Chapter 785: Mr. Bai Surrenders

A burst of frost emanated from Xiao Nanfeng's spiritual moon. His deific domain expanded as a blizzard manifested around him.

His spiritual moon took on the enemy's superior yin pearl.

Xiao Nanfeng's superior yin pearl looked all the stranger because of how it had merged with his spiritual moon.

Mr. Bai's superior yin pearl opened its mouth wide and bellowed at Xiao Nanfeng's spiritual moon in rage.

The roar echoed throughout the illusory realm, causing more snow to fall.

Xiao Nanfeng's spiritual moon roared back at the superior yin pearl.

The two pearls smashed into each other in a wave of ice and frost.

They were like natural enemies, neither of which seemed poised to stop until they had killed the other.

They struck each other in the air like meteors, percussive booms ringing out as they struck each other.

The entire illusory realm began to shake madly.

"Where did you acquire that superior yin pearl? This is impossible!" Mr. Bai exclaimed.

"It's your turn now," Xiao Nanfeng said.

He shot forward and punched Mr. Bai in the face.

Mr. Bai blanched. "Save me!"

By the time he yelled, it was too late. His subordinate shot toward Xiao Nanfeng, but Xiao Nanfeng was no weaker than they were. His spiritual power was purer and more refined. Bolstered by Hegemon's Fist, he was all but invincible.

Mr. Bai's subordinate was sent flying as well.

Mr. Bai blanched. He wanted to escape, but he was in an illusory realm. He couldn't get out!"

"Superior Yin Pearl, release us from this illusory realm!" Mr. Bai shouted.

However, his superior yin pearl was clashing against Xiao Nanfeng's spiritual moon and gradually losing ground. It didn't have time to worry about Mr. Bai and the others.

"No one can save you now!" Xiao Nanfeng said coldly.

"Hegemon's Fist!"

Xiao Nanfeng charged forward and sent the two men flying. He punched at Mr. Bai's subordinate with overwhelming force.

"No!" he cried out.

His body exploded in a shower of light, leaving Mr. Bai alone and helpless. Xiao Nanfeng turned to him with killing intent in his eyes.

"Don't come over!" Mr. Bai turned to run.

But how would he be able to escape from Xiao Nanfeng? Xiao Nanfeng unleashed another punch and sent a flurry of strikes toward Mr. Bai.

With a crash, Mr. Bai was sent flying. He spat out a mouthful of blood in the air, gravely injured.

Xiao Nanfeng shot forward, poised to finish him off with another blow.

"Stop, please! I surrender! I'll tell you everything. Someone hired me to kill you. I'm just the assassin. Please, spare me!" Mr. Bai shouted.

Xiao Nanfeng's fist halted inches from Mr. Bai's face. A violent snowstorm swirled around him.

Mr. Bai shivered, drenched in cold sweat. Xiao Nanfeng had spared his life—for now.

"Death in an illusory realm won't kill you in reality. Are you that scared of dying?"

Mr. Bai gave him a wry smile. "If I didn't beg for mercy and you killed me here, my spiritual power is sure to be depleted. I'll be too weak to plead for my life once I'm out of the illusory realm. That would truly doom my fate."

"Oh? You do understand your situation well, then."

"I don't have an avatar, after all. If I die here, I'll be done for."

"Reclaim your superior yin pearl."

Mr. Bai grimaced. "I can't. It controls me, not the other way around."

"Are you refusing to cooperate with me?" Xiao Nanfeng narrowed his eyes.

"No, no! I truly can't control it. It's a treasure that Snowborne painstakingly obtained. We serve the pearl like our master, collecting souls and cursed spirits for it to feast on in exchange for occasional help. We've never been able to suppress it."

Xiao Nanfeng's eyes widened in surprise.

"I thought I'd easily beat you with the superior yin pearl in hand, not expecting you to have one of your own. We've clearly miscalculated. Please, Martial Aspect Xiao, spare my life!" Mr. Bai begged.

High above, the fight between the two superior yin pearls raged on. The situation was intense. Xiao Nanfeng's spiritual moon had the upper hand, though not by a large margin.

"Where are you from, and who sent you to assassinate me?" Xiao Nanfeng demanded.

Mr. Bai glanced at him for quite a while before answering, "I'm an assassin of Snowborne sent to kill you. I have some authority and access to privileged information, so I know that Ao Canghai was the one who hired me."

"You're not lying to me, are you?"

"If it were anyone else, I might have tried to lie, but I wouldn't dare deceive you, Martial Aspect Xiao. I know you too well. Lu Yan didn't send us. We approached Lu Yan knowing that he would be meeting with you."

Xiao Nanfeng scrutinized Mr. Bai. He didn't believe him outright.

