noffsinger Chapter 24 The Man Behind Yuan Hong
Chapter 24 The Man Behind Yuan Hong
"Jade Fairy, this humble Taoist has come to save you."
Xu Changqing let out a low shout, and the white bone hairpin in his sleeve transformed into a stream of light and instantly condensed into a two-foot bone sword.
Dark red water patterns flowed across the sword's blade, and the Xuan Sha Soul-Slaying Qi pulsed erratically.
The photinia tree that the Jade Fairy had transformed into seemed to sense something. Its trunk trembled violently, and the sticky nodules on its bark burst open, spurting out large amounts of dark green, fishy-sweet, and pungent sap.
The sap hit the ground with a sizzling sound, and the rocks were corroded into deep pits.
At the same time, the pink and white flowers on the tree canopy trembled wildly, and countless tiny midges "buzzed" out, turning into a hazy cloud of insects that descended upon Xu Changqing.
These midges are not physical entities, but rather "desire worms" formed by the Jade Fairy using bewitching magic. They specialize in attacking the mind and spirit, and once they burrow into the seven orifices, they can stir up inner demons and lead people to sink into the sea of desire.
"A trivial skill."
Xu Changqing snorted coldly, and his illusory destiny energy circulated around his body, transforming into a hazy starlight.
The insect cloud collided with the starlight, making a soft "hissing" sound, and like moths drawn to a flame, it quickly melted away.
The trunk of the twisted demon tree suddenly cracked open, revealing a fleshy, wriggling membrane inside that glowed with a pinkish light, instead of wood.
Deep within the flesh membrane, the outline of a naked female body could be vaguely seen, with skin as smooth as jade and graceful curves, which was the original appearance of the Jade Fairy.
At this moment, the woman's eyes were closed, her face was peaceful, but her body was pierced and entangled by countless fine pink roots, which were as thin as hair, and she became one with the tree.
"Brother Xuming~~"
Deep within the flesh membrane, the woman's eyes suddenly opened.
Her eyes were brimming with spring water, exuding charm, and her lips parted slightly, uttering a soft, seductive voice.
"Do you think I'm beautiful?"
The sound entered his ears, and Xu Changqing's heart skipped a beat.
The scene before him suddenly changed. In an elegant boudoir, red gauze hung down and incense wafted. The Jade Fairy, draped in light gauze, leaned against the couch, her snow-white skin partially visible, and stretched out her jade arm toward him.
"Come on, fellow Daoist, why fight and kill? Wouldn't it be more enjoyable to go to Wushan with me?"
In the illusion, a warm fragrance wafts through the air, and soft, tender words touch the deepest desires of the human heart.
Xu Changqing paused, a flicker of desire in his eyes, a slight heat rising in his lower body. But the next moment, the Heavenly Void Nourishing Life Technique activated on its own, and his consciousness instantly cleared.
"You fiend, how dare you bewitch me!"
He roared, his eyes flashing with purple light as he activated the "Purple Star Death Scripture" at full power.
The Eye of Death sees through illusion, and the red gauze curtains before him vanish in an instant, revealing the true form of that ugly, demonic tree.
What jade-like body lying prostrate, what boundless spring scenery? It's nothing more than a puppet within the tree's fleshy membrane, drained of its essence, leaving only a shell.
"die!"
Without further hesitation, Xu Changqing transformed his bone sword into a pale white streak of light, piercing straight into the female body deep within the tree trunk's fleshy membrane.
Wherever the sword passed, the Xuan Sha Gui Water Qi surged wildly, and wherever it touched, the pink flesh membrane quickly froze, turned black, and withered.
"No!"
Deep within the flesh membrane, the woman's body emitted a shrill scream, her alluring gaze transforming into endless resentment.
The tree trunk trembled violently, and countless roots sprouted from the ground, coiling around Xu Changqing's legs like venomous snakes. At the same time, all the pink and white flowers on the tree crown exploded, spewing out large plumes of pink mist, the sweet and pungent smell filling the entire giant pit.
This mist is more poisonous than the midges from before; it specifically corrodes the soul.
Xu Changqing retreated swiftly, while the Illusionary Demon Bell in his sleeve vibrated wildly, its soul-capturing shriek transforming into invisible ripples that collided with the pink mist.
