Bai Qi fought the huge two-hundred-meter-tall Ice Phantom alone. Occasionally, he took some time out to assist the woman.
Xiao Chen had not expected to meet Bai Qi here in the Nine Layers of Purgatory. Then, he observed the situation of that woman. That woman cultivated an ice-attributed state.
Xiao Chen guessed that Bai Qi came here risking himself for the sake of this woman.
“Senior Brother, don’t bother with me. Just go on your own.” The woman’s delicate face revealed an aggrieved expression.
When the two of them entered this Sin Mirroring Hell, they moved very carefully to avoid provoking any strong beings. However, they had not expected a two-hundred-meter-tall Ice Phantom to climb out from the ground suddenly, resulting in this situation.
“Dang!” Bai Qi used his Cycle of Seasons to knock back the two-hundred-meter-tall Ice Phantom once again. Then he said sullenly, “Don’t speak nonsense. Wait for me to find an opportunity to occupy all these Ice Phantoms. Then you make use of that time to flee. I will follow after.”
However, based on Bai Qi’s current appearance, it was clear the situation was more than he could handle. If he dealt with all four Ice Phantoms at the same time, how could he have any chance to survive?
“Bang!”
Just at this moment, a figure descended from the sky. This figure threw a punch and shattered the small-hill-sized Ice Phantom into countless ice shards flying everywhere.
Three dragon images formed by the shock waves slowly dissipated in the air, turning into strong winds and blowing away.
Xiao Chen squinted and extended his hand into the mist of the ice shards and made a grab. Then, a fist-sized ice pearl appeared in his hand.
He could faintly make out an aggrieved spirit giving off a heart-wrenching scream in the ice pearl. This was the Ice Soul Pearl.
When the largest Ice Phantom died, the other Ice Phantoms screamed and fled frantically.
With the pressure eased, Bai Qi and the woman immediately heaved a sigh of relief. However, their expressions remained grave.
The person before the two was far stronger than them. If that person wanted, he could kill the two of them easily. Of those who came to the Nine Layers of Purgatory, many were not kind and virtuous people; thus, their situation might not be any better than before.
“Brother Bai, I have not seen you since Hunluo City.”
Xiao Chen turned around and handed the Ice Soul Pearl to Bai Qi.
This development stunned Bai Qi slightly. Then he smiled in joy. “I did not expect to meet with Brother Xiao here. This is my junior sister, Nie Ran. Junior Sister, this is Xiao Chen, who came with me from the Sky Dome Realm. He is the White Robed King Xiao Chen that will be conferred King half a year from now.”
Nie Ran’s eyes lit up. Clearly, she had heard of Xiao Chen’s name as well. However, she had not expected that the senior brother whom she admired knew him.
After chatting for a while, Xiao Chen found out the two’s purpose in coming here. Nie Ran’s state of ice already reached the peak. She wanted to use the Ice Soul Pearl to help her increase her chances of breaking through this bottleneck and improve, so they came to this Nine Layers of Purgatory to try their luck.
“Many thanks for helping us out. If you did not chance across us, my junior sister and I would really have been in trouble.”
To Xiao Chen, this matter was not worth mentioning. Since a friendly face was in trouble, how could he ignore it? Furthermore, he only punched once; to him, that was nothing.
“Where’s Xuanyuan Zhantian? If I recall, he’s in the same sect as you. Why is he not with you?” Xiao Chen remembered another old friend and asked after him.
Smiling helplessly, Bai Qi replied, “His talent and potential are much better than mine. The sect could no longer satisfy him. He left the sect three years ago. I also have not heard news of him for a long time.”
Xuanyuan Zhantian cultivated the state of kingship. If he could truly rise up after sufficient accumulations, his strength could not be underestimated.
It was rare for Xiao Chen to meet with a friend from the Sky Dome Realm, so he was prepared to chat some more. However, his expression suddenly changed.
In that instant, he felt a strong fluctuation from the Cycle Banner. Qing Cheng must have entered into a difficult battle and used the Cycle Banner to deal with the enemy.
