264: Chapter 262 Giving Money

A gentle, yet transcendent Spiritual Qi, suppressing all things, swept across the entire battlefield without warning.

There was no earth-shattering roar, no strange phenomenon tearing through the sky; merely a wisp of gentle, ethereal light quietly spread out. The previously raging gales, boiling violent demonic flames, and the turbulent world were, at this very moment, completely frozen and calmed.

The Void Realm rippled slightly, and an elegant, ethereal figure in white appeared out of thin air between Wu Yang and Kuang Yue.

The woman wore light veils, her robes dust-free, her brows calm and cold, her dark hair brushing gently in the wind. There was not a shred of sharp killing intent about her, nor any leaking of vast Spiritual Qi; she seemed like a common mortal, a rootless drifting cloud, so plain she was almost transparent.

It was Fortune Spirit.

She stood quietly between the two powerhouses fighting to the death, her figure slender and thin, yet she seemed to bear the order of heaven and earth, possessing the power of absolute control.

With a light wave and a soft touch—two seemingly extremely casual movements—she easily countered Wu Yang's berserk demonic blade Aura and sealed Kuang Yue's final, desperate martial fist strength.

The silent collision of power quietly dissipated.

Wu Yang's surging demonic flames were forcibly suppressed, his figure suddenly frozen in mid-air, unable to move forward an inch. The raging, violent power within him seemed to strike an endless Void Realm; all killing intent and violence were gently dissolved and vanished into nothingness, and the Heavenly Demon power surging within his body instantly stagnated and dulled.

On the other side, Kuang Yue's mountain-collapsing Tyrant Emperor Fist strength was completely solidified in mid-air. His fist was barely an inch from Fortune Spirit, yet it could not advance a single fraction further. His tensed muscles and bones, boiling Qi and blood, and the raw power of his Physical Body, pushed to its limit, were all locked down by an unsolvable, terrifying power of confinement. His limbs were stiff, his Qi and blood stagnant; he could not even perform the simplest action of clenching his fist, withdrawing his stance, or turning around.

The life-or-death battle was instantly interrupted by her, effortlessly and casually.

Dozens of yards behind, Yang Chi, having steadied himself, saw his pupils shrink. He stared at the white-clad figure with a face full of shock, his heart contracting violently, massive waves rising within him.

Wu Yang, who had entered a berserk demonic state with doubled combat power, and Kuang Yue, the dying, crazed, and physically invincible powerhouse—two top-tier powerhouses of the same rank capable of crushing this world—had been so easily stopped, even stripped of the right to struggle!

Such strength, even a Twelve-Tribulation Loose Cultivator could hardly achieve it so easily!

In the center of the battlefield, Kuang Yue stood stiffly, maintaining his ferocious punching stance. His originally bloodthirsty and crazed expression changed completely; from violent madness, it instantly turned into extreme shock, wariness, and fear, cold sweat instantly soaking his brow.

He had conquered countless worlds and seen countless powerful enemies, but he had never perceived such terrifying suppression.

His own tempered, seemingly indestructible martial Physical Body was now like it was stuck in a bottomless quagmire or a divine cage; every inch of his muscles and bones, every wisp of Qi and blood was completely locked, stiff, numb, and unable to move.

The seemingly soft and elegant woman before him, despite having no frightening Aura, gave him a sense of absolute despair from a dimensional suppression he had never experienced in his life.

"Who... are you?!"

Kuang Yue gritted his teeth, his voice dry and trembling, asking sharply with incredulous suspicion and deep wariness.

He was unwilling to surrender without a fight. The pride and ferocity of an otherworldly Martial Artist erupted completely. His broken Physical Body trembled violently, the last of his Origin Qi and blood within him rampaging and surging in reverse, his martial Foundation running at full power, trying with all his might to break free from the confinement, counterattack, and fight to the death.

But all struggles were in vain.

