Chapter 143: Seven-Arrow Book of Nail-Head [Seeking Subscriptions, Seeking Monthly Tickets]

Gongyang Yu was furious.

His journey to the Pillar Mountain to seize the opportunity of the Heavenly Dragon Instrument had resulted in discovering certain secrets, causing him to miss a prime opportunity to hunt down Baili Feihong.

Anyone capable of cultivating the Suppression of Demons Six Paths Scripture to such a realm was a figure of significant standing throughout the entire Dayuan Empire, backed strongly by the Demon Suppression Bureau.

If he dared to touch these seeds of the Demon Suppression Bureau, the Demon Suppression Bureau would dare to annihilate him.

Even the Gongyang family would not dare to step forward.

Had it not been for the existence of the Heavenly Dragon Instrument, no one in the Demon Suppression Bureau would have even known about a wild talent like Baili Feihong.

Currently, the energy of the Demon Suppression Bureau was still focused on the imperial succession.

Even knowing that Baili Feihong was a genius, they temporarily had no energy to spare for him.

This gave Gongyang Yu an opening to exploit.

However, the arrival of Li Kuidou and Wang Qianqiu, two supreme experts planted by the Gongyang family within the military department, had extinguished his only chance.

Baili Feihong must have discovered him.

Experts of the Divine Transformation realm like Li Kuidou and Wang Qianqiu would be placed under surveillance by Baili Feihong the moment they stepped foot on Feiyuan Island.

The slightest unusual movement would result in their corpses being immediately sunk to the ocean floor.

During their half-month stay on Feiyuan Island, they had gained a deep understanding of Baili Feihong, realizing he was an extremely overbearing person.

He absolutely forbade anyone from causing trouble on his turf.

Li Kuidou and Wang Qianqiu wore looks of absolute disbelief.

"Isn't the top of the Hidden Dragon Rankings Jiang Dongliu of the Yin-Yang Heavenly Sect?"

"Since when did it become Baili Feihong?"

The two of them paid little attention to the Hidden Dragon Rankings; the only thing they had heard was that a disciple of the Taiyi Gate had advanced to the Dharma Image realm, and the eternal runner-up Jiang Dongliu had finally claimed the number one spot.

"Jiang Dongliu? Hmph, he barely stayed at the top for three days before someone else took his place."

Gong Yu finally spoke up.

If there was anyone among them who felt the most wretched, it was him.

He should have banished this fellow to the borderlands in the first place.

Instead, Feiyuan Island had become a blessed land for him, allowing him to soar into the skies. Even for him, facing Baili Feihong left him with very little hundred-percent certainty of victory.

Li Kuidou and Wang Qianqiu remained silent.

Their hearts could not calm down for a long time.

It was simply too shocking.

Young Master Yu of this age, placed within the borders of Dayuan, was a top-tier young talent.

A once-in-a-century genius who had not appeared for ages.

He possessed the potential to achieve the status of a Martial Saint.

Yet Baili Feihong was merely a pacification envoy of Feiyuan Island, and he had actually become the top of the Hidden Dragon Rankings?

No, the people of the various sects would have allowed him to live until now?

It seemed the demise of the Emperor had helped him.

Otherwise, the top experts of the sects would have risked being hunted down by the Demon Suppression Bureau just to kill him.

"Young Master, what should we do now...?"

Li Kuidou's eyes flickered.

Since Feiyuan Island was not safe, why not leave this place?

Gongyang Yu waved his hand and said, "It's fine. Feiyuan Island is also within the borders of Dayuan, and you hold official positions, so what is there to fear? As for the two of us, we are merely here on Feiyuan Island for a vacation. Could the Demon Suppression Bureau possibly forbid this young master from stepping foot on Feiyuan Island?"

Gongyang Yu wore a provocative expression as he looked in the direction of the Demon Suppression Mansion.

Gong Yu did the same.

As one of Gongyang Yu's subordinates, he was well aware of the trump cards the young master possessed.

As for Baili Feihong, if he really dared to make a move against him or the young master, it would simply present the young master with an opportunity.

Wang Qianqiu felt the most aggrieved; he was the one dragged into Gongyang Yu's faction by Li Kuidou.

Never did he expect that on his very first visit, he would commit such a blunder.

If given the opportunity, he would definitely leverage the power of the Southern Navy to suppress the Demon Suppression Bureau of Feiyuan Island.