Given the strength of Xiao Bai and the others, Qing Cheng would definitely not use the Cycle Banner unless she met with strong enemies.
“Sorry, my friends are in some trouble. I have to rush over.”
Bai Qi nodded and said, “We already obtained the Ice Soul Pearl, so my junior sister and I will be returning.”
Before Xiao Chen left, he thought of something. He took out a Dragon Pearl and handed it over. This was the life essence of that old frost flood dragon who had lived for thousands of years by the Tianwu Emperor’s grave.
“This Dragon Pearl can save your lives at a critical moment. Take care. I’ll take my leave first.”
Xiao Chen’s Four Season Saber Technique originated from the Bai Clan. If not for the Bai Clan’s senior imparting it to him, he could not have created the Flawless Four Seasons he had now.
Since Xiao Chen met with Bai Qi today, this Dragon Pearl could be considered his payment for that favor.
“Senior Brother, it turns out that you are friends with the White Robed King Xiao Chen. How come you never mentioned it before?” Nie Ran fiddled with the Ice Soul Pearl in her hand, clearly excited.
Bai Qi watched the ice shards fall to the ground, in no rush to answer his beloved junior sister’s question. Then he laughed in disappointment.
With one casual punch, Xiao Chen instantly killed the Ice Phantom that Bai Qi could not handle even after using all his might.
Compared to when the two met in Hunluo City, Xiao Chen’s strength already reached an inconceivable level for Bai Qi.
He thought back to the Five Nation Youth Competition at Dragon Sealing City. Back then, he had been an outstanding talent together with Xiao Chen. However, the difference between them now was like cloud and mud.
Then, Bai Qi thought about the day Xuanyuan Zhantian parted with him. They had both made a bold promise to each other that they would catch up to Xiao Chen in ten years. Now, he suddenly felt that such a day was infinitely far away.
There was a type of person who would only increase the gap over time once they surpassed you until you could not even see their backs.
Xiao Chen was one such person.
---
Given the strength of Qing Cheng and the others, they would not use the Cycle Banner unless they met with a strong enemy.
Xiao Chen felt suspicious. Could they have run into a great grandmaster-level Martial Sage? Since when were great grandmaster-level Martial Sages so common? Even in a huge Rank 9 sect, there would be at most two great grandmaster-level Martial Sages.
How could they keep running into great grandmaster-level Martial Sages in the Nine Layers of Purgatory? Furthermore, they ended up in conflict with Xiao Bai and the others.
With a thought, Xiao Chen immediately summoned out the Eight Ghost Palanquin. Since he could not use So Close Yet Worlds Apart, the Eight Ghost Palanquin was faster than using the Freedom Wings.
The only problem was that it drained Xiao Chen’s energy faster. If Xiao Chen did not have Magic Energy to use Secret Treasures with, he would not dare to use this Eight Ghost Palanquin at full power.
The Eight Ghost Palanquin moved rapidly above the Sin Mirroring Hell, flashing by like a beam of light. It was so fast that others only felt a breeze blowing.
---
At the border between the second layer of purgatory, the Sin Mirroring Hell, and the third layer of purgatory, the Boiling Oil Hell, Qing Cheng fought an intense battle with a Ghost Race man in black Battle Armor.
That black-clad Ghost Race man did not look old, but he was a grandmaster-level Martial Sage.
The black Battle Armor had eight different sabers at the back. He gave off a strong aura. As Qing Cheng fought him, she struggled to keep up.
Xiao Bai and the others were each occupied by an enormous five-hundred-meter-tall Ice Phantom, so they could not free themselves to help.
“Whoosh!”
The black-clad man stretched out his hand and drew a black saber from behind. This saber looked very peculiar. It was one meter long, slim at the bottom, and wide at the top, which was completely flat.
When the black-clad man swung the saber, a black saber Qi hacked apart the boundless starlight surging from the Cycle Banner.
