Liaozhai: Immortality Begins with Becoming Yan Chixia's Apprentice

Chapter 177 The Cicada Sheds Its Shell

Without wasting words, Zhou Ning unleashed a sword strike.

A purplish-gold sword aura shot out from the sword tip, heading straight for the demonic path.

The demonic Taoist snorted coldly, pulled out a talisman from his sleeve, and threw it towards the sword energy.

The talisman transformed into a streak of black light, colliding with the sword energy and producing a muffled explosion.

The demon was forced back several steps, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

"You've got some skill." A hint of surprise flashed in the demon's eyes.

He formed a mudra with his hands and chanted incantations.

The Black Dragon King opened its blood-red maw and spewed out a ball of black flame, lunging towards Zhou Ning.

Zhou Ning was prepared and dodged the flames with a swift movement.

At the same time, he unleashed a sword strike, the purple-gold sword energy heading straight for the Black Dragon King's head.

"Ding!"

The sword energy struck the Black Dragon King's scales, sending sparks flying.

It was completely unharmed.

Its defense is strong, but it is still somewhat inferior to the Heavenly Demon's clone.

Zhou Ning concentrated all his spiritual power at the tip of the sword and unleashed the ultimate move of the "Demon Slayer Technique".

A dazzling purple-gold light shone on the Qingfeng Sword.

The light grew stronger and brighter, like a small sun, illuminating the entire stone chamber as if it were daytime.

"cut!"

A massive purple-gold sword aura shot out from the tip of the sword, heading straight for the Black Dragon King's head.

The Black Dragon King seemed to sense the terror of this sword strike and tried to dodge, but the sword energy was so fast that he had no time to react.

"Pfft!"

The sword energy pierced through the Black Dragon King's head, and black blood gushed out.

The Black Dragon King let out a desperate roar, crashed to the ground, and fell silent.

The demon's expression changed drastically, and he turned and ran.

Zhou Ning unleashed a sword strike, and the purple-gold sword energy cleaved him in two.

"Nothing special."

Zhou Ning sheathed his sword, walked to the altar, and shattered it with a single palm strike.

The black runes, illuminated by the purple-gold light, turned into black smoke and dissipated.

Silence returned to the stone chamber.

Zhou Ning left the stone chamber and returned to the palace.

Old Turtle was waiting at the palace gate. When he saw Zhou Ning come out, he hurriedly went to greet him.

"Young man, where is the Black Dragon King?"

Zhou Ning said, "They're dead. The demonic cultivator is dead too. According to what you said before, with the Black Dragon King and the demonic cultivator dead, the vortex should disappear soon."

Old Turtle was overcome with tears and knelt down to kowtow.

"Our benefactor! You are the greatest benefactor of the East China Sea!"

Zhou Ning helped him up: "Elder Turtle, there's no need to be so polite. Slaying demons and eliminating evil is simply our duty."

He bid farewell to the old tortoise, left the Dragon Palace, and returned to the shore.

After the matter of the East Sea Dragon Palace was settled, Zhou Ning did not stay in Wanghai Town for long.

He bid farewell to Old Man Gui and the townspeople, and headed south along the coastline.

The sea breeze caressed my face, carrying a salty, fishy smell, and the waves crashed against the rocks on the shore, making a rhythmic sound.

In the distance, where the sea meets the sky, several seagulls are flying, emitting clear cries.

Zhou Ning took a deep breath, a long-lost sense of ease welling up inside him.

With the East China Sea issue resolved, fishermen can go out to sea to fish again, and coastal residents no longer need to live in fear.

After walking for about two hours, the sky suddenly darkened.

Zhou Ning looked up and saw dark clouds rolling and lightning flashing on the distant sea.

A storm is rapidly approaching.

On the sea, the waves surged, and white spray was whipped up by the gale, like thousands of white horses galloping.

The air was damp, and raindrops began to fall sparsely.

"A storm is coming."

Zhou Ning frowned.

He quickened his pace, looking for a safe place to shelter from the wind.

After walking a short distance, a small fishing village appeared ahead.

The village is small, with only a few dozen households. The houses are low and built with stones and wood.

At the entrance of the village stands an old banyan tree, its branches and leaves so lush that they resemble a giant umbrella, shading half the sky.

