Chapter 1327: Banishing the Curse

The valley fell utterly silent.

The Dragon Scale Guard contingent led by Li Tingyue all wore deathly pale faces, cold sweat sliding down their cheeks, and a clear terror could be felt in their eyes.

Evil-thought contamination had always been the most fearsome thing in this world. Even a titled marquis-level expert, once afflicted, could only watch helplessly as they themselves slowly degenerated into a mindlessly twisted creature if they could not purge it.

Li Tingyue's bangs were soaked with cold sweat, plastered against her fair forehead, making her look rather disheveled. But after the initial fright, she gradually calmed herself.

She sat down cross-legged directly, and four beams of spiritual light shot out from the crown of her head, transforming into four towering marquis platforms.

Upon the marquis platforms, vast marquis divine smoke could be seen cascading down like a waterfall, enveloping Li Tingyue's delicate frame.

She was attempting to use her own strength to locate the source of the evil-thought contamination within her body, then rely on the power of the marquis divine smoke to purge it.

This was the most effective self-rescue method used by many titled marquis-level experts who encountered evil-thought contamination. Generally speaking, if it was only ordinary evil-thought contamination, the marquis divine smoke had a high probability of producing some effect.

But clearly, this contamination was no ordinary case.

Half an incense stick's time later, Li Tingyue opened her eyes. A panicked look surfaced on her pallid cheeks as she said with difficulty, "I-I can't detect any evil-thought contamination inside my body."

She had already examined every part of her body, inside and out, yet the contamination seemed not to exist at all. But both Wen Zhu Xuan's mutation and the dilated pupils she had observed earlier conclusively proved she had been afflicted.

Therefore, being unable to detect the contamination did not mean it wasn't there; it meant this contamination was far more dangerous and insidious than they had imagined.

The other Dragon Scale Guard squad members' expressions grew even uglier at her words. If even Li Tingyue could do nothing about this so-called "Black-Eye Ghost Curse," wouldn't they be able to do nothing but wait for death?

Li Fuluo's expression grew extremely solemn. Although he was relieved that no one on his side had been afflicted, Li Tingyue and the others were still comrades, and they could not stand by idly.

But faced with such bizarre evil-thought contamination, what could he possibly do?

Right, Li Luo, Jiang Qing!

Li Fuluo hurriedly turned to look at Li Luo and Jiang Qing and asked urgently, "Since you were able to refine away the 'Black-Eye Ghost Curse' hidden within the Foundation Establishment spiritual treasures, can you also help Commander Tingyue and the others purge the curse contamination?"

Li Tingyue also suddenly raised her head to look at the two, a hopeful light welling up in her eyes.

At this moment, Li Luo and Jiang Qing were undoubtedly the last lifelines.

"Commander Li Luo, Dragon Fang Envoy Jiang, if you can help us through this ordeal, the Dragon Scale Guard will not dare disobey any future order from you." Li Tingyue declared outright, meaning that henceforth she intended to follow Li Luo's and Jiang Qing's lead.

This was a great deal of support, enough to strengthen Li Luo's and Jiang Qing's voice within the Five Heavenly Dragon Guards.

Li Luo, upon hearing this, revealed a gentle smile and said, "Commander Tingyue, why say such things? We are all comrades. If you have a problem, could I really sit by and do nothing?"

Li Tingyue, however, caught the implication behind Li Luo's words and immediately exclaimed joyfully, "You have a way?!"

Jiang Qing, beside him, gave a slight nod with her snow-white, pointed chin and said, "Although you've been afflicted with the 'Black-Eye Ghost Curse,' fortunately it hasn't gone too deep. If Li Luo and I combine our strength, we should still be able to help you purge it."

Li Tingyue was overwhelmed with excitement, and the rest of the squad nearly wept with joy. For a moment, Li Luo's and Jiang Qing's standing in their hearts shot straight up.

Li Luo and Jiang Qing exchanged a glance, then instructed everyone to sit cross-legged in turn. They once again activated the Minor Formless Fire and the light phase power, layering the two together to envelop Li Tingyue and the others.

"Commander Tingyue, please don't resist. If you feel any discomfort during the process, please bear with it," Li Luo reminded.

Li Tingyue and the others hurriedly nodded.

Then, they felt the vast, sacred light phase power pour down upon them, and upon that light phase power, a somewhat translucent flame was rising.

The two forces swirled around Li Tingyue and the others, then suddenly seemed to transform into light needles, abruptly shooting toward everyone's pupils.

This sudden change startled Li Tingyue and the others, and their bodies almost reflexively began channeling phase power to resist. But remembering Li Luo's warning, they forcibly suppressed that reaction.

The flame-wreathed light needles pierced directly into everyone's pupils. Immediately they felt searing pain spreading through their eyes, and their vision blurred. For an instant, they almost thought their eyes were about to be stabbed blind.

But just then, they heard a piercing shriek emanating from within their pupils, and then countless bizarre moths flew out from within. These moths tried to escape, but in an instant they were incinerated by the light phase power cloaked in the Minor Formless Fire.

Li Fuluo and the others nearby watched the bizarre moths continuously flying out from Li Tingyue and the group's pupils and felt their hair stand on end.

A good while later.

Li Luo and Jiang Qing gradually withdrew their phase power.

And Li Tingyue and the others discovered that their blurred vision was now beginning to gradually recover, everything seemingly exactly as it had been before.

However, as Li Luo's water mirror rose before them, they finally saw black, foul-smelling liquid flowing down from the corners of their eyes on their cheeks, and their pupils had also returned to their original normal size.

A strange sense of clarity and relief welled up from within their hearts.

"Commander Tingyue, the 'Black-Eye Ghost Curse' within your bodies should have been purged. Fortunately, the Foundation Establishment spiritual treasures you came into contact with weren't too many, so the contamination wasn't too severe. However, this curse is extremely bizarre—it seems to possess extremely high growth potential. Once planted, as it slowly matures, it will eventually erode your minds," Li Luo said.

Li Tingyue bowed deeply, her gentle, pretty face filled with gratitude: "Thank you both. The Dragon Scale Guard will certainly remember this favor."

Li Tingyue now felt extremely fortunate. Luckily, they had happened to see Li Fuluo's distress signal this time and had come to the rescue. Had they missed this window, and the 'Black-Eye Ghost Curse' later matured unknowingly, they would have paid an extremely bitter price.

Hiss, hiss!

Just then, some piercing sounds came. The crowd looked over and saw Wen Zhu Xuan, whom Li Fuluo had sealed within the mountain wall with his phase power, struggling frantically—and actually breaking free of her restraints.

Li Fuluo hurriedly channeled his phase power to suppress her. Accompanied by a rumbling boom, the earth cracked, and he pinned Wen Zhu Xuan down hard.

But even so, Wen Zhu Xuan continued to struggle violently. She crawled with difficulty across the ground, her claws dripping with black liquid gouging deep marks into the earth.

This scene filled everyone with a chill to the bone.

But Li Luo frowned slightly. He stared at Wen Zhu Xuan's frantic struggling—she seemed to be trying to get somewhere, didn't she?

Was she being drawn by something?

Li Luo stood before Wen Zhu Xuan, and at this moment the latter suddenly raised her head. Her originally dashing pretty face now appeared extremely twisted and ferocious, and her pitch-black pupils, dripping with black liquid, stared fixedly at Li Luo.

Li Luo gazed at those bizarre black pupils, and a chill suddenly rose in his heart, because for an instant, he felt as if deep within those pitch-black pupils, a sinister gaze was staring back at him, cold beyond measure.