No matter how his Qi and blood raged, his muscles trembled, or his Origin collided, the invisible confinement around him remained as steady as a rock, motionless. All resistance was instantly dismantled, annihilated, and reduced to zero, unable to stir even the slightest ripple.

Fortune Spirit's brows were calm, her expression waveless. She didn't spare a glance at the struggling, enraged Kuang Yue, merely tilting her head slightly. Her clear, transparent eyes held a hint of pure curiosity as she carefully examined his broken, bulging, cracked, and mottled Physical Body, scanning it slowly from top to bottom, as if observing a strange, exotic object she had never seen before.

After a moment, she spoke softly, her voice clear and ethereal, carrying no killing intent or malice, only pure observation and commentary, echoing faintly across the dead-silent battlefield.

"So this is a person from beyond the heavens?"

She nodded slightly, her tone peaceful and waveless, each word clear: "They do not cultivate Spiritual Qi, do not use techniques, and solely temper their strength through their Physical Body. Their muscles, bones, and Qi and blood are refined to the extreme. The force is passable; no wonder they could push the Cultivators of this world into constant retreat."

Before her voice faded, her slender, fair jade fingers gently clenched.

Crack—!

An invisible, immense force suddenly constricted, and the power that had confined the world instantly exploded in a crushing force!

Kuang Yue didn't even have time to let out a shrill scream before that martial Physical Body of his—which had suppressed his peers, was impervious to blades and spears, and was seemingly unkillable—along with his remaining Qi and blood, Origin, and martial Foundation, instantly collapsed, shattered, and dissolved!

A sky full of blood mist exploded suddenly, drifting away with the wind, completely annihilated between heaven and earth.

The otherworldly powerhouse who had just been crazed, bloodthirsty, fighting to the death, and impossible to kill, had died and vanished in an instant, leaving not even a trace of residue behind.

The entire process was clean, neat, and casual, as if crushing an ant.

Wu Yang stood frozen in place, the restless demonic nature within him completely halted. His scarlet pupils contracted violently, his face full of shock and disbelief, massive waves rising in his heart.

He had heard of Fortune Spirit before, but seeing her with his own eyes today, he realized that the rumors in the world were not in the slightest bit false, and in fact, they fell far short of her true combat power!

"This... is this the legendary Fortune Spirit?"

Wu Yang's Adam's apple bobbed, filled with awe and shock. "Too strong... it's simply a dimensional suppression. The enemy we fought to the death, burning our Origin, and risking our lives to kill, she annihilated with a casual clench..."

Yang Chi stepped forward quickly, his mind still trembling, staring at Fortune Spirit's elegant, cold back, unable to recover for a long time.

And the only powerhouse on the scene, Fortune Spirit, gently brushed the non-existent dust from her sleeves, her posture lazy and indifferent. From beginning to end, she didn't spare a glance at the stunned Wu Yang and Yang Chi.

Her purpose this time was mainly to rush to help Elder Hei Yan. Appearing halfway was just because she was passing by, heard the intense fighting, and casually acted to quell the war.

In the next instant, the Void Realm rippled slightly. Fortune Spirit's elegant white-clad figure quietly faded and dissipated, without wind or sound, without a trace or mark, completely disappearing from this broken battlefield, leaving only the mess on the ground, the smoke in the sky, and the two completely stunned men.

After a long while, Wu Yang's stiff body slowly relaxed, though the restless demonic nature within him still churned and raged. He looked at the empty air, the corner of his mouth twitching violently, his face instantly turning extremely bitter, filled with a grievance that made him want to cry.

"You've got to be kidding me..."

Wu Yang let out a low moan, raised his hand to rub his swollen and aching brow, and said with a wry smile, "I risked my Divine Soul shattering and my Dao Heart being destroyed, forced down a jar of Heavenly Demon Drunkenness, bet half my life to enter a berserk demonic state, and prepared to fight to the death... and she just acted casually and insta-killed him?"

