novelapdf Chapter 197 is mine, it must be mine.
Chapter 197 is mine, it must be mine.
The campfire crackled.
Jiang Mu took the roasted corn off the fire and handed it to the girl, saying:
"I was able to find you because a guy in a black cloak gave me a clue. Do you know him?"
"I don't know him."
Chu Lingzhu took the corn and blew on it to warm it up.
Jiang Mu asked, "Besides asking you that stupid question, did he say anything else strange to you? Or do anything else?"
Chu Lingzhu broke off half of the bag and handed it to Jiang Mu, chewing as she recalled:
"Hmm... let me think. I don't know where that old guy came from; he appeared out of nowhere and startled me."
He asked me in a rambling, nonsensical way what merit or good deeds were, and even said that practicing medicine was actually accumulating bad karma.
"Tch, I'm a doctor, why should this old charlatan meddle in my business!"
The girl's face was full of disdain.
Jiang Mu frowned, lost in thought.
That cloaked figure, both in terms of cultivation level and conduct, exuded an eerie and unpredictable sinister aura.
He is absolutely the real culprit behind that series of murders involving the "seven deadly sins".
Why would such a murderer come to this desolate wilderness, and knowing where Chu Lingzhu was, yet not harm her?
What exactly is this guy's goal?
After a while, Chu Lingzhu, who was beside her, suddenly threw away the corncob in her hand and jumped up excitedly.
"Look!"
She pointed to the ancient tree not far away, her beautiful eyes shining brightly, and exclaimed in a low voice with delight:
"It's blooming! The Frosty Moon Flower is about to bloom!"
Jiang Mu looked over.
Bathed in moonlight, the flower buds in the crevices of the old tree trunk were visibly unfolding their delicate petals, layer by layer.
As the petals unfurled, a refreshing and delicate fragrance filled the air.
Even more astonishing is...
Deep within the flower's heart, rings of soft, milky-white light emanated, illuminating the small area as if it were a fairyland.
"Great, I've finally waited for this..."
Chu Lingzhu took out a specially made small shovel from her medicine box and couldn't wait to run forward to pick the fruit.
However, just as the girl reached the tree to pick the fruit, Jiang Mu's expression changed. He grabbed the girl's slender waist and slid backward several meters with her.
"call out--!"\
Almost at the same instant they left.
Accompanied by a sharp, piercing whistling sound.
A jet-black arrow, like a venomous snake leaping from the darkness, became embedded in the trunk of the ancient tree.
The arrow fletching hummed and vibrated violently.
It was only a hair's breadth away from that newly blooming "Frosty Moon Flower".
"Who goes there?!"
Jiang Mu held Chu Lingzhu tightly behind him, drawing his Blood Frenzy Blade, its blade flashing uncertainly in the night.
Three figures slowly emerged from the dark woods ahead.
One man and two women.
The man at the front was dressed in a magnificent purple robe, with a jade belt around his waist and cloud-patterned shoes; he was the very image of a young master from a noble family.
The man was handsome, with a gentle smile playing on his lips.
The two women following behind were both dressed in tight-fitting black outfits that accentuated their curves.
However, their faces had a somewhat eerie quality.
The ears are slightly pointed, and the pupils are vertical slits.
Each of them held a black curved bow, clearly indicating that the fatal arrow had been fired by them.
Jiang Mu sensed the intense demonic energy emanating from them, and a thought struck him.
"A fourth-tier demon?"
Then, his gaze fell upon the handsome man in the purple robe.
"Such dense demonic energy..."
Jiang Mu narrowed his eyes slightly. "A sixth-tier demon."
Moreover, judging from the stability of his aura, he was clearly a demonic cultivator at the sixth-order Great Perfection stage.
That's quite unusual.
In the area surrounding Huzhou City, the Demon Slayer Division frequently conducts raids.
It's one thing for ordinary third- or fourth-tier demons to occasionally roam and cause trouble, but how could a sixth-tier demon cultivator suddenly appear with two fourth-tier demon servants?
Are you from out of town?
Because Jiang Mu was only wearing ordinary casual clothes, not his official robes, the purple-robed demon mistook him for an ordinary martial arts cultivator.
"A lone man and woman meeting in the deep mountains late at night—how romantic!"
