Chapter 1700: Sat by and Watch the Tigers Fight

Among the Nascent Soul cultivators who arrived in the Heavenly Azure Realm, only the Cyan Lotus Immortals, a couple, were known to wield a blade-type magic treasure and a pipa-type magic treasure, respectively.

Zhao Junyue and True Monarch Lihuo were stationed at the rear, preparing to attempt to reach the Soul Transformation stage. However, they encountered the team that included the Cyan Lotus Immortals, and both Zhao Junyue and True Monarch Lihuo were killed by them.

The Cyan Lotus Immortals escaped into the Myriad Thunder Sea Region, thus avoiding a disaster. However, Golden Moon Sword Venerable issued a huge bounty for their capture.

Hearing the words "Cyan Lotus Immortals," Shangguan Wei and Lei Yiming frowned, involuntarily glancing at Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan.

Shangguan Wei's gaze was gloomy. She had directly or indirectly annihilated at least eighty, if not a hundred, cultivation families, and the Wang family was just one of them. While many had escaped her grasp, the difference was that other escapees never had a chance for revenge and vanished without a trace. The Wang family, however, rose with astonishing speed, allying themselves with the Myriad Swords Sect and the Grand One Immortal Sect, both of which were protected by Soul Transformation cultivators.

At that time, the Cyan Lotus Immortals were only at the early Nascent Soul stage, and Shangguan Wei didn't take them seriously. She believed that once she entered the Soul Transformation stage, eradicating them would be effortless.

She had painstakingly acquired a spiritual item to aid in breaking through to the Soul Transformation stage and attempted the breakthrough, but unfortunately failed. This time, her journey to the Heavenly Azure Realm was specifically to find spiritual items that could help her reach the Soul Transformation stage. However, opportunities had been scarce, as most of the Sky Azure Sect's experts were concentrated at the main headquarters or branch halls guarded by Soul Transformation cultivators.

Shangguan Wei had not expected the Cyan Lotus Immortals to also be in the Heavenly Azure Realm. Moreover, True Monarch Taihao had cultivated to the late Nascent Soul stage. Previously, the Cyan Lotus Immortals were merely a minor annoyance in her eyes, but now they had become a serious threat.

This time might be an excellent opportunity to eliminate the Cyan Lotus Immortals. Killing them here would allow her to pin the blame on the Sky Azure Sect cultivators.

"Distracting yourself while fighting us? You're asking for death," a cold, emotionless male voice suddenly declared.

Thousands of identical blue flying swords shot from all directions, blocking all of Shangguan Wei's escape routes.

Shangguan Wei's delicate brows furrowed slightly. With a flick of her sleeve, a black, glittering scroll flew out. She cast a spell into it, and the black scroll unfurled in mid-air. Clearly visible on it was a continuous range of black mountains, among whose peaks and valleys spread a black flame.

This was the Nine Nether Map, a spirit treasure specialized in collecting other magic treasures.

Shangguan Wei formed a hand seal, and the Nine Nether Map immediately radiated dazzling black light, its size rapidly expanding. It spun ceaselessly around her. Dense blue flying swords successively plunged into the Nine Nether Map, becoming embedded within the black mountains depicted inside.

At this moment, the void above Shangguan Wei's head rippled, and a golden, gleaming seal appeared out of thin air. The golden seal emitted dazzling golden light, instantly growing to the size of a small mountain, and cast down a large expanse of golden light, enveloping Shangguan Wei's body.

Shangguan Wei felt her body weigh thousands of catties, rendering her unable to move.

Black light burst forth from her body, and a large expanse of black flames surged around her. The golden light cracked like shattered glass, breaking into pieces, and Shangguan Wei was sent flying backward.

The Nine Nether Map radiated dazzling black light, covering the giant golden seal. The giant golden seal visibly shrank and was drawn into the Nine Nether Map by the black light.

A blue sword light shot forth with astonishing momentum, the void trembling and warping in its wake.

Shangguan Wei changed her hand seal, and the Nine Nether Map's size rapidly expanded once more, surging with a large expanse of black light. The blue sword light plunged into the Nine Nether Map, embedding itself in a towering black mountain peak.

The blue sword light was actually a sky-blue flying sword with a blue cloud pattern on its hilt and a human face on its blade—it was indeed the blue-shirted youth. He had used a spirit treasure flying sword to perform the secret technique of Body-Sword Fusion but was now trapped by Shangguan Wei using the Nine Nether Map.

"Break!" the blue-shirted youth roared. Eighteen blue flying swords flew towards him from a distance. The nineteen blue flying swords merged into one, forming a colossal sword over a hundred zhang long, which struck towards the black mountain range with thunderous force.

Boom!

Wherever the colossal sword passed, black mountain peaks exploded, and tiny cracks appeared on the surface of the Nine Nether Map.

"Let them fight among themselves; we'll observe for now," Shangguan Wei transmitted to Lei Yiming. Her face was filled with killing intent. She absolutely would not miss this excellent opportunity to eliminate the Cyan Lotus Immortals. As for the Heavenly Azure Realm cultivators, they were insignificant in her eyes.

Boom!

