novelapdf Chapter 119 Shangguan Luoxue: 49 Style?
Chapter 119 Shangguan Luoxue: 49 Style?
"etc."
Jiang Mu reached out her hand, looking at Shangguan Luoxue warily.
"Give me the position of the [Earthly Star] first. Otherwise, I won't repair it."
He's not stupid.
What if this woman turns her back on me afterward?
The key is to get the benefits first.
üの」
Shangguan Luoxue was taken aback. Looking at Jiang Mu's shrewd and opportunistic face, she sneered inwardly.
Pack!
Keep pretending!
Back then, wasn't it because he saw the true face of the original body and was blinded by beauty that he agreed to cultivate together like a lapdog?
Now they're putting on this self-righteous act of only caring about their own interests; it's utterly hypocritical.
Besides, you're already a legitimate star official, what's the point of wanting a new star position?
Can you possibly repair two star positions at the same time?
But then I thought about it again.
Once the other party cultivates with her, their path to enlightenment will be completely destroyed, and they will be stuck at the fourth realm for life.
This is indeed an extremely cruel and even devastating price to pay for such a young and promising genius.
Even if giving him this star position would be a waste, it's still a kind of compensation.
At least it will make him feel a little better.
Thinking of this, her dissatisfaction gradually faded, turning into a sigh.
"Never mind... In the end, I am in the wrong."
We owe him.
Shangguan Luoxue said no more, and gently raised her hand, palm facing upward.
A single, dazzling starlight emerged from nothingness, rapidly spinning and coalescing, ultimately transforming into a phantom star shadow imbued with immense stellar power and profound Daoist principles. The star shadow possessed an peculiar outline, faintly resembling a leader, exuding an imposing aura.
It is the star projection of the first of the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends, namely the Earthly Star.
The next moment, the starlight transformed into a stream of light, flying straight towards Jiang Mu's brow and instantly disappearing into it.
Shangguan Luoxue said calmly:
"This is the starlight guide of the [Earthly Star]. When you return to reality, enter into meditation and perceive the starry sea. Use this as a medium to verify the stars, and it will automatically guide the star position to bless you."
However, I must warn you, you already possess a legitimate star position within you. Forcibly changing it carries extremely high risks. At best, your cultivation will regress; at worst, your meridians will be severed, and you might even die on the spot. You should take care of yourself.”
Jiang Mu felt a chill between his brows, and then a vast amount of star power information surged into his sea of consciousness like a tide, making him overjoyed.
Di Kuixing!
The leader of the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends is finally ours!
Beautiful!
Now that's great, both Shadow One and Shadow Three can be placed in the orthodox star positions.
Once the second demonic shadow recovers, along with his original form...
Quad-core drive!
With this cultivation speed, it's bound to take off!
Jiang Muqiang suppressed his overwhelming joy, stretched out his hand again, and said matter-of-factly, "What else? What about the cultivation techniques and magic treasures you promised me? If you're going to give them to me, give them all at once."
Shangguan Luoxue glanced at him and said indifferently:
"You don't need those things right now, it would be a waste to give them to you. You'll get them when the time is right."
Jiang Mu looked at her suspiciously: "You're not planning to renege on your promise, are you? Going back on your word?"
Shangguan Luoxue snorted coldly, too lazy to explain.
Jiang Mu thought about it and agreed.
They've already given me the most precious orthodox star position, so they shouldn't be stingy with these material possessions.
"Alright then."
Jiang Mu nodded and said, "Then take me back first, I'll go get my star certification."
He can return to the other party's celestial abode on his own.
But this is the Purple Mansion Divine Realm, and he doesn't have that authority.
Shangguan Luoxue: ..."
She looked at Jiang Mu with an expression as if he were an idiot.
Is this guy genuinely stupid or just pretending?
Didn't you hear me say that we're going to start "joint study and discussion"?
When can't a star be certified?
Does it have to be now?
Shangguan Luoxue remained silent for a moment, then suddenly stepped forward and stood in front of Jiang Mu.
The two were very close to each other.
Peach petals fell silently, landing on her ink-black hair, highlighting her exquisite yet cold face, making her look like a fairy in a painting.
Shangguan Luoxue parted her lips slightly, her voice clear and cold:
"Hold me."
Jiang Mu blinked, and immediately realized:
"Right now? Aren't you being a bit too impatient? Besides, I'm just a consciousness right now, it's not very useful."
Why does this guy talk so much nonsense!
"Hold me!"