"People of the Gongyang family? Is it Gongyang Yan's second older brother, Gongyang Yu?"

Baili Feihong withdrew his gaze.

In his heart, he vaguely guessed the threat he had sensed using the Tiangang Divine Skill: Foreseeing the Future.

"So it was you."

The fourth-ranked Young Master Yu of the Hidden Dragon Rankings.

According to Gongyang Yu's words, he had ascended to the very top of the Hidden Dragon Rankings.

Baili Feihong thought of many things.

He recalled being attacked by the Divine Transformation masters of the Huajian Sect.

As well as the siege launched against him by various Divine Transformation masters from the sects on the Hidden Dragon Rankings.

He thought of the unwritten rule of the Hidden Dragon Rankings—it was thoroughly a pig-slaughtering list.

He instantly understood Gongyang Yu's words.

"What a sinister fellow."

"However, if you want to kill me, I cannot simply turn a blind eye."

"Since you are Gongyang Yan's second brother and possess a Martial Saint token protecting your body, it is indeed inconvenient to make a move against you directly."

"Old fellow Gong Yu, I certainly won't let you off easy."

Gongyang Yu's provocation received no response from Baili Feihong, and he stood up to leave the place.

Yet he was led by Gong Yu into the Pacification Mansion in the southern part of the city, where they comfortably settled in.

Since there was no opportunity for covert plots, they would simply bring matters out into the open.

As they stood up and left the tavern, Baili Feihong's figure appeared inside the establishment, taking away the bowls and chopsticks Gong Yu had used.

In truth, Baili Feihong did not strictly need the items Gong Yu had handled.

However, taking them would reduce the burden of casting his divine skill.

Among the Thirty-Six Tiangang Divine Skills, there was one known as the most evil, most bizarre, and most powerful in terms of offensive might.

Unless one possessed great fortune and merit, using it even once could incur heavenly retribution.

The thirty-sixth Tiangang Divine Skill: Nail-Head Seven-Arrow Book.

This divine skill was similar to the Nail-Head Seven-Arrow Book from the Investiture of the Gods that he knew of, yet it also differed.

The Nail-Head Seven-Arrow Book in the Investiture of the Gods required twenty-one days to curse an opponent to death.

However, with Baili Feihong's divine skill, it only required seven arrows to pierce and kill the opponent's seven souls.

Naturally, the higher the opponent's blood-refinement realm, the weaker the effect.

Yet given Baili Feihong's current realm, if he were to cultivate this divine skill to the ninth tier, within seven days he could severely injure a Martial Saint, or even curse an existence who had just stepped into the Martial Saint realm to death.

However, the backlash Baili Feihong would suffer might result in him cursing himself to death if he maintained it for seven consecutive days.

A mutual destruction.

If he were a Martial Saint and crafted the corresponding magical treasure known as the Nail-Head Book, even Demonic Gods could be cursed to death.

While he had mastered the divine skill, the magical treasure had long since vanished.

With Baili Feihong's current abilities, forging it was simply impossible.

Naturally, the power of this divine skill was vastly reduced.

A supreme divine skill had been reduced to one with severe side effects.

"This is one of the trump-card divine skills of the Demon Suppression Bureau, and one of the reasons why the powers of the world dare not provoke the Demon Suppression Bureau."

Demon suppressors slayed demons and monsters, accumulating profound merit and good fortune that could offset a large portion of the Nail-Head Seven-Arrow's effects.

"It just so happens I can test the might of this divine skill."

It would also serve as a warning to others.

Young Master Yu enjoyed a formidable reputation.

Part of it was due to being a member of the Gongyang family.

A much larger part stemmed from his own innate talent.

At twenty years old, he had stepped into the Divine Transformation realm, and reaching the Dharma Image realm was an absolute certainty.

He was destined to be the second Martial Saint of the Gongyang family in the future.

The successor to the Saber Saint.

A young talent bathed in glory and renowned throughout the world.

However, Baili Feihong believed this was no reason for him to act recklessly without restraint.

If it were anyone else, even holding a Martial Saint token, Baili Feihong would have killed them.

But Gongyang Yan had shown him kindness, so Baili Feihong chose to let him know when to retreat.

If he failed to appreciate what was good for him, he would simply have to taste the experience of the Nail-Head Seven-Arrow.

Returning to the Northern Island Pacification Mansion, he began setting up an altar.

CASUALly weaving a straw effigy, he attached Gong Yu's name to it and hid the chopsticks within the straw figure.

