Chapter 161

I only heard a muffled explosion behind me, and I couldn't help turning around to see that the blood ball had actually burst, spreading blood across the hills and fields.

Ahead, Li Qingying, having just seen off Guo Zhen, came toward us, and Hui Moqiong waved at her: "Cover your mouth and nose, hold your breath, go!"

A faint scent of blood drifted in the air, and I immediately covered my mouth and nose; the three of us ran for our lives toward the town.

As we ran, we felt the sky's color seemed to have changed.

The night was dark, and there was no moonlight tonight.

But now the sky was a dull red, the color shifting from a light red at first to almost entirely blood-red later.

Gradually, wails came from afar, and from time to time bird carcasses fell from the sky.

An owl's corpse smashed down in front of me; I stumbled slightly, and saw the owl staring wide-eyed, its feathers covered in blood beads.

Almost the instant it fell, those blood beads burst, blood seeping in, and in the blink of an eye a living owl was reduced to just a skeleton.

My heart pounded nonstop; I skirted the owl's skeleton and kept running forward.

We didn't dare stop until we reached the main road, then we caught our breath and looked again toward Bull Tiger Mountain.

At that moment, the crimson overhead began to fade, the blood mist drifting in the air was enveloped and contracted by golden light, gradually gathering again toward Bull Tiger Mountain.

Many people around were crying.

The townspeople had long been accustomed to heavenly portents, and had been brainwashed by the idea that "heavenly portents bring auspicious signs"; thus, when another portent appeared tonight, some bold, curiosity-loving townsfolk all ran out.

Moreover, those who had come to the town with ulterior motives to stay temporarily also largely lingered at the foot of Bull Tiger Mountain at that time.

A blood mist descended; part of it had already turned into white bones, while another part, though they had saved their lives, were left with mutilated bodies…

The blood mist was repeatedly compressed, and the golden light kept flashing.

Another bell rang, the ground shuddered up and down, and we saw a blade of golden light come from the west, slicing across Bull Tiger Mountain like a sword.

At the instant the golden light struck, the bull‑like tiger's roar rose to its utmost.

Immediately afterward, a familiar figure rose from the Bull Tiger Mountain temple, standing proudly atop the golden light, one hand clutching prayer beads, the other holding the Golden Scale, and the sound of his chanting followed.

That was Liu Junyan!

At this moment he resembled an enlightened high monk saving all beings, towering high above the nine heavens.

Not far beneath him was that Nine‑Tail Heaven‑Covering Formation.

However, missing two tails, this Nine‑Tail Heaven‑Covering Formation is incomplete, far from achieving its sky‑covering effect, but it can still help suppress the Qiongqi evil formation.

At this moment, Hu Yulin sat cross‑legged on the formation, also chanting in a low voice.

At the same moment, Hui Moqiong beside me suddenly sat cross‑legged on the ground, one hand placed before his chest, nodded, and his devout chanting echoed the two chants from Bull Tiger Mountain, continuous and unbroken.

The chatty, carefree Hui Moqiong was gone.

In his place stood a genuine gray immortal.

I instinctively glanced at Li Qingying.

Li Qingying stared blankly at Hui Moqiong.

And beside her, Jin Wuya was silently watching her.

But soon Jin Wuya withdrew his gaze, paced to the other side of the street, and went off to smoke.

I silently sighed, said nothing to disturb anyone, and hurried toward the cottage we were renting.

Although the bull‑like tiger's roar still came intermittently, it grew weaker, and the ground tremors lessened considerably.

It seems the overall situation has been brought under control by Liu Junyan and the others; I need to go back and check on Yu Nian and the Black Cat.

Just as I reached the cottage gate, I saw the ground covered in a mass of insect corpses, so dense it made my scalp tingle.

The gate was open, and the insect corpses stretched from the doorway all the way inside, their number likely in the tens of thousands.

With each step I took forward, I could hear the insect corpses underfoot being crushed.

Where did all these insects come from?

Is Yu Nian all right?

Until I crossed the courtyard and reached the front of the main hall, I saw Yu Nian standing before the main hall's door, her right hand gripping the Thousand Soul Banner, its pole planted straight into the ground.

Yu Nian was like a female general on the battlefield who would not yield to men, vowing to defend her territory to the death!

Even without having shared her recent ordeal, I could tell from these insect corpses that this cottage had just endured a great catastrophe.

Hearing my footsteps, she swung the Thousand Soul Banner, pointed it precisely at me, and shouted: "No matter who you are, stop right now, or else…"

"Sister Yu Nian, it's me, Xiao Jiu." My voice inexplicably trembled.

I strode over, took Yu Nian's hand, lifted my gaze to look inside the main hall, and saw the Black Cat standing imposingly on the offering table, the paper effigy beside it bound with red rope, still standing in place, well protected.

Only the birthday characters of Guo Zhen that had previously been written in cinnabar on its body had disappeared.

Roar!

Roar roar!

From the direction of Bull Tiger Mountain, the bull‑like tiger's roar suddenly grew louder, followed by several howls, and the ground shook violently.

Yu Nian sneered: "A trapped beast's struggle won't last two more moves."

As she said, after that creature's death‑throes struggled a few times, Liu Junyan and Hu Yulin's dual formations pressed it down bit by bit, until it finally fell still.

I stood beside Yu Nian, and together we gazed toward Bull Tiger Mountain.

I personally watched that mass of blood mist be devoured by the golden light.

Then the golden light was gathered into the Golden Scale held in Liu Junyan's hand, and the Nine‑Tail Heaven‑Covering Formation vanished as well.

Bull Tiger Mountain returned to calm.

"We won," I murmured.

Yu Nian also said: "Yes, we won."

We waited about a quarter of an hour, and Hui Moqiong and Li Qingying returned first.

Soon after, Liu Junyan and Hu Yulin also came back.

I hurried over, took Liu Junyan's hand, and asked, "Did you get the Dragon Qi?"

"I collected only a small part," Liu Junyan said. "The rest is used to suppress the Qiongqi evil formation; for at least ten years, it won't come out to cause trouble."

I didn't ask what to do after ten years.

Because I understand, we can't wait ten years.

This Qiongqi evil formation, we will definitely come back to collect it again.

Next time, it will be a matter of life and death.

"Xiao Jiu..."

Hu Yulin stood not far behind Liu Junyan, and suddenly called out to me softly.

I clenched Liu Junyan's hand tightly, lowered my head, and for a moment didn't know how to face Hu Yulin.

I know he's not a bad person, he saved my life, but I can't forget what he said to me in front of the Qilin Temple; my right hand is still burning with pain and keeps trembling.

His fan bone's blade pierced through my whole palm; now I can't exert any strength, and I don't know if it will be ruined like this.

Not getting my response, Hu Yulin seemed a bit hurt, but he still reminded me: "Xiao Jiu, first treat the wound on your hand; if it drags on, it'll leave a lingering illness... I'm afraid... afraid you won't be able to draw a bow in the future..."