82 - Douluo: Martial Spirit Blue Silver Grass

Title: Reincarnated as the Malevolent Senior Sister - Chapter 82 (1/2) In the fog-laden forest, the spiritual essence cannot be transformed into spiritual energy, making it impossible for any spiritual beasts or demons to survive here. From the moment Jiu Ying and Fu Ling set foot in the forest, they were enveloped by a sinister coldness surrounding their nostrils. The deeper they ventured, the heavier the scent of ancient demons became, prompting a reaction from the demon-suppressing staff. The direction pointed by the red orb on the staff led straight to the ominous darkness at the forest’s edge. Fu Ling couldn't help but feel a sense of dread, not daring to breathe too loudly for fear of inadvertently revealing her spiritual presence. Silently, the two traversed through layers of dense undergrowth, finally reaching the heart of this lifeless forest. The demoness Gui Chen and Mo Ji Ming Yue from the demon clan, who had concealed their demonic aura, trailed at a distance neither too far nor too close behind them. As they neared the forest's edge, the previously silent surroundings were suddenly accompanied by the rushing sound of water, and the air temperature inexplicably dropped significantly. A gentle breeze—though soft—sliced across their faces like a blade, leaving a stinging pain. This was no ordinary wind but wind blades infused with demon power, sharp enough to cut one's exposed skin in mere moments. If anyone attempted to intrude stealthily, the ancient demons would surely trace the scent of blood to find the intruder. Jiu Ying was the first to react, swiftly retrieving two golden mirrors from her storage stone. Positioning themselves back-to-back, with Jiu Ying and Fu Ling each holding a mirror, they managed to traverse through the demonic wind unscathed and arrived in front of a great waterfall, at which point the wind blades disappeared. The water sounds they heard in the air clearly emanated from this expansive waterfall. The waterfall in the heart of the forest, beautiful as it was, had an excessively chilling aura. Fu Ling shivered, unsettled not only by the cold but also by the powerful demonic energy constantly seeping from the waterfall. Undoubtedly, all five great demons were lurking within the cave behind the waterfall. Jiu Ying could vaguely speculate that treasures were hidden inside, but she dared not act rashly. With Fu Ling, she sought a corner by the waterfall's side, intending to wait for the ancient demons to emerge before making a move. Yet, before half an hour passed, the demonic presence from the cave grew increasingly intense. Had she not kept watch at the entrance, she might suspect that there were more than just five ancient demons inside—perhaps even ten. Fu Ling, equally aware of the anomaly, as a heavenly cultivator, was incredibly sensitive to fluctuations in spiritual energy. Though she hadn't truly entered the cave, she sensed an immensely powerful energy within, surging turbulently. "Senior Sister, there's a surge of energy inside. They seem to be growing stronger." Energy? Growing stronger? Jiu Ying's eyes flashed with confusion at these words, immediately followed by a soft exclamation of concern! The mysteries of the spiritual mountain cave were countless, with legends even suggesting tunnels for time travel. Being ancient monsters, it was naturally impossible for them to survive to this day. These five ancient demons might have escaped from the cave, but they don't belong to the present world. Therefore, after materializing, they would soon face the fate of their souls dissipating, leaving only a trace of residual spirit. Without a physical form, yet possessing consciousness, they would inevitably seek ways to preserve this last remnant of their soul. The best method for them to strengthen their spirit would be to find their physical remain remnants, as the immense energy within the bones would undoubtedly help preserve their residual spirit. During the ancient war among the immortal, demon, and monster races, countless lives were lost. It's likely that the fog-laden forest was once the battlefield. Too many died, too much blood spilled on this land, causing strong resentment in the forest, hindering spiritual essence transformation into energy. Over time, it became a place abandoned by the cultivation world, becoming the only eternally peaceful place there for hundreds of years. As the demonic aura in the cave intensified, Jiu Ying’s expression grew colder. She realized they couldn't delay any further and must immediately stop the ancient demons in the cave from continuing