164 - Douluo: Martial Spirit Blue Silver Grass

Chapter 164: Day and Night in the Rebirth of the Malevolent Senior Sister The youth was not entirely a lost soul. Fu Ling's gentle inquiry snapped him back to reality, even if just for a moment, enough to shake his state of mind and obscure him in illusion. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he handed the object in his grasp to his master. To him, it appeared as a bloody heart, but in the eyes of others, it was nothing more than a shattered fragment of a green vine. Jiu Ying observed the scene, her lips parting in disbelief as she almost immediately deduced what had transpired— The youth before her was likely trapped in an illusion. Amidst the cold silence, her gaze subtly shifted to the night sky, and her eyes involuntarily fell on the curved blade held by the young woman. The Dragon Slayer Blade, a supreme artifact bestowed by the heavens upon the mortal realm, could slay dragons and phoenixes alike and subdue demons and spirits. While the lost souls were neither demons nor spirits, being evil entities, they were still somewhat susceptible. If that last strike had been delivered, the match would have ended, making further illusions unnecessary. She couldn't comprehend why Fu Ling had suddenly withdrawn her blade. In an instant, the arena fell silent, all eyes focused on the white-haired elderly woman. Without a doubt, she was Dai Yuanxi. A puppet cannot defy its master's command. From the start, she had issued only one command to the puppet: to kill Fu Ling. The match had not yet concluded, so technically, the puppet shouldn't have left the platform of its own accord. At this moment, even she couldn't fathom what had occurred. The night breeze passed, stirring low whispers all around. Dai Yuanxi stared at the white-clad youth before her, her expression simmering with suppressed anger. After a moment of silence, she finally withdrew her hand from behind her waist and slapped the youth's face viciously. The slap echoed, and five red marks instantly appeared on the youth's pale face, causing the green vines to scatter over the ground. The onlookers gasped collectively, falling into silence. "Useless!" As soon as she uttered those words, a white triangular flag covered in symbols appeared before everyone. The old woman squinted as the white flag unfurled, the dense evil energy emanating from it spreading with the wind in all directions, surging toward the young woman on the platform. "Go, defeat her—" Clearly, Dai Yuanxi remained unaware that her meticulously trained puppet had been caught in an illusion and merely issued a harsher, more potent command. The youth looked down at the green vine on the ground and then at his bloodstained hands, a moment of confusion crossing his eyes. In his understanding, Fu Ling was already dead, and the target of the puppet's command was only a corpse—he had no idea how to respond to this command or how he might kill Fu Ling once more. He stood motionless for a long time before once again picking up the fragment of vine at his feet and handing it over. Though it was their first time witnessing the legendary puppet technique, the crowd discerned that the youth's actions had already defied his master's will. Dai Yuanxi's eyes flared with even greater fury, her aged visage twisting into a grotesque mask of rage. Her hands retracted into her sleeves, revealing only a few curled fingers twitching outside. Through her fingertips, a faint tremor could be seen; her waist, wrapped in gray strips, bent slightly, only for her to straighten up in the next moment and swiftly ascend the platform. Such a nimble agility was hardly expected of an elderly woman in her twilight years. A hint of worry crept into Jiu Ying's heart as she softly furrowed her brows. With a shift of her gaze, she turned her attention away from Dai Yuanxi and onto the four young children. Two boys and two girls, each no older than eight. Just like the youth, their eyes reflected fear as they looked at Dai Yuanxi. They were still children—souls intact, yet to be forged into puppets. Although Jiu Ying didn't consider herself kind-hearted, seeing such intense fear in those innocent and endearing faces stirred an inevitable feeling of compassion within her. Only now did she gather why Fu Ling had hesitated. She sympathized with those children, as Fu Ling empathized with the young man who had already been turned into a puppet. Yet, Jiu Ying would never know that the root of Fu Ling's sympathy laid in her own past life's anguish and regret. The moonlight cast a faint shadow upon the ground. The young woman stood atop the platform, her graceful arms hanging by her sides. At some point, the black, large curved blade had been tucked