Suppressing the chill in her heart, Shangguan Luoxue repeated herself once more.
Her meaning was clear:
Here, she was in charge of everything, and Jiang Mu only needed to listen to her instructions and do as she was told.
Jiang Mu had no choice but to open her arms and hug the other person.
It feels cool to the touch.
It didn't feel like the warm, soft jade I had imagined at all; instead, it felt like I was holding a block of ice.
Jiang Mu felt like she was about to freeze solid.
"Close your eyes."
Shangguan Luoxue formed a hand seal and began to circulate the "Purple Mansion Cantong Qi".
In fact, Jiang Mu was right; this method was not very useful in practice.
To fully restore one's cultivation and repair one's foundation, one must engage in Daoist discussions with a true master and achieve the union of Yin and Yang.
But why did Shangguan Luoxue choose to cultivate and discuss the Dao together in the Purple Mansion Divine Realm?
Very simple.
You have to adapt.
After all, she was a top-tier martial arts expert and a stunningly beautiful woman with unparalleled looks, possessing an extremely proud and arrogant nature. She simply couldn't accept starting a real-life fight abruptly.
I just can't get over that psychological hurdle.
Let's get used to it here first.
Once you've developed a stronger mental resilience and feel that everything is falling into place, you can naturally begin.
As for whether Jiang Mu, who was out on a mission, would die for other reasons or what might happen during this time, that was beyond her control.
She couldn't force him to stay by her side.
Cultivators at their level emphasize naturalness in all things and the principle of non-action in the Great Way.
Demanding too much will only prevent you from getting the results you want.
It might even backfire.
Furthermore, the spiritual communion within the Purple Mansion Divine Realm can also repair and strengthen the soul to some extent, which is a supplement for her at present. Although she had mentally prepared herself for it to be merely a stream-of-consciousness spiritual communion within the Purple Mansion Divine Realm, Shangguan Luoxue still felt very uncomfortable. It wasn't exactly shyness, just an indescribable awkwardness.
Of course, she didn't hate it as much as she had expected.
I suppose this guy, though a bit of a smart aleck and annoying, isn't really that disgusting.
Shangguan Luoxue steadied herself and began to unleash the full power of the "Purple Mansion Covenant".
Here, she holds absolute dominance, so even if Jiang Mu's physical body is outside, she can still draw out the purple aura within Jiang Mu's dantian through the connection between their souls.
The two auras naturally intertwined in the divine realm.
In an instant, a new scene appeared.
The Zifu Cantongqi was initially just an obscure and difficult-to-understand textual version, which allowed both parties to cultivate Zifu True Qi within their bodies.
Only after both parties have successfully cultivated and their two auras have merged can the next stage of cultivation be unlocked.
The next step in cultivation is presented visually.
It appeared directly in their minds.
However, when the two of them saw the screen, they both fell silent for a moment.
There are a total of forty-nine pictures.
Each picture represents a move.
From normal, to slightly daring, to bizarre, and finally to something completely indescribable...
In short, even Jiang Mu, a man who had experienced the information explosion of the new era, was completely unfamiliar with some of these techniques, and had never even heard of them before. He couldn't help but marvel inwardly:
Wow, you can cultivate like this? I've learned something new!
Shangguan Luoxue's face finally turned red, showing a hint of embarrassment and annoyance.
She cursed inwardly:
"Who on their mind came up with this technique?! It's utterly shameless!!"
On second thought, I remembered that Ling Ye had said that this technique had been modified by my grandmaster.
Could it be that the master's handiwork was also involved?
My grandmaster... she shouldn't be spending that much, right?
Shangguan Luoxue took a deep breath, forcibly calming herself down, and thought to herself, "Given my current condition, I only need to cultivate the first ten pictures; there's no need to cultivate them all."
After all, the first ten pictures were the most normal and still within her acceptable range.
The ones that followed...
Even if you kill her, she won't cultivate!
Of course, even if it's normal, she can't accept it right now, so she can only take it slowly and get used to what she can accept first.
The two of them just held each other quietly.
Jiang Mu was hugging a block of ice, feeling like her whole body was about to freeze. Her eyelids were drooping, and she was about to fall asleep.
He started to miss that watermelon night again.
Even though Sister Ling was cold at the time, at least she was a real person, and it felt good to hug her; she smelled nice.
The thing in front of me is just an ice sculpture doll.
It's completely meaningless.
After a long while, Shangguan Luoxue finally opened her eyes and said calmly, "Alright, you can go back now."
Jiang Mu suddenly came to her senses.
