Chapter 147: A Single Sword Splits Heaven and Earth

As they spoke, another thunderclap struck down. San Tong Daoist still had to watch out for the black rain, leaving him somewhat unprepared.

Seeing him in such a pitiful state, Xiang Nan felt a pang of sympathy. After all, once they reached Spirit-Binding Island, San Tong would have to help find the Soul-Sealing Pearl; he couldn’t afford to have him get hurt here.

With a thought, Xiang Nan rushed forward, drawing a length of chain from the spatial void and flinging it toward him.

“Grab this chain; I’ll pull you along.”

At this moment, San Tong Daoist no longer cared about pride. He grabbed the chain and tied it around his waist.

His Vajra Umbrella was a fine spiritual artifact, but after flying for so long, his spiritual power was severely depleted.

Now, with Xiang Nan leading, he could conserve his spiritual energy, focusing solely on dodging the black rain and lightning. It was much easier to handle.

Yet, the relentless storm of thunder and lightning showed no sign of abating.

They could see Spirit-Binding Island just ahead, but no matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t get closer.

Xiang Nan grew impatient. “Let me try. I’ll cleave the sky with a single sword!”

He clasped his hand as if holding a sword and summoned the robust spiritual energy within him, swinging as if to slash the heavens.

“Boom!” A tremendous explosion shattered the lightning.

Xiang Nan dragged San Tong Daoist along, feeling as if the entire world trembled. The surrounding air seemed to roar in fury, baring its fangs at them.

“You’ve angered them!” San Tong Daoist exclaimed anxiously.

“Let them be angry! They’ve already angered me!” Xiang Nan smirked wickedly and struck again.

They say that those who meet on the road and are courageous will prevail. He was not afraid of these beasts!

Blow after blow, Xiang Nan’s strikes grew fiercer, his eyes blazing with murderous intent.

At last, the lightning began to weaken, no longer rolling in with the same fury.

“Huh, the power’s really diminished!” San Tong Daoist said in surprise.

“Looks like we need a few more slashes before they settle down.” Xiang Nan gritted his teeth and struck once more.

This strike nearly used all his strength, causing various explosive sounds in the air.

Suddenly, the lightning ceased, the dark clouds dispersed, and through the murky sky before them, the sun finally shone through!

“Holy hell! You actually cleaved open this entire sky!” San Tong Daoist’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Xiang Nan, you always talk about your cultivation level, but can you really do something that can split heaven and earth?”

Xiang Nan chuckled. “Guess.”

San Tong Daoist rolled his eyes. “Guess? If I could guess, why would I ask? Stop teasing me!”

Xiang Nan didn’t bother hiding it. “I might as well tell you—I’m currently at Fourth Rank, two stars.”

San Tong Daoist shook his head in disbelief. “Impossible. I’m Fifth Rank and don’t have the skills you just displayed.”

Xiang Nan smiled slyly. “See? I told you—you wouldn’t believe it. Anyway, the island’s right ahead.”

They both looked forward; through the mist, a lush, verdant island appeared.

“This place looks like a fairyland on earth.”

“More likely a demon’s paradise,” San Tong Daoist muttered.

Upon setting foot on the island, both felt an eerie sensation.

“This place is too unusual,” Xiang Nan said cautiously, scanning their surroundings.

“You feel it too?” San Tong Daoist glanced at Xiang Nan with newfound respect. “One day, I’ll figure out what level you truly are.”

Xiang Nan sighed. “Is that really the priority now? Just listen… it’s far too quiet here.”

There was absolute silence—no chirping of insects or birds, only the faint rustle of leaves in the breeze.

“I’d bet a demon king is hiding here!” San Tong Daoist sniffed the air, as if trying to detect the presence of magical beasts.

“A demon king?” Xiang Nan was stunned. He had never considered that possibility.

To be called a demon king, one would need at least Seventh Rank cultivation! Such a being was close to the power of ancient demonic gods.

If they truly encountered a demon king here, Xiang Nan wasn’t sure if they would survive.

Even with the Serene Heart Spell, subduing a demon king would be no easy task.

“If we run into a demon king, forget about finding that worthless stone. Surviving itself will be a problem,” San Tong Daoist grimly predicted.

“If that’s the case, then so be it. Dying at the hands of a demon king would be no injustice,” Xiang Nan joked, feigning lightheartedness.

They soon left the lakeside, entering the dense forest.

Their footsteps on the thick layer of fallen leaves produced the only sound in the silence.

Neither dared to be careless, their wary eyes scanning every direction, cautious with every step.

“Do you really think the Soul-Sealing Stone is here? Spirit-Binding Island has always been forbidden. The beasts here haven’t been disturbed for years. Why would they want that worthless stone?” San Tong Daoist finally voiced the question lingering in his mind.

“The stone’s been missing for over a month. In that time, the entire Spirit Void has probably been searched, except for this island. I suspect that although this is a forbidden zone, the beasts here aren’t content to be trapped. By stealing the Soul-Sealing Stone and disrupting the Spirit Void’s control, they hope to break free from their bonds,” Xiang Nan said as they walked.

San Tong Daoist nodded. “Your analysis makes some sense.” His eyes brightened as he pondered. “Strange… If you consider some events from the past year, it feels like someone’s playing a grand game.”

“A grand game? What kind of game?”

San Tong Daoist remained thoughtful. “If that’s true, then things don’t look good.”

“What are you muttering about? What’s so bad?”

San Tong Daoist finally looked at Xiang Nan. “More than half a year ago, the leaders of the Seven Alliances of Jiuzhou all vanished into the Earth Cavity. You know about this, right?”

“Of course. If the Eagle Alliance leader hadn’t disappeared, I wouldn’t be the young master,” Xiang Nan replied. After all, without the disappearance, there’d be no vacancy.

“Along with them, many masters and recluses from society also vanished, likely into the Earth Cavity. But strangely, none have returned. All are missing.”

“Isn’t the Earth Cavity known as the most dangerous place? It’s normal for people to go missing there.”

“No. Tests showed that the beasts inside were subdued by something, limiting their power. This should have been good news for adventurers. Yet, despite many entering, none emerged. It remains a mystery.”

“The disappearance of the Seven Alliance leaders and the loss of the Soul-Sealing Stone—these two events don’t seem related.”

“At first glance, no. But somehow, I have a feeling that there’s a connection between them. There must be!”

San Tong Daoist spoke with conviction, but such intuition alone was hard to believe.

Anyway, these things had already happened. The future would unfold step by step.

For Xiang Nan, finding the Soul-Sealing Stone and claiming the Spirit Void expedition championship was the foremost priority now.