Chapter 34: Incarnation Duel

A sharp sword. Slaying a demon.

Tianjizi showed no mercy.

But the sword did not strike Hua Sheng—because Mie Ying had lunged forward to shield him.

Seeing this, Hua Sheng screamed, "Mie Ying, no!"

The fiery sword could not be stopped in time; its tip pierced Mie Ying. The burning blade instantly impaled her shoulder.

Tianjizi pulled back the hilt, and crimson blood sprayed out, splattering onto his Daoist robes.

The blood stained half of Mie Ying's colorful dress.

"I cannot... I cannot let you die!" Mie Ying clutched her wound and burst into wailing tears. "You are mine, you are mine!"

Seeing Mie Ying in such a state, Hua Sheng felt as if his heart were being sliced by knives. "Why did you do such a foolish thing!"

With a sharp clang, Lu Dongbin drew his long sword and held it to Mie Ying’s throat. He barked sternly, "Nezha would never have a foster daughter like you who cannot tell human from demon! If he were here, he would surely finish off this scoundrel today! Move aside at once, unless you wish to throw your life away for nothing!"

Tianjizi added, "Mie Ying, you will die here today, and the Fire Wheel Heavenly King will have no grievances against the Immortal Lu! For years, Shengpingning has been free of demons; who would have thought the remnant would be hiding in the mortal world! No wonder the Black Tortoise Immortal Array at the Daoist Academy and the Heavenly Eye Trial were corrupted. It turns out that besides Mingyou, it was this wretch who caused all the trouble!"

Lu Dongbin continued, "The task of subduing demons is paramount. Do not be ungrateful, girl! Do not think that dying is the end of it; your act of protecting a demon will bring shame upon your Miemeng clan!"

Just then, the color of Mie Ying’s hair began to change, with green, white, red, and other hues appearing in succession!

But Mie Ying—or rather, Xiao Qi—clutched her chest, shaking her head frantically. "Xiao Qi isn't leaving, sisters, don't push! Xiao Qi isn't leaving!"

After struggling for a moment, her forehead drenched in beads of sweat, her hands covered in blood from her shoulder wound, she finally managed to maintain her form.

Catching her breath, Mie Ying looked up at Lu Dongbin and shouted, "You big, sword-wielding weirdo, you only know how to bully girls! Aren't you ashamed!"

Lu Dongbin was enraged by her insolence. "Silence! Stop your unreasonable meddling. Can you bear the consequences of protecting a demon? If you do not step aside now, do not blame me for being heartless!"

Seeing Mie Ying painfully blocking his path, Hua Sheng shouted, "Mie Ying, move aside. I, Hua Sheng, will take responsibility for my own actions. I should have died long ago; being able to live this long in Shengpingning is enough."

"What kind of foolish talk is that! We don't even know how this plot is going to end!" Mie Ying retorted angrily. "Even if the Jade Emperor himself came today, I wouldn't let him hurt you!"

"Mie Ying, have you lost your mind?"

Tianjizi stepped closer with his fiery sword. "What does the life or death of this ant have to do with you? You are not only shielding a demon, but he has also committed the crime of regicide against an immortal. Both are capital offenses under Heavenly Law. If you continue to protect him, it would not be excessive to execute you on the spot!"

Mie Ying refused to back down, kneeling on the ground, pressing her hand firmly against her wound, gasping for air.

Suddenly, she looked up and declared, "Within the square inch beneath this oil-paper umbrella, there is also Heaven and Earth!"

She raised her oil-paper umbrella with her right hand and snapped it open, shielding herself from Lu Dongbin and Tianjizi.

In that split second, she pointed her left hand back toward Hua Sheng and shouted, "Release! Release! Break the seal!"

With a clatter, the iron chains on Hua Sheng fell away.

Mie Ying immediately chanted, "Swiftly as the law! Incantation of the Immortal Avatar! Change!"

Tianjizi waved his hand, and the umbrella was knocked aside.

"Do you think a flimsy paper umbrella can block us for long!"

But when he saw what was behind the umbrella, Tianjizi froze.

It was not Hua Sheng and Mie Ying behind the paper umbrella!

There were two identical versions of Mie Ying!

"Hmph! A petty trick of illusion! Even if you don't break it, so what!" Tianjizi kicked one of the Mie Yings hard.

The figure took the heavy blow, flew backward, and slammed into the stone wall. As it fell, it transformed back into the form of Hua Sheng.

Hua Sheng clutched his chest, his lungs feeling as if they were tearing apart, and he began to cough violently.

"It seems this tribulation cannot be avoided," he murmured.

