"The Thunder Seabird is truly a speedy one."
Amongst demons, all the bird-types could fly without being at the Yaodan realm..
And they could even fight in the air.
This was one clear advantage they had over martial cultivators.
As for the other demons, if they wanted to fly, they would have to use other methods. Some, even after reaching Yaodan, still could not achieve flight.
Tian Yijun and Jiang Xie both stood up. All three factions waited to receive the Thunder Seabird's return.
Whoosh!
Thunder Seabird flew at great speed. Before long, he was above Lower Yuan Peak with Wu Yu. He assumed his human form, and plummeted to the ground with Wu Yu. He slammed into the ground, shaking the area.
Of course, the Thunder Seabird had descended closer to the palanquin, and further from Jiang Xie and the others.
Jiang Xie and the others smiled upon seeing Wu Yu. "That's the disciple called Wu Yu. The mortal enemy of my son. I hear that Feng Xueya values him highly."
Tian Yijun's gaze was wintry, and it seemed like countless ghosts were crawling all over Wu Yu. "This is the person that killed little Spectral Concubine?"
According to his principles, Wu Yu could not be held captive. He had to be destroyed.
They had originally thought that Jiang Ding and the others would follow behind the Thunder Seabird. But as they spoke, the others did not know where they were. Jiang Xie finally asked, "Where are Jiang Ding and the others?"
At this moment, the Thunder Seabird was conversing seriously with the person in the palanquin.
He turned back and addressed Jiang Xie, "Among them, only Elder Shentu could put up a fight. We chased him for half a day, and were about to finish them all off, when Feng Xueya suddenly appeared. The three of us together were not his match, and so we split up. I was the first to return."
"What!?"
They were aghast!
They had not thought that their mission would fail.
"How many were they at the start? Was it eight disciples, and that Elder Shentu?" Jiang Xie asked in disbelief.
"That's right."
Tian Yijun's voice was menacing. He spat, "The five of you, with three at the 10th tier of the Qi Condensation Realm. And you can't even deal with one Elder Shentu? You had to wait half a day for Feng Xueya to come?"
None of them could believe it.
This was a complete outclass - how could the opponent have eluded them for half a day?
The Thunder Seabird gave a cold laugh. "That's none of my concern. If you have to blame somebody, it should be your son to look to, Sect Leader Jiang."
Jiang Xie's face changed. "What do you mean?"
The Thunder Seabird spoke of Jiang Junlin's challenge to Wu Yu. "A pity that even with the Hundred Ghost Devouring Talisman, your son was not Wu Yu's match. He was not only slaughtered on the spot, but the Hundred Ghost Devouring Talisman fell into his hands, and was used on Jiang Ding. And with that, Elder Shentu seized the chance, using his immortal treasure to snag the disciples and make his escape. I caught Wu Yu, but that Elder Shentu is not weak either. Because Jiang Ding was handicapped, the worms found a way to break out of our encirclement. It was truly difficult to pursue them.”
They roughly got the picture now.
They had surrounded them proper. And the only reason why Elder Shentu had been able to break through was all because Wu Yu had killed Jiang Junlin and used the Hundred Ghost Devouring Talisman to restrain Jiang Ding.
"Jiang Junlin died on the spot?" This was something that the Zhongyuan Dao Sect could not bear.
Let alone Jiang Xie.
His eyes widened like circles.
He looked at Wu Yu in complete disbelief.
In this matter, Tian Yijun had a share of the blame as well. After all, the Hundred Ghost Devouring Talisman had come from them.
But the most laughable one was Jiang Junlin's conceit and stupidity.
His rash challenge had not only gotten himself killed, but had also given Elder Shentu and the others a chance to escape.
Instantly, the place was deathly silent.
"Seems like I have to thank Jiang Junlin. He really had nothing but water for brains. He still came to challenge me after losing twice. I wonder which pig it was that gave birth to him."
Through this silence, Wu Yu, in the Thunder Seabird's grasp, suddenly spoke in a cruel manner.
He looked hard at Jiang Xie without the slightest shred of fear. Given anyone else of his age, they would have been undone by their fear when faced with three enemies of such might.
The Ninth Spirit, the Scarlet Sea's Seven Ghosts, and Jiang Xie were all present.
"Shut up!" From the Zhongyuan Dao Sect's side, an outburst of anger was heard.
Jiang Xie's focus was completely on Wu Yu. Suddenly, he laughed long and cruelly.
Reading the situation, the Thunder Seabird immediately plugged Wu Yu's mouth, and said to Jiang Xie, "Sect Master Jiang, although he killed your son, I have to say that this person is extremely important to my master, Ninth Spirit. He is what I took from the battle, and also belongs to the Ninth Spirit. I cannot give him to you."
This was a surprise to many.
"Important?" Jiang Xie gave a spluttering laugh.
It seemed like all the world's bad news had come knocking on his door.
Just as he was about to start an argument, Shen Erjun and Qi Yunji finally showed up. Their faces were ugly, and they congregated at Tian Yijun's side.
"Where's Jiang Ding?" Jiang Xie's eyes were wide. He had an uneasy feeling about it.
Shen Erjun said, "The moment Feng Xueya arrived, I warned him. In order to escape, we parted three ways. But I could see that he was a tad slow, and Feng Xueya was catching up to him. It's possible that he will not return."
