136 - Douluo: Martial Spirit Blue Silver Grass

After confirming Lu Qi's demise, the three departed one after another. Jian Yu Zhuo maintained a stoic expression as he returned to the edge of the deep forest. The scent of fresh blood wafted in the air, carried by the wind. Hyenas, with their keen sense of smell, quickly found their way over. He Yu Hen and the others hurried to catch up. Due to the distance, they couldn't see clearly but could vaguely make out the ancient beast voraciously tearing into a corpse. Scarlet blood seeped into the soil, staining the dark earth red. The group silently spread out, waiting for the right moment to attack the hyena from four directions—southeast, southwest, northeast, and northwest. With four swords attacking simultaneously, they finally inflicted a grievous wound on it. Among them, Zhong Yu Qiao was the most senior, and he voluntarily dragged the hyena aside, preparing to extract its teeth. The other two stepped forward to help upon seeing this. He Yu Hen, being the youngest, was doted on by his three senior brothers, who sent him to rest at a distance. Perhaps out of boredom, and when no one was paying attention, he picked up a tree branch to flip over the corpse on the ground. With just a single glance, he screamed in fright, his face turning pale instantly. It was because the ravaged corpse wasn't just anybody—it was their most revered sect leader, Lu Qi. Zhong Yu Qiao and the others hadn't yet reacted when He Yu Hen's cries echoed once more— “The sect leader has perished!” Such simple four words, yet they exploded in the ears of the remaining three like a thunderclap. Without regard for the hyena escaping, Zhong Yu Qiao dropped his sword and rushed over. Though the corpse on the ground was mauled beyond recognition, the face remained intact. So familiar. Unable to bear the enormous shock, he nearly fainted. Cries filled the air, mingled with grief and anger. Zhong Yu Qiao still couldn't believe his eyes. He kneeled halfway on the ground, wanting to reach out and touch the blood-soaked corpse, but his fingertips trembled, unable to muster the courage. As a senior brother, he had to shoulder the responsibilities of one. There were things he had to do. He loosened his lips, and before he could speak, his eyes reddened, his voice vibrating with suppressed tremors, “Someone fetch our Junior Brother Jian. He has been patrolling outside the forest, and no one knows better than him when the sect leader entered.” He Yu Hen snapped back from his stupor, wiped his tears, and ran out. The body's mangled state was the work of the hyena, but the chest wound was undoubtedly man-made. Those tightly closed eyes seemed inexplicably swollen. Zhong Yu Qiao pried the eyelids open to find Lu Qi’s eyes surrounded by a faint ring of reddish blood, his irises turned a sinister black. Obviously, he had been poisoned and blinded before his death. Realizing this, the young man's eyes turned even redder. Jian Yu Zhuo arrived promptly. It must be said, his acting was exceptional. The instant he saw Lu Qi’s body, he immediately displayed a shocked and heartbroken expression. Facing the questioning looks from his fellow brothers, he had already prepared a response, “If I had known there were others in the woods, I would never have let our leader enter alone!” His remorseful and angry tone was moving. Zhong Yu Qiao’s complexion was pale. He pressed his lips together only to release them soon after, “Before his death, the sect leader’s eyes were poisoned, and his chest was pierced by a demon’s strike. As for which monster harmed him, I can’t tell at the moment.” “With Senior Elders Xi Yi and Kong Xiu up in the higher realms, we cannot reach them. We'll have to wait until they descend.” “Yu Li, Yu Jin, you both must stay close to Junior Brother Jian these days and not wander off.” Finally, he looked at He Yu Hen beside him, whose eyes were red from crying, and gently persuaded, “Yu Hen, come with me. We will take the sect leader’s body back.” Mentioning returning to the sect, the sorrow could no longer be suppressed. A seven-foot tall man, unable to hold back tears. With such a grave incident, who could even think of treasure hunting? Seeing his brother in tears, He Yu Hen’s eyes too