novelA Tooth for a Tooth, Little Packrat's Great Grandfather
| ← Ch.146 | Ch.148 → |
Translator: Minotauruz
Everyone looked up in the air in shock and discovered a man and a woman standing tall in mid-air. The man looked cool, suave and dignified, while the woman was charming and beautiful. That said, she wore an ashen appearance on her face. She swept her gaze across the people on the ground. Then, when she saw the little packrat, the worry and anxiety in her eyes burgeoned to a roaring inferno of rage.
"You dare to hurt my child? You're asking for it!" The woman bellowed.
Child? Who's their child?
Everyone followed the woman's line of sight and shifted their gazes from the Grand Vizier to... the little packrat.
Could this little packrat be their child?! How can this be? Is this not Jun Xiaomo's pet? When has it become a cultivator's child? And how incredibly strong are these cultivators.
The ability to "stand" in mid-air meant that these cultivators possessed immense abilities. The prerequisite for this was the Golden Core stage of cultivation. Thus, most of the cultivators present trembled in fear as soon as the couple showed up.
However, this was naturally to the exclusion of Situ Cang. Situ Cang was already at the secondary-tier Immortal Ascension stage of cultivation, and he was three qualitative levels stronger than Chi Hongyi, who had only been at the secondary-tier Nascent Soul stage of cultivation.
Having swept his gaze towards Chi Hongyi earlier, the Grand Vizier had managed to identify the cultivation levels of both Chi Hongyi and Shao Sirong.
One was at the secondary-tier Nascent Soul stage, while the other was at the advanced-tier Golden Core stage. Both could hardly threaten him.
Situ Cang mocked coldly, "Which two measly demonic cultivators dare to create such a ruckus in front of this Sovereign here?!"
As Situ Cang spoke, he instantly also released an oppressive aura that was commensurate with his cultivation at the secondary-tier Immortal Ascension stage of cultivation. Shao Sirong's face immediately grew pale and devoid of any colour when Situ Cang's aura washed over her. Chi Hongyi immediately stepped in front of his wife to block the aura for her, and then he also cast a barrier in front of them.
Situ Cang snorted with indignance. Then, he intentionally increased the amount of spiritual energy that he was channeling into the six-sided star formation array.
Squeak squeaaak—The little packrat's struggle intensified as it squealed for help.
"Little Chi!" Shao Sirong could hardly care less anymore, and she motioned to rush to the little packrat's side.
Just then, a wave of overwhelming oppressive aura suddenly engulfed the entire lands. With Shao Sirong and Chi Hongyi at the center, the oppressive aura instantly enshrouded an area of a hundred-mile radius.
"Pfft--!"
"Pfft--!"
"Pfft--!"
Situ Cang's lackeys and the Dawn Sect disciples were instantly crushed under the heavy pressure of this aura, and all of them collapsed on the ground, spitting out blood. Not only that, those with lower cultivation began to find that their bones were even creaking and starting to crack and shatter.
Some of them even passed out immediately.
Situ Cang was hardly any better himself. Even though he was already at the secondary-tier Immortal Ascension stage of cultivation, this oppressive aura was nevertheless far too strong. He was immediately forced to his knees, and the flow of spiritual energy to the six-sided star formation array was instantaneously cut off.
What cultivators feared the most during the process of refining a spirit or demonic beast was to be forcefully cut off by an external force in the midst of that entire process. If a cultivator were lucky, he would get off with only some injuries; but if he were any less than lucky, then the resultant injuries might even be life-threatening.
The oppressive aura had pressed so strongly against Situ Cang's body that he felt as though his organs were beginning to shift. Now that his refinement process had been forcefully halted, his body suffered a further backlash from it. As things were right now, Situ Cang was in a horrendous state.
He struggled to look towards the sky where the oppressive aura had emanated from, and he noticed a ripple in the sky. In the next moment, a white-haired old man walked out from the center of the ripple. It was as though he were walking down a flight of stairs. Step by step, he walked towards the ground.
The man and the woman standing in mid-air had also found their way over to the old man's side, and they respectfully and politely addressed him, "Grandfather."
This old man was not only Chi Hongyi's grandfather, he was also none other than the hidden sect, Chi Clan's strongest cultivator right now.
As soon as the old man made his appearance, Situ Cang could immediately tell the difference in their strengths – it could only be described as a chasm as wide as the heavens were from the land.
As Situ Cang remained kneeling on the ground, the old man nonchalantly glanced at him and placidly remarked, "How does a trash like you in the secondary-tier Immortal Ascension stage have the gall to call himself 'this Sovereign'? What absurdity. Sigh, I've been holed up in the sect for too long. Just a few hundred years out, and this cultivation world has really fallen into pieces."
The old man gently waved his sleeves as he finished speaking. Instantly, Situ Cang flew away like a kite with a broken string, slamming heavily into the ground a distance away.
The bones in Situ Cang's arms and legs had become completely shattered with just this one attack, and they bent in absolutely horrific locations and directions. He looked just like any of his other followers right now.
"Cough cough..." Situ Cang gurgled and choked as wave after wave of blood stench swelled up from within his body. His eyes widened like never before, and dread filled the depths of his pupils.
He no longer had the strength to even stand up right now. Every single bone within his body had been shattered into pieces.
He would never have thought that his retribution would be so swift, so fearsome and so thorough when he was tormenting the little packrat earlier or when he was persecuting Jun Xiaomo and the others.
More importantly, he was unaware that his nightmare was only just beginning.
Having dished out his punishment, the old man turned his attention towards the little packrat... which is also his great grandson.
