Chapter 196: Soul Clan, Taotie

A speck of mysterious light flickered in the pale blue crystal treasure mirror.

The youth suddenly narrowed his eyes: "Oh? Interesting. Are these the people you mentioned from the Six Paths Palace?"

The youth pointed at the treasure mirror, and a caravan appeared inside it.

Although their heads were wrapped in headscarves, the burly men in the caravan, who were much taller and sturdier than ordinary people and had silver or gold skin, remained strikingly conspicuous.

Wa Yao's body suddenly tensed.

Gongsun Cheng also abruptly lifted his head; two dim flames flickered in his eye sockets.

"Exactly, they must be from the Six Paths Palace." Wa Yao gritted her teeth, examining each face in the treasure mirror: "That dead fatty, that shorty, that despicable woman—they're all people around Wu Tie."

Wa Yao's tense body suddenly went limp like a puddle of water; she slumped into the youth's embrace, her arms wrapped around his arm, and she whispered softly: "Your Highness, if it weren't for you saving me, I would have been harmed by them… you must not let them go."

The youth narrowed his eyes and gave a strange laugh: "I am Taotie Yao (gu)—how could I let them go? These men look rich in flesh and blood, perfect for a fine meal."

A low, beastly roar emanated from within Taotie Yao's body, and an ancient, savage, ferocious, bloodthirsty aura spread out. A mass of bloody light and shadow slowly rose behind him, within which a vague monster's phantom could be seen.

In the glow of that bloody light, Taotie Yao's handsome face shifted with the light and shadow, as if it too were turning into a monster's visage.

Wa Yao let out a "hee-hee" laugh, a flicker of coldness flashing in the depths of her eyes.

Gongsun Cheng lowered his head in fear.

Taotie Yao stood up, released Wa Yao, and firmly rubbed his palms: "Then, let's move out… send a few people to watch that caravan, not letting a single one escape… we'll go see that half-dragon person."

"Better to kill by mistake than to let them go." Taotie Yao slapped his palm hard, smiling at Wa Yao: "I like that saying."

On the stone platform, from the twelve stone caves, sturdy warriors in blue half-armor and white capes kept marching out. As more and more emerged, the platform could no longer hold them all, so the first to exit took to the air.

Soon, nearly three thousand warriors hovered in the air; upon seeing Taotie Yao stride out of the stone cave, they all dropped to one knee in midair and shouted in unison, deep and powerful, "Your Highness!"

The unified shout thundered like lightning, whipping up fierce winds; on the nearby platforms, people emerged from the stone caves and looked over here.

When these people saw familiar faces suddenly transformed into such an elite army, the folks on the nearby platforms cried out in alarm and retreated back into their caves, no longer daring to meddle in this affair.

Taotie Yao laughed, a fierce wind surged beneath his feet, lifting him and Wa Yao, and they flew straight toward the base of the Golden Dead Spirit.

In the Golden Dead Spirit's base, Wu Tie ignored the arriving reinforcements of cultivators and continued to provoke Sun Zuo's subordinates. Sun Zuo, beneath his feet, let out a miserable cry of pain, constantly howling and cursing.

In the collapsed supply warehouse, Sun Zuo's hunting team members carried large bundles and bore huge metal boxes; the bundles were filled with various medicinal herbs and fruits, while the boxes held heavy gold coins, silver ingots, and assorted valuables.

The warehouse was reduced to ashes by the Divine Thunder of Exorcising Evil, and Sun Zuo's hunting team members stared helplessly in this direction.

Sun Zuo howled, wailed in pain, and hurled insults.

Several of Sun Zuo's veteran subordinates suddenly dropped their belongings, shouted curses, and charged at Wu Tie. One scar-faced man roared loudly: "Brothers, let's go together and take down this little turtle bastard!"

Besides those few old brothers of Sun Zuo, only thirty-something members of the hunting team followed them out.

The other hunting team members heard the commotion from all directions, and some saw a large force marching toward them. They let out a shout, carrying the loot they'd snatched from the warehouse, and scattered in all directions like a flock of startled ducks.

They abandoned Sun Zuo, choosing to seek their own survival.

Wu Tie laughed, lightly tapping Sun Zuo's shoulder with the White Tiger Split: "These are your brothers, these are your brothers…"

Sun Zuo had forgotten his own pain; watching his fleeing subordinates, he suddenly recalled how, after years of hard work, he had finally managed to rebuild this hunting team…

He had poured so much heart and soul into it, giving those wandering scoundrels all his sincere devotion…

All his effort and affection ended up feeding white-eyed wolves.

