Chapter Thirty-Eight: Let the Storm Rage Even Fiercer

Before he could finish speaking, he saw two hands reach out and grip the scissors tightly.

The golden aura of the Battle King flared brilliantly. The Six-Talents Ancestral Dragon roared in anger, “This is our family matter, our family matter…”

Before he could unleash his wrath, the Hundred-Hues Demon Shears were easily pulled out. After being struck by the Cloudless Buddha’s spell, their power had diminished.

Then, a thousand bolts of tribulation lightning descended, swirling around the Hundred-Hues Demon Shears. Some of the translucent beams even pierced through their body, but, finding the conditions for descent into the Qianluo Space met, they quickly dissipated.

Only the Six-Talents Ancestral Dragon was stunned. Clearly, the shears had temporarily been reduced to the level of a Dao artifact—how could they deceive the tribulation lightning? It made no sense; if it were so easy to fool the lightning, the order of the heavens would have collapsed long ago from higher spaces invading the lower ones.

With a snap, the Battle King gripped the scissors in both hands. As he opened and closed them, the dragon-shaped aura of the Six-Talents quickly wrapped around them. An invisible pair of scissors appeared in the Battle King’s golden form, clamping down with force.

The Battle King, though only at a pseudo-Forming Spirit stage, had no fear. Yet the golden light he was severed from scattered like petals in the wind.

Old Bear Third was closest to the Battle King, but his silken treasure was utterly suppressed by the scissors. As he anxiously urged Cloudless for help, the little eagle cried out, “Dragon One Celestial King, hurry up and help!”

The others snapped to attention. Yes, there was still Dragon One Celestial King! He finally fluttered over the golden aura, dragging his feet, and reluctantly pounced.

The Six-Talents could not withstand the combined assault for long; soon he was defeated, transforming into a yellow-and-red pair of scissors and falling silent on the ground.

“Don’t play dead! If you’ve got the guts, come out!” Dragon One was frantic. He knew his father’s temperament too well; if he kept feigning death, the restrictions within would never be refined, and the only option would be destruction.

Even Cloudless frowned, turning to the others, “Three fools together could hardly make a Zhuge Liang—think of something! Once the Buddha’s spell expires, that old loach will recover his full power and be even more troublesome than Tiger-Faced Immortal! Hurry!”

In this crucial moment, Cloudless sought their aid. Suggestions poured in—boiling water, freezing, forging, thunderous strikes…

Yet the scissors remained unyielding, refusing to submit or show a hint of life.

Cloudless sighed deeply. “Destroy it.”

Suddenly, the little eagle grinned slyly. Even Liu Ruyan guessed his intent and snapped, “So you’re the one who smoked the Spirit Tree of a Hundred Fruits to death!”

“No way!” Dragon One shouted as the little eagle clutched his belly, realizing what was about to happen. “A man can be killed but not humiliated!”

As the little eagle stuck up his rear, preparing to foul the artifact with his droppings, Cloudless only shook his head, murmuring, “If it were me, I’d rather die than be humiliated.”

The next moment, eagle droppings sprayed out. The scissors flashed, about to flee, but Cloudless pointed a finger, and a wolf-tooth weapon soared to pin them in place. In less than three seconds, the dragon spirit of the Six-Talents Ancestral Dragon was yanked out by Dragon One, the restriction broken and claimed as his own.

“I’ll never have an appetite again!” lamented the Battle King, who had stepped forward to help, seeing Old Bear Third clutching his prayer beads from afar, afraid of catching even a whiff…

After the Hundred-Hues Demon Shears were subdued, Dragon One treasured them dearly, about to reclaim and nurture them with his soul. But Long Yun reached out and said, “Hand them over. I need them to sever the Cat Demon Immortal’s path and settle the karmic debt he owes!”

Dragon One was reluctant. With this Dao artifact in hand, he need not fear even Tiger-Faced Immortal! But seeing Cloudless’s calm expression, he worried about crossing him—after being tricked by Cloudless several times, he no longer dared test his patience. After a moment’s deliberation, fearing another ruse, he handed them over. Unexpectedly, Long Yun immediately gave them to the Battle King.

Too late—he’d been tricked! Dragon One was about to protest when Cloudless snorted, “What, think your cultivation isn’t refined enough and you want to imitate the Scissor Dragon? I’m saving you—this Buddha’s spell can taint the soul!”

Truth and falsehood, all interwoven—Dragon One could only force a smile, as did the subdued Six-Talents, who now wore a flattering expression, eager to curry favor once he learned Cloudless’s status. Clearly, when faced with restrictions, all living beings are the same—powerless before fate!

