's talisman arrived, stamping firmly onto Li Yang's forehead and sealing his cultivation.

"Little thief, do you really think you're the only smart one in this world? Do you think I've lived all these years in vain? You wanted to be the fisherman, but you didn't realize I was merely using your spatial powers to retrieve the Dragon Essence."

"Halt! Primordial One-Qi Great Capture."

As a hand made of clear energy plucked Li Yang from the void, Celestial Master Zhang looked on with a mocking smile.

"Tsk tsk, this kid's cultivation isn't high, but his use of spatial techniques is quite good. Did you discover this little thief lurking nearby early on, Celestial Master?"

Qingxu scanned Li Yang up and down, clicking his tongue before turning to Zhang.

"Actually, I sensed something the moment we entered this grotto-heaven, but he hid himself very well. It wasn't until that monster sacrificed its reverse scale and clashed with me that the space shattered, revealing his hiding spot." Celestial Master Zhang smoothed his messy hair and laughed. "I was just busy dealing with Chimei and Youquan, so I pretended not to notice."

"And how does the Celestial Master intend to deal with this junior?" Qingxu asked, already somewhat aware of Li Yang’s origins and the people behind him.

"The techniques this kid practices are unique, bearing traces of ancient methods—refining essence, energy, and spirit simultaneously. It is quite profound. I plan to take him back to study him and perhaps make him a Daoist guard."

"If the Celestial Master doesn't mind, could you hand this junior over to me to handle?" Daoist Nun Miaohua suddenly interjected.

"If my grand-niece wants this boy, then perhaps you should trade for him with the dragon corpse. You must know, this spatial technique is exceedingly rare." Celestial Master Zhang pointed at the dragon's carcass, his face full of smiles.

"This..." Qingxu and Miaohua exchanged glances, their eyes filled with hesitation. Though they knew of Li Yang's connection to that person, he was currently just a reincarnation. Whether that person would still honor the bond once their true spirit returned was uncertain. The dragon corpse, however, was a tangible benefit. Trading it for a vague favor was a poor calculation.

Watching the two old Daoists discuss his fate as if he weren't even there, Li Yang felt his heart turn to ash. He realized how naive he had been. Facing such ancient ghosts, trying to play the fisherman was nothing short of suicidal. He was far too inexperienced to outmaneuver such monsters. He knew that falling into Celestial Master Zhang's hands meant being shackled by Daoist spells, losing his freedom, or worse—being turned into a puppet. The thought made him shudder.

Just as despair set in, Li Yang caught a glimpse of the dense spatial rifts in the void of the grotto-heaven, and an idea formed. The space was on the brink of collapse; one more push would trigger its total destruction. His cultivation was sealed, but his blood and Qi remained active, meaning he could still use his spatial abilities. If he detonated the grotto-heaven, he might find a sliver of hope to escape amidst the spatial storm. In this life-or-death moment, the ruthless nature deep within Li Yang was ignited. This was his only chance; if he failed, his fate would be worse than death.

He concentrated, carefully channeling the spatial rune in his sea of consciousness. As Celestial Master Zhang carried him, preparing to leave the grotto, Li Yang steeled his heart. A ripple of spatial energy erupted from his center, spreading throughout the grotto.

"Sizzle... Crack... Boom... Clang..."

Accompanied by a violent roar, the already crumbling grotto-heaven was instantly detonated. A fierce dimensional storm swept toward the four individuals, scattering them instantly.

"No, a spatial storm!"

"Little thief, you seek death!"

Seeing the pitch-black dimensional rift in the void, Celestial Master Zhang’s expression changed drastically, his eyes blazing with fury as he stared at Li Yang. He wanted to pursue, but he was powerless; even with his cultivation, he could barely stabilize himself within the storm.

"Junior, don't think you can escape! Halt!"

He had no intention of letting Li Yang go. His whisk scattered into thousands of silk-like threads, chasing after him.

"Ah... Urgh... Pfft... You wretched old ghost!"

The moment the threads pierced him, a surge of agony tore through his body. Li Yang’s vision went black, and he nearly lost consciousness. Yet, with the vitality of the ancient six-winged golden centipede, wounds that would be fatal to an ordinary person were merely light injuries to him.

"Come back here!"

Seeing Li Yang caught by his whisk, the old Daoist Zhang grew cold and activated his incantation. The whisk retracted.

"Pfft... Zzz..."

"No..."

The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. As a dimensional storm swept through, the whisk shattered into pieces. Watching Li Yang drift further and further away until he vanished from sight, the old Daoist roared in fury, his eyes splitting with rage.

...

The moment Li Yang was swept into the dimensional rift, in a delicate courtyard in Hong Kong, Zhao Yuehua, who was meditating, clutched her chest in sudden pain. Her heart trembled as if something terrible had happened.

"Sister, what's wrong?" Ren Tingting, seeing Zhao Yuehua pale and covered in cold sweat, immediately rose to support her, her eyes filled with worry.

"I... I'm fine. I just had a sudden, terrible premonition, as if something awful has occurred."

As she spoke, Zhao Yuehua looked in the direction where Li Yang had gone, her eyes filled with anxiety and confusion.

"Sister, you're worrying over nothing. What could happen? With my husband's cultivation, how could he be in trouble?" Ren Tingting consoled her and poured a cup of tea.

"I hope I am just worrying over nothing." Zhao Yuehua took a sip, trying to calm her racing heart. She knew it wasn't an illusion; this intuition had been with her since childhood and had never failed. But she couldn't tell Ren Tingting. With her wisdom, she knew this premonition concerned only Li Yang, and speaking of it would only cause unnecessary distress. She could only pray in her heart that, just this once, her intuition was wrong.