Dashing Student Chapter 1351: The Tables Turn

Chen Nan and Yi Mingzi understood that killing one another within the Righteous Alliance’s domain was impossible; despite having dropped their pretense of civility, they still felt the need to respect the fundamental boundaries. However, once within the borders of the Demon Sect, they could easily attribute the death of either party to the manipulations of the Demon Sect or the Demon Clan.

While murder was off the table, venting their pent-up frustration was certainly permitted.

"Do you truly think you can continue to target me without paying a price? Do you honestly believe I will tolerate your presence forever?"

Leveraging his superior physical strength, Chen Nan tackled Yi Mingzi onto the flying boat's deck, raining down blows that left Yi Mingzi bruised and blood-drenched after only a few impacts.

"Enough!"

Yi Mingzi, pushed to his limit, erupted with a surge of mana that propelled Chen Nan away. He immediately summoned the protective jade pendant gifted to him by Master Canglan.

The ornament radiated a daunting wave of mana, carrying the unmistakable signature of a Nascent Soul Realm master that instilled a deep sense of dread.

Yet, Chen Nan stood his ground, his expression undisturbed: "Heh, do you truly have the nerve to end my life here?"

Having his own ultimatum thrown back at him left Yi Mingzi looking as though he had choked on something foul, his expression twisted in irritation. He dared not act rashly, knowing it would provide someone like Liu Hanyue the perfect pretext to quietly dispose of him in the future.

"I shall endure this!"

Clenching his teeth, he tucked the jade pendant away, wincing as his fingers brushed the raw wounds on his face.

"Jue Mingzi, do not get ahead of yourself; I will be sure to have you weeping for mercy soon enough!"

The duo navigated their vessel through the Alliance's lands, slipping into Demon Sect territory. Much like the Righteous Alliance cultivators who had formerly infiltrated the Demon Sect’s rear, they were forced to proceed with extreme stealth. Since their clandestine journey was unapproved and intended to remain secret, they risked alerting the Demon Clan—or even being slaughtered by Demon Cultivators before they ever secured an audience with the Sect Elder.

They proceeded with immense caution for a fortnight, eventually arriving at a remote island under the Demon Sect’s control known as "Inverted Heaven." While smaller than the headquarters of the Righteous Alliance, its layout was surreal; a master had used near-infinite mana to suspend a massive mountain upside down, its peak hovering pointedly above the island.

"We have arrived at our destination."

Yi Mingzi gazed at the floating peak, laughing with fervor: "Jue Mingzi, your final moment has arrived!"

"Is that so?" Chen Nan asked with practiced mock-surprise: "My end?"

"Precisely. This is the gravesite I picked specifically for you!" Yi Mingzi discarded his act. "You were correct earlier; all those mishaps you encountered were my design! I have been working with the Demon Clan all along. In fact, I am an Elder of the Yin Soul Sect, and I’ve already arranged for an ambush here to ensure your demise."

Chen Nan listened quietly, eventually nodding with his arms crossed: "Hm, a clever scheme indeed. However, what bargaining chip do you honestly hold over the Demon Cultivators?"

"It is entirely because of my Master!" Yi Mingzi boasted. "Were my Master to align with the Demon Sect, the Righteous Alliance would have crumbled ages ago. I hadn't mentioned it to him before, but after you slew my Fifth Senior Brother, he was so incensed he consented to the Demon Sect's petition to intervene at a climactic moment."

"By doing this, you both are turncoats, and traitors deserve no final resting place," Chen Nan countered, his lips curling into a scornful grin.

"Hmph, if it costs you your life, it is worth it!" Yi Mingzi retorted angrily. "Besides, my Master has only agreed to a single act of assistance, so nobody will ever discover this."

Following these words, he produced a spirit talisman from his robes and launched it into the sky; it detonated, casting a flare that traversed a great distance. Moments later, swarms of demon cultivators emerged from Inverted Heaven. These were members of the Yin Soul Sect, led by the grey-bearded Elder Wu Hong, the very man who had been plotting with Yi Mingzi.

"Haha, Elder Wu Hong is at the First Layer of the Nascent Soul Realm! You are a dead man now!" Yi Mingzi crowed, already picturing the scene of Chen Nan’s downfall.

The Yin Soul Sect disciples swarmed them, led by Wu Hong and joined by two perfect Golden Core Realm cultivators and dozens of others. Had he faced such an ambush previously, Chen Nan would have instantly retreated. The chasm between the Nascent Soul and Golden Core Realms was insurmountable; while Chen Nan could dominate within the Golden Core stage, he remained at a massive disadvantage against an expert of the Nascent Soul.

"Elder Wu Hong!" Yi Mingzi flew eagerly toward the older man, fawning: "This is Jue Mingzi. My Master promised that upon his death, he would lend the Demon Sect his aid just once."

Wu Hong gave a slow nod, let out a chuckle, and replied: "It seems you are misinformed regarding his lineage. His name is not Jue Mingzi, but Chen Nan."

"Chen Nan?" Yi Mingzi stopped cold, the name suddenly striking a chord of recognition.

"Yes. A name known across the Nine Provinces Continent. He has crossed paths with multiple Nascent Soul masters and yet has managed to evade them time and again. You may imagine yourself a genius within the Endless Sea, but to him, that means nothing!"

Wu Hong’s words sent a chill down Yi Mingzi’s spine, as he realized the true scale of the man he had provoked.

"I care nothing for his name! You must slay him, or I will ensure my Master makes you pay!"

"Very well then."

Seeing the Elder concede, Yi Mingzi was elated, shouting smugly at Chen Nan: "Jue Mingzi, prepare for your end! Let us see if you can manage to vanish this time!" He failed to notice, however, the frosty glint in Wu Hong’s eyes.

Boom!

Wu Hong launched a sudden strike. Exercising the Yin Soul Sect’s "Yin Ghost Technique," his hand pulsed with bone-chilling, spectral energy. A massive spectral hand coalesced and slammed directly into Yi Mingzi.

Indeed, his target was Yi Mingzi himself!

At that desperate flash, the jade pendant at Yi Mingzi's waist flared, manifesting a shield that absorbed the strike. This artifact, containing three protections from Master Canglan, had already lost one charge during their earlier skirmish and was now showing brittle fissures.

Sent reeling through the air, he looked at Wu Hong in complete confusion: "You… have you lost your mind? I commanded you to kill Jue Mingzi!"

Ignoring the frantic shouts, Wu Hong drifted toward Chen Nan and offered a polite bow: "Young Lord."

Because Tu Susu served as both the Holy Daughter of the Ten Thousand Demon Sect and the entire Demon Sect at large, her spouse held the title of Young Lord over their unified forces.

Watching the utter shock on Yi Mingzi’s face, Chen Nan couldn't help but laugh.

"There was one thing you were right about, Yi Mingzi. I do, in fact, have an arrangement with the Demon Sect."