Chapter 189: I Thought…… You'd Be Stronger

Tang Luo threw the slippery ghost's head over, and a slippery ghost held it in front of its body.

After the slippery ghost glanced at it twice, it suddenly laughed, placed the head on its own shoulder, and then, at the break of the head, twisted flesh buds grew out.

Connecting it to the shoulder, it instantly became a "double-headed slippery ghost."

The two heads simultaneously emitted a "hehehe" laugh, and the other slippery ghosts also began to laugh.

The scene looked extremely eerie.

Tang Luo stopped his steps, gripping the Whirlwind's handle and flung it backward.

The Whirlwind's whip form lashed backward.

Shimo Shigeru, who had been sneaking sideways bit by bit, suddenly jumped up, trying to dodge.

But the Whirlwind bone whip, like a swimming dragon, coiled around Shimo Shigeru's right foot.

The ferocious bone spikes pierced into his flesh, lodging into the bone.

Shimo Shigeru, true to his name as a mad beast, at the moment of being entangled, directly clawed at his own right foot, attempting to sever his leg to survive.

The moment his claws touched his right foot, Tang Luo lightly shook his palm, and Shimo Shigeru's body shuddered violently, like a deflated doll, going limp and collapsing to the ground.

The blood on his body ceased flowing abruptly.

With a flick of the bone whip, Tang Luo treated Shimo Shigeru as a weapon, smashing him toward the approaching troop, straight for the lofty palanquin.

The leading double-headed slippery ghost leapt up, reaching out to "catch" Shimo Shigeru.

But the immense force far exceeded his expectation; the two collided into a mass, their speed showing no sign of flying toward the palanquin.

More slippery ghosts jumped up, "sacrificing themselves for righteousness," and finally, before colliding with the palanquin, they managed to block it.

Over a dozen slippery ghosts tangled together, continuously uttering "aiya aiya" sounds, forming a "small mound" on the road, constantly writhing.

After a moment, they had lost their original form, directly combining into a towering monster no less formidable than a tengu.

This monster resembled a slippery ghost in appearance, with three exaggerated heads and six arms.

Three heads and six arms, and on each of the six arms, they waved an elongated slippery ghost, yet using it as a weapon.

As for Shimo Shigeru, he had already vanished during the earlier "fusion process," likely devoured by this group of slippery ghosts.

The towering three-headed six-armed slippery ghost strode forward, initially a bit unsteady, but after a few steps became proficient.

Despite its size, its movements remained as stealthy and cautious as before, giving people a sense of great discomfort due to the stark contrast.

"True..."

Before Nan could sigh inwardly, he suddenly widened his eyes.

The towering slippery ghost, still some distance away, suddenly appeared abruptly before him.

Nan hadn't even seen how the opponent appeared!

"Iron Lump!"

Without hesitation, Nan immediately used Iron Lump; his body appeared to stiffen, becoming like steel—or rather, actually harder than most steel.

"Hehehe."

The three-headed slippery ghost laughed, one arm waving the elongated slippery ghost in hand like a whip, whipping Nan up.

Then, just as Tang Luo had done earlier, it treated him as a weapon and hurled him outward.

The target was precisely Tang Luo.

Nan, suspended in mid-air, felt immensely aggrieved: What the hell!

How could he say he'd survived over a dozen missions as a veteran powerhouse? Though he couldn't guarantee piercing the battlefield a hundred percent, in some situations he could manage it.

Now he was being used as a weapon, smashed back and forth?

I, Nan Taisheng, am not a brick!

With a casual flick, Tang Luo sent the incoming Nan flying to one side.

Nan crashed into a house, didn't immediately get up—hm, maybe he wasn't seriously injured? The opponent seemed to have held back?

After thinking it over, Nan maintained his motionless pose; being a brick now should be safe, right?

"Hehehe."

The towering slippery ghost continued to chuckle, tiptoeing toward Tang Luo; after just a few steps, it suddenly vanished from its spot.

Upon reappearing, it was already before Tang Luo.

At that moment, Tang Luo's Whirlwind thrust diagonally upward, precisely piercing the slippery ghost's middle head.

As if he himself had headbutted it.

"Dead?"

Chiyo, in the distance, silently thought: she dared not advance nor retreat; this white-clad demon monk and the sudden palanquin master were key to whether they could complete the mission, or even survive.

She couldn't leave; she must find an opportunity, wait and act.

Nan thought the same; otherwise, he would have already fled recklessly—and he wasn't sure if fleeing would reignite attention, and if noticed again, it would be disastrous.

The slippery ghost's strange head did not let the Whirlwind pierce through; instead, it completely enveloped it.

"Hehehe."

From the other two heads, laughter sounded.

Tang Luo turned his right hand, and the Whirlwind in his grasp instantly began to spin.

The sharp bone spikes tore apart the slippery ghost's head, reducing it from three heads to two.

At the same time, the slippery ghost's six arms rose high, kneading several slippery ghosts into a hammer-like shape, smashing toward Tang Luo.

Tang Luo gripped his sword and swung downward; several sword flashes flickered.

The slippery ghost's movement froze, yet Tang Luo still slipped past from its side.

The slippery ghost's body suddenly split into several pieces, falling to the ground.

"Wasting time." Tang Luo looked toward the person in the palanquin, "You not coming out?"