"So this forbidden demonic wine was all for nothing?!"

Yang Chi, standing to the side, was stunned at first, then couldn't help but laugh, his tone tinged with lingering fear. "Isn't this a good thing? What is Heavenly Demon Drunkenness? If you completely lose your mind and can't distinguish friend from foe, we would all be done for."

Wu Yang smiled bitterly, his Qi and blood floating, his body staggering. The demonic nature within him rampaged, his Buddha-Dao Foundation was crumbling, and his Meridians ached unbearably: "Did I have any other choice at the time? Shi Jin was heavily injured and had fallen to the ground, his life or death unknown. We were both exhausted of Spiritual Qi and covered in injuries. That Kuang Yue couldn't be killed no matter what. If we kept dragging it out, we would both surely die today, and the people of the fiefdom would have died in vain. Rather than sitting and waiting for death, it was better to take a gamble, trade my soul for power, and fight to the death."

Hearing this, Yang Chi raised his hand to support the unsteady Wu Yang, extending gentle Spiritual Qi from his fingertips, carefully trying to soothe the restless demonic nature within him, and said softly: "It's a good thing Fortune Spirit appeared halfway. Otherwise, the best outcome today would have been perishing together with the enemy. Damn it, what did that guy grow up eating? So strong, as hard as Shi Jin."

"Don't think too much, first stabilize your injuries and suppress the demonic nature." Yang Chi became serious, his tone earnest. "Your Buddha and demonic powers are clashing, your Spiritual Qi is chaotic, and your demonic nature is restless. If you are not careful, you will completely lose control. I will help you stabilize your Meridians and suppress your Heart Demon. You must focus your mind, keep calm, and guard that last shred of your original heart. Do not resist."

"Okay." Wu Yang stopped trying to be brave and nodded obediently.

Yang Chi's eyes narrowed slightly, and clear Immortal Rhyme slowly flowed around him. Gentle and pure Immortal power was continuously transferred into Wu Yang's body, traveling along his Meridians, little by little wrapping around, suppressing, and washing away the raging, violent demonic nature.

The process was extremely agonizing. The demonic nature was violent and crazy, constantly colliding and counterattacking, trying to devour the orthodox Immortal power and erode Wu Yang's mind.

Wu Yang gritted his teeth, his forehead covered in cold sweat, his muscles tensed, guarding the last shred of clarity in his spirit platform, letting the two forces pull and collide within his body.

After a full half-stick of incense, the raging demonic nature was gradually suppressed and reined in, no longer rampaging at will, and lay dormant deep within his Meridians. Wu Yang let out a long sigh of relief, his face still pale, his whole person extremely weak.

"Finally, it's temporarily stabilized." Wu Yang sighed softly, "This time I really gambled my life for nothing."

Yang Chi withdrew his Immortal power, also slightly out of breath, having expended quite a bit of Spiritual Qi. He looked at the devastated land and the completely destroyed town below, his expression grave: "Stop joking, as long as we're alive... let's go see how Shi Jin is doing first!"

Hearing this, Wu Yang's expression became solemn. He instantly put away his playful and aggrieved look, his eyes full of worry.

"Almost forgot, there's still Shi Jin!"

During the most dangerous moment of the battle just now, Shi Jin had burned his life's Bloodline, overdrawn his cultivation Foundation, and activated his ultimate Flood Dragon True Form to withstand the Origin backlash of Kuang Yue's dying self-detonation. That kind of backlash power was definitely not something an ordinary person could withstand.

"Let's go! Let's go check on him!"

The two did not delay any further. Supporting each other and dragging their injured bodies, they hurried towards the collapsed deep pit in the distance.

"Daddy~ Oh, my dear daddy~"

Just as they landed, they heard a wailing sound from afar.

Following the sound, they saw a Little Pebble jumping up and down on Shi Jin's chest.

At this moment, Shi Jin's eyes were closed, he had already passed out, and half of his body had been blown away, a horrific sight.

