Nine Astra Skies

Boom boom boom!

The runic seals exploded on the dark spirit's body. It screamed hysterically as it struggled around. The dark spirit looked at Emperor Ming's Belt which levitated in mid-air like it was some sort of ominous object. It conjured two humanoid hands and held its heads while it continued to scream and struggle.

Emperor Ming's Belt glowed with shining rays, completely suppressing the dark spirit below it.

"Kill the dark spirit first!" Just as Tantai Ling was about to act, her movements turned slow as she was suppressed by a terrifying energy that came over her.

What was that?

Tantai Ling barely managed to turn her head to look at Ye Chen.

At that moment, Ye Chen, who stood in the middle of the Celestial Chi storm, had his gaze locked onto the screaming dark spirit. His eyes burned with anger. The Flying Dagger in his mind surged violently with Astral Energy as his Astral Body was projected outside his body. It instantly enveloped the space above him, condensing into a magnificent humanoid figure.

This time, it was not the gold-armored soldier that Ye Chen materialized but a thirty-meters tall, midnight-black Yaksha (TN: Also known as Yaksa, a kind of demon that haunts the wilderness and waylays and devours travelers. Mostly depicted with a face with big round bulging eyes and protruding fangs.) holding a steel fork. Its features were ferocious, even more savage than some vile demons. It looked like a devil awakened from ancient times.

Tantai Ling was immediately startled when she saw the horrifying figure. She had sensed overwhelming destructive energy from the Yaksha. The soul was birthed from the heart. If the heart was stained with evil, so would the soul become evil! Tantai Ling was puzzled. Judging by Ye Chen's strength, even if he had embraced the evil power of the demon, it was still not possible for him to have such powers. What happened to Ye Chen? She thought of the Heavenly Astra Seal. Could this be the work of the ancient mystical beast?

At this point, Ye Chen had already completely lost his mind. He was entirely consumed by a crazed bloodlust. The Celestial Chi in his body boiled violently as dark-colored Astral Energy constantly erupted into the air above, fusing into the Yaksha's body. The Yaksha's body gradually grew stronger.

The Yaksha's bright red eyes swept across Tantai Ling before landing on the dark spirit.

The dark spirit felt the terrible energy oozing out from the Yaksha's body and it cried out in pain. Facing the dreadful Yaksha, it froze in horror. Even the light that came from Emperor Ming's Belt seemed to grow far dimmer.

With a "swoosh", the imposing and gigantic Yaksha instantly vanished and appeared beside the dark spirit. It lifted the steel fork it held in its hand and stabbed the dark spirit with an angry roar.

The steel fork left the Yaksha's hands and sent the dark spirit crashing toward the wall.

Boom boom boom! The wall looked like it was going to collapse.

The dark spirit was nailed into the wall by the steel fork. It continued to scream horrifically, its voice growing weaker as it went on.

Watching the dark spirit struggling, the Yaksha was very satisfied as a cunning smirk escaped its lips. It seemed to find enjoyment in the dark spirit's pain. It seemed like it did not want to quickly kill the dark spirit but instead, relish in torturing the dark spirit slowly.

Tantai Ling took several steps backward, cautiously observing the Yaksha that Ye Chen's Astral Body had created. She could tell that she could not hope to match up against the energy within the Yaksha. Even though she could defeat the dark spirit that was suppressed by Emperor Ming's Belt, she would not be able to toy with the dark spirit the way the Yaksha did.

Destructive energy oozed out from the Yaksha's body. Tantai Ling was filled with deep fear. She felt that the energy that came from the Yaksha's body was completely different from Ye Chen's energy. She could not figure out why. Could it be that Ye Chen was being controlled by something?

Far away, a blinding light suddenly burst from the Soul Pearl as a black ray shot down. The dark spirit screamed in agony before turning into dust.

There was a look of bewilderment and confusion on the Yaksha's face. It seemed to not understand how the black ray was able to kill the dark spirit. It moved its right hand. With a quick "swoosh", the steel fork that was nailed to the wall came flying back into its hands. The Yaksha locked its glare onto Tantai Ling, its eyes burned with anger.

Tantai Ling jolted up, facing the thirty-meters tall giant Yaksha in front of her. She instantly felt an immense murderous wrath locking onto her. She froze in place, feeling as if there were tens of thousands of swords prickling every pore of her body.

The Yaksha wanted to kill her!

Tantai Ling understood right then that Ye Chen was unable to control the Yaksha! Ye Chen had lost his mind!

Tantai Ling stared cooly at the Yaksha up above as she lifted her trident. Even though she knew that she could not defeat it, she refused to just stand by idly and accept her death!

Just as the Yaksha formed from Ye Chen's Astral Body lifted the steel fork and was ready to attack Tantai Ling, it suddenly stopped as if it noticed something. Its eyes swept around its surroundings before landing on the two black and white pearls. Its fierce piercing gaze seemed to have grown softer as it silently stared at the two pearls far away.

Little Tanuki, Little Wingsy.

Standing in the center of the raging Celestial Chi Storm, Ye Chen's heart was still consumed with a crazed bloodlust. Inside his mind, he seemed to have already forgotten about Little Tanuki and Little Wingsy. However, deep inside his heart, there was still a sensation of fierce pain and a deep longing.

Ye Chen felt at a loss. He turned around again to look at Tantai Ling. Having his mind consumed by bloodlust, he had forgotten who Tantai Ling was.

"Little Tanuki, Little Wingsy? Who are they?" Ye Chen's eyes were blank as he muttered to himself.