Mr. Bai hastily said, "I always prepare contingencies just in case. I have evidence that it was Ao Canghai who ordered your assassination. I'm willing to exchange it for my life."

"Oh?"

"Please spare me, Martial Aspect Xiao!" Mr. Bai begged again.

Xiao Nanfeng hummed thoughtfully. "If you have real, irrefutable evidence, I'll spare you."

"Thank you, Martial Aspect Xiao! I swear it'll be of use. You'll definitely be able to take down Ao Canghai in one strike," Mr. Bai promised.

Xiao Nanfeng was, frankly, surprised by how Mr. Bai had covered all his bases.

"Where's the evidence?"

"It's by my physical body, stored within a certain treasure that's primed to self-destruct if it comes into contact with anyone but me."

"You've really thought things through, haven't you? Very well."

Xiao Nanfeng struck Mr. Bai with a powerful punch. On his part, Mr. Bai made no move to defend himself.

He was blasted apart in an instant.

This way, once he emerged from the illusory realm, Mr. Bai would be severely weakened—but he would be secure in the fact that Xiao Nanfeng wouldn't kill him just yet.

In addition, incapacitating Mr. Bai would prevent him from trying anything for the time being as well.

Then, Xiao Nanfeng turned toward the distance. Lu Yan, despite being gravely injured, clearly had a strong spiritual cultivation. He was still putting up a fight against Zhao Yuanjiao and the others.

Xiao Nanfeng swiftly appeared before them.

"Don't come any closer!" Lu Yan shouted in panic.

His allies had all been defeated by Xiao Nanfeng. His heart sank. Was he going to die today?

Xiao Nanfeng didn't bother with words. He struck Lu YAn with a powerful punch.

"No!" Lu Yan shouted.

The badly injured Lu Yan was blasted apart in a shower of light.

Xiao Nanfeng looked up at the air, where his spiritual moon was still facing the superior yin pearl. His spiritual moon had the advantage, but not a decisive one.

Xiao Nanfeng leapt into the air.

"Hegemon's Fist!"

Countless fists surged toward the superior yin pearl.

Another mouth appeared to the back of the pearl. It bit at the incoming fists, but there were too many for it to handle. Though it managed to absorb some of the fists, it was struck by the others. Xiao Nanfeng's spiritual moon likewise shot forward and bit down on it, leaving a deep gouge in its body.

The pearl roared in fury and charged at Xiao Nanfeng. Though Xiao Nanfeng was outmatched, his interference gave his spiritual moon a decisive advantage. The superior yin pearl knew that it would have to take down Xiao Nanfeng first—but they were fighting within Xiao Nanfeng's deific domain. Xiao Nanfeng easily avoided the superior yin pearl's attacks with spiritual harmony.

The superior yin pearl howled in outrage, but it couldn't do anything.

Xiao Nanfeng and his spiritual moon grievously wounded the superior yin pearl with their perfect cooperation. The pearl sustained more and more injuries.

Finally, after one last sneak attack, it faltered. Xiao Nanfeng's spiritual moon shot up to it, opened its mouth wide, and swallowed the superior yin pearl whole.

In an instant, the illusory realm shattered. Everyone was ejected back into reality, shivering as they awoke.

A silver moon hung above Xiao Nanfeng's head, shining brilliantly after having consumed the superior yin pearl. It quickly flew into Xiao Nanfeng's mindscape and vanished from sight.

The cultivators all breathed a sigh of relief.

"That was far closer than I expected, Nanfeng," Zhao Yuanjiao exclaimed.

Xiao Nanfeng nodded. He glanced toward Lu Yan and his subordinates. They had died in the illusory realm, but would only be severely weakened in reality.

"Xiao Nanfeng, you won't get away with this…!" Lu Yan cried out. He was barely conscious, barely able to open his eyes—and yet he still glared at Xiao Nanfeng in hatred.

Xiao Nanfeng ignored him and turned to Zhao Yuanjiao. "Since Lu Yan refuses to step down, we'll do so in his stead as the four division leaders of the Taiqing Immortal Sect. He'll be branded a danger to the sect and one of its so-called guardians. Let all Taiqing disciples know about the sordid history of these supposed 'Taiqing guardians'."

"Very well!" Zhao Yuanjiao nodded.

"As for Lu Yan, we'll seal his cultivation and interrogate him. I believe there are likely still quite a few guardians out there who will try to interfere with the Taiqing Immortal Sect. Let's learn more about them and prepare to defend ourselves."

"Understood!" Everyone nodded.

As for the Snowborne assassins, Xiao Nanfeng naturally secured them all. He didn't reveal the fact that Mr. Bai had surrendered to him, nor the contents of his negotiation with him. He intended to catch Ao Canghai off guard.