Millions of fleshy tendrils contracted and expanded rhythmically like a breath. An endless stream of flesh and blood energy was drained through these tendrils, converging into the massive meat ball suspended in the air.
Chen Zhou set down his teacup and said, "Let’s go. It’s time for our entrance."
In an instant, his and the Plague Rat’s figures vanished from the private room of the tavern.
On the plaza, the Plague Rat moved as fast as a bolt of black lightning, circling the area at extreme speed.
The sound of dense gnawing echoed as the millions of fleshy tendrils connecting the meat ball in the sky to the believers below were severed at the root in a single breath.
"Who is there?"
Sect Master Guo Shouren, seated high on the terrace, slammed his hands down and stood up. His face was so dark it looked as if it could drip ink. He barked the question as the elders behind him turned pale with shock.
The citizens whose 'immortal connection' had been severed were dazed at first. Then, they actually turned furious glares toward the Plague Rat, as if he had stopped them from receiving a supreme blessing.
"Tch, what a bunch of ungrateful trash!" the Plague Rat said, shaking his hands with an impatient tone.
"Form the array! Slay this beast!" Guo Shouren reacted instantly, shouting his command.
Below, the disciples of the White Jade Sword Sect—those with missing heads—moved mechanically despite their withered auras. At his word, they drew their giant swords and formed a sword array. Their killing intent instantly locked onto Chen Zhou and the Plague Rat.
Chen Zhou remained expressionless and simply raised a hand.
In a flash, a mournful wind howled as death energy pierced the sky! Dozens of pale Bone Ghost Servants and the hideous Bone Snake appeared out of thin air.
A team fight? He wasn't afraid of that.
"What?!" Guo Shouren’s pupils shrank, and for the first time, a look of unbelievable terror appeared on his face. "Third-stage eerie entities? So many? You... you are the evil spirit from the Dead Man’s Forest!"
Rumors of the evil spirit in the Dead Man’s Forest had circulated for a long time. Coupled with the recent activity of unidentified forces, Guo Shouren easily connected the two.
His heart was filled with horror. In the entire White Jade Sword Sect, including himself and the five elders, there were only six third-stage Inner Demon stage cultivators.
This evil spirit had summoned servants that possessed power rivaling their entire high-end combat force with a mere thought!
Chen Zhou did not give him any more time to think. With a flicker of his will, he issued the command.
"Kill."
The order was given. The skeletons and the Bone Snake charged like tigers into a flock of sheep, slamming into the disciples of the sword sect.
Death energy corroded them as bone blades flew. Those disciples, deeply infected by ghost qi and long since turned into half-ghost puppets, were harvested like wheat stalks against the absolute power gap.
These people were already beyond saving.
"No—!"
Guo Shouren watched his disciples being slaughtered, his eyes nearly bursting from their sockets. A wave of immense grief and despair surged in his heart.
"No... stop..."
Many of these disciples were children he had watched grow up. They had been brought into the sword sect when they were young and innocent.
Guo Shouren and the elders had personally enlightened them, teaching them swordsmanship and mental techniques. He had repeatedly cautioned them that the foundation of the sword sect was to eliminate demons and defend the Dao.
He had watched them go from clumsily swinging swords to forming their first sword intent, watching their eyes change from ignorance to determination.
He had always been proud of these disciples, despite their current strange forms.
He believed to the very end that they remembered the sect's mission—that they were the strongest bulwark of White Jade City and the sharp sword used to slay demons.
When demons ran rampant and the Way of Humanity withered, an immortal sect had to blaze a trail through the thorns.
He firmly believed that under the guidance of the White Jade Immortal, the White Jade Sword Sect would eventually bring glory to its name, its prestige echoing throughout the Great Desolation, becoming a truly respected and orthodox path of immortality!
But now, these disciples, into whom he had poured his lifeblood and high hopes, were being ruthlessly slaughtered.
The immense grief nearly tore Guo Shouren apart. He could not stand by and watch the foundation of the sword sect be severed!
He gritted his teeth, a flash of resolve crossing his face. His hands formed a seal as the spiritual energy throughout his body began to burn frantically in a self-destructive manner.
"I respectfully invite the Immortal to descend! Slay this evil spirit! This disciple is willing to offer himself as a sacrifice!"
He cried out a shrill prayer toward the distorted meat ball in the sky.
Chen Zhou snorted coldly. His Eerie Grade Ghost Domain expanded with a roar, instantly enveloping the entire plaza.
Within the Ghost Domain, the jade-colored mist that carried a mind-clouding effect was forcibly dispersed by the domineering death energy!
Playing with illusions in front of an evil spirit was like trying to teach a fish how to swim.
As the mist vanished, it was as if everyone had been doused with a bucket of ice water. The feverish intoxication in the eyes of the citizens quickly faded, replaced by extreme terror as they saw the shura-field-like scene before them.
Severed limbs, hideous ghost creatures, the distorted meat ball in the sky...
Screams and cries instantly replaced the previous fanatical cheers.
"Shut up! If you keep wailing, I’ll kill you all!"
The Plague Rat threatened viciously. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a terrifying baleful aura that instantly silenced the crowd, leaving only suppressed sobbing and trembling fear.
Standing before the altar, Jian Huaishuang’s body jerked violently the moment the mist dispersed. The emptiness and numbness in his eyes receded like a tide, replaced by a few sparks of clarity and agony.
He saw the carnage before him and the familiar man in black. He subconsciously murmured, "Sen... ior?"
He wasn't sure exactly what had happened; his mind held only fragmented memories. But the purgatory-like scene before him served as a heartless reminder.
This was the true face of the sword sect and the White Jade Immortal.
A piercing pain of collapsed faith and immense confusion flooded his heart.
The Plague Rat glanced at him with some surprise. "Oh? You’ve been sucked dry for so long and you can still wake up?"
"Senior, what... what exactly happened?"
The Plague Rat crossed his arms and pointed with his chin. "Can't you see for yourself?"
At that moment, several elders took the opportunity to fly down and land beside Jian Huaishuang. They pinned his limbs down, shouting, "Protect the vessel! The vessel must not be lost! May the Immortal descend quickly!"
After the meat ball in the sky finished absorbing Guo Shouren’s spiritual energy, it lowered another fleshy tendril. The meat ball contracted sharply and forced itself into Jian Huaishuang’s body through the tendril.
"Argh—!"
Jian Huaishuang let out a scream of agony. His body convulsed violently, and it looked as if countless insects were writhing beneath his skin.
But a moment later, all struggling stopped.
Jian Huaishuang slowly raised his head and opened his eyes.
Those eyes, which had previously held resilience and confusion, were now completely indifferent. They were as deep as an ancient frozen pond, carrying a sense of condescending scrutiny.
His gaze fell upon Chen Zhou. His voice was calm and steady, yet it carried an echo, as if countless people were speaking at once.
"The evil spirit of the Dead Man’s Forest. I have heard much of you."
Chen Zhou stood with his hands behind his back and corrected him indifferently, "I am the Bone God."
A strange smile appeared on White Jade’s face. "Eerie Grade? You are quite impressive. The strength of a third-stage evil spirit is enough to rival a fourth-stage creature.
"Combined with that troublesome death energy, even a fifth-stage existence might not gain the upper hand. I admit, in my current state, I am no match for you."
Chen Zhou replied, "You have some self-awareness. So, do you plan to surrender?"
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