Is that all?
I haven't even started to exert my strength yet!
Shangguan Luoxue said calmly, "From now on, I'll invite you over when you're sleeping. Also, don't casually draw out my [Stream Water], otherwise..."
The woman didn't continue speaking, but simply waved her hand gently.
Because the "device" that Jiang Mu modified was connected to something about herself.
Therefore, once the [Stream Water] is drawn out, she will also be aware of it, which will lead to some bad things.
She didn't want to change her clothes.
Jiang Mu felt a sudden darkness before her eyes, and her consciousness was instantly pulled away.
When he opened his eyes again, he was back in that simple farmhouse.
The moonlight outside the window remained the same, and Xu Fu beside her was still fast asleep, snoring loudly without a care in the world.
Jiang Mu glanced at Xu Fu, then impatiently sat cross-legged, circulated his cultivation technique, and immersed his consciousness in the vast and boundless sea of stars.
Sure enough, the moment his consciousness entered the sea of stars, a dazzling light flashed in the vast and deep starry sky.
It seemed to be beckoning to him, calling to him.
A bond was immediately formed between the two.
Because Jiang Mu had already transferred the previous [Earth Concealment Star] position to the Third Demon Shadow, his main body was currently in an empty state, requiring no tedious preparations or prerequisites.
The Earthly Star position directly sensed his summons, transformed into a stream of light, pierced the starry sky, and instantly empowered him.
The whole process went incredibly smoothly.
Rumble!
Although it was in the space of consciousness, Jiang Mu could still feel the earth and sky shaking at that moment.
In the real world, the once peaceful night sky suddenly became stormy and turbulent.
A bright star suddenly erupted, its light even surpassing that of the moon, casting a pillar of starlight that fell directly into the small farmhouse. The next moment, Jiang Mu's aura surged dramatically!
Earthly Star, return to your place!
Within his dantian, a brand-new purple star core rapidly condensed and took shape, exuding an aura of majesty.
Jiang Mu slowly opened her eyes, her gaze flashing with a sharp light.
At the same time, a stream of information about the Earthly Star flooded into his mind.
【Dikuixing】
[Supernatural Power: Divination by Spiritual Light]
[Efforts are required to divine the source of danger once, within a radius of one hundred feet, once per day.]
"Spiritual divination?"
Jiang Mu frowned slightly.
Based on the information, this is equivalent to a divination skill.
When in an unfamiliar situation, one can use divination to foresee danger in advance.
Or, when in trouble, directly find the source of the danger and see through the illusion.
"To anticipate danger..."
Jiang Mu muttered to himself, a thoughtful glint in his eyes.
"Although it doesn't sound as direct and domineering as offensive supernatural abilities, it's still a life-saving skill in this dangerous world." "With this thing, I wouldn't have fallen into the Zombie Queen's trap."
"Unfortunately, it's only once a day."
"However, since it's a supernatural skill that comes with a Earthly Fiend Star rank, we can't expect it to be too powerful. But it's still quite useful."
Moreover, with this supernatural power, combined with his Shadow Clone and Teleportation abilities, he is like a tiger with wings.
If you want to scheme against someone in the future, just consult a fortune teller first, and you'll be guaranteed to make a profit!
As Jiang Mu was immersed in star positions, a slight commotion and a surprised gasp suddenly came from outside the door.
"Lord Jiang, Lord Xu, Master Du has woken up!"
Someone came and knocked on the door.
Jiang Mu and Xu Fu, who had regained consciousness, exchanged a glance, then got up and walked towards the house where the wounded were being housed.
Upon entering the cabin, the sight before them made the two pause in their tracks.
Du Yuanfei, who had just woken up, was kneeling on the ground, his blood-stained fists pounding the earth again and again as he cried out in grief. Tears mingled with the blood on his face, streaming down his face.
"Brothers... I'm so sorry! I've ruined you all!"
"I, Du Yuanfei, am useless; I failed to bring you back..."
Yu Dashan, who was standing to the side, also wiped away tears.
Ming Cuicui and several young demon slayers looked somber, their eyes reddening.
Seeing this seven-foot-tall man in his thirties crying like a helpless child, Tang Guixin sighed softly.
As the head of the hall, she understood Du Yuanfei's feelings all too well.
Living and working alongside subordinates day and night, sharing life and death experiences, their relationship has long transcended the simple superior-subordinate dynamic; it's more like family.
The sudden near-total annihilation, the excruciating pain and guilt, were enough to break even the most sentimental and resilient man. After venting for a long time, Du Yuanfei's sobs gradually subsided.
