Chapter 139: Sealing Demons with a Decree

Ye Jiuyao rushed forward without a moment’s rest, but what he saw along the way was nothing but devastation. The Thousand Leaves Sect, once an earthly paradise, was now unrecognizable.

Seeing this, Ye Jiuyao was consumed by burning anxiety. If the destruction of the Thousand Leaves Sect was caused by him alone, his heart would be heavy with unbearable grief.

"There must be no catastrophe!"
"It must not happen!"
"..."

Ye Jiuyao chanted silently, pushing his speed to the absolute limit. If he had once moved like a bolt of lightning, he now traveled like a streak of light.

"Boom!"
"Boom!"
"Boom!"

A series of terrifying impacts and shockwaves of explosions rang out. Ye Jiuyao’s expression shifted, and he flew forward at breakneck speed.

"Sisi, Old Man Yu, hurry! Go to the underground palace and rescue Ye Jiuyao! The future of our Southern Region Thousand Leaves Sect rests entirely in your hands!" Cao Zheng roared.

The Great Sand Sculpture had transformed; its wings were now covered in golden light, and its talons had become razor-sharp weapons of steel.

"Screech!"

Suddenly, its cry made countless people turn their heads in terror.

"Sigh... I suppose the older one gets, the more one fears death..." Cao Zheng sighed, yet he charged forward without hesitation, his remaining vital energy erupting from within.

At this moment, Cao Zheng was like a celestial being from the Nine Heavens, determined to slay the Golden-Winged Great Peng and act as a champion of justice.

"Old Man Cao, get out of the way!" Ye Jiuyao roared, his eyes bloodshot. A terrifying force surged out, erupting in an instant like a thunderclap of vital energy.

"Ye Jiuyao!!"
"He... how did he return?!"
"Is it really him?"
...
"Let him go! Quickly, Yu Xiu, take him and Sisi and leave!"
"Hurry!"
...

Cao Zheng shouted at Yu Xiu, his speed increasing as he threw himself directly against the Golden-Winged Great Peng.

"Idiot!" Ye Jiuyao cursed under his breath, erupting with power.

"Star-Plucking Hand!"

At that moment, the only thing that came to Ye Jiuyao’s mind was the "Star-Plucking Hand." Its explosive power was sufficient; it was the only way to intercept the Great Sand Sculpture from a distance.

"Boom!"
"Boom!"

The two forces ignited a cataclysmic storm. Terrifying surges of energy, unlike anything seen in the mortal world, swept out from around the Golden-Winged Great Peng.

It did not end there, for Cao Zheng’s power had already detonated, striking directly at the heart of the great beast.

"Bang!"

As the Star-Plucking Hand erupted, the Great Sand Sculpture had been forced to defend itself and naturally could not spare the power to counter Cao Zheng. Thus, Cao Zheng’s strike landed squarely on the beast.

The creature let out a cry of agonizing pain, but it did not stop there; it gathered a terrifying force and lashed out at Cao Zheng. Everything happened in the blink of an eye—so fast that even Cao Zheng could not react. Before the nearby deacons could even process what was happening, the wing had struck him.

The impact left Cao Zheng severely wounded. His aura rapidly withered, and his hair turned snowy white in an instant.

"Grandfather!"
"Old Man Cao!"
"Elder!"
...

Grief-stricken cries erupted from the crowd. Ye Jiuyao was incensed; his aura exploded violently, the power of the Sage Realm rising like a tidal wave. It had all started because of him, and Cao Zheng’s injury was, albeit indirectly, his fault. Even if he were not some saint, he could not allow this.

The Great Sand Sculpture’s actions had crossed his bottom line. This battle had to end with the beast pinned to the ground, forced to understand that a mount must behave like a mount. Otherwise, where would he place his dignity?

"Get down on your knees!"

Ye Jiuyao stepped through the void, his aura condensed to the absolute limit. Countless strands of energy rushed into his body like a river returning to the sea. The Heavenly Demon Fire began to dance wildly; it was no longer what it had been before. Now, it was filled with an aura of both biting cold and scorching heat, and within the flames, a faint, child-like face flickered.

"ROAR!!!"

The Golden-Winged Great Peng let out a roar, but upon seeing the Heavenly Demon Fire in Ye Jiuyao’s hand, it clearly showed signs of fear.

Ye Jiuyao carried an invincible momentum toward it. The crowd held their breath, watching him as if he were a high and mighty god, with everyone centered around him. He was here to slaughter a demon!

Gods suppress the heavens and the earth, but immortals act against them. Ye Jiuyao was the immortal among gods; he did not wish to suppress the world, but to defy it and slay this heaven-born, earth-raised Golden-Winged Great Peng.

"Hum, hum, hum!"
"Hum, hum, hum!"

Terrifying power made the void tremble and shake violently, driving the surrounding world into a frenzy!

Ye Jiuyao arrived before the beast. His eyes were indifferent, devoid of any emotion—pure, boundless apathy. At this moment, he was like a deity himself!

"Perhaps it was a mistake to let you be my mount in the first place."
"Today, I shall refine you and send you back to where you belong!"

Ye Jiuyao meant to return it to the Canglang Map, to the place where the nine great demons were kept, making it the next sealed entity.

"Kneel!"

Ye Jiuyao flicked his finger, releasing the condensed Heavenly Demon Fire. A terrifying wave of heat and cold whistled out, instantly enveloping the Golden-Winged Great Peng.

"Whoosh!"

The creature flapped its wings frantically, trying to escape the horrific flames, but it was all in vain. Ye Jiuyao’s Heavenly Demon Fire was simply too terrifying. Perhaps this fire was born specifically to restrain these great demons. Ye Jiuyao could feel the excitement emanating from the flames—it was the fire’s recognition of him. At that moment, all resistance from the Heavenly Demon Fire vanished completely, becoming entirely his own without a shred of rejection.

"Mountain and River Decree!"
"Upon the ancient path, my thought is the heavens, my will is the earth. Let the oceans of mountains and rivers arise, and by my decree, I seal the heavens!"

Ye Jiuyao recited softly. The way the crowd looked at him changed; it was no longer just fear, but deep respect.

"Cough, cough... This child... he is a great talent!" Cao Zheng said, his voice weak as he endured his injuries.

The others nodded in silent agreement. "How fortunate!"

To possess a genius like Ye Jiuyao was the luck of the Southern Region Thousand Leaves Sect. The young woman beside them watched the youth with ripples of affection in her eyes.

The essence of the mountains, rivers, and flora gathered, flying toward Ye Jiuyao. In his palm, it condensed into a single character: "SEAL."

"Go!"

Ye Jiuyao tapped his finger, and the "Seal" character descended. The Great Sand Sculpture dissolved into stardust before everyone’s eyes. In reality, however, it had been absorbed by Ye Jiuyao into the Canglang Map.