"Keke...." Jiang Xie chuckled.
He naturally understood that the Scarlet Sea's Seven Ghosts and the demons were not his people. They seemed to be in an alliance, but their relationship was not as good as one might expect. For example, when Feng Xueya made an appearance, and things looked bleak, they would not only not band together, but even redirect the danger to Jiang Ding.
The Thunder Seabird had discovered Feng Xueya first, but had not called a warning.
It was highly likely that if Feng Xueya had only chased Jiang Ding, Jiang Ding would not return.
And Jiang Xie's chuckle chilled their marrows.
After a while more, Jiang Ding still had not returned. They were more or less sure that he was in trouble now.
The matter seemed settled, and was important enough to crush the Heavenly Sword Sect. But now it was completely turned around.
Jiang Xie had lost his son, and even his younger brother had been captured. The Zhongyuan Dao Sect had taken a huge blow today.
Finally, he turned again to regard Wu Yu.
"Jiu Er, this Wu Yu has killed my son. You must give him to me."
Tian Yijun was still on good terms with him. He spoke up as well. "This person has killed the Scarlet Sea's Seven Ghosts' disciple as well. He cannot be let off."
This was a more important matter for Jiang Xie. He needed Wu Yu to exchange for Jiang Ding.
Faced with both threats, the Thunder Seabird stood unmoving.
The Ninth Spirit's voice came from the palanquin, neither angry nor resentful. "That will not do. He is the person who finally appeared after I waited for centuries. I cannot let you harm him, or hand him over to Feng Xueya."
Her voice was warm, but brooked no objection. There was no room for discussion.
"Ninth Spirit, the three of us are in alliance. Show your sincerity. This Wu Yu is our common enemy. He killed my son. Give him to me!" Jiang Xie was angry now.
His face was already turning grim.
After so many years, he had never been laid so low before.
Unexpectedly, the Ninth Spirit's voice came back. "That's a pity. If that's the case, then I'll withdraw. You two go ahead and attack the Heavenly Sword Sect."
These words caused Jiang Xie to panic.
He naturally understood that they could not attack the Bipo Mountain Range without the Ninth Spirit and her demon horde. In addition to the loss of Jiang Ding, their chances of victory had plummeted from 80% to 30%.
Jiang Xie considered this carefully, weighing the importance of the Ninth Spirit's alliance.
They were three. Short of any one, they could not take the Heavenly Sword Sect.
The Ninth Spirit was not joking either. Her order was immediately heeded by the demon horde, who postured to leave.
She only wanted Wu Yu.
In this exchange, even Wu Yu himself was open-mouthed in surprise. He was extremely curious. What purpose exactly did he have, that the Ninth Spirit would value him so highly?
At this moment, he wished that the Ninth Spirit would just leave. Although he might never be able to return to the Heavenly Sword Sect, at least the sect's crisis would be averted.
Of course, Jiang Xie had plotted for so long. He would not simply give up on the Bipo Mountain Range for his son's revenge.
In his bones, he was a cold and distant person.
That was why he could not give it up.
He finally lowered his head. "Forget it. Ninth Spirit, you can keep him with you for now."
This matter need not be fought over immediately. Wu Yu was not the key here. Even if he killed him on the spot, it would only bring a fleeting moment of pleasure. Exterminating the Heavenly Sword Sect was the truly great work.
"Jiu Er thanks Brother Jiang for his forbearance." From the palanquin, tinkling laughter came, much like a child's.
"That voice is beautiful...."
Wu Yu was right beside the palanquin.
He had seen a fox demon before, but that Qian Er was nothing compared to the Ninth Spirit. He had never seen the Ninth Spirit before, but her voice alone made it difficult for him to focus. His mind jolted, riding high in the clouds. He felt like his heart was melting.
"Fox demon, the power of charms...."
What on earth did the Ninth Spirit want with him?
Wu Yu felt like it could be nothing good.
"Jiang Xie."
Wu Yu suddenly raised his head. He faced the engineer of the entire affair.
"You all are doomed to waste in this battle! You are of the orthodox path, but you cavort with ghostly cultivators and demons, and harm humans. Heaven itself will strike you down with lightning!" Wu Yu's gaze was disdainful.
"It does not concern you. Don't think you are safe just because you are in the Ninth Spirit's hands. That's a nice daydream." Jiang Xie snickered.
At this time, a huge Heavenly Cloud Roc flew above them. It carried a huge stone tablet, which suddenly dropped, landing before Jiang Xie.
On it were huge words, carved out by a sword.
"Jiang Ding lives or dies by my hand!"
This was the will of the sword, Feng Xueya's will!
He need not say much. These eight words could already make Jiang Xie feel the pressure. He had to ware the consequences, if he cared about Jiang Ding's life at all.
"Hmph!"
Jiang Xie harrumphed. The stone tablet shattered. He turned back and shouted, "Disciples of the Zhongyuan Dao Sect, hear my command! The Heavenly Sword Sect dares to threaten our elder Jiang Ding, and challenge us! We will gather, and quest the Bipo Mountain Range for justice!"
It was the moment that Tian Yijun had finally been waiting for. He spoke up. "We will also lend Sect Leader Jiang our strength."
While they were shouting back and forth, Wu Yu had already been sent into the palanquin.
Ever since the palanquin had been made, no one else had ever been inside before.