But soon, the Battle King returned the scissors to Dragon One, for the sharpness between dragons was something he could not resolve.

“Do not use them under any circumstances!” Cloudless warned again and again, his eyes full of pity.

After a brief respite, the group watched as the Flood Eagle trained the two young eagles, a scene of lively commotion. “No matter his past misdeeds, it’s all behind him now,” Old Bear Third mused.

Only Cloudless remained silent, telling a story—one of a man who, having committed great sin, fell into a cycle of karmic retribution, repaying his debts across lifetimes. In the end, he said, “Those two will suffer terribly in the future. Ah, karma is a thing beyond easy understanding—no use explaining it to you lot.”

As Old Bear Third fiddled with the prayer beads, he chimed in, “Doing good deeds to offset sins is another way.” But then, somewhat dazed, he asked Cloudless what he’d just said. After Little Bug recounted the story, Old Bear Third grew uneasy and tried to return the beads to Cloudless, who refused with a smile: “Fate or misfortune, with me it will always be fortune. Reflect well, reflect well!”

Ignoring Old Bear Third as he hid the beads, Cloudless explained more on how to deal with Tiger-Faced Immortal. “With the Hundred-Hues Demon Shears, the Great Bead Formation, and the Wolf’s Fangs of Nirvana, we lack only one thing—the most crucial. This Cat Demon is an emperor among demons, extraordinary by any measure. Don’t be fooled by appearances; otherwise, our deaths are assured.”

After this discussion, they prepared to leave for the formation space Cloudless had mentioned. Suddenly, the entire planet trembled—an unusual event on such a super-dense, super-hard world.

Before they could investigate, Tiger-Faced Immortal came rushing toward the deep pool, in a sorry state, pursued by countless paper and wooden figures wielding treasure artifacts.

Among them were the former Demon-Subduing Sect Master, the Elder of the Mouse Immortal School, the Daoist of the Artifact Mountain—and not just one of each, but an endless army of identical duplicates, which chilled Old Bear Third to the bone.

Even Tiger-Faced Immortal, a figure to be feared, was forced to retreat by these pursuers. Yet Cloudless had walked out leisurely, picked up the unassuming prayer beads, and left unscathed—what nerve!

The wooden and paper puppets, though formidable and wielding treasures, could not withstand the planet’s immense gravity. Tiger-Faced Immortal rang his bell, summoning fire to drive back his pursuers.

Countless paper figures turned to ash; countless wooden puppets blazed like eternal wicks.

As the pursuers retreated, Tiger-Faced Immortal, abandoning Cloudless, brazenly snatched up several hundred treasures. This triggered another wave of counterattack.

The cat-and-mouse game unfolded: when the enemy advanced, he withdrew; when they retreated, he pressed on.

Tiger-Faced Immortal grew addicted to the chase. He amassed dozens of treasures, which stirred Dragon One’s blood—he too wanted a share.

Cloudless shook his head and sighed, “This mouse’s greatest flaw is its greed for treasures. See how many artifacts on Qianluo Star are in his possession—nearly half! Were he not so greedy and timid, his achievements would have been greater still. He might even have become the Guardian himself.”

The group gained a deeper understanding of the Kun Mouse. Now that Dragon One had the Scissor Dragon, he wanted to confront Tiger-Faced Immortal, but Cloudless shouted, “He must fully absorb the curse of the Buddha beads before he can transform and ascend. Now is not the time!”

This shout carried a trace of a Buddha’s roar, instructing Dragon One. In truth, the Scissor Dragon’s Buddha curse was already affecting his heart.

Meanwhile, Tiger-Faced Immortal, driven by karmic ties, grew ever greedier, losing his judgment. The more treasures he seized, the broader Cloudless’s smile became. At last, above the pitch-black, lightless planet, a colossal flying beast appeared—not a bird, but a flying mouse.

The Kun is so large, not even a cauldron could stew it whole!

The little eagle drooled at the sight—he recognized the winged Kun Mouse, some two thousand meters long, descending from the sky to seize Tiger-Faced Immortal.

“In your lair, you earned some respect, but dare to come out and I’ll show no mercy!” Tiger-Faced Immortal transformed into his true form, over a thousand yards long—larger than the Kun Mouse.

In the depths of the pool, Cloudless nearly laughed himself to tears.

He pointed at the cat and mouse, saying, “A mighty dragon does not suppress a local snake, but this cat just has to try!”