to absorb energy from the bones, or else once they materialize, there might be no one capable of subduing them. Uncertain of how much power the ancient demons had regained, she dared not risk Fu Ling's life. She couldn’t afford to gamble. The waterfall's sound still crashed down against the mountain rocks, each drop creating a crisp ringing sound. So melodious, yet so terrifying. Jiu Ying pursed her lips, injecting a bit of spiritual energy into the demon-suppressing staff, which then enlarged in Fu Ling’s hand. With a solemn expression, she instructed, "Take the demon-suppressing staff and leave first." Fu Ling was stunned, unable to believe that after coming this far, her senior sister would instruct her to leave. She bit her lip, her eyes widened a little with defiance, but even after a moment of silence, she didn't respond. Clearly, she was unwilling. When undertaking this mission, Jiu Ying thought she would face merely five remnants of souls, not five powerful ancient demons regaining strength. She couldn't allow Fu Ling to face such peril with her. Though she hadn’t spelled it out, the expression on her face was enough to guess how terrifying the demons inside might be. "Go!" "I won't!" Fu Ling shook her head. Though timid, how could she bear to abandon her senior sister at a time like this? The two senior sisters were of one mind, inherently stubborn. In their disputes, one of them always had to relent first. And as always, the one to concede was Jiu Ying. "Fine, but wait outside for me." Jiu Ying frowned, realizing that Fu Ling wouldn't leave if she didn’t, so she compromised for them both to take a step back—she would go in to subdue the demons, and Fu Ling would wait outside. With each passing moment, the demonic aura in the cave grew thicker. Fu Ling, understanding what this implied, despite her worries and reluctance, nodded in agreement. Her skill was too limited to offer help and might even distract in the midst of the battle. She didn't want to become a burden at such a critical time. Perhaps to give Jiu Ying some confidence, she offered a gentle smile. "I’ll keep watch outside for you." At the moment Jiu Ying stood up, she caught sight of Fu Ling’s soft, calming smile, inexplicably feeling her previous tension and unease slowly dissipate. Though unaware of the reason, she felt much lighter, her tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxing. "Alright." Perhaps the courage Fu Ling drew from her was reciprocated, as Jiu Ying also drew strength from Fu Ling. Inside the cave, the five demons focused intently on siphoning energy from their respective bone remains, oblivious to an intruder nearby. Concealing her presence, Jiu Ying stealthily approached along the cave wall, cautious not to make a sound. Even after living two lifetimes, the scene before her stunned her to the core. In the cave's depths, five ancient demons floated mid-air, continuously drawing energy from a dry well. Their bodies, initially transparent, gradually took on a discernible shape. Right opposite the entrance stood a massive bird, its body as large as a winnowing basket, with nine heads atop and eighteen wings on its back. As it swayed, blood dripped continuously from its neck. A closer look revealed it once had ten heads, but one was bitten off, leaving a bloody hole, constantly bleeding. Beside the giant bird was a green-faced ape, about two or three feet tall, with disheveled hair and eyes atop its head. Possessing only one leg, it appeared extremely grotesque. To the right of that ape were two beast-like creatures, one resembling a buffalo with a white head, a single eye on its forehead, and a snake tail on its buttocks; the other had a bird's head and a deer's body, with leopard-like spots and antlers on its head, a sight more bizarre than the ape. The final demon appeared relatively normal, resembling a child of about seven or eight years, but as it floated, its body constantly shifted, possessing three forms in total. In merely half a moment, the cave was filled with the bird's flowing blood. Jiu Ying dared not take another step. If she was correct in identifying them, these five great demons were the ancient plagues of disease, drought, plague, torrential rain, and sin: Niche, Hanba, Fei Yao, Feilian, and the Three Corpses. Should these five ancient demons fully absorb the energy from their bones, the world will become the next hellscape! The wicked fear the righteous, and demons dread immortals. The Dragon Spirit is the embodiment of the world's purest righteousness, especially the immensely powerful Golden Dragon. In human form, she couldn't intimidate