A Cunning Pervert in the Cultivation World Chapter 343: Despair of the Past, Present and... Future (2)

Though not solely due to her words... it was also because...

...A magnificent purple feather, seemingly composed of swirling purple divine flames, materialized without warning.

It bathed the somber chamber in a gentle, sacred radiance... soft yet grand, akin to a celestial shard.

Then, as if an ancient gaze from across time and the void had descended,

A pair of piercing eyes penetrated all existence, fixing directly upon the interloper... him.

{...}

[...Divine Nirvana Ph—!?]

Abruptly, the purple feather ignited into resplendent purple fire.

It blazed with celestial wrath, intended to incinerate the being that dared audacious interference with its kin's hallowed ritual.

Even the Heavenly Daos would not presume to disrupt a Phoenix's Nirvana, yet this... mere "fragment" of that power had attempted to meddle.

All things fractured.

The encroaching darkness was violently purged by cleansing flames.

[...No!!...]

Nevertheless, the shadowy tendrils persisted.

[...I am so close!!]

They withstood the scorching Divine Nirvana Flame, obstinately continuing their fusion.

Precisely as success seemed imminent—

"~!!"

Outside, less than a breath of time had elapsed.

The Divine Brick, positioned to guard the icy cocoon, suddenly detected an almost imperceptible wisp of dark ichor breaching its defense.

With a furious impact, it shattered the intruding strand.

The Divine Brick emitted a triumphant vibration, exuding pride in its successful intervention.

[...No!!...Curse you..!]

The dark appendages reaching for Yue Lan quivered intensely... subsequently, they slowly vanished and flickered out, as if their connection had been severed abruptly.

Once the voice completely faded, only Yue Lan remained within the pristine white expanse.

The purple feather floated serenely in the air, appearing to observe her.

{...}

Suddenly, azure feathers began to descend like silent snowfall.

A mature and exquisitely beautiful woman then materialized before her.

She addressed not Yue Lan.

Instead, she inclined her head with deep reverence toward the purple feather.

[I express my gratitude... Great Ancestor for rendering aid to this one.]

No response was given.

Even this minuscule fragment of will could already discern it; this young Ice Phoenix had been... tainted.

It was no wonder she had forgone her own Nirvana, opting instead to "birth".

{...}

As if its purpose was fulfilled and its duty discharged, the purple feather simply dissolved into radiant sparks.

Now, only Yue Lan and the beautiful woman remained.

The woman offered a faint, wry smile at the Ancestor's swift departure.

She then turned to Yue Lan, her eyes filled with tenderness, and gently caressed her cheek.

[...It appears the contingency has succeeded...]

Prior to this very moment,

Just as the tower began its collapse, she had conceived... a straightforward 'strategy' with Li Feng.

She had never anticipated his complete trust, nor his unhesitating cooperation.

With a subtle, melancholic sigh, her form started to disintegrate into luminous motes of light, which softly drifted towards Yue Lan, finalizing the new genesis and shedding the vestiges of her "Divinity."

She then embraced her daughters one final time...

[...My two daughters... one bound by destiny... one by blood... I pray you coexist harmoniously and... look after one another...]

Then, she uttered one last tender sentence, her voice imbued with quiet hope and unwavering faith.

[...The remainder, I entrust to you, young sir.]

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Meanwhile, beyond the confines of the tower,

Li Feng, engaged in a desperate confrontation with Yan Moxuan, suddenly halted as the entirety of the tower shuddered violently.

A profound, ominous resonance emanated from above, as if some primeval entity had stirred in the upper reaches and was now descending with forceful intent.

And the smooth, obsidian-like floor beneath his feet began to warp.

What was once unyielding ground transformed into a viscous morass, collapsing into a writhing, black liquid that pulsed with a disturbing, unnatural cadence.

Frenzied undulations surged outwards, impacting and receding like a sentient tide, spreading across the battlefield with chaotic malevolence.

The atmosphere grew dense and oppressive, as if the very fabric of space was being submerged.

"What...?"

Li Feng appeared bewildered, but Yan Moxuan, positioned some distance away, scowled deeply and clicked his tongue.

[What are you attempting? To descend without a suitable vessel? You truly court oblivion, do you not?]

[...]

With those pronouncements, the floor lost all structural integrity.

Dense black fluid cascaded from the ceiling like a torrential downpour.

The liquid level ascended with remarkable speed, as if the abyssal ocean's tides had arrived.

As the dark tide swelled, churned, and then...

...It coalesced.

Soon, a transformation began to manifest.

Gradually...

A vaguely humanoid form slowly emerged from the liquid darkness, its structure coalescing from undulating black matter, unstable yet terrifyingly complete.

Its mere presence distorted the surrounding air, as if existence itself recoiled from its being.

At that precise instant—

An urgent system alert flashed before Li Feng's sight.

[Warning!]

[Ding!]

[Host! Exercise extreme caution! An exceptionally perilous hostile entity has been detected!]

