By the time they entered the woods, night had fallen. Er Sheng held a torch, busily catching insects for Chang Yuan. Chang Yuan accepted them all, eating with evident enjoyment.
Chen Zhu supported Chang Yuan with one hand while holding a torch with the other, watching clearly as Chang Yuan swallowed insects one after another beside him. He felt nauseated with stomach acid rising, thinking these two were not only verbally improper but bizarrely behaved – they must have something wrong with their minds. He shouldn’t associate with them further, lest he end up like them – how terrifying!
The main group had already advanced deep into the woods. Some immortals escorted townspeople further north, while others stayed behind to set up another barrier in the forest to prevent walking corpses from entering and finding the legendary “Return Dragon Valley.”
Because Er Sheng kept running about catching insects for Chang Yuan, delaying their progress, the three of them fell far behind the group, only now reaching a small pond.
Chen Zhu was anxious but didn’t want to appear afraid, so he bit his tongue instead of hurrying them. Er Sheng focused entirely on filling Chang Yuan’s stomach, not caring where the others had gone. Chang Yuan showed no urgency, remaining perfectly composed.
“Chang Yuan, do you want some water?” Er Sheng pointed at the starlit pond. “The water here is very sweet, much better than the well water in the village. You should drink something after eating so much meat.”
Chen Zhu glanced at the distant line of torches growing fainter and finally couldn’t hold back: “Drink later – what if this wild water gives you diarrhea?”
“It won’t!” Er Sheng immediately bristled at Chen Zhu’s words and stretched her neck to argue, but Chang Yuan’s gaze remained fixed on the deep pond for a long while. After a moment of silence, he suddenly said, “Er Sheng, bring me some water from that pond to look at.”
Er Sheng stuck her tongue out at Chen Zhu, muttering “coward” under her breath, then obediently went to fetch water.
Chen Zhu gazed anxiously at the distant torchlight, now almost disappeared. Suddenly he felt a chill wind at his back. Turning his neck to look behind, he heard only the rustle of leaves in pitch darkness. He could see nothing, but this very unknowing made him feel like something could jump out at any moment.
“Little dirty kid! Hurry up!”
“I know, I know.”
Er Sheng filled a bamboo tube with water and ran back to give it to Chang Yuan.
Chang Yuan stared at the water for a long while without drinking, his eyes growing increasingly bright in the torchlight: “So it is here. No wonder this place is rich with spiritual energy.” He murmured softly, “The mortal world changes so much, who knows how many times seas have become mulberry fields here…”
He spoke so quietly that even Chen Zhu standing right beside him couldn’t hear clearly, only continuing to urge: “Drink quickly! You wanted water, why just stare at it? Will flowers grow from looking?”
“Don’t be mean to Chang Yuan!” Er Sheng rolled up her sleeves to hit Chen Zhu.
Suddenly the cool forest breeze stopped, and the three smelled a putrid stench that made them want to vomit.
Chen Zhu immediately became alert, his eyes quickly scanning the forest. Chang Yuan whispered in his ear: “Southeast direction.” Just as Chen Zhu turned to look, his elbow was struck violently, making him drop the torch into the pond, extinguishing its light. Then his abdomen took a fierce punch that sent him flying thirty feet, crashing through a tree and landing pathetically in the bushes. Chang Yuan wasn’t spared either, falling with Chen Zhu into the broken wood thicket, going silent.
It all happened in a flash – Er Sheng didn’t even see why Chen Zhu and Chang Yuan suddenly flew away. She stood dazed with her torch for a moment, then turned in horror, slowly making out their attacker.
A giant walking corpse. Unlike other walking corpses, its skin hadn’t rotted, looking almost human except for a huge gash in its chest and abdomen.
In the torchlight, Er Sheng could see its chest cavity crawling with slimy black worms, constantly writhing and rolling.
The worm in Er Sheng’s palm began to stir restlessly as if trying to break through her skin and jump out.
“Turtle descendant’s…” Er Sheng mumbled absently, “These worms can make you grow so big – good thing Lady Ji Ling stopped me from eating them. Otherwise, when I sleep with Chang Yuan later, I’d surely crush him to death.”
“Oh?” A middle-aged man’s voice came from behind the giant corpse. “How curious – you’re infected with gu but still clear-minded.”
Er Sheng peered around to see a richly dressed man slowly emerge from behind the giant corpse. He appeared about forty years old with a noble bearing, like a royal or aristocrat, but his eyes were unnaturally predatory.
“Who are you?”
“I am the Lord of the Southern Borderlands, King Yue.” He smiled at Er Sheng: “You must be quite special in some way, little girl. Once I taste you, I’ll know.”
Taste…
“You mean… you want to eat me?”
He nodded amusedly, and Er Sheng understood, silently reciting the defensive magic incantations Chang Yuan had taught her.
Seeing Er Sheng motionless, King Yue thought she was frozen in fear. He patted the giant corpse’s back, signaling it to capture her.
