Chapter 192 Shifting the blame eastward, using one tiger to devour another!
Mu Changge, like a wounded beast prowling in the shadows, moved silently between the jagged rocks and withered trees of the dried riverbed. Every time his spiritual energy circulated, the wound on his flank, burned by Buddha Power, sent faint stabs of pain, gnawing at his Meridians and will like maggots on bones. The Buddha Power left behind by Liao Chen's enraged strike was pure and domineering, clashing subtly with the righteous and demonic Qi within him, severely diminishing the effectiveness of his healing Medicinal Pill.
He had to shake off his pursuers as soon as possible and find an absolutely safe place for closed-door cultivation to heal. However, from the distance behind him came faint spiritual energy fluctuations unique to Buddhist Cultivators. They were like maggots on bones, stealthily forming a pincer movement from several directions, closing in. Clearly, the kill order from the Buddhist Son of Mount Sumeru had taken effect.
"Persistent as ghosts..." Mu Changge wiped away the trace of blood leaking from the corner of his mouth, his gaze as cold as a blade. While relying on his keen perception of terrain and aura to narrowly avoid wave after wave of search scans, his mind raced.
Fight head-on? This thought flashed through Mu Changge's mind, only to be immediately rejected. In normal times, with his many trump cards and his own Heaven-Defying nature, even if he were outmatched, it would just be a matter of using "Ghost Possession" to slap them to death.
At this thought, his heart stirred, and he quietly contacted You Li, who was resting in the Soul-Nurturing Pendant on his chest.
An ethereal yet powerful force seemed to be flowing faintly within his body, tempting him to choose this seemingly most direct and brainless shortcut—to slap this pile of pestering bald donkeys behind him one by one, grinding them into dust!
However, the moment this thought arose—
"Master, you must not!"
You Li's unique and lively voice, carrying a rare hint of urgency, rang directly in the depths of his mind, not with the lazy reliance of the past, but with a touch of gravity.
"Master, I vaguely sense... lately when I take action, there seems to be a 'gaze' in the sky locking onto this world. That feeling of being watched is becoming increasingly clear." You Li's voice lowered, tinged with wariness. "That 'gaze' seems capable of penetrating layers of world barriers, giving one a sense of looking down upon all living beings."
Mu Changge's heart chilled. You Li's words were like ice water poured over his head, instantly extinguishing the violent impulse that had just surged up. That's right, endlessly borrowing this kind of cheat, if he relied on her too much, he would be ruined.
Furthermore, forcibly using "Ghost Possession" might easily wipe out the threat before him, but if some unexpected event occurred, he would lose a powerful trump card. If he encountered unsolvable troubles in the future, he would only be able to rely on the System.
"Understood." Mu Changge's thoughts raced, and he instantly abandoned the idea of fighting head-on or using You Li's power. You Li's warning made him realize that a sharp blade seemed to be hanging over his head, ready to fall at any moment. The kill order issued by Buddhist Son Liao Chen was dangerous, but still within a controllable range.
Escape, he must escape! And he still needed to find a place to heal.
His gaze turned once again towards the far north of the Secret Realm. There, another huge, already erupted "trouble" awaited—the Qi Deviation-stricken Jian Wushuang. A Child of Fortune who had lost his mind and was radiating terrifying Devilish Qi...
"Since I cannot solve the trouble myself..." On Mu Changge's pale face, a nearly cruel smile slowly emerged, and the pain in his flank seemed less unbearable. "Then let the trouble solve the trouble."
Diverting the disaster, driving tigers to devour wolves. This was the safest and most effective strategy right now. It could shake off the pursuers, consume the strength of both sides, and muddy the waters, buying him time for healing and subsequent actions.
"Jian Wushuang, Liao Chen... don't let me down in this grand drama..." Cold light flickered in the depths of Mu Changge's eyes. "Let me see, who is better, the fallen Saint or the Buddhist Saint?"
With his mind made up, he no longer hesitated, suppressed his aura, and began to lead the burning Buddhist rage behind him, bit by bit, toward the abyss in the far north that was faintly radiating violent Devilish Qi...
Just as Mu Changge was leading the disaster toward Jian Wushuang, within the Secret Realm, these two major events—his snatching of the Buddhist treasure and Jian Wushuang's Qi Deviation—had already stirred up monstrous waves. Various news and rumors spread, fermented, and morphed among the Disciples of the major Sects as if they had grown wings.
"Have you heard? That newly promoted Saint of the Wandao Sword Sect, Jian Wushuang, had an arm severed in the Secret Realm."
"Tsk tsk, the Wandao Sword Sect has lost face this time. Their own Saint has become a 'one-armed hero.' Let's see how they act arrogantly in the future!"
"And... over at the far northern ice plains, somehow someone has suffered Qi Deviation! The Devilish Qi is soaring to the sky; one can feel that evil nature from thousands of miles away!"
"More than just evil nature! A Senior Brother nearby caught a glimpse with a Heaven-Viewing Mirror and said that the Devil Head looked hideous, had one arm broken, and seemed to be wearing Wandao Sword Sect attire. But his demonic might was monstrous; he probably obtained some ancient Demonic Technique Legacy and has completely fallen into the Demonic Path!"
