Chapter 1547: Zhang Wuchen Exposed

The Netherworld Spider's escape from the Puppet Emperor Palace led to the demise of over a dozen Nascent Soul cultivators. The Nine Nether Sect suffered heavy losses, including three Nascent Soul cultivators and more than ten Core Formation cultivators, leaving them severely weakened.

Ye Yan of the Three Flames Palace issued strict orders to apprehend and bring to justice the three evil cultivators who trespassed into the Puppet Emperor Palace, along with anyone else involved. They were to be punished severely without leniency.

Myriad Beasts Island cooperated with the effort, as Ouyang Hongguang hailed from the Ouyang family. The Ouyang family also dispatched members to participate, aiming to cleanse their own ranks.

"If Fellow Daoist Ouyang hadn't provided Ouyang Hongguang's essence blood, the Thousand-Legged Blood Gu Worm wouldn't have been able to locate him," someone stated. "We've already lost one fourth-tier Thousand-Legged Blood Gu Worm just to find him, and we don't have another one to waste. Ouyang Hongguang is most likely hiding here; we must capture him."

Hai Xinni's tone was stern. In their search for Ouyang Hongguang, they had initially sought out Fairy Cai Lian for divination. However, Fairy Cai Lian refused to help, stating that she had performed too many divinations, leading to a severe depletion of her life force. True Monarch Tianyue held high prestige in the Northern Border cultivation world, so when Fairy Cai Lian declined, others found it difficult to press her.

The Ouyang family provided Ouyang Hongguang's essence blood. Myriad Beasts Island, which bred a spirit insect called the Thousand-Legged Blood Gu Worm, used this worm and Ouyang Hongguang's essence blood to perform the Ten-Thousand-Mile Tracking Art. It was only through this method that they were able to locate Ouyang Hongguang. Each time this art was performed, a fourth-tier Thousand-Legged Blood Gu Worm had to be sacrificed, making the cost very high.

If Ouyang Hongguang were to escape, finding him again would necessitate performing the Ten-Thousand-Mile Tracking Art once more, which would mean sacrificing another fourth-tier Thousand-Legged Blood Gu Worm.

"Fairy Hai, you stay here and watch them," Shangguan Wei declared. "If they dare to warn the Song family, kill them immediately to make an example."

Shangguan Wei spoke with murderous intent. Her cold, ruthless gaze swept quickly over Wang Tianwen and the others, who couldn't help but shiver, their expressions tense.

"Don't worry," Ouyang Shengtao said pleasantly. "As long as you stay put and don't make any trouble, we won't make things difficult for you." Shangguan Wei's murderous intent was too strong; with Ye Yan's orders, she was clearly abusing her authority. The Ouyang family did not wish to antagonize the Great Yan Dynasty, as they had many businesses there. Earning spirit stones was nothing to be ashamed of.

Wang Tianwen quickly agreed and ordered his subordinates, "Everyone stay put. Don't make any sound."

Shangguan Wei and the other three Nascent Soul cultivators transformed into four streaks of rainbow light and flew towards Golden Cypress Villa, while Hai Xinni remained behind to watch Wang Tianwen and the others.

Inside a basement at Golden Cypress Villa.

Ouyang Hongguang sat cross-legged on a cyan futon, his eyes tightly closed. His body was shrouded in dark light, and his arms and face were covered in arcane black spiritual patterns.

Behind him, a pale-faced, beardless old man in a green robe lay motionless on the ground, though still breathing.

After a while, Ouyang Hongguang suddenly opened his eyes, his brows deeply furrowed.

"I keep feeling like something major is about to happen. Have I been exposed? No, that's not right! My plan was flawless; it's impossible to be exposed!" Ouyang Hongguang muttered to himself. After leaving the Northern Border, he had hurried to the Central Plains, where he executed a meticulous plan to usurp power, controlling the Song family's only Nascent Soul cultivator.

A sound transmission talisman suddenly flew in, causing Ouyang Hongguang to frown.

He grabbed the talisman and closed his fingers around it. The talisman burst into dazzling flames, igniting itself, and a man's voice came through: "Ancestor, Senior Li from White Birch Mountain is here. He says he has important matters to discuss."

"Important matters? It seems I've really been exposed. I need to change locations." Ouyang Hongguang muttered to himself, then flicked two fingers, and a dark light pierced through the green-robed old man's heart.

With a soft 'pffft' sound, the green-robed old man's body spontaneously combusted, becoming engulfed in a large patch of black flames.

