Chapter 108: Assault on the Mountain (Extra Chapter for Monthly Votes, 4,000 Words)

Inside the sanatorium.

With eyes closed, Wang Ze suddenly snapped them open, his dark pupils shining with a mixture of excitement and fatigue.

“It’s done…”

He shouted loudly, as if he had accomplished something profoundly meaningful, unable to contain his exhilaration.

Hearing this, Wang Ai hurried over anxiously and asked, “How did it go?”

“It’s done!” Wang Ze replied arrogantly. “Purgatory always delivers what it promises. Since I said I would help you and the boss eliminate Ye Yan, then I will definitely make it happen.”

“You can rest assured on this point.”

“Right now, his soul is sinking deeper into my dream world…”

“Sinking?”

Wang Ai was taken aback and suddenly widened his eyes. “You didn’t kill him outright?”

Nightmare had thought his words would reassure Wang Ai, but to his surprise, Wang Ai’s face darkened as if he had swallowed a basin of dead flies.

They had clearly eliminated a formidable opponent, yet Wang Ai’s expression was as grim as if he were the one who had lost inside the dream world.

This puzzled Nightmare greatly.

Wang Ai paid no mind to what Nightmare was thinking; his mind was consumed with one thought: to strike while the iron was hot.

As long as Ye Yan lived, Wang Ai would never truly be at ease, unable even to sleep soundly.

He had long been suppressed by Ye Yan.

“Do you have any other method to kill him directly? I’ll pay more. I can mobilize all of the Wang family’s connections to help you establish a branch inside Longguo, smuggle people in…”

Wang Ai’s eyes were red as he raved, knowing the dangers of letting a snake live only to be bitten again.

To eliminate Ye Yan, he was willing to cross the line into treason and entangle himself with a global scourge like Purgatory. Since he had already come this far, what harm in going further?

After all, now that he could avenge his precious grandson, Wang Ai was ready to do and dare anything.

“Sorry, although your offer is tempting, this is already the limit of what I can do. You should be able to see my condition,” Nightmare lowered his head and glanced at Wang Ze’s body, which had been completely petrified from the neck down, his expression tinged with helplessness.

This petrification was a side effect of Nightmare’s power; with great ability came a terrible price. They were inseparable.

Thus, even though Nightmare had suppressed Ye Yan within the dream world, he had chosen not to kill him outright, instead trapping him in endless darkness and slumber.

If Nightmare forced his power, he could kill Ye Yan, but he would be sealed away alongside Wang Ze’s body in stone.

“Damn it…”

Though unwilling to accept this, Wang Ai could see Wang Ze’s current state and knew Nightmare had done his best against Ye Yan.

“Can you guarantee he won’t break free?”

“Of course!”

Accustomed to his petrified form, Nightmare was unfazed by his body’s condition. Raising an eyebrow, he said proudly, “In my dream world, those exiled have no chance to escape.”

“Ye Yan won’t be the first, nor will he be the last.”

Perhaps swayed by Nightmare’s confident demeanor and words, Wang Ai gradually calmed. Seeing Wang Ze’s miserable state, he understood that continuing to attack Ye Yan was unrealistic.

However, if he couldn’t strike Ye Yan directly, he could vent his anger on those close to him to avenge his grandson.

“Xia He is a suitable choice.”

…

Longhu Mountain.

Guest room.

Ye Yan lay quietly on the bed, surrounded by a faint mist of blood.

Xu Si, the Elder Celestial Master, Zhang Lian, Feng Baobao, Dumbledore, and others gathered, their faces grave.

“Elder Celestial Master, you’ve seen much—what do you make of Ye Yan’s condition? Why did this happen all of a sudden, without any warning?”

Xu Si’s anxiety was evident. He couldn’t understand how Ye Yan had suddenly fallen ill when just last night they had been chatting.

The Elder Celestial Master frowned as he looked at Ye Yan, who appeared to be peacefully sleeping. “Don’t be anxious, Mr. Xu. Tell me exactly what happened so I can better judge the situation.”

“Alright.”

Xu Si took a deep breath, calming himself. “Elder Celestial Master, this morning when I came to find Ye Yan, he was already like this. But last night, we were still talking together…”

Xu Si briefly described the strange signs he had noticed.

After hesitating, the Elder Celestial Master asked, “Have you tried waking him?”

“Yes, every method we could think of, but none worked.”

“Judging by past experience, it’s possible Ye Yan has been cursed by some dark spell, which has caused this deep coma,” the Elder Celestial Master said thoughtfully. He believed that Ye Yan’s sudden condition must be due to some external magical interference.

Nearby, Director Deng, who had been silent, nodded slightly and spoke haltingly in the Dragon tongue: “Yes, it might be black magic.”

“Curse” was the term used in the realm of the extraordinary, while “black magic” was the Western term—different names, same meaning.

“Elder Celestial Master, respected senior, do you have any way to help Ye Yan?” Xu Si asked hopefully.

“It’s worth a try, but I can’t guarantee it will help,” the Elder Celestial Master replied.

“Same here,” Director Deng added.

Without knowing the exact nature of the curse, acting rashly might backfire. Even powerful experts like the Elder Celestial Master and Director Deng dared not promise success, which worried Xu Si greatly.

It was hard to imagine what kind of curse could affect someone as extraordinary as Ye Yan, someone of his caliber.

Seeing Xu Si’s concern, the Elder Celestial Master gently waved his sleeve in reassurance.

“Mr. Xu, don’t worry too much. We’ve seen Ye Yan’s abilities before—let’s believe that fate will protect the righteous.”

“Meanwhile, we’ll keep Ye Yan on the mountain and assign guards in shifts.”

“Later, I will personally inscribe a Soul Concealment Talisman to keep his spirit calm and prevent him from sinking into the dream world.”

