Volume 3 Chapter 66: Resurrection

While Xu Qingfan and the others were locked in a stalemate with Number 4, another confrontation was quietly unfolding in the sky. It wasn’t as perilous as what Xu Qingfan and his companions faced, but it was even more brutal.

In the sky, Zhang Xusheng first glanced at Zhang Hualing, Elder Weichi, and Xiao Huazhe, who were protected by a transparent barrier, then turned his gaze to the five-colored rope binding him. His face showed no surprise or panic, but after a slight look of bewilderment, he revealed a deeply complex expression of remembrance.

Without any struggle or resistance, Zhang Xusheng simply frowned quietly, staring at the multicolored rope on him, as if his thoughts had been transported back to a long time ago by this rope.

Meanwhile, Liu Huaxiang, who had suddenly appeared on the battlefield, did not rush but simply continued to watch Zhang Xusheng silently. Looking at Zhang Xusheng’s face, which appeared much younger than his own, Liu Huaxiang’s eyes seemed calm, though beneath that calmness, there were turbulent undercurrents.

Behind Liu Huaxiang, Elder Weichi and Xiao Huazhe both looked at him with surprise. Liu Huaxiang had always been low-key on Jiuhua Mountain, and though it was rumored within the sect that his skills were extraordinary, Elder Weichi and Xiao Huazhe thought he was at most on par with themselves. Yet, he easily blocked Zhang Xusheng’s powerful attack, displaying a strength far surpassing theirs.

Only Zhang Hualing seemed unsurprised by Liu Huaxiang’s appearance, as if he had expected it. Still, his expression was extremely complicated as he looked at Liu Huaxiang and Zhang Xusheng.

After a long silence, Zhang Xusheng finally raised his head and broke the quiet among the five of them, looking at Liu Huaxiang in front of him and said mildly, "This is Li Xuhan’s ‘Colorful Fairy Binding Rope’. I haven’t seen it for eight hundred years, and after all these years, I didn’t expect to be bound tightly by it again."

With that, Zhang Xusheng shook his head self-deprecatingly, sighed, and asked, "But how did this magical treasure end up in your hands? And as far as I know, it can only be used with the unique cultivation method created by old Li Xuhan. What’s your connection to that old fellow Li Xuhan? Well, your skills are impressive; although it was a sneak attack, I didn’t detect you in advance, which is remarkable, better than the so-called three saints and four idlers. Are you a descendant of that old fellow Li Xuhan?"

As he spoke, Zhang Xusheng looked at Liu Huaxiang with interest, as if he had discovered a very amusing toy.

Liu Huaxiang’s expression did not change. He simply gazed back at Zhang Xusheng calmly and softly said, "Since you know this is the ‘Colorful Fairy Binding Rope,’ you should know that once bound, there’s no escape."

Zhang Xusheng nodded in agreement, saying, "Indeed, this ‘Colorful Fairy Binding Rope’ is one of old Li Xuhan’s life works. Once tied by it, without its owner’s command, it will never come off, unless the person bound by it dies."

But as Zhang Xusheng spoke, he suddenly changed his tone and rhetorically asked, "Since you have the ‘Colorful Fairy Binding Rope,’ even if you aren’t Li Xuhan’s disciple, you must have a close relationship with him. If that’s the case, you should know a thing or two about the matters between him and me, right?"

Liu Huaxiang nodded silently and replied, "Very well acquainted."

Zhang Xusheng chuckled, "In that case, you shouldn’t speak so confidently. Don’t you know that eight hundred years ago, Li Xuhan used the ‘Colorful Fairy Binding Rope’ against me, but I managed to escape?"

Liu Huaxiang’s expression remained unchanged, and he coldly responded, "That’s because Li Xuhan was too naive back then. He was swayed by your sweet words, believing everything you did was a momentary lapse and you’d mend your ways, giving you the opportunity to escape. But I won’t fall for that."

Hearing Liu Huaxiang’s words, Xiao Huazhe and Elder Weichi behind him were slightly taken aback, anger flaring in their eyes. They hadn’t expected Liu Huaxiang to dare to speak of their elder in such a manner and were about to scold him, but Zhang Hualing stopped them.

Zhang Xusheng nodded and said, "Indeed, eight hundred years ago I escaped through deceit, but since I could escape from this treasure then, I can do it now. Firstly, though your skills are decent, you are far inferior to Li Xuhan of that time; secondly, my power now is beyond comparison to that of eight hundred years ago. I no longer need tricks to escape, even if Li Xuhan himself were here."