Sun Zuo felt a surge of heat in his chest and spat a mouthful of blood far away: "You lot, this pack of scoundrels… you, come back, fight to the death… how could my brothers, my Sun Zuo's team, you…"

Sun Zuo inexplicably recalled the team he once had.

Back then, he and his band of brothers-in-arms.

They together raided homes, slaughtered families, reveled in debauchery, and lived wantonly…

What wonderful times those were—when did those glorious days vanish forever? Perhaps it was after the little stone fortress of Shibao in that remote place suffered losses…

"Kill me, then." Sun Zuo bellowed.

Wu Tie remained silent, watching the hunting team members launch themselves at him, and he gently shook his head.

One person alone wouldn't suffice—not even Sun Zuo's team nor the entirety of the Golden Dead Spirit could rely on him alone. Even if he had wielded the Blood Curved Blade, trying to wipe out the Golden Dead Spirit and Sun Zuo's team in one sweep would still fail.

I don't know when the Eighteen Palace Guard Heavenly Kings will arrive.

Wu Tie raised the White Tiger Split and thrust forward with a spear. Straight and unadorned, a jet of blackish true energy rose from the ground like a rolling, twisting, howling magic dragon, slamming into the dozens of warriors rushing at him.

Dozens of the hunting team members roared in unison, their weapons turning into streams of light that crashed against the draconic true energy.

With a muffled bang, the true energy burst, shattering dozens of weapons into countless fragments of broken copper and iron that scattered in all directions.

Figures tumbled skyward in the blast; dozens of Sun Zuo's loyal hunting team members writhed strangely in the wind, their bodies emitting continual crisp sounds of breaking bones.

Sun Zuo couldn't move one hand, while the other frantically pounded the ground: "Run, run, you damned lot… hurry up and run!"

He hysterically urged those loyal to him to flee.

After bellowing a few times, Sun Zuo shouted at those who had already run far away: "You bastards, scum, white-eyed wolves—get back here… come back… fight, fight! What are you running from?"

Letting his brothers flee for their lives while ordering the damned deserters who abandoned him to return and fight…

One must admit, Sun Zuo is quite the imaginative fellow.

Wu Tie laughed, hearing the sorrow and desperation in Sun Zuo's howl, and said softly: "Now you know what heartache feels like, don't you?"

Sun Zuo closed his eyes and howled hysterically: "My heart aches, I'm in pain… my dear brothers and sisters… if they were here, they wouldn't flee, not a single one would… they're all dead, all dead, only these scoundrels remain… only these scoundrels!"

Sun Zuo screamed frantically: "I remember now—it's you, it's you… my brothers and sisters were killed by your people…"

Perhaps it was a final glimmer of clarity before death, but Sun Zuo suddenly recalled events from several years ago with perfect clarity.

He clearly remembered how they invaded the Wu family's territory, how they bloodbathed Shibao, how they slaughtered the Wu family's warriors and servants from top to bottom, how they pursued Wu Jin, Wu Yin, and Wu Tong into the mine shafts, and how they suffered heavy casualties inside those mines.

Everything remained vivid in his mind—every detail, even the appearance of each tiny pebble on the ground where he had walked through the Wu family's lands, he recalled with perfect clarity.

"My brothers…" Sun Zuo wailed hysterically.

"Where are my brothers?" Wu Tie lowered his gaze to Sun Zuo, as dozens of bodies kept falling around them; Sun Zuo's loyal subordinates were torn apart by the true energy, their skin split, flesh ripped, bones broken in unknown numbers, lying on the ground struggling but unable to rise.

"My brothers, my father—were also killed by you." Wu Tie recalled Wu Jin fighting desperately in the Wa Clan's ancestral land, his voice suddenly filling with intense killing intent: "My brothers, my father—how did they die?"

Sun Zuo gave a bitter smile: "But whose fault is it?"

Sun Zuo hissed: "From childhood I grew up in the Big Snake Cave, in the Black Snake Domain…… My father made a living by banditry…… My grandfather made a living by banditry…… My great-grandfather made a living by banditry…… Our family generation after generation…… Everyone in the Black Snake Domain has lived like this generation after generation……"

"Not killing, not seizing, what are we supposed to eat?" Sun Zuo hissed: "The weak are meat, the strong eat; you're weak, so you should be eaten by us."

"I like this saying, the weak are meat, the strong eat; I'm stronger than you, so I can freely mince you, is that wrong?" Wu Tie laughed loudly, the White Tiger Split lightly jabbed Sun Zuo's shoulder, punching out a fist-sized blood hole.

