Wayfarer

Chapter 763: The Charm of Heavenly Law

Just then, Ye Sanshui and the Demon Child arrived at a valley outside Hongyue's capital, a spectral guard in tow.

"What are we doing here?" the Demon Child asked.

"His Majesty wants us to keep guard over Hongyue. He said that Lou Yujing was a skilled schemer, and that he barely put up a fight when he and his subordinates came to rescue the saint's main body. It's likely that he has some sort of scheme in mind, and we're to watch out for anything of the sort in Hongyue's capital," Ye Sanshui explained.

"Oh? You adults really like twisting everything up..." The Demon Child frowned.

Just then, a huge commotion rang out from a forest in the distance. Light flashed in the air as killing intent flared.

"Is there a fight happening over there?" the Demon Child exclaimed.

"Lou Yujing's ancestral zombie avatar is attacking the saint's avatar alongside Yuan Wudi!" Ye Sanshui exclaimed.

"Aren't they allies? Why are they fighting each other?" the Demon Child exclaimed.

"Report this to His Majesty immediately," Ye Sanshui instructed the spectral guard, who relayed the information via his avatar.

Another Boundless Immortal suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

"Another zombie king?" the Demon Child exclaimed.

"No, that's not an ordinary zombie king. It's an ancestral zombie! Could the third black coffin have appeared?!" Ye Sanshui shouted.

"I will relay His Majesty's urgent response," the spectral guard suddenly called out.

"While ensuring your own safety, intercede on behalf of the saint's avatar. Save him if you can."

"What? Aren't we enemies?" the Demon Child cried out.

"Follow my command. I'll explain everything to you in due time—but remember to prioritize your own safety. Leave immediately if there's anything amiss."

"Very well!"

They rushed toward the battlefield in the distance.

By then, the fight was almost over. The saint's avatar roared in rage, but was unable to win against the three Boundless Immortals who had suddenly attacked him. He was grievously wounded and entirely suppressed.

"Die!" Ye Sanshui and the Demon Child shot toward them.

The saint's avatar glanced at the newcomers. Enemies though they were, the saint's eyes lit up. "Save me!"

"Ignore them. Finish off the saint's avatar, now!" Lou Yujing's ancestral zombie avatar commanded.

"Understood!" Yuan Wudi replied.

The three cultivators suppressed the saint's avatar as the Demon Child and Ye Sanshui found themselves stymied by a barrier. Though they blasted the barrier at full strength, it shook but didn't give way.

"How can this barrier withstand our attacks?" the Demon Child exclaimed.

He smashed the demon-subduing golden hoop down onto the barrier while Ye Sanshui pummeled it with his fists. The barrier shook violently. Four treasures glowed with light in four cardinal directions, stabilizing the barrier.

"The treasures that Lou Yujing and the others were using..." the Demon Child murmured.

The saint himself had loaned Lou Yujing and his subordinates four Boundless Immortal relics to use while saving his main body.

"Did Lou Yujing anticipate that we'd show up?" Ye Sanshui exclaimed.

Just then, one of the ancestral zombies bit down on the saint's avatar.

"No!" The saint's avatar shrieked.

The ancestral zombie's zombification ability was too strong, and the saint's avatar was pinned down and couldn't escape. He could only watch on as his body zombified. This was his final remaining avatar; if he detonated it, his main body wouldn't be able to escape at all.

But the more concerned he was with his main body, the more Lou Yujing could take advantage of him. Before long, the saint was motionless.

Ye Sanshui and the Demon Child continued to attack the defensive formation. It looked as if they were about to break it down, but the fight within had already ended.

"Marquis Ye, Demon Child, His Majesty orders you to evacuate!" the spectral guard called out from a distance.

The two Boundless Immortals eyed each other in exasperation. They could only fly back to the spectral guard and leave with him.

Before long, the ancestral zombie released the saint's avatar, which continued to stand motionlessly. Black smoke erupted around him.

"Your Majesty, is the saint's avatar a zombie king now?" Yuan Wudi exclaimed.

"Indeed. Things went successfully," one ancestral zombie replied.

"Those two cultivators were Ye Sanshui and the Demon Child, weren't they? Do we need to chase after them?"

"It's fine. We won't be able to catch them, and we need to ensure nothing goes wrong back in Hongyue. We'll return for the moment."

"Understood!"

In a certain hall, Li Qianjun guarded Lou Yujing as the Tu clan cultivators were killed to the last.

Radiant light emanated from Lou Yujing's body. A huge, circular rune manifested by his back and slowly began to revolve. It gave off a magnificent, unassailable aura that could be felt all throughout the hall and even beyond it.

