Chapter 77: Chapter 77: How Can It Trap Me

Xiao Ye watched the changes in Fang Cheng inside the Blood Nightmare Demon Cocoon, an involuntary frown creasing his brow as he took a few steps back.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Fang Cheng swung his arms, hammering punch after punch against the blood curtain. An invisible flame seemed to burn in the air, searing the Blood Nightmare Demon Cocoon with a sizzling sound.

’He’s not going to break the cocoon, is he?’

The thought appeared in the Xiao Family youth’s mind, but he quickly cast it aside. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

The Xiao Family had been plotting this day for a long time. This Blood Nightmare Demon Cocoon, with the Nightmare Demon as its source, had primarily been used to trap six Life Talisman Realm Elders of the Yinluo Sect, especially the two located underground within the Sealing Array.

As for these outer Blood Nightmare Demon Cocoons, according to that Honored Guest Elder of the Xiao Family, not even the Inner Disciples of the Yinluo Sect would necessarily be able to break them, let alone these Outer Disciples...

The youth recalled a principle that the Honored Guest Elder, Ren Yan, had mentioned while chatting idly with his group of Xiao Family disciples:

’The amount of Magical Power is merely the simplest way to measure a person’s Cultivation. What truly matters are the Cultivation Techniques and Divine Techniques they practice!’

’High-level Techniques and Divine Techniques can unleash ten, or even a hundred times the power from the same amount of Magical Power. This is why some Cultivators can look down on their peers in the same realm and fight one against ten.’

These Blood Nightmare Demon Cocoons trapping the Yinluo Sect’s Outer Disciples had been meticulously planned and calculated by the Xiao Family. Their power was designed based on the strength of the Yinluo Sect’s Inner Disciples.

Xiao Ye refused to believe Fang Cheng could escape this cocoon.

’According to our intelligence, this man excels at Sword Technique and the Li Hen Demon Light. At his strongest, he’s only on par with an Inner Sect Disciple of the Yinluo Sect...’

He could only activate the Blood Nightmare Demon Cocoon; he couldn’t control it.

All he could do now was wait quietly for the Blood Nightmare Demon Cocoon to refine the two of them.

In the entire Xiao Family, only two people could operate this Blood Nightmare Array. Right now, they should be at the Demon Suppression Pagoda, focused on dealing with Feng Jiuzhang and Gao Chong.

Xiao Ye’s thoughts churned as he quietly watched Fang Cheng inside the Blood Nightmare Demon Cocoon. He stared at this man struggling frantically like a caged beast, his eyes growing so cold that even the mockery and derision faded.

It was as if he were looking at a dead man.

...

Fang Cheng was still hammering the Blood Nightmare Demon Cocoon, one punch after another. The force of each blow was clearly reflected back at him, allowing him to gradually figure out the operating mechanism of the bloody light.

—Imprisonment and refinement!

This bloody light was truly the bane of sword light!

The bloody light existed somewhere between the real and the illusory. Combined with that incomparably powerful refining force of essence blood, it was almost impossible to counter.

Unless one used a force sufficient to completely crush this Blood Nightmare Demon Cocoon, there was no way to break it.

For example—the Taiyi Thunder Pill!

Or, find a gap in the Blood Nightmare Demon Cocoon’s flow of energy and shatter it with a clever application of force!

Fang Cheng was currently throwing heavy punches precisely because he couldn’t bear to waste a precious Taiyi Thunder Pill.

After achieving Sword Heart Clarity, he could perceive the most minute details, and his spiritual senses were far superior to an ordinary person’s. Every punch he threw left ripples spreading across the Blood Nightmare Demon Cocoon.

The cocoon’s operation would be slightly obstructed and delayed, its power fluctuating up and down.

Fang Cheng’s punches grew faster and faster. From the outside, ripples rose and fell one after another on the Blood Nightmare Demon Cocoon, gradually covering the entire surface. The runes swimming across it trembled erratically, showing faint signs of collapse.

Suddenly!

A sharp glint flashed in Fang Cheng’s eyes. His mind and will locked onto a gap where a rune on the Blood Nightmare Demon Cocoon had slowed, and he abruptly threw a heavy punch.

The power of this punch was unprecedented!

A blinding light suddenly flared on his fist, as if a sun, shrunk countless times over, had condensed there.

BOOM!

