Chapter 179: The Demon Arrives
Chapter 179: The Demon Arrives
He made up his mind. Whenever he saw a monk deceiving refugees, he would use his Zhenqi to grab them and snatch the Buddha statues hidden in their robes right out of the air!
In no time, Mu Yuan gathered more than ten Buddha statues, all with different shapes!
“How many real Buddhas are there for you to carve these from!”
Mu Yuan did not take it seriously. With a thought, his Soul Pearl absorbed the Power of Faith contained within them.
With a slight activation, the halo trailing behind his head became even more dazzling and pure, as if countless crystals were shimmering inside, radiating light and forming a misty glow!
Mu Yuan clearly sensed that the power within the Soul Pearl had grown. As the power increased, the Divine Ability formed by the colorful light became even more ethereal and elusive, giving off a faint sense of emptiness and nothingness.
“Amitabha Buddha!”
A Buddhist chant suddenly echoed behind him. Mu Yuan was so immersed in his Soul Pearl that he didn’t notice it at all!
“A powerful expert is here. No more playing around with them!”
Mu Yuan had essentially been robbing people midway, so he felt somewhat guilty. The newcomer was certainly not comparable to the monks below. Immediately, his Water Restriction Escape Sword encircled him, spreading a mist of water vapor. With a “whoosh,” it cut through the sky and flew far away!
“Oh…”
The monk standing behind Mu Yuan had a round, bald head and looked quite honest and young. He was even younger than Mu Yuan.
“Why did he leave so quickly!”
The young monk muttered to himself. Colorful halos also appeared behind his head, twisting and changing several times before forming a strange shuttle-shaped object under his feet. Flowing light gathered and crystal light flashed wildly as he gave chase!
“This person stole from our sect. He must be a bad person. I must catch him and bring him back to the elders for punishment. Maybe if the elders are happy, they won’t punish me for sneaking out!”
The more the young monk thought about it, the happier he became. The shuttle-shaped object was extremely fast, leaving only a rainbow-like trail in the sky as it pursued Mu Yuan!
Mu Yuan fled over a hundred miles in one go before finally slowing down. However, he frowned. “He’s chasing so closely!”
He decided not to run anymore. He lowered his body, landed on the ground, and shrank all his Zhenqi, hiding within the bustling crowd!
“Eh? Where did he go?”
Just as Mu Yuan hid himself, the young monk appeared where Mu Yuan had been standing. He sniffed hard but found nothing!
However, the young monk wasn’t anxious. A playful smile appeared on his face. “Since I’m already here, I might as well go south and take a look. I heard things have been very unsettled there recently!”
He paused for a moment, then shot through the sky and left!
Mu Yuan watched clearly from below. “This young monk isn’t old, but his cultivation is profound. He’s already equivalent to the Qi Refinement and Elixir Formation stage of the Daoist Sect. However, what Divine Ability he cultivates isn’t something that can be seen just by looking.”
Even so, Mu Yuan wasn’t afraid. Ordinary Elixir Formation cultivators weren’t really in his eyes.
Right now, in his Dantian’s Refining Furnace True Qi, the Five Elements Primordial Qi gathered together, showing a faint tendency to condense. The time for Elixir Formation was near!
For lower-grade Elixir Formation, the spirit is the furnace, and the energy is the medicine!
Currently, Mu Yuan used his Divine Sense to stir the flames, with the five energies swirling in the cauldron! He refined his Divine Sense and Zhenqi into one mass. Once the Golden Core was formed, all his Magical Power, Zhenqi, Divine Sense, and consciousness would be wrapped within this single Golden Core. It could move freely among the acupoints and meridians, completely at ease!
Mu Yuan remained calm and unhurried. With a movement of his Refining Furnace True Qi, he submerged into the ground and headed straight south!
The journey was peaceful after that. In half a day, Mu Yuan caught up with the Tianyu Kingdom’s army. They had reached the last city at the Southern Barbarians’ border. Further south lay the shattered cities already occupied by Demon Beasts!
Mu Yuan moved silently without alerting anyone and found Yun Xi!
When Yun Xi saw Mu Yuan, he let out a wail. “Big brother, you’re finally back! We go into battle tomorrow. That so-called Martial Might General has been looking for you several times!”
Mu Yuan chuckled and sat down directly in the tent. “What does he want?”
“It’s about us taking the field tomorrow to eliminate the leaders and pacify the Demon Beasts. What else did you think it would be?”
“That goes without him saying… Someone’s here!”
Halfway through his sentence, Mu Yuan’s expression suddenly changed. He sensed two powerful auras suddenly descending upon this “Heng Yong City”!
“Who is it?”
Seeing Mu Yuan’s alarmed face, Yun Xi quickly asked. However, he didn’t need Mu Yuan to answer; he also felt that immense aura!
There were two newcomers: one overflowing with Demonic Energy, the other eerie and illusory!
“Among the newcomers, I’ll take a look and see what earth-shattering cultivation they have, daring to come to the Southern Wildlands!” A rough, booming voice erupted like thunder, exploding in the air!
“It’s Zhu Shenzi!”
Mu Yuan found it familiar upon hearing it. After a moment’s thought, he realized it was Zhu Shenzi from the Demonic Spirit Gate, whom he had met not long ago!
“Southern Barbarians’ Demon Beasts, how audacious! You dare to spy on the military camp!”