Tang Guixin dismissed the others, leaving the space to the hall masters.
"Master Du, we can only look forward to the future..." Tang Guixin gently comforted him.
Du Yuanfei's eyes were red and swollen, and his expression was haggard.
He raised his head and gave a bitter smile:
"I'm sorry to have made you three laugh. In fact, I don't feel much gratitude for being saved at this moment."
On the contrary... on the contrary, I felt that if I could die there, alongside my brothers, perhaps... I would feel better. At least I wouldn't have to live on with this debt in my heart.
"Bullshit!"
Upon hearing this, Xu Fu immediately flew into a rage, pointing his finger at Du Yuanfei and cursing.
"Du Yuanfei! Are you even a man? So many brothers died, I know you're heartbroken! Crying isn't shameful! You're a real man, you have flesh and blood!"
After crying and wiping away your tears, you should be thinking about how to avenge your fallen brothers and direct that fierce energy at the demons, instead of standing here like a woman and spouting these depressing words!
"Only by living can you have the chance to chop off those beasts' heads and offer them as a sacrifice to the spirits of your brothers in heaven! If you die, you're nothing but a fucking idiot who brings pain to your loved ones and joy to your enemies!"
Du Yuanfei was taken aback by the scolding, then his face turned ashamed. He lowered his head, cupped his hands, and said, "Lord Xu is right. I was confused and couldn't think straight for a moment." He straightened his back a little, the dejection in his eyes receding slightly, replaced by a hint of fierceness:
"If I don't avenge this, I swear I'm not a man!"
Seeing that his mood had changed, Jiang Mu then got to the point and asked:
"Master Du, what kind of demon are you pursuing on this expedition deep into White Deer Peak?"
Du Yuanfei's eyes narrowed, and he uttered two words: "Horse demon."
"A horse demon!?"
Jiang Mu's heart skipped a beat, and she subconsciously exchanged a glance with Tang Guixin.
The image of the missing horse instantly flashed into their minds.
Tang Guixin immediately shook her head:
"No. That horse... Xiao Jiang and I were both in close contact with it, and we didn't sense any demonic energy fluctuations."
Du Yuanfei was completely confused and tentatively asked, "My lords, have you perhaps seen that horse demon?"
Jiang Mu briefly recounted what had happened.
"Snapped!"
Du Yuanfei slapped his thigh, so excited he almost jumped up:
"Lord Jiang, if I am not mistaken, the horse you led when you came down the mountain must be that horse demon!"
That beast could transform into the appearance of various ordinary horses, and even its aura could be disguised flawlessly.
"We don't know what kind of magical treasure it consumed, or what special supernatural power it possesses; without a cultivation level of at least the sixth realm, it's impossible to tell it's a demon! Our Yancheng Demon Slaying Division paid a heavy price to figure out its disguise!"
Jiang Mu was speechless.
Damn it, I've been hunting geese all my life, and today I got pecked in the eye by one!
He had slain so many demons, yet he was completely outmaneuvered by a horse and led around the whole way.
Du Yuanfei said through gritted teeth:
"This horse demon harbors a deep grudge against our Demon Slayer Division because its people were wiped out years ago."
During this rebellion in Yancheng, the Red Umbrella Sect colluded with demons to cause trouble, and this horse demon took the opportunity to stir up trouble, specifically targeting lone demon slayers.
Because of its excellent camouflage and ability to blend into the herd of horses, it was difficult to detect. Even after the rebellion in Yancheng was quelled, it remained hidden within the city and even infiltrated our stables for a time, becoming our mount.
"If the new commander hadn't discovered the problem in time, even more brothers would have died."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Mu and Tang Guixin understood.
Everything makes sense now.
The horse demon's initial target was probably Yang Tianci and his group, intending to use Yang Tianci, this spoiled brat, as bait to catch them.
As a result, Jiang Mu intervened unexpectedly, displaying terrifying strength. In addition, the appearance of the Black Armored Divine Weapon and the Zombie Queen made the horse demon dare not make any rash moves.
That's why it kept pretending to be dead.
It only managed to slip away when everyone had escaped down the mountain.
Jiang Mu asked in a deep voice, "What is the horse demon's cultivation level?"
"We initially thought it was a fifth-tier early-stage demon, which is why we dared to pursue it all the way."
Du Yuanfei clenched his fists and said hatefully,
"But when we actually arrived here to fight, we discovered that this beast had been hiding its true strength all along; it was a fifth-order Great Perfection demon!"
