Liaozhai: Immortality Begins with Becoming Yan Chixia's Apprentice

Chapter 135 The Cracks Close

Zhou Ning gripped the shards tightly, a surge of anger rising within him.

The minions of the extraterrestrial demons are infiltrating everywhere.

They are like cockroaches, impossible to kill or eradicate completely.

Every time he thought he had eliminated one group, another group would appear.

"Master, I'd like to make another trip to the North," Zhou Ning said.

Yan Chixia glanced at him: "Are you alone?"

Zhou Ning nodded:

"This disciple is enough. Master will remain at Lanruo Temple to oversee the central command. In case any cracks appear elsewhere, Master can respond promptly."

Yan Chixia was silent for a moment, then nodded and said:

"Alright. Go ahead. But remember, don't venture too deep into the crevice. With your current cultivation level, you're not strong enough to fight the true form of the Heavenly Demon."

He took out a jade talisman from his sleeve and handed it to Zhou Ning:

"This jade talisman contains a full-force sword aura of mine. In a moment of crisis, it can save your life."

Zhou Ning accepted the jade talisman and solemnly said, "Thank you, Master."

He returned to his lodgings and packed his bags.

He brought along the Qingfeng Sword, the Bixie Sword, and the Hanshuang Sword, as well as a bag full of talismans, several pills to restore true essence, and the jade slip containing the "Transformation God Technique".

With everything prepared, he left Lanruo Temple and headed north towards Huahong.

First stop, north of Qingfeng City.

When Zhou Ning arrived, it was already dark.

The moon was obscured by thick clouds, and the world was pitch black.

The cold wind howled, whipping up withered branches and fallen leaves, making a mournful sound like the wailing of ghosts.

He stood on a small hill and looked into the distance. He could see a thin black crack floating in mid-air on the open ground in front of him. It was about ten feet long and half a foot wide.

Black mist seeped out from the edge of the crack, carrying a chilling aura.

Around the rift, several guards from the Demon Suppression Division were engaged in a fierce battle with a group of black shadows.

The shadows had no fixed shape; sometimes they resembled people, sometimes beasts, and sometimes a cloud of smoke, emitting sharp hissing that sent chills down one's spine.

The guards were already badly wounded. A young guard was struck by a shadowy figure and fell to the ground, black smoke billowing from his body.

Without further hesitation, Zhou Ning drew his Qingfeng sword, flashed into the battlefield, and charged into battle.

"cut!"

A massive golden sword aura shot out from the tip of the sword, like a golden dragon, heading straight for the group of shadowy figures.

With his mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivation fully activated, the golden sword energy, imbued with righteous indignation, naturally countered the dark figure.

Wherever the sword energy passed, the dark figures screamed in agony and vanished into black smoke.

"Young Master Zhou!" The guards were overjoyed to see him.

Zhou Ning did not answer, and instead unleashed another sword strike.

The golden sword energy split in two in the air, then into four, transforming into four sword energies that attacked the shadowy figure simultaneously from four directions.

This is a variant of the "Sky-Splitting Slash," and its power is astonishing when unleashed by him at the mid-Nascent Soul stage.

The shadowy figures scattered under the impact of the sword energy, and were completely wiped out in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

Zhou Ning sheathed his sword, walked to the wounded guard, squatted down, and examined his injuries.

The guard had a black wound on his chest, with black mist writhing around its edges, clearly indicating that he had been poisoned by a demon.

"Don't move."

Zhou Ning took out a "purification talisman" from his bag and stuck it on the guard's chest.

He infused a wisp of true essence into the talisman, and the talisman glowed with a golden light, the black mist quickly dissipating within the golden light.

The guard's complexion gradually regained its rosy hue, and his breathing became much more stable.

"Thank you, Young Master Zhou."

The guard struggled to his feet and bowed deeply to him.

Zhou Ning helped him up: "No need to thank me. How long has the crack appeared?"

The guard said, "It's been three days. It started out small, but it's gotten bigger and bigger. We tried to seal it, but our cultivation isn't enough, so we can't seal it at all. We can only stay here and guard it to prevent the shadow from escaping."