Several shouts of rebuke rang out from various corners of the city, followed by several beams of light soaring into the sky. They were of different colors, mingled with the sounds of Flying Swords and magical treasures cutting through the air!
“These guys are in trouble!” Mu Yuan turned to Yun Xi and said, “This Zhu Shenzi is an elder of the Demonic Spirit Gate, just one step away from cultivating the Undying Body. Let’s see what that old monk will do!”
Yun Xi nodded.
Mu Yuan thought to himself, “Could it be that Ying Tianchou and the others have really been subdued by the Monster Saint? If so, the southern campaign will be troublesome!”
Sure enough, before those cultivators who soared into the sky could do anything, Zhu Shenzi made a grabbing motion. Demonic Energy swirled around his hand, as if countless fierce beasts and vicious birds were clamoring inside. All the Flying Swords and magical treasures shining with brilliant light in the air were snatched into his grasp!
Only then did those cultivators realize they had encountered a powerful expert. They wanted to retreat, but a multicolored radiance flashed. Then, a pure white, crystalline hand, like jadeite, appeared in the air. On the palm, numerous whirlpools seemed to swirl, emitting threads of silver light and white energy!
“Rebirth Longevity Demon Art! It’s the Peacock Demon King!”
Mu Yuan’s heart trembled. He saw the cultivators in mid-air rapidly shrinking at a visible rate, becoming like newborn infants. Finally, they transformed into streams of pure Primordial Qi, which were absorbed into the palm!
The Peacock Demon King, who had executed the Rebirth Longevity Demon Art, shimmered with a colorful, glass-like radiance all over his body, finally revealing his face.
Mu Yuan had seen the Monster Saint perform this technique before, so he could accept it. However, Yun Xi was witnessing it for the first time and was greatly shocked. He stammered, “What… what kind of demon art is this?”
In fact, it wasn’t just Yun Xi. Several powerful figures in the city saw it clearly and were equally terrified!
“Let’s go out and take a look!”
Mu Yuan saw several clusters of brilliant light rising in the city. It was already nighttime, making them especially conspicuous. Among them were clearly those highly skilled experts who had come with the Tianyu Kingdom!
Yun Xi nodded blankly and rose into the air with Mu Yuan!
“Eh? It’s you, brat! If Old Man Wu were here and saw you, he’d be overjoyed!” Zhu Shenzi spotted Mu Yuan and shouted in his rough voice.
Mu Yuan smiled faintly and ignored him.
“Amitabha Buddha!”
The old monk chanted the Buddha’s name, golden light blazing behind his back, his eyes still closed.
“Hmph!”
Mo Huan snorted coldly. Sword Qi erupted from his entire body, sharp as needles. Just looking at it made one’s eyes sting!
There were also many other cultivators suspended within various colored lights. They had all appeared at the Tianyu Imperial Palace’s combat competition. However, facing the ferocious Zhu Shenzi and the eerie Peacock King, they all seemed somewhat timid now.
Mu Yuan suddenly frowned. Su Yun had come to stand beside him!
The aura around Su Yun was similar to Mu Yuan’s. If one probed with Spiritual Sense, one could detect faint sparks jumping on her body—a sign of condensing the Golden Core!
However, when Mu Yuan looked over, Su Yun still stared straight ahead without glancing sideways.
“What’s she up to!”
Su Yun had always maintained an aloof expression, acting indifferent to everyone. Now that she had suddenly come over on her own, Mu Yuan felt a bit suspicious inside!
Zhu Shenzi didn’t know why Wu Mo wanted to capture Mu Yuan, but since he had run into him, he might as help out. Although surrounded by enemies, he didn’t regard them highly. A surge of black energy churned behind him, rising to form a giant savage beast’s head. Its horn was pitch-black, and whiskers grew around its mouth, densely covered with fine scales.
As soon as this savage beast phantom appeared, it opened its bloody maw. Instantly, a rolling whirlwind formed a tornado, targeting Mu Yuan first!
The Peacock King watched coldly from the side. The two of them had come to suppress the humans’ arrogance. Seeing Zhu Shenzi make his move, he was content to watch. He knew that Zhu Shenzi’s cultivation far surpassed his own. If not for the Monster Saint’s orders, Zhu Shenzi would have already refined him into his Divine Ability!
When Mu Yuan saw Zhu Shenzi arrive, he had been somewhat cautious. However, he still felt somewhat relieved.
“Fortunately, it’s not Wu Mo or that Five Yin Patriarch and his lot. Otherwise, I’d have no choice but to flee for my life!”
Five Yin Patriarch went without saying. Wu Mo had also cultivated the Undying Body and possessed the Starry Sky Reaching Hall. If Mu Yuan encountered either of them, he would run upon sight, with no chance of winning!
But with this Zhu Shenzi, the situation was harder to predict!
Seeing the other party targeting him first, Mu Yuan didn’t dare neglect. He first formed the Five Elements Great Curse into a magnificent canopy cloud umbrella, shielding above his head. Then, he transformed the Minghe Immortal Sword into a starlit rainbow, slashing fiercely through the air!
Yun Xi, afraid Mu Yuan would suffer a loss, pushed his right palm forward. The phantom of the Liujia Golden Light Wheel appeared, shooting out six sharp beams of light that crisscrossed aggressively!
Su Yun lightly raised her slender hand, scattering a vast expanse of starlight that surged upward like ocean waves.