Squeak squeak squeak! The little packrat was not frightened by the oppressive aura emanating from that old man's body. In fact, it was even rejoicing at the fact that its great grandfather had appeared in the nick of time.
The little packrat had initially been resigned to the fact that this was where it would breathe its final breaths. Yet with a twist of fate, even his great grandfather had personally made an appearance right now!
When the old man saw his great grandson, his eyes were filled with affection and love. But very soon, this affection and love were replaced by a stern and righteous indignation –
"I'll deal with you when we get back!"
The little packrat's squeaks immediately grew feeble and weak. Then, it curled itself up into a ball.
The lady standing behind the old man was also the little packrat's mother, Shao Sirong. She could hardly suppress her worry and concern for her child any longer. She ran over to her little packrat and gently tore up the talismans forming the six-sided star formation array.
Once the talismans had been completely destroyed, the formation array could no longer support the little packrat in mid-air. The little packrat fell from the air, and Shao Sirong gingerly caught it.
Squeak squeak squeak... The little packrat was finally at peace now that it had returned to its mother's side. It rubbed its head tenderly against Shao Sirong's palm, expressing its affection for her.
"Little Chi, he... why has he become like this?" Shao Sirong looked helplessly at the little packrat no larger than the size of a fist, furrowed her brows and asked.
If not for her husband's astute observations earlier, she would never have realized that the little animal in her palm right now was none other than their missing son.
"I'm afraid he might have inadvertently consumed a Shapeshifting Fruit." Chi Hongyi snorted as he replied.
Chi Hongyi had always been a stern and serious father. Seeing the magnitude of the mess his troublemaking son had caused, Chi Hongyi's expression grew ashen.
If he could, he truly wished to give his son a tight spanking right there and then.
Yet it was a pity that his son was only an "it" right now, and there was no way he could begin disciplining his son. Therefore, he continued to glare at his son with incensed eyes.
The little packrat looked on at its father's ashen face, and it trembled slightly in its mother's palm.
Then, the old man placed his hand on the little packrat's body, sending a thread of demonic energy swimming about the little packrat's meridians and Dantian, probing about at its body's condition.
"He has indeed consumed a Shapeshifting Fruit." The old man confirmed their conjectures, before adding, "But Little Chi's condition is pretty bad right now. If it had simply been the Shapeshifting Fruit, I can concoct a simple medicine and he can easily be cured. But there are several hidden ailments and injuries tormenting his body right now which must have been accumulated over this year of travels outside. I'm afraid we will have to slowly address each and every one of them."
From what the old man had said, Shao Sirong gleaned that her son must have been through a lot over this last one year, and she could not help but begin to shed tears for her son.
The little packrat was incredibly guilt-ridden and remorseful seeing its mother's tears. It just dawned on him exactly how selfish, willful and unruly it had been. It was his willfulness that had singlehandedly caused his loved ones to worry so much for him.
Squeak squeak... The little packrat patted Shao Sirong's palm with its tail in a reassuring manner.
Once the old man had finally confirmed that his great grandson's body had not suffered from any permanent or lasting injuries, he could finally rest at ease and turn his attention fully to Situ Cang and his men.
That's right. The earlier wave of oppressive aura had only been an "introductory gift" to Situ Cang and his men. He was only just about to serve the main course of his punishment.
"Huh, refinement technique. You have such gall, hmm?! You dare to use the refinement technique on my great grandson?!"
As the old man spoke, the oppressive aura emanating from his body intensified by several levels. A few of Situ Cang's lackeys immediately found their skin splitting open from the intensified pressure, revealing the flesh and even the bone under their skin. It was a scene straight out of a nightmare.
Apart from the little packrat, its parents and the old man, everyone else shook in abject fear. Among them, the dread experienced by Ke Xinwen and Yu Wanrou were the highest.
After all, they were the ones who had tormented the little packrat the most among everyone present. If the old man were going to get each and every one of them to account for their transgressions, then there was no way they would be able to escape this present predicament.
Their only hope lay in the possibility that the little packrat would have no way of reporting their transgressions to the old man. After all, the little packrat only spoke the language of packrats that nobody understood.
Just then, the old man began to sweep his hazy eyes across the bodies of each and every person present.
As the old man's gaze swept across Ke Xinwen's body, Ke Xinwen could no longer suppress the guilty conscience in his heart, and he immediately yelled out, "Se-... senior... it... it's got nothing to do with us! This is all the Grand Vizier's idea. We didn't know he was using a refinement technique!"
Ke Xinwen attempted to draw the flak back towards Situ Cang and turn him into a scapegoat. He thought that this way might give the rest of them a better chance of survival.
Perhaps this old man's infuriation would dwindle substantially after he deals with the Grand Vizier. Ke Xinwen thought to himself hopefully.
Situ Cang's eyes widened, and he glared back at Ke Xinwen with immense hatred.
But the old man had lived for such countless years. How could he not be able to tell the guilty conscience flowing out from the depths of Ke Xinwen's eyes? Truth be told, things might have been alright if Ke Xinwen had not spoken. Perhaps the old man would have been unable to tell who had left all these hidden ailments and injuries within the little packrat's body from just its simple squeaks. But right now, he had a rough idea of who the main culprits were.
It could only be said that Ke Xinwen had shot himself in the foot.
The old man snorted, "Don't worry. Not a single one of you will get away today."
As he said that, he lifted his hand, and a massive formation array congealed in mid-air. This formation array was formed purely by the congealing of the old man's demonic energy. It emanated a soulless, frigid light as it enveloped Situ Cang and everyone else present.
"Since you dare use the refinement technique against my great grandson, then I'm going to let you experience for yourself what life worse than death feels like!"
| ← Ch. 146 | Ch. 148 → |