turned misty. Without hesitation, he agreed to the task. The two retrieved the key from Lu Qi's chest, crushed it along with their own, and vanished from the spirit tower. In the clearing beneath, no other figures remained. He Yu Hen, always the cherished one, seldom understood the sect's scheming. When his brother took him out of the spiritual realm, he gave it no second thought. His sole focus was on returning Lu Qi's body to the sect. But after just a few steps, words from behind stopped him in his tracks— “The sect leader’s death isn’t that simple.” He turned, confusion clouding his eyes, “What?” Zhong Yu Qiao’s expression was grim, worry filling his gaze, “I brought you out, fearing something might happen to you in the spirit realm.” More inexplicable words. He Yu Hen felt lost. Zhong Yu Qiao shook his head, offering no explanation. He looked down at the white cloth-covered body and, after a pause, spoke again, “Look for Brother Lin.” “Now, he’s the only one who knows what to do.” ＊＊＊ While someone left the Spirit Sword Sect, another from the Xuanming Sect crushed their key. Fang Ke Yuan was on the verge of ascending to the immortal stage, seeking opportunities in the spiritual realm for a breakthrough but unexpectedly encountered someone from the demon clan. And not just anyone, but the mightiest of them. His memory flashed back to all that had transpired at the lotus pond, cold sweat instinctively beading on his forehead— Mo Ji Yue Zhi, with her four-eyed gaze, could see all things, born with boundless magical power. In terms of cultivation talent, she surpasses even heavenly cultivators. Yet it was this supreme talent that condemned her to endless suffering from the moment of birth. Infinite power, inexhaustible, should have been something enviable. Alas, such supreme gifts were too much for a mere mortal body to bear. With too much magic, her dantian couldn’t contain it. If the excess power wasn’t released, one day she would self-destruct. The red glyph on her face was there to suppress the surging magic. As time passed, its effect weakened. The day it fails completely would be her last. As Yue Zhi herself said, in this world, no one could kill her, only time could claim her life. Her strength was as immeasurable as her fragility. Magic was both the source of her power and her fatal flaw. Calculating, she was only eighteen this year. And this might be the last year of her life. The red glyph's imprint was fading, her health deteriorating with each passing day. To save her, the succubus Gui Chen, who was determined to leave the tower, had no choice but to bring her back to the spiritual realm. After a difficult search, they finally found a pristine white lotus in the eighty-eighth level of the tower. This lotus was the legendary Jade Lotus of the Buddhist sanctum, capable of absorbing all demonic energy from the world. With it, she could surely live a while longer. The divine lotus had eighteen petals. They waited a whole month for it to bloom completely. Just when they were about to pick it, Fang Ke Yuan from the Xuanming Sect barged in. The Jade Lotus was a priceless treasure. Consuming it could surely aid his cultivation and help him transcend tribulation. In the spiritual realm, treasures have no masters. No matter how long someone guarded it, couldn't it still be taken? Gui Chen’s cultivation level was no lesser than Fang Ke Yuan’s. If they were to fight openly, the outcome couldn't be predicted. What she didn’t expect was that this so-called prominent sect leader, a righteous person, had secretly summoned several helpers to ambush her. As a result, she was ganged up on, left barely clinging to life. Yue Zhi was in a stupor until a mocking laughter awoke her. With the red glyph fading, her body was powerless. Gui Chen lay beside her, weak as a dying person. Magic ran rampant within, a heavy shackle immobilizing her. Seeing Fang Ke Yuan reach for the lotus, she finally mustered enough strength to stand one last time. She knew she would have no chance to take the lotus. With a flick of her finger, a wisp of magic flew out; with just a touch, the entire lotus withered. Fang Ke Yuan was startled, anger all over his face. Turning back, he saw only a pale, swaying girl. “You demon, you