the five demons. With a heavy heart, Jiu Ying held her breath. In an instant, two golden dragon horns emerged from her head, and a moment later, an enormous golden dragon appeared in the cave, its tail poised to strike the dry well. A dragon’s roar echoed through the heavens, and in an instant, the inside and outside of the cave were enveloped in an aura of pure, righteous dragon breath. The five ancient demons, startled by the dragon's roar, were about to rage when they glanced towards the cave entrance, their eyes catching a blinding flash of golden light. Reflected from the golden mirrors, the dragon’s scale light was like the world's most powerful magic against demons and monsters. Just a glance was enough to render them in agony, unable to open their eyes. In immense pain, the five demons dared not approach the Golden Dragon. Countless millennia ago, they perished at the hands of celestial beings, including a golden dragon god. Despite the passage of eons, their terror of the dragon remained undiminished. The Niche attempted to resist, its nine heads extending outward as the bloody hole of the missing head shot a stream of red blood toward the golden dragon. However, before it could reach the dragon, a golden barrier emanated from its body, dissolving the blood completely. This was the protective golden shield of the Dragon God, impenetrable and capable of deflecting all attacks from demons. In that moment, the five ancient demons vividly recalled the battlefield from millennia past, where their deep-seated fear of the Dragon God exploded into full force. Seeing the golden dragon blocking the cave entrance, preparing to annihilate them once more as in ancient times, they could think of nothing but escape. The five demons fled the cave one after another, followed closely by a magnificent and commanding golden dragon. Fu Ling, with the demon-suppressing staff in her arms, stared dumbfounded at the majestic dragon above. She dared not contemplate the identity of the dragon, nor could she believe it. Even more unbelievable was that a genuine Dragon Spirit—a creature legendary for its rarity and power—was embodied by her own senior sister, who had been by her side day and night. In the sky above the forest, the Dragon Spirit pursued the fleeing ancient demons. Fu Ling remained in shock but was abruptly brought back to awareness by a crisp, cold voice urging her. "Hurry and get out the golden mirrors and demon-suppressing talismans!" It was Jiu Ying’s voice. Though familiar, it now seemed foreign. Even now, Fu Ling found it hard to believe that her most trusted and reliant senior sister, Jiu Ying, was indeed the Dragon Spirit. She raised her head to see the five demons about to escape. Suppressing her shock, she leaped onto the demon-suppressing staff, following the golden dragon without hesitating. The golden mirrors and demon-suppressing talismans were ready, awaiting the moment the golden dragon drove the demons into the mirror, accomplishing the task given by Fang Yuanqing. Fu Ling stayed vigilant, coordinating with Jiu Ying's actions, aiming to capture all five ancient demons at once. At this critical moment, two black figures appeared in the sky. Jiu Ying and Fu Ling, focused on the demons, failed to notice the approaching presence. In a moment of negligence, Gui Chen struck Fu Ling heavily on the back, knocking her off the demon-suppressing staff, giving the five demons the chance to scatter and disappear into the depths of the fog-laden forest above. Still in her dragon form and enveloped in dragon breath, Jiu Ying remained unapproachable by the demonesses. Nonetheless, this didn't deter them from their determination to capture and bind a Dragon Spirit— Especially not when the Dragon Spirit was the most powerful of all—the Golden Dragon. Should she fall into the demonic path, a great asset would be gained for the demon realm. Gui Chen, with an unexpected harvest at hand, was visibly delighted, her voice brimming with excitement. "What a good day it is indeed, intending only to absorb the energy from the ancient demons' remains to boost our cultivation, and we discover a Dragon Spirit instead!" "The Dragon Spirit that escaped from the Wuze Valley last time, surely that's you. You released dragon breath then and fled before we could capture you, but this time, you won't get away!" When Fu Ling was captured, Jiu Ying was transported to Wuze Valley by the Phantom Fox’s golden-threaded shadow robe and escaped by transforming into a dragon. Since then, the demonic clans have been aware of a powerful Dragon Spirit among human cultivators. With the five demons gone