On the altar, a lamp burned above the straw figure's head, and another lamp was placed at its feet.

Baili Feihong did not bow to the straw figure; dealing with Gong Yu did not yet require such a formal ritual.

Stepping on the Dipper constellation, he wrote talismans, sealed incantations, and burned them.

Condensing a nail-head arrow shaped like a bow and arrow, he drove it into the straw figure.

Instantly, within the Northern Island Pacification Mansion, yin energy condensed, and Baili Feihong felt an inexplicable malice strike his heart, his entire body turning ice-cold.

It felt as though he had been abandoned by heaven and earth.

Illuminated by his inner spirit, a warm surge of sun-like energy flowed through his body, his blood qi surging like a great river, and the feeling of discomfort vanished without a trace.

"Indeed, this is a divine skill, but it is also a malevolent art."

"The ultimate malevolent art in this world."

"The first arrow alone is already like this; the remaining six arrows will surely feel even more uncomfortable."

"However, if I were to bow for seven consecutive days to scatter his three souls, and then pierce his remaining souls with the nail-head arrows, this sense of discomfort will dissipate."

"Yet this old dog Gong Yu is not worth me bowing to him for that long."

Instantly, he condensed six more nail-head arrows, inserting them into the straw figure according to the seven human chakras.

Wuwuwu~~~

It sounded as though the heavens were weeping, and a torrential rain of blood descended from the skies.

[Divine Skill: Praying for Clear Skies.]

Baili Feihong's Dao heart remained unmoved; calm and unhurried, he executed this skill, recorded as one of the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiend Divine Skills.

Praying to heaven and earth to clear the skies.

It could alter physical phenomena, and it could also resolve matters through the mind.

The heavenly retribution dispersed, leaving only a faint layer of mist clouding Baili Feihong's spiritually enlightened mind.

Yet for Baili Feihong, this sort of augmentation of good fortune was of little use to him.

Since he was someone with a cheat system, he naturally had no fear of being abandoned by heaven and earth.

Moreover, the cost of cursing Gong Yu was far smaller than he had imagined.

The dark clouds upon his heart could be cleared away with just a few days of cultivation to cleanse his state of mind.

Meanwhile, Gongyang Yu, who had swaggeringly entered the Southern Town Pacification Mansion, remained entirely oblivious.

"Although this mansion has been abandoned by Baili Feihong, it remains the symbol of the pacification envoy," Gong Yu laughed heartily. "If Baili Feihong makes no response and word gets out, it will inevitably damage his reputation. If he plays the coward like a turtle hiding in its shell, this old man will capture Feiyuan Island for the Young Master, and arrange for Baili Feihong to be transferred to the imperial capital to make him participate in the Dragon-Contending War."

Hearing Gong Yu's words, Gongyang Yu merely nodded in approval.

Killing Baili Feihong had been his goal this time.

Since that goal had not been achieved, the two consecutive failed operations filled his heart with rage.

Since he could no longer kill Baili Feihong himself, he would thrust him into the most perilous imperial capital, where the major factions of the capital certainly did not wish to see another Martial Saint born within the Demon Suppression Bureau.

The existence of the five elder veterans of the Demon Suppression Bureau had already become a Five Elements Mountain pressing upon the hearts of all factions.

Fortunately, the three elder veterans of the Divine Supervision Bureau maintained a balance with the Demon Suppression Bureau, allowing the other factions to jointly suppress the Demon Suppression Bureau.

Even the Guliang imperial family was unwilling to witness the birth of a terrifying existence capable of pacifying the demons of the current era.

To the Guliang imperial family, the most important thing was balance.

The five veteran elders of the Demon Suppression Bureau were still controllable, but a newly risen Martial Saint of the Demon Suppression Bureau might not be so easily managed.

Especially since Baili Feihong had eradicated the Black Sky Cult of the Demon Sea Straits, slowing down the spread of the Black Sky Cult.

Furthermore, he had assisted the Southern Navy in capturing the Demon Sea Straits—this was an immense meritorious achievement.

A new emperor had not yet been crowned.

Once the new emperor ascended the throne, heavy rewards were bound to be distributed.

"Commander Gong is truly brilliant, striking directly at Baili Feihong's fatal weakness with a single move."

Wang Qianqiu praised admiringly.

Their objective was clear: to force Baili Feihong to show himself and deal with them.

Only by doing so could the Young Master openly use his family's heritage to kill him.

