Chapter 93: The Oriole Lurks Behind
The Moon-Sustaining Lotus Seed hovered in Song Yan’s palm, its faint moonlight radiance waxing and waning. The yellow-robed Daoist child, suspended in midair, trembled violently. His pupils constricted sharply, revealing an expression of disbelief.
Behind him, the demonic manifestation shadow wavered as well.
“Impossible… this is impossible!”
This sudden turn of events and the appearance of another Moon-Sustaining Lotus Seed completely overturned his thoughts.
“You cannot deceive me. This is another lotus seed… Where did you get it!?”
“Another?”
Song Yan listened as though hearing a joke. “You want a cultivator at the middle stage of Qi Refining to somehow obtain such a treasure as the Moon-Sustaining Ancient Lotus?”
“You yourself know that even if you search all of Chu Kingdom, you won’t find a second one!”
The crowd of cultivators stared blankly at this sudden development.
The yellow-robed Daoist child grew unsettled. He could not determine whether this youth was telling the truth.
Several years ago, he and another demonic cultivator had been chased to this place and inadvertently obtained a record.
It appeared to be documented by one of the earliest independent cultivator leaders of Spirit Flower Valley.
It mentioned that Spirit Flower Valley had been founded upon the seeds of this Moon-Sustaining Ancient Lotus.
The ancestors knew that the strength of independent cultivators could not rival that of sects or demonic cultivators. Fearing that others might covet it and bring disaster, they had concealed the existence of the Moon-Sustaining Lotus Seed under the name of Spirit Spring Jade Pearl.
Spirit eye treasures are born of heaven and earth, difficult to seize or steal. Thus they could spare their descendants from calamity.
The Moon-Sustaining Lotus Seed contained majestic vitality, extremely suitable for cultivating the Underworld Springs Demonic Art that the yellow-robed Daoist child practiced. That was why he had plotted to seize it.
Hummm…
The yellow-robed Daoist child’s expression had turned somewhat dark.
Ghostly energy swirled in his palm, gradually dissolving the translucent jade stone of the so-called “spirit pearl.”
Revealing the lotus seed within.
Upon careful examination, comparing the one in his hand to the one in that brat’s possession, it was indeed rich in spiritual energy but lacking in vitality—clearly a counterfeit.
Now, he believed it by several measures.
Liang Feng stared at the lotus seed in Song Yan’s palm with a vacant gaze.
The yellow-robed Daoist child finally could not accept this turn of events. His face twisted ferociously as he shouted, “What exactly is going on!”
Song Yan did not blush or falter. “Naturally, it was Senior Cong Yuzhen’s stratagem!”
“You didn’t truly believe such clumsy tricks could escape Senior Cong’s discerning eye?”
Cong Yuzhen was slightly startled, though her expression betrayed no ripple.
Heaven forbid, she knew nothing of this!
Song Yan withdrew the Moon-Sustaining Lotus Seed and continued, “Senior Cong had long sensed something amiss. This time, he merely feigned allowing Brother Liang to succeed in order to lure the snake from its hole…”
“To catch them all in one net!”
He smiled half-heartedly. “You want to know if that lotus seed is fake or not… it’s simple.”
“If you can escape from Senior Cong’s sword this time, go back and use it. Won’t you know then?”
The downpour intensified.
A cold gleam flashed in her eyes. The flying sword, Late Rain, had already arrived!
Cong Yuzhen was a very pure person.
She valued sincerity.
She believed in those who were willing to help her.
So she believed Song Yan’s words. The lotus seed in the demonic cultivator’s hands was certainly fake.
Then, she had nothing to worry about.
Her fingers formed seals, and mighty spiritual energy surged forth.
Soft words escaped her lips. “Lifeless Rain.”
Hummm—
In an instant, the torrential downpour suddenly froze. Countless raindrops hung suspended in the air, no longer falling.
The Underworld Springs Daoist child’s heart skipped a beat.
In that single beat, the countless raindrops suspended in midair transformed into needle-like projectiles and shot toward him with blinding speed.
“Boom!”
The yellow-robed figure’s demonic energy surged. The skeletal manifestation, originally over ten feet tall, grew to thirteen feet and its aura solidified somewhat, shielding him within.
Bang, bang, bang…
The sounds came in succession, like cold spring water striking jade.
This overwhelming spiritual energy and this sky full of “sword rain” made even the Spirit Flower Valley cultivators’ hearts fill with dread.
The Moon-Sustaining Lotus Seed in the yellow-robed figure’s hand fell from the sky and vanished into the grass and undergrowth.