Tantai Ling used her white gauze dress and the trident to shield herself. The Yaksha's aura gradually grew more overpowering and she started to feel afraid. When she lifted her head and looked up, what she saw was a thirty-meters tall Yaksha that looked like a humongous demon that wielded world-destroying powers. To think that Ye Chen could grow this powerful after entering demon form.

If Tantai Ling knew this was going to happen, she would have killed Ye Chen earlier without a shred of hesitation.

Ye Chen's eyes would become slightly clear for just a second before once again turning black as ink. Murderous energy surged.

Kill kill kill!

Little Tanuki and Little Wingsy's deaths had a large impact on Ye Chen. He was not willing to face the fact and instead, chose to run away from it. His decision to run away had left his heart vulnerable to the demon, allowing it to manipulate Ye Chen from the inside.

The thirty-meters tall Yaksha was a manifestation of the demon within him.

Ye Chen's mind was once again consumed with bloodlust. The Yaksha lifted its steel fork and drove it toward Tantai Ling.

Tantai Ling was stunned. She could not get away. Even though she was powerful, she could not find the strength to escape after being pinned down by the Yaksha's killing intent. She was going to face her end the way the dark spirit did.

The Yaksha's steel fork never went down. It hung in mid-air.

The Flying Dagger in Ye Chen's mind suddenly started humming.

"Ah!" Ye Chen felt like his head was about to split open. He held his head while screaming.

Ye Chen heard a distant voice whispering to him, "To corrupt oneself for love, what pain it is..." Like a gentle stream, the voice flowed through his heart. The Demonic Psyche within him washed away like mud being washed away with water. The Yaksha above shrieked horrifically and started struggling. In the end, with a loud "bang!", it vanished into thin air.

The Celestial Chi storm surrounding Ye Chen also vanished with it. He lost his balance and collapsed onto the ground, losing his consciousness.

Far away, the Illusory Pearl and Soul Pearl continued to shine dully like two people silently looking at Ye Chen.

When Tantai Ling regained her composure, she noticed the dreadful Yaksha had vanished. Only Ye Chen remained laying on the floor.

After she pondered for a long time, Tantai Ling leaped through the air and landed beside Ye Chen. When she looked down at Ye Chen, she saw that his brows were furrowed tightly as if he was in pain. There seemed to be a hint of demonic psyche that still lingered upon his face.

Tantai Ling stood beside Ye Chen's body for a while and thought about something. The Yaksha that had appeared had truly put her in great shock.

Suddenly, the black pearl that levitated far away moved. With a quick "swoosh", it flew toward Ye Chen. The black Soul Pearl circled Ye Chen's cheeks for a long time like it was hesitant to leave. Suddenly, it glided forward and bashed into the wall with a thump before completely vanishing.

Tantai Ling looked at the direction the Soul Pearl went in and furrowed her brows lightly. She then turned her head back to look at Ye Chen, gently lifting the trident in her hand and pointed it at Ye Chen's throat.

If Tantai Ling did not kill him now, then, he might bring a great catastrophe in the future. She held her trident up. If she just moved her trident several centimeters, Ye Chen would be dead without a doubt!

When the trident was just several centimeters away from Ye Chen's throat, Tantai Ling stopped. She considered it for a long time.

Ye Chen's brows were still furrowed tightly. On the young man's cheek, there was still a lingering sadness.

Tantai Ling was not certain what made her stop. In the past, if she knew of the dreadful demon that Ye Chen had within him, she would kill him without hesitation. The hesitation that she was now displaying had never occurred before.

She was still Tantai Ling, the crowned North Sea Ruler. Only, there was something else about her that seemed to have changed slightly.

Tantai Ling looked at Ye Chen, her trident still had not sunk.

Ye Chen, who was in a deep slumber at that moment, had no idea that his life was in the hands of Tantai Ling.

"Perhaps an eternal slumber is also a form of relief" Tantai Ling bit her lip, seemingly having made up her mind. The trident once again inched closer toward Ye Chen's throat. She was not sure why but there was a voice inside her telling her to not do it.

Why?

Tantai Ling was conflicted as she did not understand why.

At that moment, the Illusory Pearl far away flew toward Ye Chen with a quick "swoosh" and hung in the air above Ye Chen's cheek.

After witnessing the scene, Tantai Ling stopped. She saw the Illusory Pearl radiating a milky-white light. The light carried a soft and piercing energy.

What was happening?

The soft light from the Illusory Pearl drizzled onto Ye Chen's face as the dark energy on Ye Chen's cheeks slowly faded away. Soon, his furrowed eyebrows started to relax and his painful expression grew softer and more gentle, looking just like a sleeping child.

"Little Tanuki," Ye Chen silently murmured, a smile greeted the corner of his lips as he slowly dozed off.

Ye Chen was sleeping soundly. The breathing motions of his chest were low and deep but powerful. His breathing came naturally to him like he was following a natural rhythm and his entire being was in one with the way of Heaven and Earth.

The words that Ye Chen had muttered hit Tantai Ling's heart like a bolt of thunder. It was as if her cold heart had been broken open. It turned out that all the emotions that she had deemed to be boring and had forfeited for so long were able to bring such warmth to people in times of sorrow and hopelessness. She stared far away ahead and felt like she could see her father smiling at her.

"Father." Tantai Ling shut her eyes, thinking of her father's face, feeling the distant warmth. She was this close to turning into an emotionless killing machine. It was that yearning for her father that was buried deep within her heart that kept her from falling off the deep end.

Tantai Ling's father had always been silently watching after her in a place she did not even know of.

This was the true Way of Life and Death, genuine affection that went beyond the boundaries between life and death.