Sun Zuo was speechless.

He couldn't utter a word.

When he was strong, he preyed on the weak; now that Wu Tie has grown strong, he comes to prey on Sun Zuo—is that wrong?

Of course not.

Since you've chosen this survival philosophy, you must follow it.

All other excuses are just excuses, meaningless.

"My father, my elder brothers, my teachers, and so many who grew up with me…… the people of the Wu clan." Wu Tie murmured: "You believe in the weak are meat, the strong eat? Hehe."

"I also believe, the weak are meat, the strong eat—this is the Supreme Heavenly Dao." Taotie Nie stepped down on a raging wind from the sky, he grinningly said to Wu Tie: "The weak are meat, the strong eat—such beautiful words were made for someone as strong as me."

"You're weak, so I'll eat you." Taotie Nie clapped his hands hard, he laughed: "These words are absolutely right, I really like them."

Several squads of cultivators nearby had already rushed over, they noisily surrounded this area.

Wu Tie gripped the White Tiger Split with both hands, warily eyeing Taotie Nie, who gave him a bad feeling…… Especially, the gorgeous woman standing beside Taotie Nie, radiant with endless charm, was Wa Yao.

"It's you." Wu Tie nodded: "Wa Yao…… is this a new lover you've hooked up with? How many men have you had?"

When in Wa Valley, Wu Tie had heard Wa Qing'er say that Wa Yao's private life was extremely chaotic; although she was an unmarried clan girl, she had already been with countless so-called talented youths.

Wu Tie felt no affection for Wa Yao, especially since she colluded with outsiders to harm Wa Xiao xi, filling Wu Tie with hatred toward her.

So upon meeting, Wu Tie immediately tore off the facade, saw no need to hide his identity, and directly exposed Wa Yao's background.

As expected, Wa Yao's body stiffened, her face turning as green as spinach.

Taotie Nie then burst into loud laughter, he put his arm around Wa Yao's shoulders, and laughed at Wu Tie: "Wu Tie, right? Your transformation technique is not bad…… eh, sharp-tongued, interesting, interesting…… but I really do like women like Wa Yao—what can you do about it?"

"Eating leftover rice, wearing torn shoes—such hobbies are also interesting." Wu Tie's words grew ever more venomous.

It must be said, after Lao Tie's training, Wu Tie's ability to insult people has surpassed that of over half the people.

Taotie Nie's face also stiffened, he glared fiercely at Wu Tie, faint blue smoke seeming to rise from his seven orifices.

"You, dare to say it again……" Taotie Nie gritted his teeth, barely managing to squeeze out a few words from between his teeth.

The cultivators of the Golden Dead Spirits nearby still hadn't figured out what had happened; several leader-level cultivators jumped out simultaneously, shouting loudly: "This is the territory of the Golden Dead Spirits—you've got a lot of nerve, daring to come in and cause trouble? Give me……"

A flash of Blood Light appeared in Taotie Nie's pupils; behind him, Blood Light rose, and the phantom of a monstrous beast faintly appeared.

"Die." Taotie Nie suddenly opened his huge mouth, deeply inhaling toward those cultivators. A scarlet gale swept across the flat ground, rolling up; the bodies of several squads of cultivators, over a thousand cultivators, stiffened simultaneously, and they simultaneously sprayed a thin mist of blood from their pores.

It was not blood plasma, but a mist of blood formed from their entire essence, energy, and spirit, sprayed out together with all their cultivation.

Taotie Nie opened his huge mouth, and the sky-filling blood mist was sucked dry in one breath.

A flush of blood rose on his face, and Taotie Nie's aura suddenly surged greatly.

The essence condensed from the total cultivation and essence of over a thousand people obviously brought him great benefit.

Wu Tie stared wide-eyed at Taotie Nie.

This guy, does he eat people?

The cultivators of the Golden Dead Spirits who stepped forward, right in front of Wu Tie, turned into desiccated mummy-like corpses and collapsed heavily to the ground.

"You……" Wu Tie clenched both hands.

"Soul Clan, Taotie Clan, Taotie Nie……" Taotie Nie took out a white handkerchief, gently wiped the corner of his mouth, and smiled at Wu Tie: "I am the Third Highness of the Taotie Clan…… oh, in your words, I am still Wa Yao's new lover, hehe!"

Taotie Nie gritted his teeth, looked at Wu Tie and laughed: "I want to eat you—don't resist, okay?"