FCRCG Chapter 45

Nan Deng had seen the Underworld once before, prior to meeting Lian Yi.

At that time, the rabbit head had been marked by a fog-shrouded specter from an underground cave. While avoiding patrolling Celestial Masters and trying to find prey, he had accidentally stumbled upon several Celestial Masters setting up a formation to assist the Underworld.

Afraid of being discovered, Nan Deng had quickly fled, only catching a distant glimpse of the formation as it took effect.

The door hadn’t left a deep impression on Nan Deng, but he knew the Underworld appeared to devour newly forming resentful spirits.

Was it because of… Lian Yi?

Nan Deng couldn’t remain calm. He quickly sent a message to Lin Jiu, shielding Lian Yi behind him.

Even if Lian Yi was truly on the brink of death, he would never allow the Underworld to devour Lian Yi’s soul.

Though the Underworld was a deity of ghosts, Nan Deng was also a god.

With a vigilant expression, Nan Deng suppressed his worry and anxiety, his tense demeanor giving him an air of anger. “You cannot take this person.”

The Underworld door stood silently, showing no sign of leaving or opening.

Lian Yi remained unconscious, wisps of black smoke seeping from his body, filling the room with a thick, evil energy.

Outside the hotel, the Celestial Masters who had arrived in unmarked cars surrounded the building.

The leading Celestial Master held a communicator. “Elder, the Underworld has suddenly appeared, also within the hotel.”

On the other end of the line was Xie Yun. “Now?”

His tone was laced with irritation. “Ignore it. Capture Lian Yi as soon as possible, preferably alive.”

The Underworld might have come for other resentful spirits about to form in the hotel, but it could also be here for Lian Yi.

Lian Yi’s whereabouts had long been exposed. Xie Yun had deliberately set the operation for tonight because the restriction on Lian Yi, which Xie Yun had once taught to Zhuo Qing, was due to act up.

The restriction would activate a maximum of four times, each time more severe than the last. Each activation would leave Lian Yi at his weakest.

Tonight marked the third activation, but Xie Yun didn’t want Lian Yi to die.

He desired his living soul, as consuming it would be highly beneficial. If Lian Yi were to die, it would be a great loss.

Xie Yun set down the communicator, closed his eyes, and his breathing grew lighter.

In the dark corners near the hotel, unnoticed by anyone, the fog-shrouded specter lurked.

His plan was just one step away from success, and he wouldn’t risk acting personally again. It was most prudent to let the Celestial Masters of the Inner Court handle it.

As long as Lian Yi was successfully captured, he could immediately consume his living soul.

The Celestial Masters in charge of the capture received their orders and directed their subordinates to stealthily enter the hotel to find Lian Yi’s room.

At this moment, Nan Deng was still locked in a standoff with the Underworld. He grabbed a glass from the table and hurled it towards the ancient door of the Underworld with all his might.

He had never experienced any combat before, and the silent ancient door looked too eerie and unsettling. Nan Deng had no idea what to do.

But the power of the glass was stronger than he had imagined. With a loud “bang”, it created a deep dent on one side of the ancient door.

The form of the Underworld shimmered, becoming partially transparent, then suddenly disappeared from the spot.

The room returned to normal, the glass cup fell on the carpet with a dull thud.

Nan Deng’s heart raced. He nervously scanned around to confirm that the Underworld was gone.

But Lian Yi still hadn’t woken up, and the evil energy around him was growing stronger.

In the corridor, the Celestial Masters sensed the departure of the Underworld and the intensifying evil energy, both from the same direction.

There weren’t many guests staying overnight, and the Celestial Masters wielded absolute authority at night, effortlessly obtaining the guest list.

Leading them were two Chief Celestial Masters, one of whom checked a compass while instructing their subordinates, “Be careful.”

A figure suddenly appeared, blocking their path. “Under whose orders do you come?” Lin Jiu stood in the middle of the corridor, halting their advance. “I have consulted Elder Weng about this, and he was unaware.”

The Chief Celestial Master recognized Lin Jiu but showed no courtesy. “We are not obligated to report to you. Please do not obstruct us here.”

While Lin Jiu was a student of Elder Weng, he had not yet reached the rank of Chief Celestial Master and was subordinate to the two before him.

“You misunderstand. I wish to assist both Chiefs,” Lin Jiu calmly amended, “I’ve been in Changyang for several days and might be of help.”

However, the Chief Celestial Master remained unmoved, coldly stating, “That won’t be necessary.”

Lin Jiu had no other choice but to temporarily retreat, quietly trailing at the end of the group.

His heart was filled with anxiety, checking the communicator from time to time.

The message from Nan Deng said that Lian Yi was unconscious, and the Underworld had briefly appeared just now. They weren’t sure what exactly was happening over there.

In the corridor, talismans were laid out, and the group gradually approached the room where Lian Yi was suspected to be, the place with the thickest evil energy.

Nan Deng was squatting in front of the sofa, tightly holding Lian Yi’s hand.