Using his advantage in cultivation, the black-clad man knocked Qing Cheng back a hundred meters with one swing of the saber. Qing Cheng could not stand stably, and her Qi and blood surged.
The black-clad man said expressionlessly with a cold voice, “It looks like your Eight Ghost Palanquin is indeed not with you now. In that case, you can die today.”
Qing Cheng pulled back the banner and thought to herself how unlucky she was. She said softly, “Xie Zixuan, I advise that you leave immediately. Otherwise, you will not be able to leave later.”
Xie Zixuan smiled and asked, “Or what? Do you have reinforcements? Good. Let me see which great grandmaster-level Martial Sage from the Ghost Empress’s faction is coming to save you. I happen to have just advanced to grandmaster-level Martial Sage. Let’s see if I’m able to take down a great grandmaster-level Martial Sage.”
Xie Zixuan’s figure flashed, and he charged over to Qing Cheng. As he hacked down with his saber, a sinister evil spirit appeared on the blade, adding boundless might to this attack.
Qing Cheng sighed and shook the Cycle Banner in her hand. The banner unfurled, and seven Astral Pearls came out, forming a Big Dipper constellation.
Starlight filled the place, and the viscid tricolor starlight of Massacre, Death, and Ruin made Xie Zixuan move sluggishly.
Using this opportunity, Qing Cheng dodged the saber and summoned out the Black and White Soul Reapers, surrounding the other party instead.
Her hands moved continuously, forming hand seals. Strong spirits appeared in the air, surrounding Xie Zixuan.
“You people of the Ghost Empress’s faction are good at refining spirits. However, don’t you know that these are external objects? Before true experts, they are not worth mentioning.”
“Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!”
The other seven sabers behind Xie Zixuan all flew out. With one step, he split into eight figures, each holding a saber. Each saber contained a different sinister evil spirit.
Each figure used a different Saber Technique. However, they were all connected. It was like a new world was born. A Ghost God descended, surging with black Qi and emitting a faint Divine Might.
Phantoms howled and radiated black light, looking very frightening.
Qing Cheng’s expression changed slightly. “You actually managed to practice the Avici Saber Technique.”
“Haha! Now, you know to fear. I am my Master’s successor, the second person of the Ghost Race to successfully practice the Avici Saber Technique. The Ghost Domain will be mine!
“However, this is not the complete Avici Hell. When I succeed in summoning out the Avici Hell, I will be able to fight with quasi-Emperors.”
[TL Note: Avici Hell is the lowest level of Buddhist Hell. The Nine Layers of Purgatory is based on Taoist Hell. Avici means unceasing pain in Sanskrit, the language that Buddhist scriptures are mostly based on.]
The black saber Qi shattered the spirits one by one as it swept across them. Soon, the Black and White Soul Reapers were the only ones left struggling.
Qing Cheng could not help but feel bitter. Xie Zixuan truly deserved his position as the East Mountain Ghost Monarch’s top disciple.
She wondered why was she so unlucky, running into Xie Zixuan, who just broke through to grandmaster-level Martial Sage in Sin Mirroring Hell.
If she had the Eight Ghost Palanquin, she would be able to move even faster than Xiao Chen could. That would be more than enough to bring the group away to safety.
Or, if she had another month, she would be able to use the Cycle Banner to raise her cultivation and summon out ten spirit clones of the same level as the Ten Kings of Hell.
The eight figures merged into one, and the Black and White Soul Reapers got chopped into a hundred pieces. The eight ghostly sabers returned to the back of Xie Zixuan’s black Battle Armor, and he appeared in front of Qing Cheng once again.
Qing Cheng guarded herself tightly. The Cycle Banner hovered above her head. The starlight mixed with Massacre, Death, and Ruin encased her, forming a radiant barrier.
Xie Zixuan frowned slightly. He did not know what Secret Treasure this was that it could actually ward off so many of his attacks.
If not for his breakthrough, he would not be able to deal with Qing Cheng when she wielded the Cycle Banner.