Painting of the Nine Immortals - Chapter 126

"I will give you one chance. If you recognize me as your master and bow down to be my servants, I will spare your lives."
Yue Lian Han’s gaze was indifferent and her pupils were cold. The demeanor of being in the foundational level was pouring out of her like tidal waves, crashing into every corner of this storage cave.
Hong dong dong!
The storage cave quaked, creating a tornado of dust and small rocks.
Ling Xian and Mo Qing Fu’s faces changed as they used their own bodies as defense. It was difficult to fight against this demeanor. It felt like a mountain was on top of them and despite all their efforts, they could not even move away by half a step.
"How are you feeling? As you can see, I have successfully moved up to the foundational level. It is only a matter of time before I become the leader of our generation. If you follow me as my servant, then one day your faithfulness will pay off and you will be known as my supporters."
Yue Lian Han’s appearance was undeniably beautiful and her temperament was like a goddess’. The way she walked was feather-light and with every step she took, more light shone down on her and the earth shook a little.
Mo Qing Fu started perspiring again. He said coldly, "You are dreaming. I rather die standing up than live on my knees!"
"Not bad, Mo Qing Fu. You, over there, stop spewing nonsense. If you want to fight, I will humor you." Ling Xian’s eyebrows locked together as one of his eyes turned black and the other turned white. He carefully observed the Golden Pages above Yue Lian Han’s head, hoping to find the fatal weakness using his Eyes of Execution.
"Though I do not know your name, I have to admit I admire you a lot. I cannot believe you have awoken the fourth ranked Inner Eyes. Based on natural talent, you are more capable than me." Yue Lian Han has recognized that pair of eyes a long time ago and acknowledged right away she was no opponent of Ling Xian’s. This was why, in the beginning, she tricked Mo Qing Fu into helping her - just in case Ling Xian ruins her plans.
After getting the Golden Pages however, the young woman leaped into the foundational level in one go. Naturally, she was no longer afraid of the Inner Eyes and no longer afraid of any Heaven’s Favorite in this dimension.
"It is a pity that I achieved the foundational level before you did. No matter how capable you are, you cannot win against a foundational level cultivator who broke through with a Qi level of 10. As well, I have already gotten my hands on this treasure, which confirms my position as the undefeatable ruler of the world. Nobody is my equal match." Yue Lian Han brandished her fist gently as a bright smile blossomed on her face. There was a hint of arrogance in her eyes.
With her training now, she had the right to stop being afraid of the Heaven’s Favorites. She has yet to attack the two Heaven’s Favorites before her because she was confident that no matter what these two do, they will not be a match against her.
However, her confidence has given Ling Xian an opportunity.
The Eyes of Execution has been working hard this entire time. The Golden Pages suddenly became crystal clear in his eyes.
Slowly, Ling Xian had seen through the secret to her breakthrough to the foundational level. He saw that the Golden Pages were closely linked to her, however they have yet to merge. There was a crack.
[This is the spot!]
Ling Xian’s eyes brightened as he found the fatal flaw in the treasure and the method to defeat Yue Lian Han. If he can forcefully separate her and the Golden Pages, then she will for sure be beaten to her original state and fall back to a Qi level of 10. There was also a possibility of her dying from the wounds during the fall.
"Mo Qing Fu, out of the ancient characters from the Hao Ran Scroll, Fix, Freeze, Seal, Ban, Lock, Trap, and Prison, how many can you summon?" Ling Xian whispered into Mo Qing Fu’s ear.
"You have overestimated me. With my level of training, I can barely use the Fix character." Mo Qing Fu chuckled bitterly. He then gritted his teeth and said reluctantly, "If I stop caring about my training level or reserving my mana, then I can forcefully use Fix, Seal, and Lock at the same time."
"Very good. In a moment, I want you to summon these three characters. Even if it restricts her movements for just a minute, it will give me enough time to destroy the treasure that has made her so presumptuous." Ling Xian showed a hint of excitement.
"But I…" Mo Qing Fu hesitated. He wanted to reserve his Qi of the tenth level, but if he used the three ancient characters at the same time, he would have to pay with his Qi. This price was not a cheap one. There was no way he would still remain in the tenth level if he used this technique.
"There is no ‘but’," Ling Xian interrupted and grabbed Mo Qing Fu’s collar. He ordered, "Listen, I know there is a price you have to pay in exchange to using the technique. But no matter what the price is, it’s better than losing your life. Do you not want to see the Mistress anymore?"
When the word Mistress entered his ear, Mo Qing Fu’s eyes brightened with power. He clenched his teeth and uttered, "Alright. I’m going all out!"
"Very good."
Ling Xian nodded in satisfaction before moving his gaze onto Yue Lian Han. He grinned. "Yue Lian Han, I admit that you are very strong right now. Strong enough to rule our generation. In the entire ancient ruins, nobody can defeat you. But I can tell, you used the Golden Pages to achieve your breakthrough didn’t you?"
After Ling Xian burst her bubble, Yue Lian Han frowned. However, she did not become flustered. Rather, her eyes grew hot. She smiled. "That’s right. I give you points for being able to see through that. I want you as a servant more and more now. For a Heaven’s Favorite with the Inner Eyes to call me master… that kind of feeling must be absolutely wonderful."