Two steps away, one step… Er Sheng looked up and said: “I like eating insects, but I don’t like being eaten by insects.” She raised her hand toward the corpse’s chest, and a golden light pierced straight through, just like when she had blown up that other corpse’s head. The giant corpse screamed shrilly, making Er Sheng’s head hurt. The worms in its chest cavity began writhing frantically, and Er Sheng felt a slight pain in her palm. Looking down, she saw the worm hidden in her palm had been forcibly sucked out.
While the corpse was still in chaos, she threw her torch and ran toward where Chen Zhu had fallen in the broken wood thicket.
“Heh, the little girl has some courage.” King Yue laughed coldly, his figure flashing as he leaped in front of Er Sheng, crossing his arms as he examined her.
The orange torch flames danced behind her as many ideas flashed through Er Sheng’s mind. Finally, she decisively dropped her head, falling to her knees with a thud and kowtowing three times, clutching her head as she wept: “Spare me, Great King! Spare me! Er Sheng has been an orphan since childhood and hasn’t grown much meat – I won’t taste good! And… and I haven’t bathed in days, and I’m constipated, my belly is full of dirty things, not good to eat!”
King Yue continued smiling enigmatically: “That’s no problem. I have strange tastes – I love dirty things.”
Er Sheng trembled all over, looking up at King Yue with her face covered in snot and tears. He placed his hand on her head: “Such eyes please me.” His palm gradually grew scorching hot as if it would burn off her hair. “I most enjoy seeing the look of despair in others’ eyes.”
He tightened his fingers, and the pain made Er Sheng think she would die right there.
Even after a sharp white light flashed through the air and the pain in her head suddenly vanished, Er Sheng remained dazed.
“Heh, little Wu Fang disciple, how presumptuous to dare interfere with my grand plans.” King Yue dodged the attack from afar, coldly watching Ji Ling and the others racing toward them.
It turned out Ji Ling’s group had noticed the disturbance behind them and turned back, saving Er Sheng at a critical moment. An immortal master helped Er Sheng to the side. When Ji Ling shouted “Formation!”, the immortal master hurried to join the battle.
“Haha! How interesting! Wu Fang Mountain must truly be short of talent if they think a few greenhorns like you can handle me.” King Yue clapped his hands, his eyes suddenly turning bloodthirsty. “Then I’ll use your corpses to make that high and mighty Wu Fang Immortal Lord weep.”
“How dare you!” Ji Ling shouted furiously, thrusting her sword at him. King Yue easily avoided it, casually flicking his finger against her blade. The sword violently shuddered, nearly slipping from Ji Ling’s grasp. King Yue let out a mighty roar, awakening the giant corpse that had been standing idle since Er Sheng’s attack. It caught the immortals off guard, swinging its fists wildly. Two were struck, breaking their formation.
King Yue laughed arrogantly, releasing waves of evil energy that prevented all the immortals from rising. He looked down at Ji Ling beneath his feet and struck downward. Ji Ling was hit in the back, spitting blood, nearly unconscious.
Er Sheng finally came to her senses. Seeing this, she picked up a stone from the ground and hurled it at King Yue: “Turtle descendant bastard! How dare you bully people! Go die!”
A mere stone could hardly harm him, but it made his eyes grow even more bloodthirsty.
“I will enter Return Dragon Valley, eat the immortality grass, and live as long as heaven and earth, shine as bright as sun and moon! Little girl, watch your tongue!”
“You’ll live forever like a turtle bastard! Like a rock in a manure pit, polished by dung, stinking for ten thousand years!”
These words enraged King Yue. He reached out, and Er Sheng felt her throat tighten. Her body floated involuntarily toward King Yue. No matter how she struggled, her feet couldn’t touch the ground. Soon, her vision began darkening from lack of air.
In her haze, she felt clear winds from the deep pond sweep over her, clearing her foggy mind.
A silvery-white light emerged from the broken wood thicket where Chen Zhu and Chang Yuan had fallen. Though eye-catching in the darkness, it felt safe and warm.
Of course, this was just Er Sheng’s perception. For the immortals pinned down by evil energy, this newly emerged aura felt even more oppressive and painful, like being coldly watched by a high deity in a solemn temple…
“Those who would disturb the dragon clan’s eternal rest shall die without mercy.”
Dragon clan’s eternal rest…
King Yue’s hand loosened, that invisible force instantly vanishing. Er Sheng collapsed to the ground, clutching her throat and coughing violently.
“Dragons?” King Yue stared at the man emerging from the thicket and laughed. “So what if I disturb them? They’re just ancient extinct creatures.”
Chang Yuan walked slowly over fallen leaves, his aura completely contained, expression cold. Golden light flashed through his black eyes, disappearing instantly, leaving them emotionless.
Though King Yue didn’t know Chang Yuan’s identity, he sensed this person wasn’t easy to deal with. The playful look gradually left his face as he waved to summon the giant corpse. With a gesture, the corpse floated like a puppet, moving with agility completely unlike its previous clumsiness.