The Underworld had ceased to appear, yet there were no signs of Lian Yi waking up. Instead, the evil energy emanating from him grew stronger.

Nan Deng realized that Lian Yi had still been hiding something, not letting him know the true state of his body.

If Lian Yi were to truly die because of this, would he turn into a ghost…?

Nan Deng had never thought about this question before. He kept watch over Lian Yi, feeling both sorrowful and at a loss.

He could heal patients infected with the plague, but he didn’t know if he could forcibly extend the life of someone dying.

Nan Deng tried hard to recall the sensations when he used his divine power in the hospital. Leaning lightly against Lian Yi’s arm, he murmured softly, “I don’t want you to die…”

The rabbit head beside him suddenly turned to look towards the door.

Nan Deng also felt someone approaching, and at the same time, the communicator on the floor rang a few times.

He picked it up and opened it to check. It was Lin Jiu.

Lin Jiu had informed them as soon as the Celestial Masters had arrived at the hotel, but Lian Yi had just fallen into a coma, and Nan Deng hadn’t had time to deal with these matters.

He looked at Lin Jiu’s reminder, gripping the communicator tightly in his hand.

The Celestial Masters refused to give up and still wanted to capture Lian Yi, especially at this moment.

If Lian Yi hadn’t been unconscious, he would surely have found a way to deal with those people outside. But now it was only Nan Deng himself, with Lin Jiu outside temporarily unable to help.

All along, Nan Deng had been under Lian Yi’s protection. Even when he learned Lian Yi’s true identity, they hadn’t been separated for long.

Nan Deng’s breathing trembled. When he came to his senses, he found the communicator in his hand slightly deformed, with several marks on the edges and the screen cracked a bit, clearly damaged by his unintentional grip.

Panicking, he quickly set the communicator down.

A large number of Celestial Masters were still approaching, almost reaching the door.

Summoning courage, Nan Deng stood up and slowly walked towards the direction of the door.

He heard muffled conversations faintly coming from a distance.

“He should be here…”

“Don’t underestimate him; this person is extremely dangerous…”

The rabbit head followed behind Nan Deng, eyes crimson, ready to enter combat at any moment.

Footsteps drew nearer, and someone outside the door had laid down five talisman formations.

Nan Deng’s senses were never as acute as they were now. He raised his right hand and gently placed it on the door.

“Crack—”

The talismans shattered one after another. The leading Celestial Master ahead was greatly alarmed and hurriedly shouted, “Back away quickly!”

The corridor was narrow, and the Celestial Masters besieging outside reacted too slowly, suddenly struck by the bursting air current.

This is neither the aura of a ghost nor a spiritual technique. It appears invisible but formidable. The closest group of people fell to the ground in agony, struggling to retreat.

Nan Deng heard the commotion outside. He withdrew his hand and nervously took a step back.

Outside, silence quickly returned. The sudden anomaly disrupted the Celestial Masters’ plans, leaving them hesitant to approach again for the time being.

Confirming temporary safety, Nan Deng relaxed slightly and returned to Lian Yi’s side.

He gently touched Lian Yi’s cold cheek and once again clasped his hand.

Lian Yi’s body temperature had dropped, no longer feverish. But this could also be a sign of impending death.

Nan Deng pressed his forehead against the back of Lian Yi’s hand and closed his eyes, waiting.

The Celestial Masters outside retreated to the floor below, with Lin Jiu following them.

“Something’s not right,” one of the chief Celestial Masters said, his expression grave. “I remember, Lian Yi’s strength isn’t this strong.”

Even with his recent astonishing growth, it was unlikely he could shatter a five-layer talisman formation directly… That kind of power didn’t seem like something a Celestial Master could possess.

He took out his communicator to report the situation to Xie Yun.

Xie Yun remained silent for a long time before hoarsely responding, “…The talisman formation shattered?”

“Yes,” the chief Celestial Master confirmed. “And the terrain of the hotel is not favorable for us. What should we do now?”

“Set it on fire.”

Xie Yun uttered the words lightly, “Force him out.”

The two chief Celestial Masters exchanged a glance and acknowledged, “Yes, Elder.”

When the Underworld appeared, they had already arranged to evacuate unrelated residents.

Burning down a hotel was drastic, and though there were risks, the talisman formation shattered too quickly, leaving the situation inside the room unclear. This might be the most effective method.

Lin Jiu overheard their conversation and tried to intervene, “What if innocent residents get hurt… Elder Weng is rushing over soon. I think we should wait…”

The two chief Celestial Masters remained unmoved, ordering everyone to retreat outside the hotel.

“Our mission tonight is to capture Lian Yi,” one of them stated, “If he escapes this time, it’ll be much harder to track him down next time.”

Lian Yi had long been listed as a dangerous individual. Their actions were justified to capture him early, preventing him from becoming a resentful spirit upon death, which could cause more serious consequences.

Even if Elder Weng himself arrived, they had Xie Yun’s orders and didn’t necessarily have to heed his advice.