The man in purple robes stopped about three zhang away from Jiang Mu, then swiftly opened his folding fan, a playful smile on his face.
"Judging from your profound aura, may I ask which sect in the martial world you are a disciple of?"
Jiang Mu remained calm:
"And who are you, you demons and monsters?"
The man in purple robes ignored Jiang Mu, instead closing his folding fan and pointing with the fan ribs to the Frost Moon Flower emitting a soft white light on the tree. He then spoke softly to the pure and beautiful Chu Lingzhu:
"Young lady, although that Frost Moon Flower has bloomed, the tree is tainted with demonic blood and evil energy. If you pick it now, it will surely ruin its medicinal properties."
We need to wait another half an hour, until it has absorbed enough moonlight to neutralize the demonic blood's malevolent energy, before it can be harvested.
Chu Lingzhu was taken aback and turned to look at the large tree.
"Oh right, I forgot to tell you two."
The man smiled and said, "This Frost Moon Flower was planted here by me several months ago and cultivated using a secret method."
Since you two have stumbled upon this by accident and enjoyed the view, please refrain from any inappropriate thoughts. I'm taking these flowers away tonight to avoid any unpleasantness.
"You're talking nonsense!"
Upon hearing this, Chu Lingzhu immediately retorted,
"The Frost Moon Ephemeral is a natural creation that absorbs the coldest energy of heaven and earth. It grows randomly, not confined to any particular area. It is most susceptible to the influence of human presence during cultivation, and there is simply no way to cultivate or plant it artificially."
You don't even understand this most basic pharmacological knowledge, yet you dare to shamelessly claim that you grew it?
Having his lie exposed, the man in purple robes didn't feel embarrassed at all; instead, he burst into laughter:
"The little girl knows quite a lot."
After laughing, the man in the purple robe turned to look at Jiang Mu:
"I was merely giving you a way out. In short, I've set my sights on this flower, and I'm taking it tonight."
"You two shouldn't have any objections, right?"
Jiang Mu didn't rush to draw his sword. Instead, he secretly observed his surroundings for any other demons and tried to ascertain the demon's background.
"You still haven't answered me, where did you come from?"
A sixth-tier demonic cultivator, accompanied by two fourth-tier demonic creatures, dared to appear so brazenly outside Huzhou City.
There must be a powerful force behind this.
If we could follow the trail and uncover a whole bunch of them, we could have a good, satisfying slaughter.
"You want to find out my background?" the purple-robed man chuckled.
Jiang Mu bluntly stated, "I just wanted to ask if you have any helpers nearby. If it's just the three of you, then if I really wanted to take this flower, I believe I'd be confident I could succeed."
The man in purple robes looked at Jiang Mu as if she were an idiot.
He waved his hand.
A black-clad female demon beside him understood immediately.
It immediately knelt obediently on the grass, hands on the ground, using itself as a human stool.
The man in purple robes sat naturally on the banshee's back, adjusted himself into a comfortable position, and looked at Jiang Mu with a mocking expression:
"Young man, confidence is a good thing, but blind arrogance will only lead to your demise."
Do you really think you can snatch anything from me with your meager skills?
The reason I haven't killed you yet is because I have a use for you; you'll find out soon enough.
His gaze then shifted to Chu Lingzhu, his eyes gleaming:
"As for this delicate-skinned young girl, she'll naturally be of great use..."
As they were talking, the succubus beneath them suddenly gagged.
The purple-robed man, interrupted, frowned, looking displeased, but didn't seem to care much, preparing to continue speaking.
"Ugh—"
The banshee gagged again.
This time, a glob of filth spurted from her mouth, landing on the man's boots.
The purple-robed man was so startled that he sprang off the banshee's back, taking several steps back. He looked down at the filth on his boots, his face ashen, as if a layer of frost could be scraped off.
"You wretched servant! What are you doing?!"
The man in purple robes roared.
He raised his foot and kicked the succubus hard in the stomach.
The banshee was kicked and rolled twice.
She wanted to beg for forgiveness, to explain that she hadn't meant to.
But the stench that assaulted her senses and the burning pain in her throat rendered her unable to utter a sound.
He could only clutch his throat and writhe in agony on the ground.
At that moment, another black-clad female demon standing to the side suddenly went limp and collapsed to the ground with a thud.