Even without breaking the illusion, Tianjizi’s "Heavenly Extremity Insight" could always locate the true body. No matter how clever the avatar technique was, it was useless.

"Who says that! Bring out your Golden Cudgel!"

Ignoring her wounds, Mie Ying flew to Hua Sheng's side, whispered a few words, and shouted, "Follow my transformation!"

As soon as she finished, Mie Ying transformed into Hua Sheng, and the umbrella in her hand took the form of the Golden Cudgel.

Hua Sheng also summoned the Ruyi Golden Cudgel from the iron-bound chain on his chest.

The two of them did not retreat; instead, they charged toward Tianjizi and Lu Dongbin.

Lu Dongbin swung his sword and laughed, "These two children are truly lawless! It seems they have no regard for their lives!"

The two Hua Shengs swung their golden cudgels down with force. Lu Dongbin lightly tapped them with his sword. Due to the vast disparity in their immortal power, both the real and fake cudgels were parried aside.

Tianjizi seized the opportunity to thrust his fiery sword.

The two Hua Shengs immediately engaged Tianjizi in battle.

After trading blows for a few rounds, one of the Hua Shengs shouted, "Swiftly as the law! White clouds arise!"

Suddenly, a white mist rose from beneath their feet, instantly enveloping the two Hua Shengs and Tianjizi.

"Break!"

Lu Dongbin pointed at the mist, and it dissipated instantly.

When they looked again, where was there any sign of Hua Sheng? Standing there were three identical Tianjizis, all holding fiery swords!

Lu Dongbin, originally intending to strike, hesitated when faced with three identical Tianjizis, unable to bring his sword down.

In his moment of hesitation, the three Tianjizis began to fight in a chaotic scramble. With the constant clashing of weapons, it was impossible to distinguish who was who.

Just as Lu Dongbin was trying to find a way to break the illusion, one of the Tianjizis withdrew his sword, pointed at another, and shouted to Lu Dongbin, "Immortal Lu! Help me catch him, I have the True Insight! Trust me!"

Lu Dongbin swung his sword at the one being pointed at, but that figure blocked with his sword and shouted, "Uncle Lu, you've been tricked! He is a transformation of Hua Sheng!"

Lu Dongbin had no choice but to withdraw his sword and step back.

At this moment, one of the Tianjizis pointed at another and shouted, "This one is a transformation of Mie Ying!"

The one beside him said in unison, "Yes! This one is a transformation of Mie Ying!"

Lu Dongbin laughed aloud, "Now you've given yourselves away! It's clear you two are in this together!"

He then raised his long sword and struck fiercely at the first Tianjizi. That Tianjizi had no choice but to block with his fiery sword; with a loud clang, the sword snapped in two.

The Tianjizi with the broken sword shouted angrily, "Uncle Lu! I am the real Tianjizi! Hua Sheng was just mimicking my voice! I was the one pointing at Mie Ying!"

Lu Dongbin was momentarily confused.

The Tianjizi with the broken sword shouted, "If you don't believe me, break their illusion!"

Lu Dongbin pinched an immortal seal, pointed at the two figures opposite him, and shouted, "Swiftly as the law! Reveal your true form! Reveal your true form!"

With two loud pops, the two figures opposite indeed transformed back into Hua Sheng and Mie Ying.

Feeling humiliated and played for a fool, Lu Dongbin roared, "These two brats have too many tricks! Let's see you try to change again!"

Seeing that they had been revealed, Tianjizi and Lu Dongbin lunged at them together.

Mie Ying flipped in the air, retrieved the oil-paper umbrella that had fallen aside, opened it, and held it in front of herself and Hua Sheng. "Watch this! Swiftly as the law! Change!"

"Audacious! You still dare to use such petty tricks!"

Tianjizi struck with his palm, and the oil-paper umbrella was knocked away, folding instantly.

But when they looked, the space behind the paper umbrella was empty!

"Where are they?" Lu Dongbin looked around immediately.

Tianjizi replied, "They must have transformed into something else!"

The two walked forward to look, and there, lying on the ground, were three identical oil-paper floral umbrellas!

Lu Dongbin laughed loudly, "Have these children lost their minds? How can transforming into two umbrellas help you escape? You'll still be captured!"

With that, Lu Dongbin reached out to grab an umbrella.

Just then, one of the umbrellas flew into the air.

"Revealing yourself! This is the one!" Lu Dongbin pointed. "Swiftly as the law! Reveal your true form!"

The oil-paper umbrella transformed back into Mie Ying. Lu Dongbin reached out, and Mie Ying was suspended in mid-air, unable to move, as if her throat were being gripped by an invisible hand.