With a loud bang, the Nine Nether Map shattered into pieces, and the colossal sword shot out, heading straight for Shangguan Wei.

Shangguan Wei was already prepared. Seven-colored spiritual light surged from her right hand as she slapped the void. Ripples spread above the colossal sword, and a gigantic seven-colored hand, over a hundred zhang in size, appeared out of thin air. The surface of the seven-colored hand was covered with profound runes. As soon as it appeared, various sounds immediately erupted: people crying, people cackling, people roaring.

This was the Emotion Severing, Desire Extinguishing Hand, a unique secret technique from the "Nine Nether Heavenly Illusion Treasure Codex." Anyone with emotions and desires would suffer severe damage from it.

The colossal sword sensed something and tried to evade, but a sparrow's cry, echoing through heaven and earth, resounded.

"Fighting is meaningless. Let's sit down, have some tea, and chat!" Shangguan Wei's voice was gentle, exuding a strong sense of friendliness.

The ringing of bells, "ding, ding, ding," resounded, and the colossal sword immediately became motionless. The other two Nascent Soul cultivators looked dazed.

Shangguan Wei fully activated the Black Sparrow Bell spirit treasure. The three Heavenly Azure Realm Nascent Soul cultivators were still affected, as the Tier-4 talismans on their bodies only weakened the illusion's power, rather than completely nullifying it. If a single Tier-4 talisman could completely ignore illusions, then the "Nine Nether Heavenly Illusion Treasure Codex" would not be worthy of being the Nine Nether Sect's foundational cultivation method.

The seven-colored hand accurately struck the colossal sword. A scream followed, and the colossal sword transformed back into nineteen blue-glowing flying swords. The blue-shirted youth fell to the ground, his expression crazed. He would cackle maniacally, then sob uncontrollably, then his face would contort in anger—his mood was volatile and unpredictable.

A dark, vast sonic wave shot forth, sweeping past the blue-shirted youth's body. His body burst apart, turning into a shower of blood; even his Nascent Soul failed to escape.

A deafening roar of thunder sounded as hundreds of thick silver lightning bolts descended from the sky, striking the other two Nascent Soul cultivators.

Two painful screams rang out as dazzling silver lightning submerged the bodies of the two Nascent Soul cultivators.

On the other side, a man's utterly miserable scream echoed as Zhao Junjing and the Cloud Whale Beast were sliced in half by a blue saber light over a thousand zhang long. Even their Nascent Souls failed to escape.

Zhao Hengjiang was scared half to death by this scene; the Cyan Lotus Immortals' strength exceeded his imagination.

In less than ten breaths, only he and the azure flood dragon remained.

A hazy azure sonic wave swept forth, striking the blue shield in front of Zhao Hengjiang. Zhao Hengjiang and the blue shield were sent flying backward, his face flushing crimson as he spat out a mouthful of vital blood.

"You want to kill me? Even if I die today, I'll take one of you with me!" Zhao Hengjiang snarled, a savage grin on his face. He transformed into a streak of light and flew towards the azure flood dragon.

Shangguan Wei flipped her hand, and a seven-colored round alms bowl appeared in her palm, exuding oppressive spiritual energy.

This was the Seven-Colored Glazed Bowl, a magic treasure used to trap enemies.

She flicked her wrist, and the Seven-Colored Glazed Bowl shot out, its size rapidly expanding as it flew towards Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan above them.

Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan inwardly cried out in alarm. Just as they were about to dodge, a huge roar of thunder sounded, and hundreds of thick silver lightning bolts descended from the sky, striking them.

Wang Changsheng slashed his Seven-Star Demon Slaying Blade skyward. A blade cry, piercing to the eardrums, rang out, and hundreds of blue saber lights swept forth, meeting the incoming attack.

Boom!

A huge roar sounded, and hundreds of blue saber lights perished simultaneously with hundreds of silver lightning bolts.

A swath of seven-colored spiritual light descended from the sky, covering a ten-mile radius and enveloping Wang Changsheng, Wang Ruyan, the Nine Nether Sparrow, the azure flood dragon, and Zhao Hengjiang.

Zhao Hengjiang merged into the azure flood dragon's body. The azure flood dragon suddenly let out a strange roar, its body glowing with azure light. A blurry human face appeared on its head, and its aura surged.

After a moment, Zhao Hengjiang's face clearly appeared on the azure flood dragon's head. The azure flood dragon's aura was infinitely close to the Soul Transformation stage. This was the secret Human-Beast Fusion technique; after performing it, Zhao Hengjiang faced certain death. Unfortunately, the azure flood dragon was not his bonded spirit beast; otherwise, its rank could have been elevated to Tier-5. His actual bonded spirit beast had died at Shangguan Wei's hands.

"Cyan Lotus Immortals, Shangguan Wei, hmph! I'm going to devour all of you," Zhao Hengjiang cackled, his expression crazed.

"Hmph, let's see you devour the Cyan Lotus Immortals first," Shangguan Wei said languidly, stretching as a murderous intent filled her face.

No matter who died or was injured, she would be the biggest winner. If Heavenly Azure Realm cultivators were drawn here, she would simply slip away. This time, she was determined to eliminate the Cyan Lotus Immortals, her most troublesome concern.