Chapter 412: Earth Many Yaoguai Pills

Boyu County.

Under Yi Li Husheng Zhenjun's command, the Thunder and Fire Generals arrived together, leading over a thousand heavenly soldiers to battle the demons.

Lin Jue, along with his second and third senior brothers, arrived here and deployed over a thousand armored soldiers and two Long Bo Colossi, joining the heavenly troops and divine generals to secure victory at once.

After winning, Lin Jue did not hesitate; his figure sank downward and plunged into the earth.

After an unknown length of time, Lin Jue finally emerged from underground, clutching a pearl in his hand.

The pearl was earthy yellow, about the size of a large honey pill, faintly emitting the spiritual aura of earth, encircled by a haze of mist.

"Earth Many Yaoguai Pill…"

Lin Jue murmured to himself as he gazed at it.

I've finally found this thing.

And this thing—Dong Wang Mu seems to have more than one.

"Friend…"

A cold voice came from behind, tinged with exhaustion.

Lin Jue turned to look.

Beneath the moonlight, a Kun Dao stood still.

Jiang Daochang was drenched in blood, weak beyond measure, yet her posture remained upright; she had set aside her sword used for subduing demons, cradling a fly-whisk instead. Beneath the moon, her face was as pale as the whisk and the white wall beside her, her aura still otherworldly, as if descended from heaven.

Yet her divine radiance had grown even brighter.

"Did you find what you were looking for?"

"Found it," Lin Jue replied. "Friend Jiang, you're injured—you should rest well."

"It's nothing…"

Her tone was lighter than usual.

"What of Modushan?"

"I don't know yet," Jiang Daochang shook her head. "While we fought demons here, we saw only one divine lord descend, slicing through the dark clouds, thunder, rain, and Dong Wang Mu's body with a single sword. We were too far to see clearly, but such power—aside from the Northern Master Master Fuchi Yili Shenjun, there is no other. Afterward, he departed."

Jiang Daochang finished speaking and turned her gaze toward Modushan.

Now, Modushan was bathed in moonlight; the dark clouds and thunderstorms had vanished entirely, even the underground mist had cleared completely, and both divine lords along with their heavenly soldiers and generals were gone.

"Demons usually have strong survival instincts, and demon kings possess extraordinary vitality—especially Dong Wang Mu, who became sentient from the Long Life Tree. But after that sword strike from the Master Master Fuchi Yili Shenjun, with two divine lords still present, no matter how great Dong Wang Mu's powers, she is surely doomed…"

"Mm."

Lin Jue nodded, recalling the Master Master Fuchi Yili Shenjun.

Time really flies.

A few years ago, when I first descended the mountain, though it was already clear the Northern Divine Lords and the Lord Tianweng Pantheon were at odds, they had not yet fully broken ties—just as the Northern Military Garrisons and the Court then were: the Northern Garrisons still nominally honored the Court and the Emperor, Zi Xu Da Di still claimed to be a right-hand attendant of Lord Tianweng, and both sides could still cooperate to solve cases, proving the plague ghosts in Zhongzhou were not from the North.

Only a few short years later, the Northern Military Garrisons have fully moved south, and the Northern Divine System seems to have formally severed ties with the Lord Tianweng Pantheon.

Even drawn a line—shifting from covert struggle to open conflict.

Logically, this is Central Zhongzhou's Qinzhou; the Master Master Fuchi Yili Shenjun is a Northern deity and should no longer come here to subdue demons. Moreover, as Dong Wang Mu herself said, her actions here benefit both the Northern Military Garrisons and the Northern Nine Heavens Divine System. His coming to eliminate her makes no sense from an interest standpoint.

Yet the Master Master Fuchi Yili Shenjun still came.

Now, reflecting carefully on that scene, Lin Jue could not tell whether the divine lord came because Fan Tian Shi requested it, or because a demon sought to destroy his ancient statue. He could not tell whether he drew his sword against Dong Wang Mu due to Fan Tian Shi's plea or because the demon king slaughtered living beings—or whether he acted because Dong Wang Mu's words disrespected him, making him feel "How dare this insignificant demon speak to me like that?" and thus casually slew her.

This divine lord is too powerful.

Eliminating another demon king who has achieved true enlightenment seems a trivial matter to him—he can act for any reason.

The weak and the strong are not equal; guessing their intentions has become a difficulty unrelated to wisdom.

"Friend, I must go to Letian!"

"Friend, take care."

"I'll go ahead!"

The Daoist spoke, then transformed.

A white heron flew into the distance beneath the moonlight.

…

Letian County.

Yushan Daochang activated his jade tablet, which had grown to the size of a stage, radiating jade light and charging through the demons, unstoppable.

The senior brother, sixth senior brother, little sister, and Good Fuyao arrived here.

The senior brother had already used the Mountain-Moving Mirror in Jiguang County and could not use it again; the sixth senior brother was not skilled in combat, yet his spiritual power and cultivation were strong—perfect for activating such a treasure.

Silver light shot forth in rapid succession, brighter than the moon, unceasing, weaving into a net; combined with Yushan Daochang, the jade tablet, and Good Fuyao, they swiftly annihilated the demons below.

Immediately, Good Fuyao, like Lin Jue, leapt lightly upward, then plunged downward, diving into the shattered earth beneath Letian.

When Lin Jue arrived, Good Fuyao also emerged from underground.

The white heron landed; the fox emerged.