behind her waist. Even with Dai Yuanxi now before her, her lips remained tightly sealed, her entire demeanor exhibiting both sharpness and composure—no hint of panic to be seen. A night breeze gently swept past, displacing the strands of hair across her cheek, revealing her pristine and elegant face under the starry night. Her full forehead and petite nose conveyed a rare grace and ethereal aura, her mesmerizing eyes shining even brighter beneath the moon's glow. She was stunningly beautiful, yet also exuded an icy brilliance. Jiu Ying had never witnessed such a Fu Ling before. She slightly tilted her head, her expression unchanged, yet her red lips pursed again. After days and nights together, she was still astounded by Fu Ling's transformation. "Jiu Ying, what's happening now?" Noticing Dai Yuanxi's approach on the platform, Ning Wanqiu's face was full of worry. Jiu Ying shook her head, her demeanor cool and composed. "I'm not sure either." Before she could avert her glance, the young woman directed her gaze at her, her lips curving slightly. Even in such a perilous moment, she found time to smile. Jiu Ying was momentarily blinded by that smile, her heartbeat involuntarily quickening. Before she could respond, the young woman leaped into the air, confronting the old woman at the platform's edge before everyone's eyes. Hundreds of sparks flew towards Dai Yuanxi, yet she remained unfazed. She once again pulled out her white flag from her sleeve, and as soon as she tossed it into the air, the flag expanded enormously, blocking all the burning flames outside. An unpleasant charred odor permeated the air. On the ground, the youth seemed to sense something, howling in agony, scaring the surrounding people. Upon hearing the wail, Fu Ling's heart also tightened. Instinctively, as a wisp of foul odor tried to invade, she covered her mouth and nose. Unbeknownst to her, the white flag, known as the soul-ensnaring banner, was crafted from a puppet's heart, including its skin, bones, and blood. The flag's surface was skin; the flagpole was bone; the symbols on the flag were painted with the blood; within the flag, lay the puppet's soul, forced out of the body. Possessing this banner allowed one to control the puppet. Such a malevolent object, upon contact, would inevitably corrode one's spirit—at best, causing restlessness and unease; at worst, leading to madness and mental collapse. The divine aura of the immortals most effectively quelled such evil entities, and the unpleasant odor was the stench of sinful chi being incinerated by the purifying flame of the celestial spirit. On the ground, those who failed to react inhaled the reek into their lungs, soon succumbing to dizziness, nausea, and even hallucinations. Yet, Jiu Ying, being of the Azure Dragon lineage, was immune to this sinister aura. Meanwhile, the painful laments of the youth grew louder by her ear, each cry so heartrending that it elicited cold sweat just from the sound. Even Xin Tao, in her fox form, couldn't help but leap into Ning Wanqiu's arms. "What is happening to him?" Affected by the stench, Ning Wanqiu's complexion turned pale. She looked towards the white-clad woman beside her, instinctively stepping back along with the crowd. Jiu Ying's brows furrowed as she pondered, speaking her hypothesis after some thought. "The agonizing cries might be due to his soul enduring torment." Upon hearing this, Ning Wanqiu immediately discerned what the white banner was. Before she could voice it, an icy female voice resounded again, its mere mention causing her face to pale drastically— "Ning Manager, you best hurry to the Jade Spring Hall, for everyone here, including you, has been afflicted by the evil poison." Author's Note: Thank you to all the lovely readers who have voted with their king votes or watered me with nutritional juices from 2021-01-2301:54:44 to 2021-02-1903:12:42~ Special thanks to the angel who threw the grenades: 485437132, Exams, Feng Zi, atoot, Wo Ke De Cp Bi Xu Jie Hun, Maike Bai, Xi 1 each; Special thanks to the lovely readers who provided nourishing support: Wu Ying with 80 bottles; 48543713 with 36 bottles; Hui Meng Sheng with 30 bottles; Qing Xiao Yi Chen with 27 bottles; Ke Tian and Shui Zhi Yuan with 20 bottles each; Hua Qi Zhuo with 16 bottles; happy with 15 bottles; Ge Li Fan Hua with 14 bottles; Shi Luo Yu Chen, Mo Ran, Xia Chan, Wang Ri De You Ling, Ju Jing Yi De Quan Wai Nü You, and Wo Ke De Cp Bi Xu Jie Hun with 10 bottles each; Xiao Guo Zi with 9 bottles; Han Xu with 8 bottles; Qing Chen with 6 bottles; Hey and Ting Bai with 5 bottles each; Nan Jue with 3 bottles; Lin Jian Zhi Qian and 42282380 with 2 bottles each; Luo Qi with 1 bottle. 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