With a hissing sound, most of the fog was shaken away.
However, a small amount still managed to get into his mouth and nose. Xu Changqing felt a dizziness, and countless lewd fantasies surged into his mind. A heat rose in his dantian.
"What a potent aura of lust and poison."
He felt a chill run down his spine, and his illusory destiny energy surged wildly as he forcefully suppressed the evil fire in his heart.
On the other side, Yuan Hong had already made his move against the Blood Monk. His movements were as agile as a monkey, and he pounced on the Blood Monk in a few leaps.
His arms were bulging with muscles, his bluish-gray hair stood on end, and he held a short stick that was entirely black and carved with the heads of ferocious water apes at both ends.
The staff, though only three feet long, exuded a chilling, fishy odor, with ripples of water flowing across its surface, as if one were holding a section of a condensed deep pool.
"Amitabha."
The Blood Monk chanted a Buddhist prayer softly, his withered face showing neither sorrow nor joy.
He remained seated, yet a dark red Buddhist light suddenly appeared around him, filled with blood and resentment. The light transformed into a ferocious phantom with three heads and six arms, each arm wielding a ritual implement: a bone hammer, a human skin drum, a spinal whip, a skull rosary, an intestinal cord, and a heart lamp.
The phantom's six arms moved simultaneously, meeting the black staff in Yuan Hong's hand.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
The black staff clashed head-on with the magical weapon, the sound of metal striking metal exploding and sparks flying. With each strike, Yuan Hong sprayed several drops of black liquid from the staff, which hissed as they hit the ground. Dark red Buddhist light, like a leech, clung to his arm, frantically eroding his flesh.
Yuan Hong didn't care at all. His grayish-blue hair stood on end, and a wild and ferocious aura suddenly erupted. The black staff suddenly shook, and the two water ape heads at both ends opened their mouths at the same time, spitting out two streams of viscous, ink-like, foul-smelling black water.
The black water poured onto the illusory Buddha light was like boiling oil splashed on snow. The illusory image trembled violently amidst the hissing sound, and the six-armed attack suddenly became chaotic.
Blood Monk's face turned pale. He was already seriously injured, and now he was forcibly activating the illusory image, which was the last gasp of his strength.
"Hehe, you bald monk, I'll take your flesh, blood, and soul."
Yuan Hong grinned maliciously, seized an opening in the illusory figure, and suddenly thrust out his black staff, tearing open the illusory figure's chest. The water ape head at the end of the staff opened its fanged maw and bit down hard on the throat of the blood monk inside the illusory figure.
The Blood Monk's pupils constricted sharply, and he retreated rapidly. But Yuan Hong was faster, taking a step forward, his black staff following closely behind.
"puff!"
The Blood Monk couldn't dodge in time and was bitten squarely on the left shoulder. The illusory water ape's fangs pierced through the flesh, and black water poured out wildly. The Blood Monk screamed in agony as the flesh on his left shoulder rapidly rotted and dissolved, revealing the stark white bone beneath. He slammed his right palm down on Yuan Hong's chest, a ball of viscous blood light gathering in his palm.
Yuan Hong neither dodged nor avoided; the bluish-gray hair on his chest suddenly hardened, standing up like iron needles.
The blood splattered on his chest, producing a metallic clang, leaving only a faint palm print.
At the same time, he twirled the black staff in his hand, and the water ape head at the end of the staff opened its mouth and bit the Blood Zen Monk's right wrist.
The sound of bone cracking was clearly audible.
The Blood Monk's eyes were wide open, bloodshot veins bulging. He knew there was no hope of survival, and squeezed out a final, hoarse incantation: "Buddha..."
Before he could finish speaking, Yuan Hong exerted force with both arms and twisted the black stick.
The Blood Monk's body was torn in two like a rag. Before the remains even hit the ground, they were enveloped and swallowed by the black water gushing from the staff, turning into a pool of pus and blood that seeped into the ground.
Yuan Hong put away his staff and stood up, his chest heaving violently, his grayish-blue hair slowly gathering together. He had just let out a maniacal laugh like that of the Uchiha when suddenly a chill ran down his spine and he stopped in his tracks.
Because a man appeared behind him.