Tiger-Faced Immortal’s collar bells rang thrice, forming a torrent that surged skyward, transforming into a gigantic wildcat that bit down on the Kun Mouse.

The longer one stayed on the Magnet Star, the better one learned to resist its gravity. As Tiger-Faced Immortal leapt and bit at the Kun Mouse’s throat, the latter, outmatched, began to cast spells.

A mysterious current appeared, blocking the wildcat. Then, as heavenly might descended, the Kun Mouse absorbed it like a tonic, breaking through from the peak of Breaking Spirit to Forming Spirit in an instant.

This was truer than the pseudo-Forming Spirit of the Battle King, for the spirit of the space had temporarily elevated this region to a level beyond even Qianluo Space.

It lasted but a moment, yet for the Kun Mouse, it was enough.

In a flash, the mouse grew immense and the cat shrank. The treasurer mouse now wielded countless artifacts, even two broken Dao artifacts, which hovered over Tiger-Faced Immortal’s head, their pressure dimming his collar bells by three parts.

Those bells were Tiger-Faced Immortal’s mightiest treasure!

Tiger-Faced Immortal’s face changed repeatedly; he began to destroy the treasures he had just seized. With every artifact he shattered, the Kun Mouse’s attacks grew fiercer.

Watching from afar, Cloudless shook his head and said to Dragon One, “An Emperor among demons is still an Emperor. No matter how small or weak, not even a Celestial King like you can match them!”

The outcome was obvious—even if the Kun Mouse had the heavens’ mandate, he had certainly not eaten as many cats as Tiger-Faced Immortal had eaten mice! Even as his size and power grew, Tiger-Faced Immortal remained unperturbed, and that was the most terrifying thing.

The Kun Mouse unleashed his powers, artifacts, and Dao treasures, each blow stronger than the last. Finally, at his peak, he executed his ultimate move—a flying, fanged Kun Mouse colliding head-on with Tiger-Faced Immortal. The impact sent violent tremors through the land, rippling through the air and tearing cracks in the fabric of space.

After a long silence, the Kun Mouse leaped high and summoned a weapon—shaped like a key. Before it could strike, before it could release its power, Tiger-Faced Immortal suddenly spat out an object, embedding it in the notch on his collar. The bell blazed with dazzling light, unleashing a world-shaking might.

Imperial Might!

The might of an Immortal Emperor!

This was Tiger-Faced Immortal’s last resort, his ultimate escape. With this Imperial Might, he could unleash a blow from his days in the Immortal Realm—not his strongest, but more than enough to shatter Qianluo Space.

Even the residual force of that Imperial Might sent the Kun Mouse rolling away, howling, “Immortal Emperor’s might! Immortal Emperor’s might!”

As the Kun Mouse fled, all the puppets who failed to escape in time combusted, turning to ash. Dragon One could only gaze into the distance, slapping his dragon leg, while Old Bear Third stomped his paws in frustration.

After revealing his Imperial Might, Tiger-Faced Immortal vanished before the spatial rift could open. Then, a vortex took form, turning into a single eye that surveyed the scene before swiftly sucking the fleeing Kun Mouse into its depths.

“So the Kun Mouse became the scapegoat?” Liu Ruyan sighed, wishing the battle could have lasted longer. This was a fight without tricks, every move desperate and real—thoroughly satisfying. When she learned the Kun Mouse survived, she breathed a sigh of relief.

“The enemy of our enemy is our friend. Senior, that Imperial Might is too much—if Tiger-Faced Immortal decided to perish together with us, he could blast a hole through the entire Magnet Realm!”

Cloudless nodded solemnly. “That was the weakest form of Imperial Might. He split and hid it, deceiving the spirit of space. Strongest of the strong, it was the mightiest blow in Qianluo Space—stronger than even the combined efforts of Heaven’s Will, the spirit of space, and the laws of order. But its greatest weakness is that it’s only one strike, and it exhausts his spirit. In his current state, after using it, he’s at his most vulnerable—that will be his death knell!”

With that, Cloudless set off with the group down another passage, for there was a formation of utmost importance.

“A formation with no offensive power, but able to hide in spatial rifts for a brief time?” Old Bear Third was puzzled. Since meeting Cloudless and Dragon One, his usual wit had given way to befuddlement.

As Cloudless confirmed the direction and entered a new corridor, he suddenly shrank the earth to cover a thousand miles in a step, and the passage itself changed instantly!

Such a phenomenon was rare—even Cloudless was stunned for a moment, uncertain who was now watching him. He forced a calm façade and pressed on, secretly welcoming whatever storm was about to come.