In a corner where no one noticed, Xiao He emerged from the shadows and gently carried it away.
Only now did Song Yan let out a barely perceptible breath of relief.
What he feared most was that this yellow-robed demonic cultivator, in a fit of rage, would destroy the genuine, original Moon-Sustaining Lotus Seed.
In the current situation, he had countless ways to muddle through.
“…”
As expected, the demonic manifestation’s aura grew weaker and weaker.
However, the “Late Rain Holds the Guest” formation also dissipated at this moment.
The yellow-robed Daoist was about to perform an escape technique when a stream of water-blue sword light, enveloped by violent water spiritual energy, shot toward him at incredible speed!
It swept past under the yellow-robed figure’s astonished gaze.
Pfft—
Without any hindrance.
It actually slew the yellow-robed figure on the spot!
Even the blood was carried away by the sword light, leaving only a withered corpse like a skeleton falling to the ground.
“…”
Song Yan stared at this scene in disbelief…
“A Foundation Establishment demonic cultivator…”
“Just like that…”
“Died?”
His gaze toward Cong Yuzhen gained a measure of reverence. To achieve a decisive kill, Cong Yuzhen had also depleted her spiritual energy.
She panted slightly at this moment, but her manner remained swift and decisive.
She casually seized the yellow-robed figure’s cosmos bag and called out to the people below, “Bring Liang Feng. Return to Spirit Flower Valley for a meeting!”
“Yes, Senior.”
Before departing, Cong Yuzhen’s gaze lingered on Song Yan for a moment.
“Come with me.”
…
Several dozen li away.
A mountain village.
A writhing mass of flesh, trailing wisps of pale yellow mist, slowly crawled through the shadows.
“Damn it, damn it, damn it!!!”
“That woman! That brat! I will remember you!”
It cursed continuously, the rage within unable to be vented.
“In the future, when my Underworld Springs Demonic Art is complete and I rise again, I will make you wish for death!!!”
“Fortunately, I was cautious in all matters and left a flesh avatar here…”
Suddenly, he glimpsed a mortal boy in the distance who seemed to have lost his way in the forest.
“Hehe! Just what I needed, since I lack a body…”
“I shall use you first!”
The yellow-robed Daoist child’s flesh avatar slowly crawled toward the boy.
“…”
The boy had already seen this bizarre creature from afar. In his terror, he could only open his mouth wide, too frightened to make a sound.
He stumbled and fell to the ground.
He watched helplessly as the mass of flesh slowly expanded, gradually taking the shape of a small figure that walked toward him.
“It’s all right… child…”
A hoarse, gloomy voice emanated from somewhere within the “small figure.”
“It’s all right…”
The “small figure’s” hands were covered in blood as they slowly reached toward the boy.
“It’s all right…”
The voice cut off abruptly.
A horizontal blade gently rested against the “small figure’s” neck.
A cold voice came from behind.
“He is all right.”
Sheng Nian’s features appeared especially angular under the moonlight.
“You are in deep trouble.”
“…”
The horizontal blade moved slightly, about to deliver the killing stroke, when a voice sounded from within him.
“Before you kill him, don’t you want to see what he knows?”
“…”
The yellow-robed Daoist child’s flesh avatar was now overwhelmed with terror. If he died here, it would be true death—body and dao both extinguished.
He immediately began to wail and beg for mercy.
“Spare me, Senior! Spare me—urgh—”
A large hand had already gripped the “small figure’s” skull.
Sheng Nian’s eyes were veiled in a layer of crimson.
“Soul-Seizing Art!”
…
…
“Heh. I thought that after all these years, the younger generation would have improved, but one generation is worse than the next…”
“Hey old ghost, this ‘Desire Realm Heavenly Asura Dharma Body’… sounds rather impressive.”
“The foundational demonic art of the Asura Path. You think it’s impressive… it’s passable. Not as good as the one I taught you…”
“Can I practice both?”
“Heh. Courting death.”
“…”
After a moment of silence, the voice from the netherworld suddenly changed tone. “However…”
“Now that I think about it, if that village boy of yours could control his demonic thoughts, this art… would actually be quite suitable for him…”
“Ah… you old ghost, are you truly an ancient demonic lord? Why do you always consider things for a righteous-path cultivator…”
“Hehe, I think that boy is more suited to become a ‘demon’ than you.”
“…”
“…I’ll inscribe a copy for him when the time comes.”
“But this art’s name needs to be changed. Anyone seeing such an evil-sounding name wouldn’t dare accept it.”
“…”