[Emergency Protocol Scan initiated!]

[Warning!]

[Ding!]

[Name: The False Cultivator ███████]

[Host! Be extremely cautious!]

Li Feng’s eyes snapped wide open upon seeing the ominous title.

But before any reaction could be formed—

Several lances of concentrated black liquid erupted from the ground with alarming velocity, impaling his limbs.

His body convulsed violently, a spray of blood blooming outward, soaking the already defiled earth beneath him.

[...My games are at an end...]

The entity, a grotesque fusion of darkness and liquid, spoke, its voice a chilling resonance from the deepest abyss.

Yan Moxuan erupted in laughter at the sight.

[Hahaha! Not my concern. Your choice to descend in such a manner rests on your own shoulders.]

The False Cultivator offered no response.

And the instant it perceived the Divine Brick hovering defensively before the ice cocoon—

The surrounding expanse of black tide began to heave and churn with fury.

Indignation radiated from its very form.

...An overwhelming, suffocating rage emanated from its existence.

[...A mere sliver of a Dao... dares to thwart my rebirth repeatedly... What profound insult...]

Had it not been for that inconsequential fragment of Dao, the entire process would have reached fruition already.

There would have been no delays.

No forced descent, and certainly no... imperfections.

Yan Moxuan’s lips curved into a subtle smile.

[Indeed, whatever befalls you is of no consequence to me.]

He then turned his attention to Li Feng, his gaze filled with avarice.

[I desire that youth. His corporeal form appears... most intriguing.]

The False Cultivator remained quiescent, simply advancing a step.

One step. Then another followed.

Each movement sent ripples cascading across the black sea beneath its feet, as though the very fabric of the world recoiled from its imposing presence.

Up ahead, the Divine Brick quivered minutely with apprehension, yet it held its ground.

It hovered resolutely before the ice cocoon, emitting a faint hum, steadfastly barring the path despite the immense terror pressing down.

The atmosphere grew heavy with malevolence and sheer despair.

But then—

"Haha..."

A soft sound, quite incongruous with the scene.

The False Cultivator halted its advance, and Yan Moxuan, too, furrowed his brow.

Both individuals swiveled their heads toward Li Feng, who remained skewered by the dark lances, still bleeding profusely.

Yet, he appeared to be chuckling...?

Initially, it was a subdued sound.

Then, it amplified.

"HAHA..."

"HAHAHAHA..."

And finally—

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"

The laughter reverberated wildly, unbridled, imbued with a quality far more perilous than mere pain or delirium.

Yan Moxuan cast him an odd glance as Li Feng guffawed uncontrollably.

[Hmm? Has this brat lost his faculties?]

[...]

The False Cultivator remained silent.

However, its incorporeal visage seemed to contort—

For a distinct sense of unease permeated the air.

Then—

It perceived something.

Its head snapped upward—

The world fractured.

...Not metaphorically or figuratively.

Like a sheet of obsidian glass, the oppressive darkness sealing them above violently cracked, fissures snaking across its expanse before imploding inwards.

A figure breached the barrier from the exterior.

A colossal silhouette, shrouded in voluminous black robes, descended like a plummeting shadow, its aura oppressive, silent, and suffocating.

It landed adjacent to the Divine Brick, sending shockwaves of black liquid outward.

The Divine Brick instantly vibrated with elation, now displaying an even more triumphant demeanor towards their two adversaries.

Goldie slowly rose and silently surveyed its surroundings, yet its mere presence caused the encompassing darkness to writhe uneasily.

"..."

And for the first time ever...

Both Yan Moxuan and the False Cultivator faltered, a wave of bewilderment washing over their consciousness.

[...Could that be?]

But then, from behind them, Li Feng’s laughter crescendoed... growing more unrestrained, more unhinged.

"HAHAHA! FINALLY!!"

His voice echoed, hoarse yet overflowing with sheer exhilaration.

"I have awaited... endured... allowing you filth to skulk in the shadows..."

Crimson blood dripped from his chin as his grin widened, his eyes blazing with a furious brilliance.

"All of you... have finally revealed yourselves!!"

Li Feng, consumed by excitement, disregarded the searing pain from his grievous wounds.

After all, he had borne this suffering and humiliation for so long specifically to lure out these vermin hiding in obscurity.

He had knowledge of a lingering presence... or perhaps an entity, concealed within this secret realm, gleaned from a prophetic vision bestowed by an immortal.

Coupled with the enigmatic voice that had forewarned him of this location, he understood the necessity of feigning vulnerability to draw out the true dangers.

Yet, he had never anticipated ensnaring **two** significant adversaries instead of the singular one he expected.

A savage grin stretching across his face, eyes wide with manic glee, Li Feng had never experienced such profound satisfaction as he bellowed these words, which seemed to reverberate through the entire secret realm—nay... through the very world itself.

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[Here a illustration of The False Cultivator:]