474: Great revenge achieved

However, the only response he received was the sound of whistling wind and the faint cawing of crows in the distance. Where was even a trace of the Qin Army?

As early as the moment Xiao Jingyan displayed the Puppet Fiend Qi and shattered the Giant Spirit Puppet, Meng Tian had already sensed that something was wrong. Standing on the watchtower of the Qin Army's Grand Formation, he personally witnessed the entire process of Xiao Jingyan breaking through from the Golden Core Peak to the Nascent Soul Realm. That world-destroying Puppet Fiend Qi made even him, a Golden Core Peak Cultivator, feel terrified.

Meng Tian instantly made a decision in his heart: Retreat! Must retreat immediately!

Although he was only one step away from the Nascent Soul Realm, he knew very well that there was a world of difference between Golden Core and Nascent Soul. Xiao Jingyan could easily shatter a Giant Spirit Puppet with the strength of the Nascent Soul Early Stage; dealing with him, a Golden Core Peak, would likely take less than three moves. What's more, he carried the ancestral treasure of the Qin State—the Nine Dragons State-Suppressing Seal. This Jade Seal contained the power of nine ancient Dragon Spirits and could withstand the full attack of a Nascent Soul Cultivator, even briefly suppressing the cultivation of a Nascent Soul expert.

However, the Nine Dragons State-Suppressing Seal could only be used a total of nine times, and each use consumed the power of the Dragon Spirits, meaning one less use remained. The Qin State was currently in a crucial period of expansion, and this Jade Seal was an important reliance for the Qin State's future unification of the world. How could it be wasted rescuing a failure like Zhuge Mo?

"Pass on my order! The entire army is to retreat! Be fast, and there must be no delay!" Meng Tian made a prompt decision and sternly ordered the messenger beside him. The Qin Army was already strictly disciplined. Upon receiving the order, they immediately packed their belongings and retreated toward the border of the Qin State like a tide. In an instant, the previously stationed camp became deserted, leaving behind only widespread devastation.

Zhuge Mo looked at the deserted Qin Army camp, and the color instantly drained from his face, turning ashen white. His last shred of hope was completely shattered.

Xiao Jingyan looked at Zhuge Mo's desperate appearance, a cruel smile curling at the corner of his mouth. He wasted no extra words, raising his hand to grab, his five fingers loosely clenched.

"Buzz—!"

A powerful burst of Puppet Fiend Qi erupted from his palm, forming an invisible suction force that firmly locked onto Zhuge Mo in mid-air. Zhuge Mo's body uncontrollably flew toward Xiao Jingyan. No matter how he struggled or how he circulated the meager Devilish Qi remaining in his body to resist, it was all useless.

In an instant, Zhuge Mo was grabbed and brought before Xiao Jingyan. Xiao Jingyan stretched out his hand, tightly gripping his neck, lifting him into the air, making it impossible for him to breathe.

The feeling of suffocation rushed over him like a tide. Zhuge Mo's face swelled crimson, and his eyeballs nearly popped out. But he was, after all, an old fox. Under the threat of death, he instantly suppressed the fear in his heart, forcing out an extremely fawning smile. His voice, hoarse from lack of air, said: "Xiao... Xiao Jingyan, do you know that the Ghost Valley Sect's greatest secret technique is the Art of Observing People... The first time I saw you, I knew you were a Dragon among Men, a Chosen One. You are destined to achieve great things in the future!"

Xiao Jingyan's fingers tightened slightly, and a hint of cold mockery flashed in his eyes: "Oh?"

Zhuge Mo felt the pressure on his neck ease slightly and quickly continued to fawn: "To achieve great things, you must undergo a series of setbacks and trials, enduring the tempering of Eighty-One Difficulties! Now, you have finally broken through the shackles and become a Nascent Soul Venerable—this is all Heaven's arrangement! And I was merely obeying the will of Heaven, cultivating you according to the instructions Heaven gave me in a dream!"

As he spoke, he observed Xiao Jingyan's expression. Seeing that Xiao Jingyan did not immediately strike, he gained a little more confidence and continued to spout nonsense: "I swear to Heaven, not a single word is a lie! You don't need to thank me; now that you have achieved success and fame, I can naturally retire gracefully!"

Lu Chen couldn't help but laugh when he saw this.