Boom!

With a loud bang, the secret room suddenly shattered into pieces. A blue sword light, over a hundred zhang long, descended from the sky, slashing towards Ouyang Hongguang. Ouyang Hongguang reacted quickly, flipping his hand to produce a seven-colored feather fan shrouded in a shimmering aura.

This was the Seven-Colored Phoenix Feather Fan, one of the Ouyang family's three great clan-guarding treasures.

He gently waved the Seven-Colored Phoenix Feather Fan, and a dazzling seven-colored spiritual light flew out, affecting the hundred-zhang-long blue sword light.

The blue sword light seemed to freeze, stopping in mid-air.

Boom!

A huge rumbling sound erupted as the ground cracked open. A massive python, with a waist as thick as a bucket, burrowed out from underground. The python was over five zhang long, its body covered in rock-like yellow scales and adorned with circular silver patterns.

Judging by its aura, this was a fourth-tier spirit beast.

As soon as the yellow python appeared, points of yellow light glowed in its gaping maw. A dazzling ball of yellow light flew out, instantly striking Ouyang Hongguang.

The yellow light exploded, and its dazzling brilliance engulfed Ouyang Hongguang's figure.

Whooshing sounds of tearing air erupted as countless black threads flew out from within the yellow light. They struck the yellow python one after another, creating muffled clanging sounds. The black threads then coiled around the yellow python, wrapping around its front and piercing its eyes.

A sharp hissing sound ripped through the air as the yellow python's body twisted violently and continuously, quickly transforming into a mummified corpse.

At this moment, the yellow light dispersed, revealing Ouyang Hongguang completely unharmed. He was now clad in dark, shimmering armor, and his face was covered in black mist.

"You have some skill," a cold, ruthless female voice suddenly stated, "but encountering this Sect Master means only one thing for you: demise."

The void rippled like water waves, then suddenly tore open. A seven-colored hand, over thirty zhang large, appeared out of nowhere. Its surface was covered in profoundly arcane runes. As soon as the seven-colored hand appeared, various sounds immediately echoed: crying, mad laughter, and angry roars.

This was the Emotion-Severing Desire-Extinguishing Hand, a unique divine ability from the "Nine Nether Heavenly Illusion Tome."

Ouyang Hongguang tried to dodge, but a melodious female voice echoed in his ear: "Fellow Daoist, you trespassed into the Puppet Emperor's Tomb and killed members of our Nine Nether Sect. Do you truly think you can just walk away? Have you not considered paying with your life?"

For some reason, Ouyang Hongguang found the voice strangely familiar and felt he should trust the speaker. Unconsciously, he replied, "Alright..."

No sooner had he uttered the word "Alright" than he regretted it, as the Emotion-Severing Desire-Extinguishing Hand seized the opportunity to strike.

Ouyang Hongguang immediately let out a pained scream as the black armor on his body cracked and he began to vomit blood continuously.

Two streaks of dark light descended from the sky, revealing themselves to be two continuously shimmering black chains that immediately shackled Ouyang Hongguang's hands and feet.

A gust of strong wind swept past, and Shangguan Wei suddenly appeared before Ouyang Hongguang. To his horror, Ouyang Hongguang found he couldn't use any of his spiritual power.

Shangguan Wei's right hand pressed onto Ouyang Hongguang's head as she performed the Soul-Searching Art. Ouyang Hongguang let out painful screams, his facial features distorted, and his body struggled violently.

Ouyang Shengtao walked over, a hint of dread flashing in his eyes. Ouyang Hongguang, a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator, had been taken down by Shangguan Wei almost instantly. The "Nine Nether Heavenly Illusion Tome" truly lived up to its formidable reputation; it was no wonder only the Nine Nether Sect Master could cultivate it.

After a while, Shangguan Wei withdrew her hand, her face full of murderous intent. "Zhang Wuchen of the Zhang family from Green Carp Island," she declared. "She actually knows the Silver Moon Soul-Severing Blade, a unique spiritual art of the Moon Palace from the Sun-Moon Palace!"

"What? Impossible! Could it be an imposter?" Ouyang Shengtao said somewhat incredulously. Zhang Wuchen was somewhat famous in the South Sea, and most importantly, the Zhang family and the Wang family were in-laws. The Ouyang family was also in-laws with the Wang family. If Zhang Wuchen truly was one of the perpetrators, it would be even harder for the Ouyang family to clear their name. They might even be thought to have instigated Zhang Wuchen's actions.