Ignoring the part about her wanting him as a servant, the corner of Ling Xian’s mouth curved up. He continued to push her buttons, "If that statement didn’t fluster you then you must be a lot calmer than I give you credit for. What if I told you, this treasure has yet to truly merge with you and that I have found the weakness in you, would you still be able to remain so composed?"
"What?"
Yue Lian Han’s expression instantly darkened as her gaze became frigid. "Originally, I enjoyed this feeling of viewing you from up above and tasting your desperate and hopelessness. But since you know of my secret, then please go die."
As soon as she finished talking, she turned around and reappeared right before Ling Xian. Her slender arm was aimed full force at him. The terrifying demeanor poured out of her!
"Now!"
Ling Xian screamed out. The Winged Blitz fluttered crazily, creating fearsome vibrations that transcended the cave to stop her pale arm from reach him!

Boom!
A rumbling sound sliced across the air, shaking up the entire cave and creating a dusty storm as a result. Luckily, this storage cave was left behind by The Omnipotent, therefore it was protected by various arrays. If that wasn’t the case then the two blows exchanged between them would’ve easily destroyed this area.
Retch!
Ling Xian spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. Her attack wounded him badly. The foundational level Yue Lian Han sure was powerful!
If Ling Xian also broke through and reached the foundational level, then he could easily suppress this woman. However, based on the situation right now, even if 10 Heaven’s Favorites worked together, they would still not be a match to Yue Lian Han. Good news was that though he was heavily wounded, he did not step back by a single step. He continued to use his Eyes of Execution to their full potential as he gripped onto the Sword of Extinction tighter, waiting for the fatal attack!
"Strong bones you have there."
Yue Lian Han smiled cruelly, ready to kill Ling Xian with one slap. At the same time, however, Mo Qing Fu was burning away his Qi level. He too, spat out a mouthful of blood as he forced himself to summon the ancient characters from The Scroll.
The Scroll was fluttering in the wind, quivering uncontrollably. Mo Qing Fu’s body was shivering as well. He gritted his teeth and screamed out loud, "Fix! Seal! Lock!"
After three shouts, the three ancient characters flipped out of The Scroll!
The Hao Ran Scroll blew up with light, and three palm sized ancient characters flew out. A strange and mysterious pressure diffused into the air and quickly restricted Yue Lian Han’s body!
"Now!"
Ling Xian screamed. Killer instinct was exuding out of the Sword of Extinction as the blades reflected countless rays of light. With the strength of a thousand mountains, the sword landed heavily onto the Golden Pages!
Boom!
A fatal strike!
Ling Xian pushed his Eyes of Execution to their limits. The terrifying presence of the sword overtook the cave. The brightly lit golden page dimmed down a little and the bond between the Golden Pages and Yue Lian Han was broken!
An angry and perturbed voice then filled the cave.
"You bastards deserve to die!"
As the three ancient characters’ powers faded, Yue Lian Han was able to move again. Her face was rigid and cold as she stared at the weakened two youths before her. She clenched her fists, "God dammit, I have to kill you!"
"Do you have the ability to do that anymore?"
Ling Xian’s face was pale. He covered the left side of his chest with his hand – his wound was grave. Despite the pain, his lips curved up and he mocked, "Yue Lian Han, the connection between you and the Golden Pages has been cut in two by my sword. Look at yourself and test out your strength."
"What?" Yue Lian Han’s face changed colors. Feeling out the spiritual energy she had in her, her eyes flashed with consternation.
It was gone.
The foundational level of spiritual energy was gone.
The connection between her and the Golden Pages had been separated. The temporary foundational level of training disappeared as a result as well. What was left was her tenth level Qi.
"Dammit, you wait for me! When I completely merge with the Golden Pages I will look through every corner of this ruin to find you. I will chop you both into little pieces until nobody could recognize you!" Yue Lian Han’s hands turned into tight fists. She threw a glare at Ling Xian, then without pausing, she walked toward the exit of the cave.
Efficient, crisp, determined, and decisive.
She has fallen back to the cultivation level she originally belonged and the blow from Ling Xian’s sword hurt her physically. She was no longer a match for Ling Xian and Mo Qing Fu. Thus, she made a very wise choice.
To leave.
She had to leave, or else her life would be lost.
Watching the back of her head as she walked further and further away, Ling Xian groaned lightly and said to himself, "This woman was fully aware that she has lost her advantage and chose to leave right away. She was decisive and did not hesitate. She sure is a difficult opponent…"
"Brother, why didn’t we stop her?" Mo Qing Fu was spitting out blood continuously. His face was chalk white at this point. He was already wounded at the beginning of the battle, but just now, he burned away his training and forcefully summoned three ancient characters. These two incidents impacted his physical state greatly, as he was on the verge of blacking out.
"Stopping her? I want to too. But with what? You and I are both hurt, and this woman is also very suspicious and cautious. If I didn’t fake that relaxed attitude just now, she definitely would’ve killed us." Ling Xian chuckled bitterly. No longer able to handle the pain he was feeling, he too, sputtered out another mouthful of blood. His body quivered uncontrollable as if he was going to collapse any second and never wake up again.
"I see…" Mo Qing Fu sighed in relief and forced a smile. "No matter what, my life is saved."
"Yes, it is temporarily saved," Ling Xian sighed and sat down on the ground. "She is definitely looking for a well-concealed area right now in order to merge herself with the Golden Pages. She won’t be back in the next little while. Why don’t we use this time to heal ourselves?