Chronicles of Heaven's Chosen - Chapter 15

“Did you dip that mouth of yours in poison again?” Cang Li ground out.

He knew Master doted on his Little Junior Sister, but he had never imagined the man would place a full eight life-saving talismans on her.

Apparently, even dying would be a challenge for her.

Just then, the giant pythons wounded by her sword energy recovered. Enraged, they charged toward Yuan Yao and Cang Li.

Dozens of crushing auras bore down on them at once.

Cang Li’s expression shifted. He was about to pull Yuan Yao behind him when she raised her sword and charged at one of the pythons.

“Yuan Yao!”

A ninth-level Qi Refiner challenging a third-rank giant python—wasn’t that simply asking to die?

If they survived this, he was going to teach her a proper lesson.

Spear in hand, Cang Li fended off the pythons while searching for a way to reach Yuan Yao.

She was already swinging her sword at one of the giant beasts.

The python launched a ferocious attack. Its overwhelming force sent Yuan Yao flying, and she crashed heavily to the ground.

Bang!

The giant python opened its gaping maw, ready to snap it shut around her. Yuan Yao rolled aside, planted her sword against the ground, and vaulted to her feet, narrowly avoiding the fatal bite.

She retreated several steps. Her peripheral vision flicked toward one corner, and she raised the tip of her sword in provocation.

“If you’ve got the ability, come chase me!”

With that, Yuan Yao relied on her agile movement art to evade one attack after another and slip through the pythons trying to surround her.

Everyone watched in bafflement.

What was she trying to do?

As more and more pythons were enraged into chasing his Little Junior Sister, Cang Li’s heart lodged in his throat.

No matter how agile Yuan Yao was, her cultivation remained far too low.

Before long, one of the pythons whipped its massive tail into her.

Bang!

Yuan Yao slammed into the cavern wall. Her head rang, and blinding pain tore through her. She coughed up a mouthful of blood, her face turning deathly pale.

Without the Myriad Wards Robe, she would have been grievously wounded and hanging by a thread.

Cang Li’s grip tightened sharply around his black spear. He cursed the python under his breath and shot forward like a flash of lightning, weaving past obstacle after obstacle.

“Thunderclap Spear!”

Boom!

Lightning flared across the entire underground cavern as though a heavenly tribulation had descended. The spear’s edge split into a storm of phantoms and crashed into the python that had struck Yuan Yao.

Bang!

The immense force of the lightning hurled the beast to the ground, charring its scales black.

The giant python shrieked in agony.

Cang Li did not stop. He flashed forward and drove his spear into its skull.

The python beneath his feet was still struggling.

He ripped the weapon free and stabbed down again.

At the same time, he released the full power of his lightning element, illuminating the underground cavern in dazzling white for a brief instant.

Even the cultivators still “hanging” from the walls felt the immense pressure radiating from him. It did not resemble peak Foundation Establishment.

It felt closer to peak Golden Core.

Yan Haonan watched thoughtfully.

Weng Mingshu’s expression was complicated, but her eyes grew even more determined. She raised her sword and attacked the nearest python.

“Third Senior Brother!”

Yuan Yao had already forced herself back to her feet. She panted softly, blood staining the corner of her lips as she looked toward Cang Li.

“Xiaoyao Formation Art!”

Cang Li met her bright gaze, and his heart trembled.

At last, he understood. His Little Junior Sister had not come here to make trouble or to play. She wanted to temper herself. She wanted to become stronger. She no longer wished to hide behind them.

Cang Li suddenly smiled.

“Then, Little Junior Sister—”

“Lend me the strength of one arm!”

His voice rang out, clear and bold.

Yuan Yao wiped the blood from her lips with one hand, her eyes shining brilliantly. “Since you’ve asked so sincerely, I suppose I’ll reluctantly help you!”

She summoned the Phantom Spirit Sword.

Under her control, the sword shot nimbly toward the pythons and began attacking them. Meanwhile, Yuan Yao wove between the beasts and formed seals with both hands. Her fingers moved so quickly that only afterimages remained.

“Free as heaven and earth, boundless as all creation!”

“Turn illusion into reality, and reality into illusion!”

Yuan Yao’s and Cang Li’s voices merged almost perfectly.

They reached opposite sides of the cavern and exchanged a single glance.

The multicolored sword and black spear hovering in the air plunged down like twin bolts of lightning, piercing the ground with a thunderous clang.

“Eight Trigrams, open!”

An Eight Trigrams Formation blazed to life across the earth. The sword formed its black pole, the spear its white.

A gale erupted.

The formation spun like a vortex, dragging the surrounding giant pythons toward it with irresistible force.

The watching cultivators stared in disbelief.

Could a formation art truly be this powerful?

“As expected of the Xiaoyao Sect…” Even Yan Haonan was stunned.

Spiritual power drained madly from Yuan Yao’s body. Her face grew paler by the second, cold sweat pouring down her skin. Her hands began to tremble beyond her control.

She clenched her teeth as more blood spilled from the corner of her mouth.

Once most of the giant pythons had been trapped inside the Eight Trigrams Formation, Yuan Yao drew a peak high-grade artifact from her storage space.

It was the gift Master had given her for her thirteenth birthday: the Great Sun Heaven-Scorching Mirror.

She hurled it over the formation.

The mirror expanded in an instant.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

True Solar Fire poured from its surface like an erupting volcano, engulfing the pythons below.

Sizzle!

The smell of scorched flesh filled the cavern.

The giant pythons screamed and thrashed wildly. The harder they struggled, the greater the force they unleashed.

Just as Yuan Yao was about to lose her hold, someone appeared behind her.

“I’ll help you!” Weng Mingshu said.

She pressed her palm against Yuan Yao’s back and rapidly channeled her spiritual power into her.

The two Qingyun Sect disciples hurried over as well and poured their spiritual power into Yuan Yao.

Across from them, another person joined Cang Li: Yan Haonan.

They had to keep the Yin-Yang Eight Trigrams Formation stable. If they could, the True Solar Fire would burn the pythons to ash.

However—

Three giant pythons remained outside the formation. They charged toward Yuan Yao and the others.

Yan Haonan’s expression changed. He looked up at the cultivators above.

“Everyone, this is no time to stand by and watch! Come down and stop these three pythons!”

The cultivators exchanged looks.

Before the three Chixiao Sect disciples could say anything, the others leaped down and charged toward the pythons.

Moments ago, they had believed descending meant certain death. Now the situation had changed. If they could stop just these three beasts, their chances of escaping would increase dramatically.

But even a dozen cultivators together were no match for the three giant pythons.

They were grievously wounded one after another. Some even perished in the pythons’ jaws.

The three Chixiao Sect disciples watched with derisive smiles.

What a pack of fools.

They had no intention of throwing their lives away.

They would sit back and reap the rewards.

Lin Jingtao stared at the Great Sun Heaven-Scorching Mirror, greed and covetousness gradually filling his eyes.

Then his gaze settled on Yuan Yao.

He narrowed his eyes, the corner of his mouth curling upward. Beneath his sleeve, several more silver needles appeared between his fingers.