Chapter 400: Yu Xuzi Ambushed, Rat Demon?

Damn it, where did these worms come from? And whose doing is this?

Such a plague, at mild it brings disaster to one city, at severe it destroys the entire Great Qi Dynasty.

What are the dynasty's people doing? And the Black Dragon Guard?

Such an important matter, yet no one comes to handle it.

The Black Dragon Guard of the Great Qi Dynasty is everywhere; every town and city has their presence, especially this key border stronghold where they are indispensable, yet here there is not a trace of them.

Such an important plague has engulfed the whole Baihu Cheng; how many have died is still unknown, but according to Yu Xuzi's observation, roughly a few people die every quarter hour, and the rest are already beyond saving, destined to collapse sooner or later.

Baihu Cheng filled with coughing is all plague, worms everywhere in the sky.

It cannot be defended against, nor can one avoid inhaling it.

Once inhaled, sorry, you're dead.

Ordinary people have no way to cope; even cultivators, under this terrifying plague, will likely collapse.

Walking forward, I reached the center of Baihu Cheng; inside the lord's mansion, all was desolate.

White mourning cloths lay everywhere, wails, coughs, and cries of fear filled the whole town.

Yu Xuzi entered; there were few people, many coffins. He met two men whose qi and blood were full, faces dark, wearing Black Dragon Guard uniforms, with a faint black aura spreading over them, constantly eroding their bodies, sapping their blood and qi—clearly they had been afflicted.

Who are you, sir?

Yu Xuzi of the Heavenly Heart Sect.

The two men's expressions changed; they hastily bowed: 'Black Dragon Guard Jiang Hao, Du Ming, we have met Yu Xuzi.'

Yu Xuzi pointed to the coffins inside; there was no one mourning.

Jiang Hao said with a bitter face: 'They're all dead.'

All of them dead?

Yes.

Yu Xuzi frowned: 'Do you know why this place has become like this?'

Jiang Hao and Du Ming exchanged a glance, then sighed helplessly: 'Reporting to Sir Yu Xuzi, we aren't entirely clear either; from when we discovered the plague to now, it's only been three days, and as you see, everyone inside and outside Baihu Cheng is dead.'

Everyone in Baihu Cheng has been struck, none spared; even we have been entangled by the plague, and if not for our robust qi and blood, we would have died long ago.

Du Ming said: 'With our cultivation, we might not last three days.'

Both men understood their condition; this plague spread too fast, too swiftly.

They were given no chance to react; by the time they noticed, they had already been infected.

They also took some measures, sealing Baihu Cheng—no one allowed in or out—but it still could not be contained.

In panic, ordinary people spared nothing to flee this place in order to survive.

This plague cannot be contained.

The Great Qi Dynasty will soon be affected.

Generally, a plague does not spread this fast nor be so horrifying; we believe there must be a human factor behind it. Sir Yu Xuzi, if you wish to stop the plague, you must find the one behind it, who likely holds the antidote.

But it's difficult; we have also tried searching, yet found not a single clue.

Yu Xuzi frowned: 'Do you know where the source of the plague is?'

Jiang Hao and Du Ming exchanged a glance, took a deep breath, and said: 'To be frank, we don't know either; we only know this plague spread from outside, Baihu Cheng is also affected, and we estimate that nearby towns will likely be infected as well—once it spreads, within five days the entire Great Qi Dynasty will be impacted.'

Please, Sir Yu Xuzi, save these poor people.

The two stepped back, bowed, and bent at the waist.

Yu Xuzi stared at the two, his brows tightly knit.

Gazing at the coffins and white mourning cloths strewn about, he turned and looked outward.

The bent Jiang Hao and Du Ming lifted their heads, their expressions turning fierce.

One drew a blade, the other a sword; they flanked him from left and right, completing the assassination in an instant.

A hum.

Yu Xuzi's body burst with an energy wave, a layer of true gang erupting.

The two were blown away, blood spraying.

You... had you been on guard against us?

Jiang Hao rose to his feet, his face grim.

Yu Xuzi turned, his voice cold: 'I had long suspected you were problematic; indeed you are. Tell me the source of the plague, and I will spare your lives.'

Otherwise, I will extract your souls and spirits, making life worse than death.

Du Ming stood, icy and ruthless: 'Yu Xuzi, one of the Heavenly Heart Sect's Seven Sons, do not think you can still leave Baihu Cheng alive—cough, cough, cough—this place will be your grave.'

Sir, he will not let you leave this place alive.

Kill.

Du Ming and Jiang Hao again surrounded him to kill; Yu Xuzi scoffed: 'Overestimating yourselves.'

You insignificant ants dare to provoke me—your gall is huge.

Yu Xuzi raised his right hand and grasped at the void.

Jiang Hao's body suddenly exploded, directly crushed.

Immediately after, Du Ming's body hung in midair, trembling a few times before falling.

His head exploded.

A bang.

The headless corpse lay on the ground, worms everywhere, disgusting to the extreme.

Fire.

Flames rose, burning the corpses; those worms died along with the fire.

It turned into strands of scorched-black aura, hovering in the air.

The flames continued to burn, the entire lord's manor was burned to ashes, and all the corpses inside were burned.

Having done all that, Yu Xuzi turned around; many people surrounded him behind, those infected with the plague came forward, as if they wanted to tear Yu Xuzi apart.

Hmph.

"You petty rabble, hiding and skulking, do you think hiding makes you safe?"

Yu Xuzi rose into the air, his whole body wrapped in flames.

Touching those black insects, they were instantly burned to ashes.

Standing in the void, he lowered his head, looking down at those walking corpses below, no longer able to be called human, all infected, becoming parasites of the insects, alive, yet also torment.

"Divine ability, Heavenly Heart Fire."

In the sky, flames blossomed; nine flames hovered around Yu Xuzi, then spread out, enveloping the entire Baihu Cheng; these flames expanded, split, and in the blink of an eye, countless fireballs floated in the sky.

"Fall."

"Boom—"

The huge fireballs fell, bombarding everything.

Flames burned everything.

Screams, angry shouts, and coughing sounds.

Those people lunged forward.

The flames blocked their path.

Yu Xuzi crossed his arms, coldly observing this scene.

Baihu Cheng became a sea of flames.

The great fire burned, countless insects died or were wounded.

Those people were also burned by the flames.

Half an hour later.

Baihu Cheng turned into a wasteland of ruins; Yu Xuzi stared down at the sea of fire and saw a huge figure.

A pitch-black figure, its body entirely composed of insects, those insects swarmed toward it.

Dense masses of insects piled together, forming a huge monster.

A monster shaped like a rat, its fur all made of insects, pitch-black insects, with rows of ferocious fangs, it howled at him.

The monster opened its mouth, emitting a resentful howl.

"Yu Xuzi, you're seeking death."