Wu Yang and the other were panicked and hurried forward.

After squatting beside Shi Jin and sensing his condition, they kicked the Little Pebble away in annoyance: "Damn it, stop wailing, he's still alive, why are you crying for the dead?"

Yang Chi was already supporting Shi Jin's neck and starting to force-feed him Medicinal Pill.

The broken valley was deathly silent, the ruins littered with debris, and the craters left by the shocking bloody battle were still startling. Shi Jin leaned against a relatively intact broken stone, slowly regulating his breathing with the medicinal power of the Medicinal Pill, his chest rising and falling weakly, his muscles and bones aching with tearing pain. Wu Yang and Yang Chi sat side by side next to him, one restraining the Evil Qi of his Buddhist beads, the other stabilizing the Immortal Rhyme of his long spear. After the desperate battle, all three were covered in wounds and lacked strength.

After a brief silence, the oppressive atmosphere was first broken by Wu Yang. He rubbed his still-scarlet eyes, smiled bitterly, and looked at the two beside him: "Honestly, I still haven't come back to my senses. A perfectly fine return journey was forcibly turned into a battle to the death. If it weren't for Fortune Spirit acting halfway, the three of us would likely have died here today."

Yang Chi nodded slightly, his gaze looking towards the devastated fiefdom, his tone tinged with emotion: "The world is unpredictable; no one expected that a crack from beyond the heavens would suddenly appear in the Canglan Domain world, and that otherworldly Martial Artists would invade across boundaries. But I'm very curious, Shi Jin, how were you so unlucky to run into people from beyond the heavens?"

Shi Jin heard this, sighed helplessly, his eyes full of grievance and helplessness, and slowly told the cause and effect: "My fiefdom is nearby. I was at a critical moment in my closed-door cultivation when I felt a sense of terror from heaven and earth. I went out and saw a space crack of dozens of meters explode out of thin air, and a large number of otherworldly Martial Artists walked out of it. And then I got beaten up."

Wu Yang looked sighing: "That is indeed unlucky enough. Sitting at home with the door closed, and disaster comes from the sky."

"What about you two?" Shi Jin looked up at the two, feeling puzzled, "Shuibo should have dispersed by now, right?"

Hearing this, Yang Chi's expression darkened slightly, a complex light flashing in his eyes, and he slowly spoke to reveal the reason: "At that time, we went to find Monk Lu Da, but didn't find him. We couldn't find him for a long time, but accidentally heard the news of the collapse of the Zhao Imperial Dynasty..."

Yang Chi's eyes were cold, hiding years of hatred: "My Yang clan was once an old aristocratic family of the Zhao Imperial Dynasty, loyal for generations, guarding the borders for the country, but in the end, we were framed by treacherous officials and persecuted by powerful nobles, our whole family destroyed, leaving only me alive in this world. In the past, when the dynasty was prosperous, the enemies were protected by the court, and I had no power to take revenge, so I could only endure in silence, cultivating and biding my time. Now that the dynasty has collapsed and the old forces have dissipated, those culprits have lost their backing and are fleeing in all directions. It is the best time for me to take revenge."

"So you two teamed up specifically to settle old scores?" Shi Jin asked suddenly.

"That's right." Wu Yang nodded in response, "I accompanied him to travel through several states, traversing the territory of the old dynasty, chasing and killing the remaining nobles and framing enemies all the way. It took several months, and we finally settled all the old enemies, ending his many years of blood feud. We originally planned to return immediately after taking revenge and go back to Shuibo to take a look. We never expected that while passing by here, we would happen to run into you being chased and killed by otherworldly Martial Artists."

Shi Jin felt a surge of warmth in his heart and spoke weakly but sincerely: "Thank you both, brothers, for your righteous action. Thank you both for always remembering our old brotherhood and risking your lives to help me."

"Stop saying these useless things, pay up!"