Sovereign of the Three Realms

However, just because his body wasn't badly injured didn't mean he was fine. The damage he'd sustained was far more serious than he thought.

The Evil Golden Eye consumed a cultivator from within. The wart-faced cultivator wasn't stupid enough to ignore the confining power over his consciousness.

Cold sweat broke out on his back. He tried to gather his consciousness and push out the force that was rampaging about within his mind. Alas, he noticed too late that this devious force was far stronger than he.

His consciousness couldn't expel the offending culprit, which spread out as briskly as wintry frost.

"What… what is all this?"

In the midst of his hesitation, a second wave of attacks from the six demigods landed upon him, searing his body with pain.

"Not good!"

No amount of audacity was enough to prevent the wart-faced cultivator from panicking. "Daoist Zijing," he called out as loudly as he could, "I need help right now. There's a trick here!"

The space wasn't entirely sealed off. His voice, coupled with some divine energy, allowed his message to pass into his comrade's ear.

Unfortunately, the other god wasn't having a good time himself. On the other side, he was locked in combat by a different god; a familiar cultivator, in fact, one that they'd met often in the Boundless Prison. The bald cultivator, Yu Gong, who had astutely surrendered to Jiang Chen when he'd been given the opportunity to.

"Are you crazy, Yu Gong? Why are you turning your weapons on me? Don't you know Master Lightford is right outside?"

The other god that Lightford had brought was named Yuan Zijing. Genteel and graceful, he looked rather wise at a glance. In actuality, he had a terrible reputation back in the Boundless Prison.

He was a hopelessly perverted philanderer who much 'enjoyed' female cultivators.

In fact, he'd even almost succeeded in abducting Huang'er's mother, An Yu'er— though the timely appearance of Divine Kasyapa had foiled him.

Thus, this Yuan Zijing was very much an animal wearing an urbane skin.

He wasn't capable of doing many dastardly deeds right now, however. Yu Gong was every bit his equal in battle, with a blazing fighting spirit to boot.

Yuan Zijing knew the strength differential between his opponent and himself quite well. Thus, he could hardly spare much attention to his cornered partner.

When waiting didn't yield help from Yuan Zijing, the wart-faced cultivator began to wail. "Master Lightford, please help me!"

More and more of his body was freezing. He felt his flesh harden and almost congeal, but to stone rather than ice.

When Jiang Chen's Evil Golden Eye succeeded in taking effect, its power only amplified with the passage of time. A stricken foe's defenses against it would gradually weaken as it invaded his body.

Astonishingly enough, the young lord's coordinated ambush had worked!

The young man wasn't going to let his prey simply turn into metal though. When the god had lost the bulk of his strength as well as the motion in his limbs, Jiang Chen stepped forward and seized the man.

A divine realm cultivator that couldn't be won over was still good material for refining life essence from. His divine decree would also be useful.

Although transforming him into a statue wouldn't affect the latter, his life essence would be irrevocably lost. What life was there to glean from cold metal?

The incapacitation of one of the gods was like cutting off one of Lightford's arms. Jiang Chen was more confident in their victory now.

"Come, let's go help over there."

Yu Gong was still holding off the genteel cultivator Yuan Zijing by himself.

The latter swore as they fought. "Yu Gong, you've always been the quiet type, but to think you would betray Master Lightford! Why didn't you try this hard when you were on our side, eh?"

Though Yu Gong was outwardly brutish, he had a discerning heart. He completely ignored Yuan Zijing's insults, only grinning in response when the cursing got particularly colorful.

"Master Lightford is right behind me. Are you still blind to the light?" Yuan Zijing tried in a last-ditch attempt to entice Yu Gong back to his side, but he might as well have been talking to a rock.

It was at this time that Jiang Chen and the others returned to the area that Yu Gong defended. The latter was quite pleased at the sight of them.

"How'd it go?" Yu Gong asked without turning his head.

"We took him down." Jiang Chen laughed.

Yu Gong was positively gleeful. "This Yuan Zijing is a bit stronger, but I'm not scared of him. One on one, we're evenly matched."

"How loyal is he to old Lightford?"

"Just like that cultivator with a wart. Steadfast and diehard." Yu Gong sighed. "Don't bother trying to convert these two. If I remember correctly, they were supposed to have been sent to the competition of geniuses. What are they doing here?"

"They probably managed to escape from Sandplain." Jiang Chen shrugged. "Still, if Lightford has to resort to using these defeated dogs, he doesn't have much left at his disposal. Shall we take that Yuan Zijing down as well?" His eyes glimmered with interest.

Old Lightford had heard the wart-faced cultivator's call for help. As much as he'd wanted to answer it, being attacked by three other gods simultaneously greatly taxed his attention.

A moment later, the man who'd cried out became silent. This cast a momentary shadow upon the old man's heart.

"Zijing, go see what's with him." Since Lightford was himself occupied, he ordered his flunky to do it.

Yuan Zijing wanted to cry. "Sir, I'm surrounded by a bunch of cultivators myself. He… he's probably dead!"

Being held up by Yu Gong was one thing, but a mysterious surge of suspended runes was preventing him from going much of anywhere. This kind of lockdown wouldn't confine him forever, but it did serve to annoy and hinder him.