She was also clutching her own neck with both hands, her eyes rolling back.
"..."\
Jiang Mu watched this scene, then turned to look at Chu Lingzhu speechlessly.
Eldest sister.
I was just about to find out what this demonic cultivator was all about, what's with this sudden poisoning?
Chu Lingzhu blinked her big, innocent eyes and muttered softly:
"It's not entirely my fault."
I scattered some around here...who knew these unlucky guys would come running over on their own?"
At this moment, the man in purple robes finally realized that something was wrong.
At the same time, a pungent odor was also detected.
In that instant, he felt as if a lump of feces had been stuffed into his brain and then detonated.
A feeling of dizziness washed over me.
My stomach churned violently.
"Damn it, it's poisonous!"
The purple-robed man's expression changed, and he quickly formed a hand seal.
A ring of black demonic energy surged from his body, spreading outwards like black ripples, forming a protective barrier.
This barely kept the pungent stench out.
Even so, the taste still lingered in his mouth and nose.
It felt like he'd just eaten a huge bite of fresh...you know, it made him feel so nauseous his stomach acid was rising.
The man in the purple robe trembled all over.
Even someone as stupid as him would understand that it was those two on the other side who were behind it.
"mean!"\
The man's eyes burned with rage as he stared at Jiang Mu.
"I originally thought you were a disciple of some prestigious sect, but I never expected you to be such a despicable villain who secretly poisons people."
Upon hearing this, Little Doctor Chu Lingzhu was displeased.
What kind of despicable person would poison someone?
The girl retorted loudly and confidently:
"You're so unreasonable!"
Swords are weapons, and so is poison. Why is it that if you use a piece of metal to kill someone, you're considered upright and honorable, while someone who uses poison to win is considered despicable and petty?
This is blatant discrimination! You're the most despicable person!
The man in purple robes laughed in extreme anger:
"You little brat, you've got a sharp tongue. I'm going to strip you naked later."
"I'll torture you slowly!"
The man's right hand transformed into a claw, demonic energy surging across his five fingers like five sharp black spears, creating a gust of wind as it hurtled towards Chu Lingzhu.
A cold glint flashed in Jiang Mu's eyes.
He pulled Chu Lingzhu behind him to protect her, his right hand gripping the Blood Frenzy Blade tightly.
Swish!
The crimson blade light, like a crescent moon, carried the power to cleave mountains and shatter peaks, slashing towards the purple-robed man's demonic claws.
"clang!"\
Knives and claws clashed.
A powerful shockwave spread outwards.
The man in purple robes felt a tremendous force surge up his arm, making his hand go numb, and he involuntarily slid back several steps.
He steadied himself, a flicker of shock crossing his eyes.
This kid, he's only at the early stage of the fifth realm, so why is the power of his strike so fierce?
"You've got some skills!"
The purple-robed man snorted coldly, and his demonic energy surged once more.
He waved his hands rapidly in front of him.
The fingernails on all ten fingers grew at a visible speed, transforming into ten sharp black bone whips, each over two feet long.
"Swish, swish, swish!"\
Ten bone whips intertwined in the air, forming a large black net that enveloped Jiang Mu.
Each bone whip was coated with highly corrosive demonic energy.
Jiang Mu's eyes narrowed.
Within his dantian, the [Primordial Heavenly Gang Blood River True Qi] surged wildly into the Blood Frenzy Blade.
"boom!"\
At the same time, a powerful pressure surged forth from Jiang Mu's body.
Behind him, the void twisted.
A towering phantom of a divine general, three zhang tall and entirely formed from crimson-gold flames, suddenly appeared!
The image of the Fire God!
Although limited by Jiang Mu's current cultivation level, this Fire God Dharma Image cannot yet reach a height of a hundred feet and destroy the heavens and the earth like Yuan Qianfan's.
But a Dharma image is still a Dharma image; the oppressive aura it contains is enough to make one tremble.
"Dharma... Dharma form?!"
The man in purple robes was completely dumbfounded upon seeing this.
His eyes were wide open, bigger than a bull's eyes, almost popping out of their sockets, his face filled with disbelief.
How the hell is this possible?
How could a mere youth at the fifth realm of cultivation possibly possess a Dharma form?!
In that brief moment of stunned silence, the man in the purple robe...