This monster is extremely cunning, concealing its true strength and possessing supernatural abilities to mislead our judgment.
Jiang Mu frowned, her fingers tapping lightly on the table:
"That doesn't make sense. If it was a fifth-tier Great Perfection cultivator, why didn't it attack Aunt Tang and the others when I left to lure away the zombie horde, leaving only Aunt Tang and the others to guard them?"
"Is it because you feel uncertain, or... do you have other plans?"
"It's fishing!"
Tang Guixin blurted out, her face turning ugly.
Even Xu Fu, who was standing to the side, understood at this moment and gasped in shock:
"Does this beast mean he's playing the long game?"
It's deliberately not attacking immediately; is it trying to follow us to find more gatherings of demon slayers, or... wait until we completely lower our guard before wiping them out all at once?
The atmosphere inside the room suddenly plummeted to freezing point.
The three looked at each other, and each saw horror in the other's eyes.
If this conjecture is true, it means that from the moment they descended from Bailu Peak all the way to Li Family Village, that fifth-tier perfected horse demon, skilled in disguise, was likely following them all along.
He even mingled among them!
Because that horse demon can transform into ordinary horses of different appearances.
Moreover, if it wanted to take action, it would never choose a time when everyone is most vigilant.
It only strikes when everyone feels safest and most relaxed.
When is it safest?
It's now!
Having just escaped and settled in Li Family Village, having eaten and drunk their fill, the group was at their lowest point, their vigilance at its lowest. Suddenly, the three felt a chill run from their feet to the top of their heads.
Just then, Zhang Xiao Kui's panicked shouts suddenly came from outside the door:
"Master Xu! Something terrible has happened!"
"Your horse is gone!"
"Your horse is gone! Can't you speak properly?!"
Xu Fu immediately bristled, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, and stormed out of the house cursing.
However, the next moment, his cursing was drowned out by a scream.
Outside, the horses that had been docilely tied to the trees seemed to have been provoked and scattered wildly, as if a camp had been thrown into chaos.
Even more chillingly, as the flesh tore apart, sharp, jet-black horns sprouted from the foreheads of these horses, their eyes turning bloodshot as they frantically attacked the unsuspecting demon slayers around them.
Several screams rang out in succession.
Some people couldn't dodge in time and were pierced through the stomach by the unicorn horn, while others had their legs broken by the horse's hooves, and the scene instantly descended into chaos.
"Why are there so many horse demons?!"
Xu Fu drew his sword, dodging a collision with a mad horse, his face filled with horror.
Tang Guixin flashed to the front of a maddened horse, knocking it back with a single palm strike. After observing it closely, her expression changed drastically:
"That horse demon was indeed among them! It infected all the horses with its demonic poison while we were off guard... These horses are beyond saving. Quick, kill them all!"
Without hesitation, she drew her long sword, which flashed coldly as she charged into the herd of horses.
Upon hearing this, the crowd no longer hesitated, drew their swords, and began to hack and slash.
Strangely, the hides of these horse demons, poisoned by the demonic venom, became as hard as iron, as if protected by a layer of formidable aura. Apart from the powerful hall masters Jiang Mu, Tang Guixin, and Xu Fu, whose attacks could penetrate their defenses, the other demon slayers' strikes only left a white mark. Even when Jiang Mu cleaved a horse demon in two at the waist, the severed body rapidly healed amidst the swirling black mist.
One horse, whose head had been chopped off by Xu Fu, had its neck flesh twitching, and in the blink of an eye, a new head grew back, neighing as it continued to bite. "It's useless!"
Du Yuanfei, struggling to stay afloat, rushed out and shouted:
"Lord Tang, Lord Jiang! This horse demon's supernatural powers are extremely unpredictable. As long as its true form survives among the horses, these puppets infected by it will also be immortal, making them impossible to kill!"
Ontology?
Upon hearing this, Tang Guixin frowned.
She swiftly pulled a bluish-green talisman from her bosom, tapped it with her fingertip, and the talisman spontaneously combusted, transforming into a golden beam that shot towards the chaotic herd of horses: "Reveal!"
This is a "Deception-Breaking Talisman" specifically designed to break through the disguises of demons.
However, the golden light circled in the air once, then, as if losing its target, drifted down and turned to ashes. "Useless?!"
Tang Guixin's heart sank.
This horse demon's methods of concealment are truly remarkable.
Jiang Mu leaped onto the roof like a roc spreading its wings, looking down at the chaotic herd of horses.