"Hmph."

A soft laugh came from within the divine palanquin: "I merely wished to see if Master Xuanzang still bears the demeanor of old."

"But I am somewhat disappointed—I had thought the master would be stronger; it turns out he is nothing special… and even allowed someone lurking nearby to strike from the shadows with cold arrows—has he realized his own inadequacy?"

"Oh?"

Tang Luo's voice rose slightly.

From within the divine palanquin, a "sphere" was thrown out and rolled to Tang Luo's feet.

It was none other than Simon's head!

His eyes were wide open, the look of horror still lingering on his face.

"It is… Hercules, the Strong God?" Chiyo shuddered instantly!

A divine demon walker of the Western faction, a fate-holder, a powerhouse of the same tier as them—Chiyo had once encountered this person.

I never expected he would also enter this mission world, and worse, die at the hands of the palanquin's master!

From the exchange between the palanquin master and the white-robed demon monk, it appears Hercules sided with the white-robed demon monk—alas, the palanquin master still prevailed by a margin.

"Come, come, come."

The palanquin master uttered three words in succession: "If you are willing to strike at Master Xuanzang, I will spare your lives."

Without naming names, Chiyo and Nan Ju changed expression.

They understood the palanquin master was referring to the two of them.

"What, unwilling?" the palanquin master said.

As his words faded, a white blur came howling with a gale, and the heavenly dogs carrying the palanquin had no time to react.

The white blur tore the divine palanquin to shreds, leaving only a single "plank" still borne by the heavenly dogs.

The gale that ripped apart the palanquin slammed into a distant building, unleashing a thunderous roar, revealing a vast hollow.

The sounds of steel and concrete shattering continued—the building could not hold, split into two, the upper half slowly collapsing with a deafening crash.

"His temper remains as fiery as ever—lashing out at the slightest disagreement."

The palanquin master descended from midair, landing upon the "remnants" of the palanquin.

Earlier, when Tang Luo hurled the gale and the blade neared, he leapt up and dodged the strike.

His true visage was also revealed.

Feihuang!

This person's appearance bears nine-tenths resemblance to Feihuang, but his attire is utterly different—he wears a black tall hat and blue-white hunting robes, making him quite splendid.

He holds a folding fan in his hand.

His overall look is that of an onmyoji, closely resembling the "Abe no Seimei" Feihuang and company once encountered.

"You are not Feihuang?" Tang Luo said.

"No, I am Feihuang," Feihuang said with a laugh, "though today's me is no longer yesterday's me."

"Possessed by a 'body snatcher' and still unaware? Fool." Tang Luo spoke bluntly.

"Body snatcher?" Feihuang burst into laughter: "No, no, no—I have merely seen myself truly, seen clearly this turbid world."

"Oh, so you've come down with chuunibyou."

The smile on Feihuang's face faded slightly: "Master Xuanzang, why must you wound with words?"

"Is this Hyakki Yagyō your doing?" Tang Luo asked.

"Me?" Feihuang shook his head: "How could I, of such low virtue and ability, create this Hyakki Yagyō? It is merely the wickedness of human hearts—everyone bears sin, and what I have done is only slightly stirred their 'transgressions.'"

He raised his hand; upon his fingers, a splendid flame gradually ignited.

It was precisely the Karmic Fire!

"The night procession is not of ghosts, but of these people's sins," Feihuang said coldly.

"Karmic fire," Tang Luo gazed at Feihuang, "I feel… somewhat familiar with it."

"Hah, Master Xuanzang, are you intending to save people?" Feihuang said, "Why not play a game instead?"

"A game?"

"Yes," Feihuang said, "in this mortal hell, over a thousand survivors remain, and your companions number three. Between the two, which does Master Xuanzang deem heavier or lighter?"

"Heavy my ass!"

Tang Luo appeared before the heavenly dogs carrying the palanquin, right foot stepping forward, body slightly sideways, right hand five fingers spread, thrusting obliquely upward!

Empty Palm!

A mad whirl of white air currents surged wildly, faintly revealing a colossal palm opened wide, as if the earth itself were overturning and collapsing.

The heavenly dogs spread their wings, lifting the palanquin, yet could not escape the Empty Palm's coverage.

Like a mountain, the Empty Palm struck the heavenly dogs—instantly reducing them to a pool of blood foam.

"Whoosh—"

The backdraft gale swept across the entire city.

Chiyo lowered his body, letting the puppet block front and rear, thus avoiding being blown off the ground by the gale.

On the other side, Nan also drove one hand into the ground, half-kneeling, the other hand blocking incoming flying debris.

After the gale subsided.

Chiyo lifted his head; before him, all buildings had vanished from sight.

Like a pile of trash swept clean.

Behind him lay a wasteland, only fragments of broken walls remaining.

Within the vast dark clouds covering the city, a huge hollow had appeared, faintly resembling the shape of a palm.

The palanquin master known as "Feihuang".

Suspended in midair, the entire lower half of the body had already vanished, and the upper half was tilted and more than half gone.

The right chest and right arm remained intact, while the left arm was reduced to a mere stump.

The black high hat atop the head had disappeared somewhere, the tattered cloak fluttered, and the face was twisted with savage fury.

"I thought... you would be stronger."

Tang Luo looked up, gazing at the mutilated Flying Emperor, and said.