Nine Astra Skies

Soul-seeking Chains!

Streams of dark, cold energy wound around Tantai Ling like chains, trapping her firmly. Tantai Ling kept wielding her trident but was still unable to break those chains as they tightened around her.

Tantai Ling's white gauze dress fluttered around ceaselessly. Bang bang bang! It clashed against those chains.

Whether it was the trident or the white gauze dress, they were both powerful mystical spirit arcana. The trident was used for attacks whereas the white gauze dress was for defense.

At this point, the Soul Pearl suddenly emitted beams of black light, flaring up then fading away.

When the dark spirit noticed the Soul Pearl, an expression of dread flashed across its face. Still, it only paused for a moment before it roared angrily and gave a mighty struggle.

There were two loud "clanks" as the final two metal chains that had been restraining it snapped. With a sinister smile, the dark spirit lunged toward Little Wingsy.

"Little Wingsy, watch out!" Ye Chen yelled in a panic. At this critical moment, he no longer held back and yelled in rage. His Astral Body surged out and condensed into the gold-armored soldier above him, burning with raging purple flames.

Fiery Slash – Fire Dragon Sun Salutation!

The gold-armored soldier brandished its saber and dashed toward the dark spirit. The saber in its hand manifested pillars of fire that soared to the heavens like fire dragons.

"A puny firefly dares to compete against the radiance of a full moon!" The dark spirit let out a strange cackle as it struck the gold-armored soldier.

Boom!

The dark spirit's large hand smacked into the gold-armored soldier. There was a thundering shockwave as the gold-armored soldier exploded in the air.

Ye Chen's face turned pale. It was as if he had suffered a grievous blow in his chest. He flew backward and crashed heavily into the ground.

Ye Chen's strength was lacking by far too much compared to the dark spirit!

The dark spirit's large hand swiped toward Little Wingsy.

"You dare to hurt Big Brother Ye Chen. I'll kill you!" Little Wingsy saw that Ye Chen was injured and puffed up red with fury. He waved his fist and swung it toward the dark spirit.

The dark spirit unleashed a sharp peal of mocking laughter. An ignorant kid that was Heavenly Adept Rank at most dared to say he would kill it? Its large hands reached toward Little Wingsy.

An immense pressure suppressed the air.

Before Little Wingsy could hit the dark spirit, he felt as if his body was crushed under tens of thousands of kilograms. The ground on which he stood was smashed into powder and his body was driven firmly into the soil. It was as if his body was about to be shattered by some great force.

This dark spirit was too formidable!

"Big Brother Ye Chen, run away!" Little Wingsy cried out with difficulty.

At this point, how could Ye Chen abandon Little Wingsy? He forced himself to circulate the Celestial Chi within his body, manifesting a Celestial Chi Flying Dagger in his hand. With a "whoosh", the Celestial Chi Flying Dagger turned into a streak of light that shot toward the dark spirit.

Little Tanuki opened her jaws and spat out the Illusory Pearl, which shone with a dazzling light. This blinding radiance had illuminated the entire cave until it was as bright as daylight.

In this white light, the dark spirit wailed wretchedly. There was a "slash"– Ye Chen's Celestial Chi Flying Dagger must have hit the dark spirit.

Just as they were attacking the dark spirit, Tantai Ling had struggled free of the dark spirit's restrictions. Brandishing her trident, she stabbed forward. With a loud "bang", the dark spirit was struck back.

"Go!" Tantai Ling said in a low voice. When she was bound by the dark energy, she had sustained grave injuries. If Ye Chen and Little Tanuki had not impeded the dark spirit, she would not have gotten free. Even so, she sensed that this dark spirit had grown to an astonishing extent. It was no longer something she could defeat. As for Ye Chen and Little Tanuki, they could merely injure the dark spirit at most.

Seeing that Tantai Ling was flying toward the tomb, Ye Chen pulled Little Wingsy up, took Little Tanuki with him, and bolted toward the entrance of the tomb.

The dark spirit was shrieking miserably. It was now thoroughly mad with rage and its body rapidly swelled up numerous times larger. Like a dark cloud overhead, it filled the air as it pounced toward Ye Chen and the rest. Ropes of dark energy formed into chains, snaking toward Ye Chen's group like countless tentacles.

A hundred meters, fifty meters, ten meters… They were nearly at the tomb's entrance!

Tantai Ling was the first one in. Ye Chen, Little Wingsy, and Little Tanuki were already beside the tomb's entrance.

Just then, "swish swish swish", two chains coiled around the legs of Ye Chen and Little Wingsy. A powerful force had dragged them back against their will. This force was not something they could contend against at this point.

"Little Tanuki, run!" Ye Chen roared hoarsely. He understood that by now, he and Little Wingsy would be unable to flee. No matter how many techniques they had, they were no match for the dark spirit. Even if just one of them escaped, that was all they could ask for.

Even though he was deeply unresigned to dying here, Ye Chen understood that they were powerless to change the course of this battle now.

The chilly aura of death enveloped them, swiftly corroding the Celestial Chi in their bodies.

Perhaps in the next moment, they would part in death. 'Little Tanuki, I don't want to lose you.'

These thoughts flashed across Ye Chen's mind. Since he came to this world, he had experienced so much. Some had warmed his heart in lonely times. Father, Little Rou, Granduncle, and his clan members, plus Little Wingsy and Little Squido – in his past life, he was an orphan. In this life, he had been fulfilled.

"Where else can you run?" The face that formed upon the dark spirit was wearing a cruel, teasing expression.

Little Tanuki who stood on Ye Chen's shoulder gazed deeply at him with her shining eyes. There was too much she wanted to say to Ye Chen.