At that very moment.

Gong Yu suddenly felt the world spin and his mind grow dizzy and muddled.

Yet he was also an old fox, instantly realizing that he had fallen into a trap.

In a split second of mental clarity, he guessed the nature of the curse that had been cast upon him.

Nail-Head Seven-Arrow!

No sooner had this thought crossed his mind than his spirit threatened to fracture entirely.

He frantically circulated his blood qi, wishing to resist this god-defying, ghostly curse power.

Unfortunately, his resistance had no effect whatsoever.

"Young Master, run! This is the Nail-Head Seven-Arrow...!"

Before he could finish shouting, blood was already streaming from Gong Yu's seven orifices.

Gongyang Yu's expression changed drastically as he stepped forward, grabbing Gongyang Yu's arm to check his physical condition.

His three souls and seven souls had already had one of their souls shot and killed by someone.

"Baili Feihong...!"

Gongyang Yu pulled a wooden saber from his bosom, placing it in Gong Yu's hand as the aura of a Martial Saint enveloped Gong Yu, yet it was to no avail.

In the dark void, six nail-head arrows remained pierced into Gong Yu's soul.

Instantly, Gong Yu's breathing grew as thin as gossamer.

A strand of Martial Saint will enveloped his soul, protecting his remaining six souls.

If one soul was destroyed, it could still be regenerated using the destiny soul.

But if all seven souls were destroyed, even immortals could not save him.

Gong Yu, holding the wooden saber, managed to keep his life.

However, Gongyang Yu understood that this Martial Saint token could not sustain him for long.

The nail-head arrows had already pierced his six souls; attempting to pull them out would inevitably damage Gong Yu's soul further.

Gong Yu would undoubtedly die.

"Let's go, return to Dayuan and ask the Divine Supervision Bureau to intervene."

Gongyang Yu gave the command decisively.

Yet he quickly stopped in his tracks, turning to Wang Qianqiu: "You must hurry to the Demon Sea Straits and become the military supervisor of the Southern Navy. Senior Kuidou, please trouble yourself to carry Commander Gong."

Gongyang Yu tore through the void and fled Feiyuan Island.

He did not dare to gamble.

He did not know whether Baili Feihong would make a move against him.

Naturally, he understood the terrifying nature of the Nail-Head Seven-Arrow.

This divine skill was rarely mastered by anyone, and even those who achieved success in its cultivation never dared to try it lightly.

Although the legendary magical treasure known as the Nail-Head Book was missing and the Nail-Head Seven-Arrow divine skill was incomplete, the method itself had been streamlined.

If Baili Feihong made a move against him, even if he could withstand it, it would result in soul damage and ruin his foundation.

"What a vicious heart."

Gongyang Yu considered himself decisive and ruthless in his methods, but the pacification envoy's tactics filled him with dread.

Gong Yu was the pacification commander of Dongzhou Province, holding an extremely high status.

Even if Baili Feihong killed him with the Nail-Head Seven-Arrow, the Demon Suppression Bureau would find no evidence to prove that he was the killer.

Killing a person without a sound.

Leaving no trace behind.

Li Kuidou's heart leaped in his throat.

Fortunately, Gong Yu had been present; otherwise, if the pacification envoy had decided to make an example of a chicken to frighten the monkeys, he would have ended up just like Gong Yu right now.

No.

Young Master Yu might not necessarily have used the Martial Saint token to save him.

Just what kind of monster was this pacification envoy of Feiyuan Island?

It was his first time seeing Young Master Yu flee in such a wretched state.

And himself, he was like a lamb awaiting slaughter.

Even in the imperial capital, he was considered a person of some consequence.

Yet upon arriving at Feiyuan Island, before he could even eat a hot meal, he was fleeing in disgraced panic.

Old man Li Kuidou, being shrewd, carried Gong Yu and pushed his escape art to its absolute limit.

Though he and Gong Yu were at odds, he would not resort to underhanded tricks against Gong Yu at a time like this.

However, wanting to revive Gong Yu and restore him to his original state...

Would be difficult, exceptionally difficult.

What kind of monsters were these people?

He cursed inwardly.

Raising his head, he looked at Gongyang Yu's expression, which was as dark as water; ever since he was a child, the Young Master had never suffered such a defeat.

Given Young Master Yu's temperament, he would undoubtedly become a mortal enemy of Baili Feihong.

He would spare no cost to find a way to eliminate Baili Feihong.