“Thank you, Elder Celestial Master.”

Xu Si felt a wave of relief and bowed sincerely.

Director Deng also spoke up, “I can help as well.”

“Much appreciated.”

After discussing Ye Yan’s condition briefly, the Elder Celestial Master shifted topic.

“By the way, Mr. Xu, how is the situation on the mountain? Any sign of Quán Xìng?”

The Elder Celestial Master knew Quán Xìng was planning to attack, but even as the Luotian Great Ritual neared its end, the hidden Quán Xìng on the mountain had yet to reveal themselves.

Their presence was an ongoing threat.

“No need to worry, Elder Celestial Master. Old Lu and Xu San are watching Quán Xìng closely. If they dare step into our trap, they won’t return,” Xu Si assured.

Though worried about Ye Yan, Xu Si set that aside for the greater good. Besides being Ye Yan’s friend, he was also the head of the North China region, with many responsibilities.

…

Nightfall.

Longhu Mountain.

In the silence, a few furtive figures darted through the forest, whispering.

Suddenly, one hesitated: “Brothers, are we really going to start the assault now? Isn’t this a bit too blatant? This is Longhu Mountain, a thousand-year-old legacy.”

Another, more experienced Quán Xìng member retorted, “What’s there to fear? We’re Quán Xìng. If we don’t attack openly, how will we show our might?”

“Yeah, we’re Quán Xìng!”

A third chimed in.

Still, the first remained uneasy: “But the Elder Celestial Master is a supreme expert…”

Before he finished, the older Quán Xìng scoffed: “Supreme expert, my foot. That old man’s over a hundred years old. I doubt he can even walk properly, let alone fight. He’s just a useless relic. What’s there to fear?”

“Besides, how many people do Longhu Mountain have? And how many of us are here? We could drown them all with just our spit.”

“Exactly, no fear.”

“When the sky falls, there’s always someone taller to bear it. We Quán Xìng have come out in full force. Si Zhangkuang and Brother Tu are here. What’s there to fear about taking Longhu Mountain?”

Their banter eased the nerves of the youngest among them.

Indeed.

With so many Quán Xìng and experts, why fear even the Elder Celestial Master?

“Alright, enough talk. Prepare quickly. Today, we’ll show those arrogant Longhu Mountain Daoists what Quán Xìng is capable of.”

“Alright…”

…

Longhu Mountain.

Back mountain.

Lu Jin, dressed in a black formal suit, stood atop a peak.

A gentle breeze lifted the tails of his coat and ruffled his neatly combed silver hair, giving him the aura of a solitary master.

“Master Lu, are we just going to watch?”

Xu San stood a short distance behind, puzzled at the point of standing here.

Lu Jin folded his arms behind his back, smiling slyly. “Xu family brat, rest assured. I’ve laid talismans all over this mountain.”

“If those Quán Xìng bastards dare come, no matter the direction, I’ll sense it instantly. No problem.”

“Alright.”

Lu Jin’s arrogant words and commanding presence reassured Xu San considerably.

He pushed up his glasses but said nothing more. After all, Lu Jin was stronger.

Still, Xu San was somewhat worried.

Though he had some authority in the North China branch, he wasn’t the head.

A direct large-scale battle against Quán Xìng should ideally have the head present for caution.

But due to the sudden situation with Ye Yan, Xu San had to step in temporarily.

It was like being thrown to the wolves.

Just as Xu San pondered, a sudden explosion echoed from the forest.

A deep blue pillar of light shot into the night sky, illuminating everything.

Seeing this, Lu Jin stroked his beard and chuckled, “Xu family brat, look—the enemy has arrived…”

Before he finished, Lu Jin stepped forward and leapt off the cliff like a wounded bird, disappearing from Xu San’s sight.

“Master Lu!”

Xu San was startled by Lu Jin’s reckless action and rushed to the cliff edge to pull him back with his power.

Below, a dazzling blue light exploded.

Lu Jin’s falling body was surrounded by intricate talismans.

Then, as if caught by an invisible hand, his free-falling form froze midair and was propelled like a trailing meteor toward the explosion, quickly vanishing.

Watching Lu Jin’s dazzling display, Xu San muttered in awe, “This is the Tongtian Talisman—truly one of the Eight Marvelous Skills.”

Such a spectacular technique.

Among talisman masters, only Lu Jin, who mastered the Tongtian Talisman, could perform this.

Others would have fallen to their deaths before preparing any talisman.

Though Xu San disliked flashy tricks, Lu Jin’s display reassured him greatly.

…

After the explosion, Longhu Mountain seemed to stir like a living being, a chain reaction spreading through it.

“Charge! Charge forward!”

“Let those arrogant Daoists on Longhu Mountain witness the might of Quán Xìng!”

“To hell with the First Sect, to hell with the thousand-year legacy. All of them, die!”

The noisy shouts echoed from all directions across the mountain peaks.

“Attack! We’re under attack!”

The Longhu Mountain Daoists, still dressing after waking, saw a mass of Quán Xìng members charging like wild horses.

After a brief panic, the Daoists barely had time to react before the overwhelming numbers of Quán Xìng reached them.

The two sides clashed fiercely.

Shouts and battle cries rang out continuously.

In a secluded room on Longhu Mountain, the Elder Celestial Master and Zhang Lingyu stood by Ye Yan’s bedside.

“Lingyu, watch over Ye Yan here. I’ll go check on the situation outside.”

“Master, I’ll go with you…”

Zhang Lingyu volunteered eagerly, not wanting his master to bear the burden alone.

But the Elder Celestial Master interrupted sternly, “The matter outside is in the hands of me and your senior brothers. You just need to guard this room.”

“Remember, no matter what happens, don’t leave this room, understand?”

“Understood.”