Xiao Ye felt a wave of heat wash over him. Though there was no visible flame, he felt a pain like his body was being scorched by a fierce fire.

The Blood Nightmare Demon Cocoon twisted and solidified, then abruptly shattered!

Fang Cheng’s tall figure appeared before Xiao Ye.

"Damn it! He actually broke free?!"

Xiao Ye’s face fell in alarm. He hastily launched an attack with Sword Control, and his Purple Brilliance Sword transformed into a streak of Thunder Light, aiming straight for Fang Cheng’s neck.

Fang Cheng sneered. The Cold Wave Radiance Sword shot out silently, faster than lightning, to meet the Purple Brilliance Sword. With a twist of its sword light, it blocked the attack. Then, with a nimble flick, it sent the Purple Brilliance Sword flying off course.

Fang Cheng’s figure suddenly closed in on Xiao Ye. Before the youth’s terrified and bewildered eyes, he smashed a fist into his chest.

THUD!

A booming sound like the beat of a war drum echoed through the valley.

The Xiao Family youth didn’t even manage a grunt before the immense force blasted him into a bloody mist, his very bones shattering along with him.

RUMBLE!

Deafening thunder rolled across the sky, and the heavy rain began to pour down once more.

Fang Cheng stood silently in the rain, his body slowly returning to its usual form. He then took a fresh set of clothes from his storage pouch and put them on.

"What... is wrong with the Xiao Family?"

Wen Qianqian rose timidly and walked over, her delicate brows knitted together.

After being trapped in the Blood Nightmare Demon Cocoon, she had used all her strength to resist its refining power, unable to move a muscle. However, she had witnessed the entire process of Fang Cheng’s escape.

Although she was saved now, most of her Magical Power was depleted, and her spirit was greatly damaged. She looked somewhat listless.

"I don’t know. But I fear this plot by the Xiao Family will cost many lives!"

Fang Cheng’s gaze swept over the ground. He reached out with a grasping motion and collected the Purple Brilliance Sword that Xiao Ye had left behind.

Wen Qianqian looked worriedly toward the Demon Suppression Pagoda and murmured, "I wonder about my father and the others..."

Fang Cheng comforted her, "Elder Feng is overseeing things there, so there shouldn’t be a major problem. You wait here for now. I’m going to check on the others."

"Fellow Daoist Fang, don’t leave me behind!"

Wen Qianqian cried out softly and hurriedly grabbed Fang Cheng’s hand.

Fang Cheng frowned slightly. "Fine. It might not be safe here, anyway."

The destruction of the Blood Nightmare Demon Cocoon here would inevitably be noticed by the Xiao Family. If someone else came, Wen Qianqian would likely be in grave danger.

As the thought crossed his mind, he reached out, wrapped an arm around the charming woman’s soft, slender waist, and transformed into a streak of Escape Light, soaring into the air and heading straight for Elder Lu Wei.

Along the way, he passed other Cyan Bamboo Studies but ignored them all.

「A moment later.」

A snow-white, auspicious cloud appeared before them, hanging motionlessly in the air. Atop the cloud was a vermilion pavilion.

It was none other than Elder Lu’s Floating Cloud Immortal Residence.

But at this moment, a bloody glow swirled outside the pavilion, and a rolling demonic aura filled the air, thick enough to make one’s scalp tingle.

Fang Cheng’s expression flickered. He released Wen Qianqian, letting her float off to the side on her own, then urged his Cold Wave Radiance Sword to slash into the pavilion.

CLANG!

The sound of metal on metal rang out, and his Flying Sword gracefully recoiled.

Immediately after, a figure charged out of the pavilion and glared angrily at Fang Cheng.

"You weren’t trapped by the Blood Nightmare Demon Cocoon?!"

The speaker was a veteran elder of the Xiao Family with an eighth-layer Sensing Realm Cultivation. Fang Cheng had seen him a few times before.

Fang Cheng held his sword horizontally in the air, his Sword Intent locking onto the old man. "A mere cocoon," he said lightly, "how could that possibly trap me?"

The elder’s face was filled with shock and disbelief. "Where is Xiao Ye?" he demanded. "Did you kill him?"

Fang Cheng sneered. "That’s right. And you will be the second member of the Xiao Family I kill!"

The moment he finished speaking, the Cold Wave Radiance Sword transformed into a brilliant rainbow and slashed directly toward the elder.

...