Damn, this Zhuge Mo is truly shameless! I've never seen anyone so thick-skinned, actually trying to shift the blame onto me??

When the Hell did I give you instructions in a dream!!

Lu Chen let out a cold snort.

Rumble!

Heaven and Earth roared!

Several surrounding mountains actually collapsed instantly, sending dust flying, as if Heaven itself was angry.

"Rumble—!"

Zhuge Mo was first startled by this sudden phenomenon, but then a hint of ecstasy flashed in his eyes, and he quickly shouted at Xiao Jingyan: "Look! Quick, look! Heaven has responded! This is Heaven's approval of me! It's proving that everything I said is true!"

"Shut up!" The mockery in Xiao Jingyan's eyes intensified, and the fingers gripping Zhuge Mo's neck tightened again. "Stop making excuses for yourself. Whether it's the will of Heaven or not, today, I will make you taste the torment and suffering I endured for these eighty years!"

As his voice fell, Xiao Jingyan's mind moved, and the Puppet Fiend Qi surrounding him instantly split into hundreds of dark red chains. These chains were like dormant venomous snakes, covered in sharp barbs, wrapping around Zhuge Mo at extreme speed.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—!"

The chains pierced through Zhuge Mo's Daoist Robe, sinking deep into his flesh, then, as if alive, they moved and coiled inside his body. Every chain contained tyrannical Puppet Fiend Qi, constantly eroding his flesh and Meridians, bringing heart-wrenching pain.

"Ah—!"

Zhuge Mo let out a mournful shriek, his body twitching uncontrollably. The barbs on the chains constantly scraped against his bones and internal organs, making him wish he were dead. He wanted to circulate his Devilish Qi to resist, but he found that the Puppet Fiend Qi had already sealed his Meridians, making the Devilish Qi unable to flow at all.

Xiao Jingyan looked at Zhuge Mo's painful struggles, a frantic yet satisfied smile appearing on his face. He could finally vent the hatred that had accumulated in his heart for eighty years: "Hahaha! Zhuge Mo! Can you feel it? This is the pain I felt when you crippled my Meridians back then! This is the taste of being afflicted by the Heart Curse you planted, tormented day and night! I have waited for this day for far too long!"

He waved his hand, and a strand of Puppet Fiend Qi condensed into a sharp Dagger, hovering in front of Zhuge Mo. Xiao Jingyan's eyes were icy cold, devoid of any pity, as he manipulated the Dagger to slash toward Zhuge Mo's arm.

"Tear—!"

The Dagger was incredibly sharp, easily slicing open Zhuge Mo's skin. Blood instantly gushed out, dripping onto the ground, making a "sizzle" sound as it was instantly swallowed by the Puppet Fiend Qi on the floor. A bone-deep wound was left on Zhuge Mo's arm, the flesh rolled back—a horrifying sight.

"Ah! Xiao Jingyan! You will die a terrible death!" Zhuge Mo cursed through gritted teeth, sweating profusely from the pain.

Xiao Jingyan was completely indifferent to this; in fact, he felt even more satisfied. He manipulated the Dagger to strike again, this time aiming for Zhuge Mo's other arm. Slash after slash, each one accurately avoided vital points but inflicted extreme pain. Zhuge Mo's arms were quickly covered in dense, numerous wounds, the blood staining his Daoist Robe, making him look like a bloodied man.

Just as Zhuge Mo was about to pass out from the pain and his Life Qi was growing weaker, Xiao Jingyan pointed his hand. A pale green liquid flew out of his Storage Pouch and landed on Zhuge Mo's wounds. This was the "Life-Sustaining Muscle Regeneration Fluid" he had refined using the bone marrow of a special Living Corpse Puppet and dozens of Heaven And Earth Treasures. It could not only quickly stop bleeding and regenerate flesh but also forcibly sustain a person's life, pulling them back even from the brink of death.

The pale green liquid instantly merged into Zhuge Mo's wounds upon contact. The continuously bleeding wounds healed at a visible speed, and Zhuge Mo's previously blurry consciousness also cleared up slightly. However, this clarity did not bring him relief; instead, it made him feel the pain in his body even more distinctly.

"Did you think I would let you die so easily?" Xiao Jingyan's voice was like one from Hell, filled with cruelty. "I will refine you alive into a Puppet, and one that retains its self-awareness! Only then can I torment you every day, forcing you to endure endless pain!"