With a thought, a faint purple light flashed between his brows.
[Divination by Spiritual Light!]
Earthly Star Divine Power activated!
As starlight flickered in his eyes, the world before Jiang Mu instantly changed. A pale blue scanning light rapidly spread out from him, enveloping the entire herd of horses below.
Amidst the chaotic stampede of horses, a blood-red character for "evil" was prominently displayed above the head of one chestnut horse!
"Found it!"
Jiang Mu's gaze sharpened.
However, the next second, the character "凶" (ominous) flickered and disappeared instantly, then appeared above the head of another black horse next to it. Just two breaths later, it moved to a white horse.
"Damn, it's pretty clever; it can even transfer its main body at any time?"
Jiang Mu sneered, swooped down from the roof, and made a concealing gesture towards Tang Guixin.
Tang Guixin was taken aback, but then she understood and subtly adjusted her position, moving closer to the direction Jiang Mu had indicated.
The two formed a pincer movement.
Holding a horizontal sword, Jiang Mu casually cut down several puppet horse demons that charged at him to protect his injured comrades, while keeping his eyes fixed on the constantly jumping character "凶" (xiōng, meaning fierce or ominous).
The [Tai Su Tian Gang Blood River True Knowledge] within his body quietly began to operate, and his star power was pushed to its peak, ready to be unleashed.
The character for "ominous" leaped rapidly through the herd of horses.
Finally, when it reappeared atop the head of a scraggly gray horse, at the very moment it was closest to Jiang Mu...
A sharp glint flashed in Jiang Mu's eyes.
Swish!
Sky-Shattering Slash!
The long-accumulated blade light, like a river of blood bursting its banks, unleashed a terrifying force capable of tearing everything apart!
At the same time, Tang Guixin, who was already prepared, suddenly sprang into action, her longsword transforming into a streak of light, blocking all escape routes for the gray horse. "Pfft!"
Without any suspense, the scraggly gray horse was cleaved in two by Jiang Mu's terrifying blade light, its blood and internal organs spraying all over the ground.
"Hiss!"
Just as the gray horse's corpse fell to the ground, a mournful wail rang out.
The horses that had been attacking frantically around them also let out painful neighs and froze in unison.
Jiang Mu did not stop.
Because the ominous sign in his eyes did not dissipate, but instead turned into a wisp of black smoke the instant the gray horse died, attempting to enter the body of another horse next to it.
"Trying to run away?"
Jiang Mu snorted coldly, his long sword following closely behind.
Swish!Swish!Swish!
With three more slashes, the three horses that had just been enveloped in black smoke died instantly.
After the fifth horse was beheaded by Jiang Mu, the black smoke finally had nowhere to hide, and was forced to twist in mid-air before crashing heavily to the ground.
The black smoke dissipated, revealing a strange little horse, only the size of a wolfhound, entirely black, with its mane standing on end like steel needles.
Its eyes were as cold and sinister as a venomous snake, and its whole body exuded a sinister aura.
The horse demon's true form has finally appeared!!
The horse demon gripped the ground with all four hooves, staring intently at Jiang Mu, its voice hoarse and filled with resentment:
"You brat! My supernatural abilities are flawless, how come you can always accurately identify my true form!?"
Jiang Mu flicked the blood off the knife:
"You look like a pile of dung, and you stink from miles away! What's the point of even trying to identify you?"
"You bastard! I'll devour you alive!"
Enraged by the humiliation, the horse demon kicked off with its hind legs and turned to flee into the wilderness outside the village.
There are too many of them; we can't win.
A horse's greatest skill is running.
As long as it gets running, even a cultivator at the fifth realm can't catch it!
"Run? Did you get my permission?"
Jiang Mu flipped his left hand over.
He took out the magic folding fan that Yang Tianci had given him.
He unfolded his folding fan and gently waved it in the direction the horse demon had fled.
[Draw a circle around yourself and imprison yourself!]
Buzz!
Space seemed to freeze.
A force of confinement pressed in from all directions.
The horse demon, which was originally as fast as lightning, suddenly stopped, as if it had sunk into a sticky swamp. Its speed immediately slowed down, and even lifting its legs became extremely difficult.
"A spatial magic artifact!"
The horse demon stared wide-eyed in terror and let out a desperate neigh.
"Let's do it!"
Tang Guixin shouted sharply, her longsword flashing with several sword flowers, transforming into an impenetrable sword net that blocked the horse demon's escape route. Xu Fu was not to be outdone, his hands forming hand seals and his mouth chanting incantations.