Zhou Ning entered the village and found the villagers busy preparing their fishing nets and boats in preparation for the storm.

"Old man, could I borrow a place to take shelter from the rain?" Zhou Ning walked up to an old man who was collecting fishing nets.

The old man raised his head, glanced at him, and nodded.

"Come with me."

He led Zhou Ning into a house at the entrance of the village.

The house wasn't big, but it was kept fairly clean.

The old man's wife was busy at the stove when she saw Zhou Ning and quickly poured him a bowl of hot water.

"Young man, are you from out of town? This storm came so suddenly. Why don't you stay here for the night and leave when the rain stops?" the old man's wife said.

Zhou Ning nodded: "Thank you, sir."

Outside, the storm was getting fiercer.

The wind howled, whipping up sand and gravel that pelted the windows with a crackling sound.

The rain poured down like a waterfall, and the world was shrouded in chaos.

On the sea, towering waves crashed against the rocks on the shore, creating a deafening roar.

Zhou Ning sat by the window, gazing at the storm outside, feeling somewhat uneasy.

Such storms are rare in the East China Sea.

Is it another case of evil spirits at work?

He unleashed his divine sense, covering an area of ​​hundreds of thousands of feet in radius.

He sensed it very quickly.

On the distant sea, a faint demonic aura was surging.

That demonic aura was different from that of the Black Dragon King; it was colder and more malevolent.

"It seems someone is up to something again." Zhou Ning stood up.

The old man quickly said, "Young man, it's windy and rainy outside, where are you going?"

Zhou Ning said, "Grandpa, I'll go check on things. You all keep the doors and windows closed and don't come out."

He took out a raincoat and a straw hat from his bag, put them on, pushed open the door, and rushed into the storm.

The wind and rain were so fierce that he could barely open his eyes.

Zhou Ning circulated his true essence throughout his body, forming a layer of purple-gold protective qi that kept the wind and rain out.

He stepped into the air and transformed into a rainbow, soaring towards the sea.

On the sea, towering waves surged.

Zhou Ning waded through the waves, heading towards the direction where demonic energy permeated the air.

After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a cloud of black mist appeared ahead.

A figure could be vaguely seen in the fog.

The figure was dressed in a black Taoist robe and held a black banner embroidered with strange runes that emitted a faint black light.

He muttered incantations, and with a wave of the banner, a black whirlwind flew out from the banner, turning into a violent storm.

"A demonic Taoist! The demonic Taoist in the Dragon Palace is still alive? Did he escape like a cicada shedding its skin? Luckily, I didn't return to Lanruo Temple immediately."

A cold glint flashed in Zhou Ning's eyes.

He drew his Qingfeng sword and slashed out.

Clean and neat.

A purple-gold sword aura shot out from the sword tip, like a giant purple-gold dragon, heading straight for the demon path.

"It's you again!"

The demon's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly waved his banner, sending a black whirlwind to meet it.

"boom!"

The sword energy collided with the whirlwind, producing a deafening explosion.

The demon was forced back several steps, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

The runes on the banner had dimmed considerably.

"What exactly do you want? Why are you relentlessly pursuing this old Taoist priest?" the evil Taoist priest asked in shock and anger.

Zhou Ning coldly replied, "To slay demons and eliminate evil for the people."

With a single sword strike, the purple-gold sword energy cleaved the demon's banner in two.

The evil Taoist priest let out a miserable cry and turned to run away again.

"Trying to pull the same trick again? You have no respect for me at all. Die!"

Zhou Ning thrust out his sword again, cleaving him in two once more.

After the demonic Taoist priest was completely dead, the storm gradually subsided.

The dark clouds dispersed, and the sun shone again on the sea, making it sparkle.

Zhou Ning sheathed his sword and turned back to the fishing village.

Villagers are cleaning up houses and boats damaged by the storm.

Upon seeing Zhou Ning return, they all gathered around him.

"Young man, the storm has stopped, did you do it?" the old man asked excitedly.

Zhou Ning nodded: "It was a wicked sorcerer who was causing trouble. I've already killed him, so there shouldn't be any more storms like this in the future."

The villagers knelt down and kowtowed, expressing their deepest gratitude.

Zhou Ning helped them up and said, "There's no need for you to be so polite. Slaying demons and eliminating evil is simply our duty."