At that moment, the other umbrella on the ground couldn't help but transform back. Hua Sheng shouted, "Great Immortal, wait! Do not hurt Mie Ying!"

Mie Ying, her throat gripped, squeezed out a few words: "Run! They... they don't dare do anything to me!"

"Hmph! It was only because I was momentarily distracted that this girl managed to break the iron chains!" Lu Dongbin pointed at Hua Sheng. "Try running again! Swiftly as the law!"

A thicker, sturdier iron chain shackled Hua Sheng firmly. He fell to his knees, as if burdened by a weight of a thousand pounds.

Seeing that all was lost, Hua Sheng knelt with his head bowed and said, "I accept my fate! Immortal Lu, I will go with you. But please, let Mie Ying go."

Seeing that Hua Sheng could no longer escape, Lu Dongbin released his grip.

Mie Ying fell to the ground. She struggled to stand up and shouted at Hua Sheng, "I'm not leaving!"

Hua Sheng sighed, "Mie Ying, you should leave. There is no need for you to be involved in this."

Lu Dongbin said, "Girl, I am sparing you for the sake of the Fire Wheel Heavenly King! If you try any more tricks here, don't blame me for treating you as an accomplice to this demon!"

Seeing there was no other way, Mie Ying stood up reluctantly. Her face was full of tears, and she wiped them away as she walked toward the cave entrance.

After taking two steps, she ran back to pick up her oil-paper umbrella.

Tianjizi grabbed the umbrella and said, "Uncle Lu! Mie Ying is protecting a demon; we must bind her and take her with us!"

Unexpectedly, Mie Ying slapped Tianjizi across the face, crying and scolding, "You want to capture me, and you want to steal a girl's belongings! Don't push your luck!"

Lu Dongbin looked at Mie Ying’s bedraggled state and said, "Enough, enough! I have spent many years in the Heavenly Court with Nezha; I will let his foster daughter go today. We shall just take this demon, Hua Sheng, with us."

Tianjizi frowned. Seeing that Lu Dongbin insisted on letting Mie Ying go, he had to release his grip, gritting his teeth as he said, "Nephew will obey the Immortal's command."

Mie Ying clutched her oil-paper umbrella and looked back at Hua Sheng on the ground with deep reluctance.

Hua Sheng’s eyes showed a look of sorrow as he said, "Go now! Go!"

Only then did she turn around and run out of the cave, wailing.

Seeing that Mie Ying had left, Lu Dongbin sheathed his sword.

Tianjizi asked, "Should we execute this wretch on the spot to avenge my father?"

Lu Dongbin replied, "We must investigate this matter carefully. Nephew, do not be too pessimistic about Lan Caihe. We shall take this demon, Hua Sheng, back to the Holy Court for judgment! We need a strict investigation into why there are remnants of the Phoenix Demon in Shengpingning and the mortal world."

Tianjizi gave up, but thinking of Lan Caihe’s grim fate, he choked up and said, "If we couldn't even save my father, what is the use of this True Insight!"

Lu Dongbin comforted him, "Nephew, it did not show Lan Caihe’s location just now. Do not be overly saddened yet."

Once Tianjizi’s mood had calmed slightly, the two dragged Hua Sheng toward the cave entrance.

But Hua Sheng suddenly squatted down, refusing to move.

Lu Dongbin barked sternly, "You wretch, what are you stalling for now?"

Hua Sheng chuckled and suddenly said something inexplicable:

"Today has been truly exhausting; I am worn out."

Lu Dongbin snapped, "I am sparing your life for now! Do not be ungrateful!"

To his surprise, Hua Sheng burst into laughter, and his appearance gradually began to fade. In the blink of an eye, he turned into someone else.

Tianjizi’s face changed drastically when he saw who it was, and he blurted out, "Taishang Xiaojun!"

Lu Dongbin snorted, "What is the point of using an avatar technique! You are already bound hand and foot; what is the use of turning into someone else!"

He pointed at Taishang Xiaojun and chanted, "Swiftly as the law! Reveal your true form!"

But it was still Taishang Xiaojun kneeling there.

Lu Dongbin was shocked and couldn't help but say, "This... you..."

Tianjizi immediately pointed at Taishang Xiaojun and chanted, "Swiftly as the law! Reveal your true form!"

But Taishang Xiaojun did not transform back into Hua Sheng as they had expected.

Lu Dongbin gasped and immediately asked, "Taishang Xiaojun! When did you follow us into Panxian Cave?"

Taishang Xiaojun, kneeling on the ground, raised his head, arched his eyebrows, and revealed a mischievous, wicked smile.

"What do you think?"