Lin Jiu’s attempt to stop them failed. He considered slipping away from the group to find Nan Deng when he noticed suspicion from the chief Celestial Masters, flanked closely by two others, leaving him no chance to escape unnoticed.

He had to resort to his communicator again, seeking help from Elder Weng.

Shortly after, Nan Deng lifted his head, furrowing his brow as he sniffed lightly.

A strange odor permeated the air… Then he realized the source of the smell.

Someone was setting the hotel on fire.

With spiritual techniques aiding the blaze, the fire spread rapidly. Temperatures rose, and smoke drifted in through the door cracks. Alarms blared throughout the hotel.

However, the smoke gathered only within a meter from the front of the door and couldn’t approach Nan Deng. The flames that spread inexplicably extinguished themselves.

At this moment, Elder Weng arrived at the hotel.

He was somewhat angry, “Who allowed you to set the fire?”

Facing Elder Weng’s questioning, the two chief Celestial Masters showed no fear, only saying, “Someone will take responsibility for compensating the hotel.”

In the absence of the two elders from the inner court, those who could be promoted to the next level of chief Celestial Masters would naturally take the lead.

Capturing Lian Yi not only resolved a major threat but also earned the recommendation of Elder Xie Yun.

The other Celestial Masters had no objections to this. In their view, Lian Yi was indeed a dangerous criminal, and it was worthwhile to incur reasonable losses to capture him.

—

Inside the room, Nan Deng protected Lian Yi, surveying his surroundings.

This couldn’t continue like this; they needed to leave here as soon as possible.

Nan Deng scooped up the rabbit head and put it in his pocket, then tried to help Lian Yi up from the sofa.

Just as he lifted Lian Yi’s arm, Lian Yi suddenly moved.

At this moment, Lian Yi’s evil energy receded slightly, showing signs of awakening at last.

He slowly opened his eyes, his body temperature beginning to normalize, his breath slightly heavy.

Nan Deng was overjoyed and hugged him tightly, “You’re finally awake…”

The pain in Lian Yi’s heart persisted. He was still weak. He reached out to touch Nan Deng’s hair.

He turned his head towards the increasingly thick smoke at the door, “Someone is coming?”

But now is not the time to discuss these matters. Nan Deng helped him up: “Let’s go quickly…”

They arrived at the door. With every step Nan Deng took forward, the smoke and flames automatically retreated.

Lian Yi raised his hand, and the scorched door was moved away by spiritual power.

The elevator was out of service, so they had to leave via the stairs. On the way, Nan Deng mentioned what happened when Lian Yi was unconscious.

“Lin Jiu said we were discovered… and the Underworld appeared,” Nan Deng said in fragments. “I don’t know how many people are outside. I also accidentally broke your communicator…”

As Lian Yi gradually regained his strength, his eyes grew colder as he held Nan Deng’s hand to reassure him: “Don’t be afraid. I’m fine.”

The two made their way to the basement and reached the exit.

The outer perimeter of the hotel was securely surrounded, and a team was also guarding the basement exit, nearly spotting them first.

Before the celestial masters in the team could react, Lian Yi raised his right hand, using spiritual power to grip several people by the neck, rendering them speechless and immobile.

Although a strong aura of hostility and killing intent emanated from him, Lian Yi refrained from directly killing them due to Nan Deng being by his side.

The entire team was under his spiritual control. With Nan Deng in tow, Lian Yi aimed to leave from the side.

However, there were too many celestial masters outside, waiting for Lian Yi to be forced out of the hotel by the flames.

“He’s over here!”

“Surround him! Don’t let him escape!”

Hearing the commotion, Weng Ping Ran immediately rushed over, catching sight of Lin Jiu who seemed more anxious than him, swiftly heading towards Lian Yi’s direction.

The group of celestial masters closest to Lian Yi advanced towards him, their probing gazes landing on him and Nan Deng beside him.

A silver light suddenly appeared, catching several people off guard, scratching their arms with the Bagua ring.

The two chief celestial masters who had rushed from the main entrance acted in time, blocking Lian Yi’s Bagua ring.

Seemingly well-prepared, they coordinated seamlessly, waving their hands to cast numerous spells.

At this moment, a dark sky suddenly saw another flash of green.

Countless sharp thorns rained down from above, and a parrot flapped its wings, destroying all the spells.

The parrot’s voice was sharp and frantic: “What are you doing!”

“Is this the earth spirit of Changyang?” One of the chief celestial masters frowned. “Why would the earth spirit appear…”

Nan Deng was shielded by Lian Yi, hidden in the darkness without his face visible. No one knew who he was.

The rabbit head from his pocket quietly emerged, its eyes still glowing red.

After holding back for a long time, it seemed Lian Yi was finally awake.

Now with Lian Yi’s protection and the earth spirit arriving, the rabbit head didn’t want to hold back any longer.

It rolled on the ground twice, its body starting to swell.

A strong aura emanated. But it wasn’t coming from Lian Yi.

The front-row celestial masters were the first to witness this bizarre scene, gradually showing expressions of fear and disbelief.

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