Volume 7, Chapter 445 – Yaoyao is Captured

“Putting on an act!”

Yaoyao pounced but struck empty air, her frustration boiling over. Without hesitation, she unleashed her formidable divine sense, crushing forward with overwhelming force.

The old man seated on the meditation cushion remained unmoved, as steady as a mountain. In response, a torrential surge of divine sense erupted from within him.

The two terrifying forces clashed head-on, like a needle meeting a spear, colliding with raw, unadorned power. The impact sent visible shockwaves rippling outward, shaking the stone walls of the chamber. Cracks spiderwebbed across the surfaces, rubble raining down like a downpour.

The divine sense of the Divine Realm possessed the strength to lift mountains. When such forces collided, they naturally warped the fabric of reality.

“Mid-stage Divine Realm divine sense… You’re Ye Donglai?”

Yaoyao retreated after a single strike, her delicate face flickering with unease. Internally, she cursed the unreliable “poop-scooper” who had sent her here.

“Indeed, it is this old man.”

Ye Donglai, his hair and beard as white as snow, slowly rose from his cushion.

“Weren’t you supposed to be at the Evergreen Conference?” Yaoyao asked suspiciously.

“I went, but not entirely. Only a doppelgänger attended.” Ye Donglai chuckled. “The reason? To lure the snake out of its hole. And sure enough, I caught you. So, the thief stealing Nine Nether Demon Cats across the cultivation world is a cat spirit herself, and one who’s reached the equivalent of mid-stage Divine Realm, no less. No wonder no one could catch you.”

He studied Yaoyao with keen interest.

“Stealing? I was saving my kin!” Yaoyao retorted righteously. “The Nine Nether Demon Cats have suffered for generations because of the special properties of our tears. It’s time we regained our freedom!”

“Lofty words! But today, you’ve fallen into my hands. Not only will you fail to save your kin, but you’ll also die, again.”

Ye Donglai’s kindly smile never wavered.

“Oh? I’d love to know what makes you so confident. Our strengths are evenly matched. Who lives or dies is still up in the air.”

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Yaoyao smirked dismissively.

“Don’t worry. You’ll understand soon enough.”

His grin widened. With a mere thought, a single purple feather materialized before him.

The feather gleamed like forged iron, its surface reflecting a hazy, dreamlike glow, like purple flames dancing in the air. The moment it appeared, the world fell silent. Then, an oppressive weight, as if the heavens themselves were collapsing, came crashing down.

BANG!

Yaoyao had no chance to resist. Instantly, she was flattened against the ground.

Furious, she tried to summon her divine sense to fight back, only to realize in horror that the pressure above her was like an endless ocean, boundless and inescapable. The sheer force crushed her so completely that she couldn’t even release her divine sense.

BOOM! BOOM!

At the same time, deafening thunderclaps roared from the sky, as if the heavens themselves were enraged.

Yaoyao’s instincts screamed danger. She abandoned her divine sense and struggled with all her might, yet she couldn’t even twitch a finger.

‘I can’t break free! I can’t! What kind of pressure is this? How is it so strong?!’

Fear seeped into her heart. This was beyond her comprehension.

Meanwhile, Ye Donglai strolled forward leisurely, as if unaffected. His lips curled in mockery.

“Stop struggling. This is a heavenly tribulation. Even a cultivator in the Heavenly Tribulation Realm couldn’t resist it, let alone you.”

‘Impossible! How can a mere mortal wield a heavenly tribulation?!’

Yaoyao’s mind raced with disbelief.

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“You look confused. Allow me to enlighten you before you die.”

Ye Donglai gestured to the feather.

“This is a feather from a Heavenly Tribulation Realm fiend-owl. Merely exposing it to the world invites divine retribution. So what you’re experiencing now is genuine divine retribution.”

Yaoyao’s brow furrowed slightly, but one question lingered, why wasn’t the old man affected?

“As for me? Well, I’ve been preparing for my own tribulation. Years ago, I collected a bit of Heaven-Deceiving Water. Dilute it, sprinkle it on yourself, and even the Heavenly Dao’s gaze can’t find you. That’s why I remain untouched.”

Confident in his victory, he revealed everything.

BOOM! CRACK!

The thunder above grew louder, shaking eardrums to their limits.

Yaoyao trembled uncontrollably, her petite body shuddering with impending doom.

Ye Donglai bent down, gripping her neck and lifting the cat-eared girl off the ground.

“Don’t be scared. I won’t kill you yet. I’ve used a treasure I’d been saving for decades just to deal with you. It’d be a waste if you died without serving some purpose.”

With that, he withdrew the purple feather. The heavenly pressure gradually faded, and the thunder subsided.

Though freed, Yaoyao was left utterly drained. The heavenly suppression had sapped her strength, resistance was impossible.

“Now tell me, where have you hidden the Nine Nether Demon Cats you stole from the sects?”

Ye Donglai’s voice turned icy.

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Yaoyao weakly turned her head away, her delicate face set in defiance. She’d rather die than betray her kin.

“Won’t talk? That’s fine. This old man has plenty of time to spare.”

His smile turned sinister.

Meanwhile, Qi Huang grew worried.

Yaoyao hadn’t responded since their last exchange.

‘Well, Ye Donglai is still in Yongning Prefecture. Surely nothing major could’ve happened.’

She reassured herself. After all, Yaoyao had always been eccentric.

The next day, the first match of the fourth round commenced. Since one of the participants was the Sixth Princess, Lin Ran, nearly every remaining sect stayed to observe.

Lin Ran performed as brilliantly as ever. Despite being only at the Incarnation Realm’s second layer, her formidable physique allowed her to crush opponents above her level, single-handedly wiping out an entire sect’s representatives once again.

While the match was thrilling, everyone knew it was merely an appetizer.

The real spectacle would be tomorrow, Qi Huang versus Lü Er.

Would they fight to the death? That was the burning question on everyone’s minds.

Both Qi Huang and Lü Er remained calm, each confident in their victory.

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The Shixin Sect, however, was in a frenzy. With only a day left, if they couldn’t find a Divine-grade protective talisman, their only hope was Lü Er eliminating Qi Huang himself.

At dawn the next day, the Immortal Alliance’s branch was abuzz. Disciples from various sects arrived early, eager to witness this legendary battle. Even outside the walls, tens of thousands of mortals gathered, climbing ladders to catch a glimpse, proof of the match’s significance.

Soon, Qi Huang arrived with the Honghua Sect in tow. The crowd parted like waves before a general, as if welcoming a triumphant war heroine.

Unburdened by pressure, Qi Huang basked in the attention.

Not long after, Lü Er made his entrance, further electrifying the spectators.

“I don’t get why everyone’s so excited. They won’t fight to the death, if anything, they’ll just start flirting.”

“You think Lü Er can’t bring himself to hurt her?”

“Obviously. That guy’s lust is no secret. Facing such a delicate beauty? Even I wouldn’t have the heart, let alone him.”

“I think so too.”

About 70% of the onlookers believed the match would be all bark and no bite, citing Lü Er’s infamous weakness for women.

The remaining 30% debated the outcome. Would Lü Er, with his immortal bloodline, crush Qi Huang effortlessly? Or would the dark horse Qi Huang defy the ironclad laws of bloodline supremacy?

Most sided with Lü Er, not just out of logic but bias. No one wanted a “lowly bloodline” to dominate the Evergreen Conference.

Finally, the moment arrived.

“Contestants number three and four, please step forward for your match.”

An Immortal Alliance disciple announced from the stage.