Then, moments later, the phenomenon vanished from sight as all that energy was absorbed into Lou Yujing's body.

Lou Yujing slowly opened his eyes and reined in his aura.

"Your Majesty, were you successful?" Li Qianjun asked in anticipation.

Lou Yujing smiled and nodded. "I was. I've gained the saint's strength. Once I familiarize myself with his charm of heavenly law, I'll be able to use it myself."

"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty!" Li Qianjun exclaimed.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty!" boomed Lou Yujing's subordinates.

Lou Yujing nodded in satisfaction. He looked around him to see the Tu clan cultivators dead in pools of their own blood.

"Qianjun, I'm sorry about Siniang's death," Lou Yujing said.

Li Qianjun's eyes flashed resolutely. "You warned me from the start, Your Majesty. I gave her plenty of chances, but she chose not to take them."

Lou Yujing patted Li Qianjun's shoulder. "Let's go."

He waved an arm and shrouded Tu Jiuniang in red light, then carried her out of the hall with all the officials in tow.

The exterior of the hall was pitch-black and guarded by a large number of zombies.

Lou Yujing and his officials flew into the air and toward the exit of the black coffin hidden realm.

Then, after he dismissed everyone, he brought Tu Jiuniang to his personal chambers and lay her in bed. With a secret technique, he extracted a translucent shimmer from her body: Tu Jiuniang's soul. It was badly cracked and looked as if it would dissipate at any moment.

"Jiuniang, your actions today shocked me."

Tu Jiuniang's soul knelt down as she cried, "I'm sorry, Husband. All these years, I was nothing more than the saint's puppet. I had to act on his orders. I didn't want to hide things from you, but I had no choice."

Lou Yujing sighed. "I know. I knew from the beginning. I was worried that you would have tried to kill me on Chi Hai's command, and even arranged for Li Qianjun to watch over you. I didn't expect that, in the end, you would..."

"You're my husband. I would rather die than hurt you. I've wanted to tell you everything for quite some time, but I never was able to drum up the courage to do so. I apologize, Husband."

"Would you give up your life for me? Was it worth it?"

Besotted, Tu Jiuniang glanced at Lou Yujing. "Of course. Anything for you, my husband. Please live on well!"

Lou Yujing wiped away Tu Jiuniang's tears. "In my heart, you'll always be that naive little fox. Don't you know that I've been taking advantage of you?"

"I don't care!" Tu Jiuniang exclaimed.

Lou Yujing smiled gently. "Now that I too control heavenly law, I would never let you die. Shall I transplant your soul into a zombie's? I'm afraid your cultivation as a Boundless Immortal will be lost."

"I don't care. Being by your side would be the greatest blessing afforded to me!" Tu Jiuniang exclaimed.

Lou Yujing summoned a female zombie from the black coffin, then helped infuse Tu Jiuniang's soul into it.

"It's a pity that your physical body can't be zombified so shortly after your death. Otherwise, we wouldn't have to go through all this trouble."

"I'm very satisfied, Husband," Tu Jiuniang replied. She smiled.

Lou Yujing sealed Tu Jiuniang's prone fox body, then infused her zombie body with power. Before long, its appearance morphed into Tu Jiuniang's.

Tu Jiuniang embraced Lou Yujing tightly, smiling in satisfaction.

"Husband, you don't know how much I fretted these last few years. I wanted to tell you the truth, but was afraid you wouldn't want me anymore."

"I apologize for the destruction of your clan," Lou Yujing replied.

"That's unimportant!" Tu Jiuniang shook her head.

Lou Yujing patted Tu Jiuniang's back. "I heard you came from the so-called green knoll hidden realm."

"I did! How did you know about it, Husband?"

"Show me around in the future."

"Of course," Tu Jiuniang promised.

Three days later, within Lou Yujing's black coffin hidden realm, Tu Jiuniang and Lou Yujing's two ancestral zombie avatars stared at the saint's avatar before them. By then, he had transformed into a zombie king.

"Husband, what are you planning to do?" Tu Jiuniang asked.

"An ancestral zombie's strength is limited, and can only grow by devouring other ancestral zombies. Before that, however, it must be supplied with large quantities of high-grade black blood. The zombie king formed from Chi Hai's avatar will help with that."

"Husband, you intend on combining the two ancestral zombies and devouring the saint's avatar?" Tu Jiuniang exclaimed.

"Indeed. I've already mastered Chi Hai's soul, but just in case, I intend to leave no trace of him behind, even via his avatars. Over the last two days, his body has completely zombified and can now be devoured. Use your senses to ensure that nothing disturbs me during the process. Inform me immediately if something goes wrong."

"Very well!" Tu Jiuniang nodded.