Several golden ropes formed from star power appeared out of thin air, precisely binding the horse demon's four hooves and pinning it firmly to the ground.
"ah!!"
The horse demon struggled desperately, its demonic energy erupting as it tried to break free of its restraints.
But under the combined suppression of the two masters, coupled with the spatial confinement, it could only watch in despair as the man carrying the blood-stained blade walked step by step toward it.
Jiang Mu gripped the knife with both hands and raised it high.
No nonsense.
"puff!"
Knife up and down.
They chopped off the demon's hideous head.
The demon's head, its sinister eyes wide open, filled with deep resentment and disbelief, rolled into the dust.
As the original body dies.
The infected horses that had been struggling and howling around them seemed to have their souls ripped out. They let out a mournful cry, collapsed to the ground, and turned into pools of pus and blood.
"call……"
Only then did everyone finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"Quickly! Treat the wounded!"
Tang Guixin shouted.
The remaining people did not dare to delay and hurriedly went to take care of their colleagues who were injured in the chaos.
Jiang Mu squatted down, dissected the horse demon's corpse, and took out a demon core that glowed with black light.
After absorbing the demonic energy, he casually tossed the demon core to Tang Guixin, who was walking over.
"Aunt Tang, this is for you. Consider it a token of your esteemed family's contribution, and a small gift from me to you as we first met."
Tang Guixin subconsciously took the demon core and was taken aback when she sensed the pure demonic power contained within it.
This is the demon core of a fifth-order, perfect-stage demon, and it's quite valuable.
She initially wanted to politely decline, but upon hearing Jiang Mu's words, her heart warmed, and she stopped refusing and accepted the gift generously.
His eyes darted around, and he suddenly grinned mischievously:
"Alright, Aunt Tang will accept it then. But this can't be accepted for nothing; consider it an early betrothal gift from you, young man. In a couple more years, Aunt Tang will prepare a generous dowry for you!"
Jiang Mu's lips twitched, and she looked speechless.
Why can't we get around this?
Upon hearing this, Xu Fu immediately adopted a resentful expression, glaring sourly at Jiang Mu:
"You old fox, you won't give such a valuable thing to your brother, but instead give it to a stranger? You really are a heartless traitor, aren't you? You've got your eye on someone's daughter, haven't you?"
That child is only thirteen! You beast, you're already eyeing him at such a young age? You're worse than an animal!
Jiang Mu rolled her eyes, too lazy to pay attention to this drama queen.
At this moment, supported by You Dashan, Du Yuanfei limped to the horse demon's corpse.
He looked at the culprit who had killed countless of his brothers, his eyes filled with hatred.
"I'll teach you to run! You son of a bitch, Rui!"
He kicked the headless corpse several times, cursing all sorts of foul language as he vented his grief and anger.
After venting his anger, he turned around, bowed deeply to Jiang Mu, his eyes red and his voice choked with emotion:
"Master Jiang, I am deeply grateful! If it weren't for you, this beast would have killed countless people."
"You have avenged my dead brothers. If Hall Master Jiang ever needs my help, I will go through fire and water for you!" Jiang Mu laughed and said, "Hall Master Du, you flatter me. We are all demon slayers, it is our duty."
Looking at the horse demon's corpse on the ground, Jiang Mu felt a pang of emotion.
This fifth-order Great Perfection demon is indeed powerful, with bizarre methods.
If it weren't for the help of Tang Guixin and Xu Fu, and the spatial magic treasure that could restrain him, it would have been truly difficult for him to take down this thing alone. Indeed, the higher the cultivation level, the harder it is to crush an opponent of a higher level. The gap between each minor cultivation level is widening infinitely.
Only those brainless Tier 5 zombies could be outmaneuvered by his speed.
"Zombies..."
Upon thinking of those two words, Jiang Mu couldn't help but recall the zombie queen of White Deer Peak, who sat regally on the throne of bones, exuding both allure and terrifying power.
His explosion sent a large number of the enemy's men flying.
This feud has become quite serious.
Fortunately, the queen seemed to be trapped on the mountain by some kind of restriction and unable to come out, otherwise, if she had caught the eye of a level ten giant zombie...
Jiang Mu shivered.
OK.
After cleaning up the scene, everyone began to rest again.
However, a new problem has now arisen.
All the horses died.
This means they lost their only means of transportation.
It's still quite a distance from here to Yancheng, but normally, given the speed and agility of these cultivators, it wouldn't cause them any trouble.