Zhou Ning walked to the crack, stretched out his hands, and poured his true essence into the edge of the crack.

The power of the mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator was as profound as an abyss, and golden light enveloped the crack.

The crack began to slowly shrink, one zhang, half a zhang, one chi...

Finally, the crack closed completely and disappeared into the air.

"It's temporarily sealed."

Zhou Ning said, "But the crack will open again. You must be on high alert and notify me immediately if you discover anything unusual."

The guards nodded.

Zhou Ning didn't rest and immediately rushed to the next location.

West of Luoxia Town.

He had been to Luoxia Town before.

That was to wipe out the remaining forces of Black Mountain and save the entire town's inhabitants.

When he returned, the townspeople surrounded him, chattering about the strange things that had happened recently.

"Young Master Zhou, another black crack has appeared in the west. It's huge, several times larger than the last one."

"Yes, lots of black monsters crawled out of the crack, it was terrifying."

"The Demon Suppression Division has gone, but it seems they can't defeat them..."

Zhou Ning reassured the people, "Don't be afraid, everyone. I'll go take a look."

He left the town and sped off westward.

After walking for about half an hour, a huge black crack appeared ahead.

The crack was about five zhang long and two zhang wide, like a giant vertical eye, coldly watching over the world.

Countless dark figures fought fiercely with the guards, causing rivers of blood to flow, a truly horrific scene.

Those shadowy figures were larger and stronger than those in the north of Qingfeng City. Some of them had already condensed into blurry human shapes, holding blades formed from black mist in their hands.

The guards were in retreat, and several wounded guards lay on the ground, their fates unknown.

Han Wei was at the forefront, wielding a long sword and fighting against a black shadow that had materialized into a human form.

His body was covered in wounds, and the sleeve of his left arm was torn, revealing bruises underneath.

"Lord Han!"

Zhou Ning rushed to his side and slashed out with his sword, splitting the dark figure in two.

When Han Wei saw him, a hint of joy flashed in his eyes:

"Young Master Zhou, you've arrived. These shadowy figures are too powerful; we can't hold on any longer."

Zhou Ning said, "Lord Han, you and your brothers retreat. I'll deal with them."

Han Wei nodded and led his guards to a safe place.

Zhou Ning gripped the Qingfeng Sword tightly, concentrated his true essence at the tip of the sword, and unleashed the "Demon Slayer Technique".

A massive golden sword aura shot out from the tip of the sword, like a golden dragon, heading straight for the group of shadowy figures.

Wherever the sword energy passed, the dark figures screamed in agony and vanished into black smoke.

But more shadows poured out of the cracks, endlessly, as if without end.

"This can't go on."

Zhou Ning gritted his teeth and took out a jade talisman from his bosom.

That was a life-saving jade talisman given to him by Yan Chixia.

He hesitated for a moment, but still put the jade talisman away.

He doesn't want to use it unless absolutely necessary.

He took a deep breath, concentrated all his Nascent Soul power at the tip of the sword, and unleashed the ultimate move of the "Demon Slaying Technique".

A dazzling golden light shone from the Qingfeng Sword.

The light grew stronger and brighter, like a small sun, dispelling all the surrounding darkness.

He poured all his power from the mid-stage Nascent Soul realm into this sword strike.

"cut!"

A massive golden sword aura shot out from the tip of the sword, heading straight for the crack.

The sword energy struck the crack, producing a deafening explosion.

The crack trembled violently, and the black mist at its edges began to dissipate.

The crack began to shrink, five zhang, four zhang, three zhang...

Finally, the crack closed completely and disappeared into the air.

Zhou Ning sheathed his sword, panting heavily, and slumped to the ground.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. Nearly half of his Nascent Soul power had been consumed, but a sense of satisfaction welled up in his heart.

"It's a success."

Han Wei walked over and helped him up: "Young Master Zhou, are you alright?"

Zhou Ning shook his head: "It's nothing. Lord Han, there's another crack near Cangmang Mountain. I'll go take a look."

Han Wei said, "I'll go with you."

Zhou Ning thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "Okay."

The two left Luoxia Town and sped towards Cangmang Mountain.