Chapter 130: Within the Barrier

"Stop arguing! That won't kill anyone!"

The shouting between the members of the Six Fan School and the Dali Temple grew louder and louder, until the other martial artists could no longer stand by and watch.

"Look! They’ve gone in! They’ve actually gone in!" someone shouted from a rooftop three buildings away.

Immediately, everyone turned their eyes toward the Imperial Palace.

After giving his final instructions to Kun Er and the others, Ji Huo told them to leave with Little Hongtang. Before departing, Little Hongtang seemed to recall something and said, "Dummy brother, there’s been some trouble over in the East Sea. Once this is all over, you’ll probably need to head over there."

Ji Huo was stunned for a moment, then nodded. "Understood."

Once everyone had left, Ji Huo looked at Xia Nishang, who had been waiting quietly by his side, and smiled. "Let's go in."

Xia Nishang nodded, manifesting the Demon Dragon Spear in her hand and spinning it into a flourish. Although the spear was still missing a third of its form, she could have recalled the remaining fragment—which was currently in her brother's possession and had already accepted him as its master. If she were to gather all the pieces, the power of the complete divine weapon would increase significantly. However, not only was her brother busy with other matters, but if she were to forcefully summon it, he might think she was facing a dire threat, causing him to charge all the way from the Dragon Kingdom across the Zhao Kingdom, likely bringing an entire army with him... The mere thought of that scene gave Xia Nishang a headache.

The two arrived before the main gates of the Imperial Palace, stood side by side, and pushed the heavy doors open. Inside, everything was pitch black, completely obscured from view. They stepped forward in unison and vanished into the darkness.

"Why can't we see them anymore?"
"Did they just disappear?"
"So, they really have entered the barrier? Is that why we can't see any activity from out here?"
"This is bad. If they can't break the barrier, have we just been waiting here for nothing?"

***

"Geneva! Refund my money!"

Ji Huo and Xia Nishang felt a blur before their eyes. Upon entering, they were greeted by a ground littered with corpses—the bodies of the Imperial Guards who had been corrupted by demonic energy. It looked as if Ji Junhong had been the one to slay them.

The night sky within the barrier was free of thunder and lightning; instead, a full moon hung high in the dusky canopy above. High in the air, a colossal Nine-Tailed Demon Fox was launching a frenzied assault. Each sweep of its nine snow-white tails carried enough force to destroy everything in its path, kicking up gales that sent rubble flying across the ground.

Battling against it was Ji Junhong, hovering in the sky with the Human Emperor Sword in hand. Ji Junhong appeared largely unchanged. Every time he swung the sword, it unleashed a golden sword-aura accompanied by the swirling phantom of a golden dragon. Nine dragon-like projections circled him, constantly biting and entangling the fox's tails whenever they struck.

The clash between the man and the beast whipped up a violent storm. A casual wave of their hands created hurricanes, and a single downward strike from the sword leveled dozens of houses. Although the fight took place high above, the ground was already shrouded in dust and smoke, trembling as if caught in a perpetual earthquake.

"My goodness, is this what a Grandmaster-level battle looks like?" Ji Huo watched, his heart pounding. Though his older brother looked no larger than the Demon Fox’s palm, he was holding his own, driving the beast back with every strike.

Xia Nishang observed for a moment, then raised an eyebrow. "It seems like neither of them can do anything to the other. Look closely; your brother’s Human Emperor Sword can’t break through the demon’s defenses."

Ji Huo watched and realized she was right. No matter how fierce the sword-aura was, whenever it struck the fox, a layer of golden light would manifest on its skin to deflect the blow, rendering the attacks harmless. As for the fox, it fared no better; it couldn't penetrate Ji Junhong’s defenses, as the nine dragon-like auras surrounding him blocked every claw and strike. Each of these golden dragons was nearly twenty meters long, circling in the air like true dragons, not only shielding him but also coordinating with his attacks. If not for the fact that the fox was also suffused with that same golden energy, it likely would have been crushed into the dirt by Ji Junhong long ago.

"The energy on that beast must be the Dragon Aura of the Great Zhou," Ji Huo said grimly. "It has merged with the Demon Fox. Striking it with the Human Emperor Sword is like striking a human emperor; the Dragon Aura blocks it, greatly diminishing its power."

Xia Nishang shook her head. "At this rate, they could fight for three days and three nights without a victor. No wonder we couldn't hear anything from outside."

Ji Huo frowned. They were at a loss for what to do. The problem was that the battle was happening in the sky, and he couldn't fly. Xia Nishang could transform into a dragon to fly, but if she reverted to her human form, she would fall. Was she supposed to hop up, take a shot, fall down, and then hop up again? Like a Tigger?

"Pfft!" Ji Huo couldn't help but chuckle.

Xia Nishang squinted at him. "What kind of impolite things are you thinking about?"

"Nothing, really nothing!" Ji Huo quickly insisted. "That’s slander!"

"Let me tell you," Xia Nishang said, looking at him with disdain. "I don't know what's been going on these past few days, but I keep sensing you thinking about me—and it’s always those kinds of inappropriate thoughts." She added softly, "I really want to know what exactly is going on in that head of yours."

"Cough, cough! I really wasn't!" Ji Huo felt a pang of guilt.

Xia Nishang snorted, deciding to drop the subject for now—there would be plenty of time to interrogate him later. "So, what do we do now?"

Ji Huo scratched his head, watching the intense, explosive battle in the sky. He wondered if they should break the barrier. Theoretically, if the barrier were destroyed, it would no longer be the fox’s home turf, and he could use his own control over lightning to strike it. However, the barrier was created by the fox itself, likely to isolate itself from the Great Zhou’s national fortune while it absorbed the Dragon Aura to complete its ascension. If it were linked to the Great Zhou while it ascended and the dynasty fell, the fox’s cultivation would plummet. But if it left the barrier and entered the capital, it would be fully bound to the nation’s fate. It wouldn't just be a demon with Dragon Aura; it would be empowered by the fortune of an entire nation.

At that point, it would be impossible to kill.

Just as Ji Huo hesitated, his brother’s voice echoed in his mind: "Huo, break the barrier."

Ji Huo froze. He looked at Xia Nishang and saw her nod, her eyes meeting his.

*Wait, he sent a telepathic message to you too?*

Ji Huo opened his mouth slightly, then shrugged. The two locked eyes and began channeling their energy, preparing to shatter the barrier.