Ye Chen could sense that Little Tanuki's eyes were filled with deep love. Suddenly, he realized what Little Tanuki was going to do. He screamed, "No, Little Tanuki, don't!"

One corner of Little Tanuki's mouth curled up in a satisfied smile. With a "swoosh", she was gone, leaping toward the dark spirit. Opening her mouth, she spat out the white Illusory Pearl which shone with its dazzling, forceful gleam. Ye Chen's vision was filled with nothing but white.

In this white radiance that lit up every dark corner, Ye Chen could vaguely make out the terrible wail of the dark spirit.

Dazedly, Ye Chen seemed to see Little Tanuki's charming smile and felt as if his heart was breaking. He could not stop a tear from rolling down his cheek.

"Big Sister Little Tanuki!" Little Wingsy shouted through his tears. He was so far away he could barely be heard.

"D*mn you!" The dark spirit snarled furiously as it formed a hand that swiped at Little Tanuki.

Tantai Ling, who was standing in the tomb, watched what had transpired silently. If Little Tanuki had fled, the dark spirit likely could not catch her, considering her speed. Tantai Ling had never thought that Little Tanuki would turn back and charge at the dark spirit. This was a suicide mission. The deep love shining in Little Tanuki's eyes had moved Tantai Ling's iron-cold heart. With a gesture from her right hand, two beams of Seven-colored Divine Rays flashed out. With a loud "bang", the dark spirit's two chains of dark energy were snapped into two. Ye Chen and Little Wingsy were drawn back to the tomb by some force.

Just as Ye Chen and Little Wingsy were about to reach the tomb, a dark energy chain shot forward and wound around Little Wingsy's neck, snapping him backward.

Tantai Ling frowned slightly and sent out another stream of Seven-colored Divine Ray, attempting to break the chain that was binding Little Wingsy. However, another dark energy chain flew forward and dispelled the Seven-colored Divine Ray.

Ye Chen's body landed in the tomb.

"Little Tanuki, Little Wingsy!" The moment Ye Chen had landed, he struggled and lunged outward immediately. Nonetheless, the dark spirit's chains of dark energy spread out and bound him instantly. Suddenly, the door of the tomb closed rapidly, separating what was inside from the outside. Rows of charms floated up and a halo spun above the stone door.

With a loud "thud", Ye Chen had crashed into the door and bounced back.

Ye Chen could no longer see what was happening outside.

"Once the stone door is shut, there's no way to open it. Not even I can unravel the charms on the door. There's no point in struggling." Tantai Ling held her chest and her voice sounded rather powerless and dispirited.

In the pitch-black tomb, only the door glowed faintly with its halo. The current Ye Chen felt his mind turning numb. He could no longer listen to what Tantai Ling said.

What had happened to Little Tanuki?

Was Little Tanuki dead?

Was Little Wingsy dead too?

Ye Chen felt as if his heart was about to split apart. No, it could not be. Little Tanuki would not die, neither would Little Wingsy!

Ye Chen howled in agony in his heart. Indescribable grief pierced through his heart as memories flashed in his mind. From when he met Little Tanuki to when he met Little Wingsy and Little Tanuki's transformation as well as banding together in deadly situations – Ye Chen had discovered that the feelings between him and Little Tanuki had evolved into a mutually dependent affection. Moreover, he had thought of Little Wingsy as his own little brother.

No, they would not die!

"I'll kill the dark spirit and rescue Little Wingsy and Little Tanuki!" Ye Chen roared with frantic rage. The Flying Dagger in his mind chirped and trembled as it buzzed incessantly. Celestial Chi surged out without stopping like an astonishing wave.

The Nine Astra within Ye Chen's body had gone wild, crashing into each other violently. Gusts of Celestial Chi rapidly bubbled up like boiling water.

A scorching sensation began in Ye Chen's dantian, swiftly expanding and taking in the raging Celestial Chi.

Ye Chen, who was initially at mid-Earthly Venerable Rank, underwent a quick surge of Celestial Chi and had entered peak Earthly Venerable Rank.

After entering peak Earthly Venerable Rank, he did not stop there. Only when he was a hair's breadth away from the barrier of Heavenly Venerable Rank did he stop.

The volume of Celestial Chi within Ye Chen's dantian was also on par with a beginner Heavenly Venerable Rank expert.

There was an explosion in Ye Chen's mind. His five senses had become exceptionally sharp. He felt that his Astral Body had improved tremendously. Even without merging with Little Tanuki's Astral Body, he could reach peak Heavenly Venerable Rank. Furthermore, most peak Heavenly Venerable fighters would be no match for Ye Chen's Astral Body.

"Arggh!" Ye Chen howled thunderously. Wisps of Celestial Chi flared from his body like flames and he looked like a man made of fire.

The refusal, anguish, and deep love toward Little Tanuki in his heart had fused into this burst of Celestial Chi.

From selfish love to selfless love and grasping the Dao.

The image of the Twin Fish of Yin and Yang emerged in Ye Chen's eyes, which were deep and abstruse like a star-studded night sky.

The gold-armored soldier manifested in the air and charged at the stone door as it waved its saber.

When Tantai Ling detected the changes in Ye Chen's chi flow, she was flabbergasted. She could tell that Ye Chen had understood an extremely profound Martial Truth, one which made her own Martial Truth pale in comparison. She could sense that Ye Chen had summoned various emotions stemming from that tanuki, turning it into an Absolute Martial Truth that he had channeled into his body's Celestial Chi.

To change form based on willpower – this was something only a Daemon King or a human who had reached Godly Venerable Rank could comprehend!

"To what extent will your powers ultimately grow?" Tantai Ling's limpid eyes flashed with a strange light but on her beautiful face that bore no trace of flaws, one could not discern any form of emotion.