truly court death!” The precious treasure slipped away, turning his face a shade of fury. Without thinking, he delivered a heavy strike towards the girl. Yue Zhi could not resist. Forced to endure the blow, she once again fell to the ground. Beside her, Gui Chen’s breathing grew fainter. Gazing upon her charming face, waves of fury washed over Yue Zhi. Her kin had been slain by Fang Ke Yuan long ago. Now, her only kin in this world—her sister, Gui Chen, would be killed at this man’s hands. A blood grudge couldn’t go unavenged. Even if it meant death, she wouldn’t hesitate! She raised her slender hand, fingers stopping at her brow, dragging forcefully along the crimson glyph— Blood seeped from beneath the skin. With the glyph destroyed, her magic surged unchecked, rushing out all at once. Instantly, the center of the pond was shrouded in black mist. Such an eerie sight stirred dread in Fang Ke Yuan’s heart. The black magic obscured his vision, rendering him blind. In a moment of panic, an impossibly chilling voice echoed in Fang Ke Yuan's ears. With just a few words, his expression changed dramatically— "Fang Ke Yuan, you’ve killed my kin and my elder sister; I will never forgive you!" "Today, with these celestial four eyes, I swear— I curse you to a life of unrest, with an unfaithful wife, disobedient children, treacherous disciples, and that each day you suffer endlessly!" "The day Gui Chen dies will be the day you meet your end!" The blood from the girl’s face dripped steadily onto the ground, and the curse began to take effect instantly. The shrill, horrifying words were enough to send shivers down anyone's spine. Fang Ke Yuan's complexion turned pale, and his palms were slick with cold sweat. Once the surrounding black magic cleared, both demonesses were nowhere to be found. On the ground lay a complex curse array, verifying that the curse was indeed real. ＊＊＊ The events in the upper levels of the tower became increasingly terrifying, yet Fu Ling continued to lead a carefree and leisurely life on the first level. It had been exactly half a month. And that once palm-sized white egg had now grown to be half as long as her arm. Cradled in her arms, it was quite heavy. Welcoming new life is a sacred event. Watching the egg grow larger filled Fu Ling with an inexplicable sense of satisfaction. She placed her palm against the eggshell, and the warmth quickly elicited a response. The egg gently nudged, expressing closeness. She wondered what kind of spirit beast lay within, one so apt at bringing joy. The girl smiled softly and then bit her finger, allowing her blood to drip onto the egg. Feeding it with blood would deepen the emotional bond between them. Once the bond was strong enough, the spirit beast and its master could communicate directly through their minds. But first, she had to hatch the little life inside the egg. The girl lay on her stomach, propped up by her hands, and murmured, “Little egg, whatever you may be, come out soon.” “I want to go out and find my senior sister.” ※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※ The pairing of Yuan Qing and Yue Zhi is quite fitting. (A small reminder, Zhong Yu Qiao is the disciple who went to Dongshan State instead of Lin Yu Miao. Like Fang Si Jian, he also guessed that 00 is a heavenly cultivator and helped keep it a secret.) Thank you to the little angels who cast power votes or provided nutritional support from 2020-12-13 14:36:42 to 2020-12-14 02:40:48~ Special thanks to the angel who threw a grenade: Yi Jun Chu Shi 1; Thanks to the angels who threw landmines: Mu Qing Mu, Duan Xian Ge 2; Zeng Ke Ni, Yue Ren Yue 1; Thanks to the angels who provided nutritional support: Ye Qing Yu Ge 30 bottles; 47935226, Wan Qiu, kēring-tone, Mu Qing Mu, Zi You Ru Feng jvuir, Laniakea Lan Tian 10 bottles; Xi Xi 8 bottles; Suo Si Zai Yuan Dao, ly 5 bottles; Bing Tang Hu Lu 3 bottles; Kan Hua Ren 2 bottles; Yi Xiao Bai 1 bottle; Thank you all very much for your support, I will continue to work hard! Friendly reminder: If you encounter issues where clicking to the next page redirects you to other websites, please inform us using the “Report Error” or “Contact Us” at the bottom, and we will address it as soon as possible. Thank you for your understanding!