Chang Yuan reached out his right hand, catching the corpse’s massive fist head-on. Despite the tremendous force of flesh meeting flesh, there wasn’t even a sound.
Er Sheng caught her breath and looked up worriedly. She saw light gather at Chang Yuan’s fingertips, and in an instant, the corpse’s entire arm was easily dismembered. Chang Yuan tossed it aside like a toy. The corpse howled to the sky, its cry chilling to the bone.
Chang Yuan’s expression remained unchanged as he waved his hand, striking the corpse’s throat. The screaming stopped abruptly. He withdrew his hand, and the corpse collapsed limply to the ground. Chang Yuan’s eyes remained cold as he advanced. Though his pace was neither fast nor slow, each step carried an intimidating pressure.
King Yue stepped back slightly, then gnashed his teeth in hatred at Chang Yuan: “I’ve brought my plans to this point today. I won’t let them be ruined by some mysterious nobody!”
Chang Yuan ignored his words. If he had even a tenth of his usual power, he would have already struck this man dead. But now he was gravely injured, temporarily restored only by the insects Er Sheng had caught for him. These insects, even after his processing, could only sustain him for fifteen minutes. If he couldn’t resolve this within that time, not only would everyone present die, but Return Dragon Valley would also be defiled by this filthy person.
How could he allow that…
Chang Yuan’s hand formed a claw, striking directly at King Yue’s throat. King Yue dodged, but Chang Yuan pressed forward relentlessly, every move a killing strike. King Yue struggled to resist, gradually losing ground.
King Yue’s pupils turned blood-red. Thinking he couldn’t be defeated here, he defended while backing toward the fallen corpse.
At this moment, Chen Zhu finally awoke from his stupor in the thicket. Opening his eyes, he saw all his sect’s senior uncles lying on the ground while Chang Yuan – who couldn’t even walk – was battling the enemy. He was dumbfounded, but what he saw next left him unable to eat anything with even a hint of meat for three months.
King Yue had retreated to the corpse’s side, turned over its chest, and pulled out the black worms inside, eating them all.
“Gods! Gods! Heavens! He’s eating insects too! He’s eating insects! Ugh… what’s wrong with this world… ugh… what’s happening!”
Chang Yuan’s eyes darkened slightly, his killing intent growing stronger. Just as he was about to risk everything in one move, King Yue suddenly dug out a black worm three times larger than normal from the corpse’s body and swallowed it with delighted laughter. He threw the corpse at Chang Yuan, blocking his view. By the time Chang Yuan had reduced the corpse to dust, black veins had grown across King Yue’s forehead, making him look terrifying.
He let out an arrogant roar to the heavens: “No one can stop my grand plan! I shall live as long as the heavens!” The evil energy in his voice was even stronger than before.
Chang Yuan knew this was bad. He leaped up, but King Yue charged at him like a madman, completely abandoning defense, reaching for Chang Yuan’s vital meridians!
Chen Zhu shouted: “Watch out!”
Er Sheng cried: “Chang Yuan!”
Chang Yuan frowned and dodged, but King Yue switched to a desperate fighting style, attacking Chang Yuan recklessly. Chang Yuan stepped back, accidentally stepping on Ji Ling’s hand. He knew that if he retreated further, given his opponent’s current desperate tactics, the immortals and Er Sheng behind him would surely be caught in the crossfire.
His black eyes sharpened, golden light rising again in his pupils. Chang Yuan held his ground, blocking two of King Yue’s attacks before turning defense to offense, forcing King Yue back three steps.
Just as Chang Yuan was about to pursue, he suddenly felt empty inside, his wounds burning with tearing pain.
Bad, he thought darkly, the divine power refined from those insects is gone…
Before he could think of a counter-strategy, his opponent’s killing strike was already upon him. With nowhere to dodge, Chang Yuan could only slightly turn his body, avoiding King Yue’s attack aimed at his heart.
His opponent’s fingers pierced through Chang Yuan’s shoulder blade. King Yue laughed loudly, then violently threw Chang Yuan away. Chang Yuan’s back scraped against sharp rocks by the deep pond, finally stopping just before sliding into the water.
Chang Yuan lay limp, his muscles and bones feeling as if they’d been torn apart. The more he tried to get up, the more it hurt.
King Yue walked toward Chang Yuan with victorious strides, licking Chang Yuan’s blood from his fingertips as if showing off his triumph: “The power in your body is quite good too. Why don’t I have a taste of that as well?”
Hearing these words from behind, Chen Zhu trembled, half in anger, half in fear. He angrily pounded his legs – he couldn’t get up! Under such powerful evil energy, he couldn’t stand! He couldn’t help at all! Looking up, he saw all the immortal masters wearing expressions of bitter hatred.
Hatred at their powerlessness.
At that moment, a figure rushed forward. The small girl used her thin shoulders to shield Chang Yuan, glaring at King Yue with reddened eyes as she shouted:
“I’ll let you eat me! Taste whatever you want! But you can’t bully Chang Yuan!”