The fox opened its mouth and spat out two pearls—both earthy yellow, exuding mysterious spiritual aura, covered in mist.

"This one! Zi Yun!"

"This one! Here!"

"Over there! Didn't find it!"

The fox pointed with its paw at the pearls.

"Jiguang had no ground collapse." "Oh right!"

Lin Jue collected all three Earth Many Yaoguai Pills.

Thus, it seems Dong Wang Mu possessed—or at least brought forth—only three Earth Many Yaoguai Pills.

I should go to Modushan later.

Lin Jue put away the three Earth Many Yaoguai Pills and returned to the broken city wall of Letian County, where two groups of Daoists sat facing each other, seemingly resting quietly, yet neither knowing what to say.

Yushan's jade tablet excelled in defense; under its protection, none of Yushan's Daoists had died, but nearly all were wounded, weak and exhausted, yet all stared at the several Daoists from Fuqiu Temple, especially the current master of Fuqiu Temple—the senior brother—and the little sister who had been residing in the capital.

After long staring, someone finally spoke: "Master of Fuqiu Temple… has Fuqiu Temple finally branched out again to the capital?"

The senior brother looked simple and earnest, merely replying: "That's my little sister—not Fuqiu Temple."

"She didn't come from Fuqiu Temple?"

"They cannot be equated."

No error in a single word, a single hair, a single detail!

"Hmph…"

The senior brother remained simple and earnest, sincerely advising: "Friend, you're injured—you should rest well."

"Regardless, we thank you for your aid this time; otherwise, we'd have expended more effort. But the battle here is over—we must clear the battlefield, perhaps still find lingering demons causing trouble, and other places need your help. If you've rested enough, please return to Zi Yun City or go elsewhere."

The speaker was an old Daoist who had lost an arm to a bite; his face was pale, yet his expression calm.

His meaning: Without you, we could have won anyway.

Though perhaps true—even Dong Wang Mu hadn't focused her main efforts on Letian and Boyu, but on Zi Yun and Jiguang—it still rankled to hear.

Yet seeing his condition, no one argued with him.

"Farewell."

The Fuqiu Daoists bowed and departed.

Their dissatisfaction remained on the road behind them.

…

Outside Zi Yun City, a great fire blazed.

When the nine Fuqiu Daoists returned to Zi Yun, dawn was just breaking.

The city's soldiers and the Qixian Mansion's mystics had barely slept all night; the townsfolk had not slept either.

Wan Wan Xinrong had already cleared the battlefield, gathering nearly all the magical artifacts and treasures carried by the demons and handing them to Lin Jue.

"We'll look tomorrow."

Lin Jue also felt mentally drained.

Huan Yuan Pills restore spiritual power; the fifth senior brother's qi restores energy, but it still feels strange—merely preventing loss and fatigue, never bringing that feeling of clarity and refreshment.

Right now, the urgent priority is to rest one night.

"You all should rest too."

"Alright."

Wan Wan Xinrong and others withdrew.

Only the nine Fuqiu Daoists remained, seated cross-legged atop the city tower.

The fox had shrunk to the size of a cat, curled beside Lin Jue, while a colorful fox-creature laboriously licked its fur.

Suddenly, a gurgle came from the ground:

"Healing Pill."

The second senior brother tossed over a vial.

Lin Jue took the pill bottle, extracted the medicine, crushed it carefully, and sprinkled it onto the fox's wounds, saying: "You worked hard today…"

The fox let out a soft whimper and lay still.

Its eyes grew heavy, as if about to fall asleep.

"I've obtained three Earth Many Yaoguai Pills—pure essence of earth from heaven and earth," Lin Jue opened his palm, revealing the three pills. "I only need one. Any of you senior brothers or sisters want one?"

The senior brothers and sisters exchanged glances; most had no idea what this was.

"If none of you senior brothers want it, give one to the little sister—it's the purest earth essence in heaven and earth. Even if you don't know its use, wearing it and sensing its aura helps cultivation." Lin Jue then turned to the senior and second senior brothers. "The other two: you two might find them more useful—the second senior brother can study its applications in pillcraft; the senior brother can too, and keep them for future disciples to sense earth's spiritual aura. Perhaps someday, someone will need them."

"Give it to your second brother," the eldest brother said. "The next generation will have its own fortune."

"Mm."

Before the second brother could answer, Lin Jue tossed it to him.

The second brother had no choice but to catch it.

Then Lin Jue exchanged glances with the third brother.

Just then, the third brother looked his way.

Both easily read the other's thoughts—

Dong Wang Mu had now grown still; no one knew if the battle had ended, or whether she had been reduced to ashes, her body gone without a trace.

Dong Wang Mu was a true-immortal tree, and the Tree of Long Life was among the finest materials for Bean Soldiers—especially one who had achieved true immortality. Not only had no ancestor of Fuxiu Monastery ever used a true-immortal tree spirit as a Bean Soldier, they likely hadn't even dared to imagine it. After all, Fuxiu Monastery's lineage had always been confined to Yin-Yang spiritual arts; no one had ever achieved true immortality.

If they could find even a fragment of Dong Wang Mu's body, it would be one of the greatest gains possible.

They should gather information while all the brothers were together, choose a good moment, and proceed cautiously to take a look.

At some unknown hour, from an unknown dwelling, a rooster crowed—the sky outside had turned light.

(End of Chapter)