At this point, a powerful wave of Spirit Qi surged from Zhang Xusheng, forcing Liu Huaxiang and the three behind him to retreat several feet. Then, the strong Spirit Qi around Zhang Xusheng began to grow chaotic, and as it did, his body started expanding at an alarming rate.

No matter how much Zhang Xusheng’s body swelled, the ‘Colorful Fairy Binding Rope’ clung tightly to him, not loosening in the slightest.

Witnessing the changes in Zhang Xusheng, Liu Huaxiang and the others were shocked, even the ever-composed Liu Huaxiang. They could recognize the signs as the prelude to the "Explosive Spirit Technique."

Explosive Spirit Technique, a Taoist spell that ensures mutual destruction with the enemy.

What is happening? Could it be that Zhang Xusheng believes he cannot escape, so he intends to go down with Liu Huaxiang and the others? Or is he using Liu Huaxiang’s desire to protect the "Colorful Fairy Binding Rope" to his advantage, hoping Liu Huaxiang will retrieve it to avoid damage, giving Zhang Xusheng a chance to escape?

Regardless, Liu Huaxiang and the others didn’t dare linger and swiftly sought safety. With Zhang Xusheng’s power, if he were to self-destruct, the impact would be unimaginable.

It wasn’t just them; even the numerous Jiuhua elders and high-level demons battling in the sky ceased fighting and withdrew, sensing the change in Zhang Xusheng. For a brief moment, the entire battlefield over Jiuhua was frozen due to Zhang Xusheng’s transformation.

"Boom…"

Finally, when Zhang Xusheng’s body swelled to three times its original size, an astonishing explosion occurred. A blinding light accompanied by a deafening roar flared up and vanished in an instant, leaving a fierce wind that spread out, ruffling the clothing and hair of everyone present.

After the explosion subsided, they gazed at where Zhang Xusheng once stood and saw he had been utterly obliterated. The "Colorful Fairy Binding Rope" suffered significant damage in the blast, returning to Liu Huaxiang’s hand now dull and lackluster.

Witnessing the scene, all the Jiuhua elders were stunned, overwhelmed by disbelief. First, because they didn’t expect Zhang Xusheng, who seemed unbeatable in the cultivation world, to die so easily. Second, they were surprised that the power of a master like Zhang Xusheng was so limited even in self-destruction.

Yet, Zhang Xusheng’s high-level demon followers seemed indifferent to their master’s death. Once the explosion ceased, they launched another attack on the Jiuhua elders, giving them no moment to breathe.

It seemed that for these demons, fulfilling their master’s orders was the most important thing, regardless of whether he lived or died. Moreover, they seemed to have absolute confidence in Zhang Xusheng and didn’t believe he could be dead just like that.

So, after a brief pause, the battlefield in the sky erupted in noise again.

"Zhang Xusheng, is he really dead?" Elder Weichi asked in disbelief, as if questioning someone else, yet also questioning himself.

At the same time, the faces of Liu Huaxiang and his two companions were full of confusion, for Elder Weichi’s question was exactly what they wanted to ask.

But soon, the four of them sensed that something was amiss.

They suddenly noticed that after Zhang Xusheng’s self-destruction, although his body shattered and scattered in the air, the fragments didn’t fall to the ground. Instead, they seemed to defy the laws of nature and hovered quietly in the sky.

Then, each floating piece of flesh emitted a bizarre and peculiar Spirit Qi, making it impossible to distinguish the mixture of elements. Then, these countless Spirit Qi waves grew stronger and began to resonate together.

In the end, an astonishing scene unfolded: the fragments swiftly began to gather from all directions, merging into one, and began to move and meld together, gradually revealing Zhang Xusheng’s face. The eerie sight struck awe in everyone’s hearts.

Finally, after a flash of brilliance, Zhang Xusheng stood before them once more, completely intact, not a hair out of place. Even the white robe on him was unwrinkled. His smile remained calm and serene, though it seemed to carry a hint of mockery.

What exactly just happened? Wasn’t he already shattered to pieces? How could he come back to life by reassembling his flesh and blood? This goes beyond the imagination of the entire cultivation world.

Liu Huaxiang and the others were filled with disbelief.

"I told you this magical artifact can no longer trap me. Do you believe me now? I’m completely different from who I was eight hundred years ago."

Zhang Xusheng looked at the four speechless people in front of him and spoke with a faint smile.