and concern for Fu Ling weighing on her, Jiu Ying cared little for the demoness' chatter. She flipped her dragon tail and landed on the ground. Though Fu Ling had taken a heavy blow, the demon-suppressing staff protected her, leaving her heart's meridians unharmed. Apart from her pallor, she seemed otherwise well. Once on the ground, Jiu Ying reverted to human form, except for the dragon horns still visible on her head. Her body bore the crimson stain of fresh blood, sprayed by the Niche’s poisonous blood earlier. Time was running short, and with the demonesses hot on their heels, Jiu Ying had no choice but to pull Fu Ling into the cave. The floor of the cave was soaked in the Niche’s blood. During her battle with the five demons, Jiu Ying deliberately portrayed herself as a Dragon God as described in ancient texts to ensure victory. However, this strategy depleted her spiritual energy entirely, and she had already been running on fumes in the sky. The unexpected appearance of two demonesses not only released those five great demons but also harbored intentions of binding her! If not for her current injuries and spiritual energy depletion, she would have ended those two demonesses here and now! The increasing demonic aura outside suggested the demonesses were closing in. Jiu Ying suffered from the Niche’s blood poison, her entire body in agonizing pain. She took a deep breath and, suppressing the pain in her chest, handed Fu Ling a bottle of pills, instructing her on what to do next, word by word. "There are three Spirit Pills here. I need you to use the Floating Illusion Technique to deceive those two demonesses, understand?" Having taken a hit earlier, Fu Ling was already pale beyond measure. Now seeing Jiu Ying about to collapse, her face was devoid of any color. She reached out to take the small white porcelain bottle, but her fingers trembled violently. Jiu Ying knew of her timidity and insecurity, her expression turning stern. "If you don't want me bound to demonic creatures, do as I say!" The weight and expectations behind those words were immense; Fu Ling, though afraid, had no choice but to comply. Moments later, she opened the bottle and swallowed the three Spirit Pills. The demonesses Gui Chen and Mo Ji Ming Yue had already reached the cave entrance. Jiu Ying hid in the bottom of the dry well, holding on with her last breath. She watched as Fu Ling stepped towards the cave’s exit, gradually altering the scenery inside and outside. What was once a single person's departure from the cave was now accompanied by a golden dragon, full of life and dragon breath. It was Fu Ling, using the illusion to conjure her. The Floating Illusion Technique, the most powerful of illusions, could only unleash its full potential in the hands of a celestial cultivator. In just a few steps, Fu Ling utilized the residual dragon energy to create an endless and inexhaustible wave of pure dragon energy. For hundreds of miles around, everything was now enveloped in the Dragon Spirit’s aura. Fu Ling herself was suddenly wielding five long spears. Jiu Ying recognized it as the technique once used by Gao Tian Lian at the Si Family—a celestial cultivator's art. Fu Ling had once promised Jiu Ying, to cheer her up, that she would one day master this technique and perform it even better than Gao Tian Lian. Jiu Ying remembered, and so did Fu Ling. Now, Fu Ling intended to use this technique to protect her and her senior sister, Jiu Ying. As Jiu Ying watched Fu Ling’s figure vanish from the cave entrance, just before closing her eyes, she heard a clear and melodious young woman's voice, taunting the demonesses— "Who do you think you are? Just two demonesses!" "You attacked me from behind and I haven't settled that score, yet you dare to try to take my Dragon Spirit?" "What a big mouth you have! If you're not afraid to die, come and try me!" Such arrogance, such dominance—like the early days with Fu Ling. Jiu Ying, with eyes closed, smiled briefly before the pain in her chest overwhelmed her, causing her to faint completely. ※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※ Happy Halloween, everyone~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (Note: The introduction to the ancient demons in this chapter is sourced from "Chinese Monster Stories" by Zhang Yun.) Thank you to the little angels who voted or provided nutrient fluid for me between 2020-10-30 20:49:48 and 2020-10-31 22:30:41~ Thanks to the little angels who provided nutrient fluid: Tian Feng Che Wan Ni 11 bottles; Jin Se Nian Hua, Jing Ji 10 bottles; Thank you very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!