Chapter 215: Startling the World

A streak of roaring flame whistled past his side.

It was the spirit fire released by his Xiao Xiao Shimei.

The flame struck the invisible wall, spreading out along its surface. Although it did not immediately destroy or shatter it, it outlined its height.

It was a mere one zhang tall.

Luo Seng was also a man experienced in slaughter; naturally, he understood the intent, immediately raising his blade and leaping forward.

The turtle-demon sorcerer grew even more panicked, forced to chant spells repeatedly, casting the Wall-Separation Technique one after another, hoping to stop the martial artist who was like a god of slaughter.

At the same time, he retreated again and again.

Yet, as he chanted and retreated, he suddenly heard the words, "I urge you to frown."

"Ugh!"

His throat suddenly choked; an indescribable sorrow surged from his heart, lodging in his throat and making his nose ache. The spell was instantly broken.

What kind of magic was this?

The turtle-demon sorcerer was both sorrowful and terrified.

Immediately after, a chill crept up his back!

The turtle-demon sorcerer frowned, his face revealing a look of sorrow. Though he did not know the reason, there was no time to think between life and death; he had to turn instantly and swing his wooden staff.

"Swish!"

Yet he saw that no one was attacking from behind. There was only a giant three-tailed fox standing far away, opening its maw to spit out a wave of thick black smoke that came crashing toward him.

Although the martial energy was swift and fierce, it was precisely because it was too fierce that it only whistled through the black smoke, stirring it into a chaotic swirl without dispersing or pushing it back.

In the blink of an eye, the black smoke was before his face.

This black smoke had no lethality; it was merely to obstruct his vision.

"A three-tailed fox?"

The turtle-demon sorcerer was shocked by this, and before he could recover, everything before his eyes turned pitch black; he could not even see his own fingers.

Suddenly, his hand holding the staff felt a pain, as if bitten by something.

"Ah!!"

He couldn't help but loosen his grip.

Just from this loosening, when he went to grab the wooden staff again, he had already grabbed nothing but air.

Was it snatched away by the fox?

Or was it some other magic?

The turtle-demon sorcerer hurriedly blew a gust of wind to disperse the black smoke.

Yet he saw the Daoist who had first fought him already standing a few feet to his left. The three-tailed fox, which was three parts larger than a leopard, stood with him, and his magic staff was held in the Daoist's hand. The sword-wielding female Daoist stood on the right, staring at him with piercing eyes.

And that martial artist, like a god of slaughter, was right in front, eyes wide with rage, veins bulging, raising his blade to hack down at him.

That blade was truly extraordinary!

The turtle-demon sorcerer could not only feel the heavy blood-malevolent energy upon it, but it even seemed as if he could hear the wailing of demons and ghosts.

Who knew how many demons and ghosts this blade had severed!

What would happen if he were struck in the head by this blade?

Swish!

The turtle-demon sorcerer retracted his head, and his four limbs followed suit, shrinking inward, and his body fell downward. In just an instant, all that remained in place was a loose green robe draped over a slightly flattened turtle shell.

The long blade hacked down immediately!

Yet it made no sound, merely scraping across the turtle shell, giving him a fright.

"Eh?"

The three of them all crowded around to look.

It seemed that after these demons attained enlightenment, they all refined and cultivated according to their own strengths—this turtle-demon sorcerer's shell was also different from ordinary turtles. Besides the hard shell on the top and bottom, even the sides were wrapped tightly, not only hiding the flesh but leaving not even a single crack.

The entire body was like a flattened peach pit made of turtle shell.

"Is this you waiting for death, foot-guest?" Lin Jue said, holding his sword. "Or do you think we cannot do anything about this turtle shell of yours?"

The turtle shell remained motionless, and the turtle demon inside made no sound.

The senior brother and junior sister exchanged a glance.

The Xiao Xiao Shimei sheathed her sword behind her back, formed a sword-finger with her left hand, and pointed forward.

A spark of fire flew out, landing on the turtle shell, instantly turning into a surging spirit fire that burned fiercely around it.