But now there are several seriously injured people in the team, and some are even unconscious, making it impossible for them to travel long distances.
"What should we do?" Xu Fu asked, looking worried.
Tang Gui thought for a moment, then turned to ask the village chief.
A moment later, she returned and addressed the crowd:
"I asked around. There's a small town called Xiaohe Town about 15 miles to the east. I can't buy horses there, but I should be able to buy a carriage to transport the wounded." "I'll go."
Jiang Mu volunteered.
Monsters frequently appear in this area, and he was afraid of encountering Lan Yao again on the road, so he didn't feel comfortable letting anyone else go.
"Ranshao, Xiao Kui, come with me."
Jiang Mu called over Zhang Ran and Zhao Xiongzi, and then said to Tang Guixin and Xu Fu, "Aunt Tang, Old Xu, you two stay here with your men to protect the wounded and take a rest. We'll be right back."
"Okay, be careful," Tang Guixin instructed.
Jiang Mu nodded, then, leading Zhang Ran and Zhao Xiongzi, turned and disappeared into the deep night, speeding towards Xiaohe Town. Halfway there, the night grew even darker, with only the howling wind echoing through the wilderness.
Jiang Mujing slowed his pace, his brows furrowed.
He didn't know when it started, but he began to feel that something was wrong.
It felt as if a pair of eyes were staring at the back of his head, and that feeling of being pricked by needles made him extremely uncomfortable.
But every time he turned around, besides Zhang Ranchi and his brother, and the darkness behind him, there was no Lan Yao.
As Jiang Mu crossed a dilapidated stone bridge, he suddenly stopped.
"What's wrong, Master?"
Seeing that Jiang Mu's expression was strange, Zhang Ran and Zhao Jian did not ask any questions.
Jiang Mu didn't speak, but simply closed her eyes and scanned her surroundings.
After a moment, Jiang Mu said:
"Ran Tui, I remember your supernatural power is earth-遁 (earth-遁 is a type of magical ability), right? Try using it around here."
Although Zhang Ranzhao didn't understand why, he naturally obeyed the order given by the hall master.
He responded, then ducked down and disappeared into the mud like an eel.
The ground rose and fell, like an earthen dragon weaving underground, rapidly circling the area within a hundred meters of the bridgehead.
The soil churned, grass roots snapped, and a soft rustling sound was heard.
Because this earth-burrowing technique can only be used to travel through soft soil, and one has to detour when encountering hard rocks or tree roots, the ground bulging continued intermittently for about fifteen minutes.
Zhang Ran Zhao crawled out of the ground, his head covered in sweat.
This supernatural power consumes a lot of star energy, and he can no longer sustain it.
"Master, it's all rocks and dirt down there, nothing unusual about Lan Yao," Zhang Ranshao said, wiping the dirt off his face and panting heavily.
Jiang Mu stared intently at the marks on the ground where Zhang Ran had just fled.
Sudden.
His gaze was fixed on one spot.
It was a small patch of mud that looked very soft.
Logically, Zhang Ran should have been able to escape without any obstacles. However, the raised earthen mark broke off there, circling around in a semi-circle, avoiding that small area.
"You met Lan Yao there?" Jiang Mu asked, pointing to the piece of land.
Zhang Ranzhao scratched his head and recalled, "It seems there was a hard rock blocking its way, so I went around it."
"A hard rock?"
Jiang Mu walked over, drew the sword from his waist, and slashed down at the open space!
"boom!"
The soil exploded, and dust flew everywhere.
As the smoke and dust cleared, a figure suddenly appeared out of nowhere on the previously empty ground.
That's a woman.
She wore a gorgeous gold and red long dress with an extremely high slit in the skirt.
She was extremely tall, and even just standing there casually, her mature and alluring charm was captivating.
Especially her ample hips and breasts...
Even with clothing covering it, it's easy to tell that the amount used was not light.
Upon seeing this woman, Jiang Mu felt a chill run down her spine, her scalp tingling.
"The Zombie Queen?!"
That iconic trashy outfit, that fiery red figure...
Wasn't this woman chained to White Deer Peak? How could she possibly have escaped?!
Did she break free of the restraints?
If it's that brother, then these three people are probably going to die here in Jinjing!
wrong!
After the initial shock, Jiang Mu quickly calmed down.
He carefully sensed her aura and found that although the woman's aura was still cold and terrifying, it was far less oppressive and suffocating than when he had seen her at White Deer Peak.