Jiang Mu has launched a counterattack.
Under the oppressive power of the Vulcan's avatar, the purple-robed man's ten bone whips were slowed down by half a beat in the face of this vast divine might.
"Sky-Shattering Slash!"
Jiang Mu raised the Blood Frenzy Blade in his hand.
With an unstoppable, domineering momentum, he slashed down!
Against the backdrop of the Fire God's avatar, the crimson blade light seemed to transform into a raging, roaring river of blood, slashing fiercely into the vast net woven from black bone whips with overwhelming force.
"Crack!!"
With a series of cracking sounds, the ten bone whips, under the strangulation, were severed inch by inch, like fragile withered branches and fallen leaves.
Black demonic blood splattered everywhere.
"ah--!"\
The man in the purple robe let out a scream.
The ten fingers are connected to the heart; the broken bone whip caused him excruciating pain.
He quickly stepped back, trying to create some distance.
But Jiang Mu wasn't going to give him a chance to catch his breath.
Using the [Serpent's Wandering Steps] movement technique, Jiang Mu stuck to it like a leech.
One blow after another, each one fatal.
Each slash was accompanied by the oppressive aura of the Fire God's Dharma Image and the ferocity of the Blood River's True Qi, tearing at its prey with madness.
The purple-robed man could only desperately channel his demonic energy, condensing layer upon layer of black shields in front of him as he struggled to hold on.
"This is impossible!"
"That's absolutely impossible!"
The purple-robed man roared inwardly; he absolutely refused to believe that he, a sixth-order Great Perfection demon, could be so suppressed by a fifth-realm cultivator.
Humiliation and fear were intertwined.
The protective magic shield was on the verge of shattering under Jiang Mu's relentless barrage of sword strikes.
A fierce glint flashed in the purple-robed man's eyes. He bit his tongue hard, threw his head back, and roared, "You little beast, you forced me to do this!"
"puff--"\
He opened his mouth wide, and a plume of black smoke billowed out.
The black smoke quickly transformed into a billowing black cloud that blotted out the sky.
Immediately afterwards.
Countless demonic bats with blood-red eyes surged out of the dark clouds, swarming towards Jiang Mu and biting him.
These mutated bats are not only incredibly fast, but their sharp teeth are also highly venomous.
Once bitten, the demonic energy will instantly invade the meridians.
Facing the swarm of bats descending from the sky, Jiang Mu's lips curled into a cold smile.
"You want to gang up on me?"
With a thought, he activated [Shadow Teleportation].
"Whoosh!"
Jiang Mu's figure vanished into thin air, leaving the bats that were pouncing on him empty-handed.
The next second.
He appeared in mid-air directly above the man in purple robes.
Jiang Mu took out the bronze Buddhist lamp and tilted it down.
"Tick-tock..."
A drop of Buddhist oil, imbued with the power of incense offerings and the essence of Buddhist fire, fell.
It passed through the dark clouds and landed directly in the mouth of the purple-robed man.
"boom--!!"\
The Buddha oil entered his throat like a spark thrown into a powder keg, instantly exploding within the purple-robed man's body!
The man in purple robes let out a bloodcurdling scream, like a pig being slaughtered.
Followed by.
\
A pure white flame erupted from his mouth, nostrils, and even his ears.
From a distance.
It was like transforming into a runaway, humanoid fire-breathing dragon.
"Pfft..."
Seeing this, Chu Lingzhu couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh out loud.
Jiang Mu looked at the "Charizard" with a cold gaze.
The handsome face of the man in purple robes was now twisted and deformed, his skin cracking and charring under the scorching of the Buddhist fire.
"Blood Demon Disintegration Technique!"
The man in purple robes suddenly let out a roar.
"Bang!"\
A muffled thud.
The purple-robed man's body exploded in an instant, turning into countless bloody chunks of flesh and black demonic energy flying everywhere.
This sudden self-destruction startled Jiang Mu slightly.
He instinctively swung his sword in front of him to block, while simultaneously raising his protective aura.
However, the shattered flesh and blood were not particularly dangerous; instead, after a moment of twisting, they quickly transformed into tiny, blood-red bats.
The blood-red bats scattered and fled in all directions.
They disappeared into the forest in the blink of an eye.