The surface of the turtle shell changed color rapidly, turning black and red.

Yet it still remained motionless.

The fox was clever; seeing the firelight dissipate, it immediately jumped up and opened its mouth to spit.

A mouthful of cold air, like solidified white smoke, rushed out, completely enveloping the turtle shell.

"Sss... squeak..."

Ice and fire merged, accompanied by strange sounds.

In just an instant, the turtle shell, which had just been burning hot and red, was covered in a layer of ice crystals.

A muffled groan finally came from within.

"Still not coming out?" Lin Jue spoke. "Then this humble one has one more trick, 'Flowers Blooming in an Instant,' let the foot-guest have a taste."

After speaking, he lowered his head and exhaled a breath.

Silently and soundlessly, buds suddenly grew on the turtle shell, sprouting small branches and blooming into flowers—peaches, plums, apricots, pears, rhododendrons, magnolias, plum blossoms, and wildflowers, everything, incomparably beautiful.

A scream came from within again.

Yet he still did not come out.

"What is the point of doing this? Do you want to wait here for the Long Wang to come find you?"

Lin Jue paused as he spoke:

"If you still do not come out, my Xiao Xiao Shimei also has a 'Stone-Pulverizing Method' that can easily turn hard stone into powder. Although mainly used against stone, it has miraculous effects on other hard objects. Did you see the fate of those shrimp and crabs with their hard shells when they were struck earlier?"

"Sss..."

The turtle-demon sorcerer finally could not hold back, let out a cry, and hurriedly extended his head and four limbs from the turtle shell.

With a look of pain on his face, his first action was to look around: the martial artist with the blade, the Daoist with the sword, the giant, awe-inspiring fox whose fur and three tails were swaying in the wind, and the few armored soldiers waiting silently nearby—he immediately shuddered.

Yet he was clever; knowing he ate people and harmed people, he did not ask how he had offended these few, but instead asked:

"What does the True Man desire?"

"You say you are the military advisor to the Long Wang?"

"Yes! Yes!"

The turtle-demon sorcerer looked miserable, facing only Lin Jue.

He had already seen that the female Daoist revered him as a senior brother, and the extremely fierce martial artist was regarded by him as Lin Jue's protector.

Since ancient times, famous Daoists and high monks, as long as they had not yet become immortals or Buddhas, would often bring a protector when walking the world, or else they would have a few disciples skilled in fighting and slaughter.

Even many immortals and Bodhisattvas were the same, only the protector became a Dharma-protecting deity.

"What does the True Man desire? Although my Great King is usually stingy, he also has a generous and bold side. This old one does not have a low status under my Great King's banner. If you few wish to trade my life for some treasures, my Great King has collected quite a bit of gold, silver, and jewelry over the years. If you few wish to befriend my Great King, with your abilities, my Great King will certainly..."

The turtle-demon sorcerer's words were not finished before he was interrupted.

"Where is your Long Wang's cave dwelling?"

"Oh? You few wish to see my Great King? This old one can act as an introducer..."

"Swish!"

A long blade was placed against his neck.

The martial artist was full of stubble, covered in malevolent energy, looking like someone not to be trifled with: "Answer honestly!"

"What are you few..."

The long blade exerted force, cutting into his neck.

"Ouch!"

"Do you think we cannot find it if you do not answer? I heard you deceive people into ascending to immortality here, and after harming them to death, you throw them from the cliff behind into the Wei Shui River. Presumably, they go downstream, right? If not for that, there should be some water demons receiving them below at this time, right?"

"What do you few mean?"

The turtle-demon sorcerer already knew that their searching for him and their Great King was not a good thing, but he still played the fool.

"I heard your Great King has a birthday banquet? In the summer of next year, may I ask exactly when?"

"..."

The turtle-demon sorcerer's heart gradually turned cold.

Just then, he felt something strange behind him. Looking back, it was the three-tailed white fox, larger than a leopard, treating his tail as a toy, flicking it about.

The previously cunning and fierce fox now had a face of clarity, with nothing but playfulness in its eyes, giving him the feeling that he was "already a dead turtle."

The three people in front also had eyes full of determination.

"Why must you few be like this? Humans eat shrimp, crabs, fish, and turtles, and shrimp, crabs, fish, and turtles also eat humans. Even if there is a wrong, why must it reach such an irreconcilable point? Why not just leave now? You can take those dead shrimp, crab, and fish demons for your wine, and in a few days, this old one will bring generous gifts to thank you..."

Luo Seng heard this and merely revealed a cold sneer.

Lin Jue then said:

"You know clearly that we are human, why speak these nonsense words? Moreover, humans are humans, and demons are demons, different from ordinary fish, shrimp, birds, and beasts. If one day an evil human appears in this world, catching demons that have attained the Dao and opened their spiritual wisdom to eat as food to improve their cultivation, and demons come to kill him because of it, I would never care!"

"It seems I cannot go back today no matter what." The turtle-demon sorcerer said mournfully.

"Tell us the Long Wang's cave dwelling and the birthday banquet, and I will give you a quick end." Lin Jue said, "Since you have become a demon, I will treat you as a person."

"Spare my life and I will tell you!"

"Leave it to me." Luo Seng came over with his blade, "You need to know that death has different ways of dying. If you refuse to speak, there is still plenty of time."

"What do you want?"

"I once served as a County Captain in Zhangning, and I know some interrogation techniques. You had better have a tough life!"

Luo Seng was full of malevolent energy, making one fearful.

The turtle-demon sorcerer, however, just kept his mouth shut.

Swish, his head and four limbs retracted into the turtle shell again, falling to the ground, and he stopped moving.

Luo Seng, relying solely on this blade, really could not do anything to him for the moment.

"Forget it, he is just stalling for time."

Lin Jue saw that he truly would not speak, and as a cultivator, he could not bring himself to torture people, so he gave his Xiao Xiao Shimei a look.

The Xiao Xiao Shimei nodded and stepped over.

"Slap!"

A palm struck the turtle shell, and the shell instantly cracked with countless fissures.

There was not a sound from inside.

"Eh?"

This impenetrable turtle shell being cracked by her palm actually made her somewhat surprised—

Ever since her Stone-Pulverizing Method reached completion, whether it was the granite on Mount Yishan or steel, she had not encountered a hard object that she could not shatter with one palm in a long time.

She immediately struck another palm.

The cracks instantly became fine and shattered.

"Slap!"

The third palm shattered it directly!

The turtle-demon sorcerer remained silent throughout.

Luo Seng saw this and said nothing, merely following the break in the turtle shell, thrusting his blade in, twisting it backhand, and stirring the inside into a mush.

Flowers bloomed, and flames surged.

Completely severing his life force.

Luo Seng looked up at the sun; it was just past noon. Calculating carefully, this kind of intense fighting actually did not take much time; it was the talking and stalling with the old turtle that took longer.

Below the mountain, it was much quieter than before, but there were many fine, chaotic noises, allowing one to imagine the people below looking shocked, puzzled, and discussing endlessly.

These people had not left yet.

That was fine—

The commotion on the mountain just now was not small. After the small ditch was frozen by the fox, the small waterfall was cut off, and there was no sound of water. Even if they could not see, they should have all heard this fight.

Luo Seng then walked to the side, grabbed the leg of a crab warrior with one hand and the shrimp whiskers of the black shrimp general with the other, dragged them to the edge of the cliff, and threw them straight down.

He faintly heard a splash!

The fox saw this, its eyes flashed, and it hurriedly ran over, biting a yellow-scaled guard that had already turned into a large fish larger than a person, dragging it to the frozen ditch, pushing it down, then stopping to watch the yellow-scaled fish slide down the ditch and fall into the water pool below.

"Splash!"

The fox seemed to find it fun and went to drag another one.

Just as it bit down, it paused.

The people below seemed to have finally seen clearly what had fallen, and a chorus of exclamations instantly erupted.

The fox was curious and ran to the edge of the cliff to peek down.

Who knew how many people below had been scared out of their wits.

There was also a slightly familiar figure. ===== CHAPTER 216 =====