"Wandao Sword Sect again? And with a broken arm, do you think it could be..."
"Heh, who knows! But that's not all. Latest news: Buddhist Son Liao Chen of Mount Sumeru obtained a massive Opportunity in a Buddhist ruin, only to have it snatched from the tiger's mouth by some bold thief! It is said that the thief snatched the Buddhist Son's Buddha Bone Relic and some Heart Sutra. Those are two Buddhist supreme treasures!"
"What? Who is so bold? Daring to rob even the Buddhist Son?"
"Who else could it be? Buddhist Disciples saw with their own eyes that the thief was wearing Wandao Sword Sect attire! Moreover, in his fury, Buddhist Son Liao Chen has already heavily injured him and issued a Buddhist Decree to hunt him down with full force. That guy probably won't last long!"
"Wandao Sword Sect? Them again? First, a suspected 'Saint' falls into Qi Deviation, and then a Disciple robs the Buddhist Son's Opportunity? Did the Wandao Sword Sect poke a hornet's nest? Or is it just a coincidence?"
"I don't think it's a coincidence! Maybe the one who snatched the Buddhist treasure and the Jian Wushuang who suffered Qi Deviation are in league! Demonic Path evildoers should be executed by all!"
"Buddhist Son Liao Chen has issued a Buddhist Decree. Anyone who provides accurate clues about the thief will be heavily rewarded, and those who take his head can even receive three Buddha Relic Beads! Now the Senior Brothers of Mount Sumeru are going crazy, searching everywhere!"
"Not just Mount Sumeru. Many Sect Disciples who are on good terms with the Buddhist Sect or want to do the Buddhist Son a favor are also helping to search. This Secret Realm, I'm afraid, will not be peaceful..."
"Not peaceful? I think a war between the Righteous Path and the Demonic Path is about to break out! That person has already become a Devil Head; if he gets more Opportunities, he will surely become a disaster. Now that the Wandao Sword Sect has produced a thief who stole Buddhist treasures, with these two things mixed together, who can tell who is righteous and who is evil?"
"I think we should also be careful. If we encounter Disciples of the Wandao Sword Sect, we must keep our guard up."
"Yes, yes, yes. I heard that Yaochi and the Xuantian Sect have also received the news and are secretly on guard!"
The rumors spread more and more fiercely, and the details became increasingly bizarre. Some said they saw with their own eyes the Wandao Sword Sect Saint Jian Wushuang swallow a Loose Cultivator after demonizing; others said the Wandao Sword Sect Disciple who snatched the Buddhist treasure was actually a hidden Peak Soul Transformation old monster. Even worse, some combined the two events entirely, fabricating a shocking conspiracy that "the Wandao Sword Sect is colluding with the Demonic Path, the Saint feigned Qi Deviation to attract attention, while another Disciple secretly snatched treasures from various Sects."
The entire Secret Realm was filled with undercurrents, and people were panicking. Many Cultivators who originally operated alone or in small teams began to gather spontaneously, exchanging information and guarding against threats from any direction. Especially toward the identity of "Wandao Sword Sect Disciple," there were countless scrutinizing and suspicious gazes. The existing Sect frictions and resource competitions became easier to ignite under the catalysis of this atmosphere of suspicion and tension.
And at this moment, the "Wandao Sword Sect," which had been pushed to the forefront, saw its Disciples who entered the Secret Realm all in a state of anxiety, unable to defend themselves. They first heard that their own Saint might have suffered Qi Deviation and were terrified. Before they could sort things out, they suddenly became suspected accomplices of the "Buddhist treasure-snatching thief," facing exclusion, questioning, and even hostility from Disciples of other Sects, either openly or secretly. Some hot-tempered Sword Sect Disciples had already had several small-scale conflicts with Disciples of other Sects, and the smell of gunpowder was growing stronger.
...
On the edge of the far northern ice plains, in a snow valley temporarily purified by Buddha light.
Liao Chen sat cross-legged on a piece of black ice. His face was slightly pale, but the anger and killing intent in his eyes had condensed into tangible coldness. In front of him, several burly Buddhist Disciples stood with hands at their sides, reporting.
"Buddhist Son, according to clues, the thief was last seen near the mountain stream nearby. After that, the traces became faint but pointed vaguely in the northeast direction. A Junior Brother found faint Spiritual Qi residues and bloodstains over there." A martial monk with thick eyebrows and big eyes said in a deep voice.
"Northeast direction..." Liao Chen slowly opened his eyes, a flash of golden light in his pupils. "That area, going deeper, seems to be where the Devilish Qi erupted earlier?"
"Exactly. That pillar of light where the Qi Deviation occurred was likely nearby." Another monk with a delicate face but sharp eyes added. He held a faintly glowing stone in his hand, on which light spots were flickering. "My Magic Treasure can sense an abnormally strong fluctuation of Devilish Qi coming from that direction."
Hearing this, Liao Chen was silent for a moment, and a cold and cruel arc suddenly hooked at the corner of his mouth.
"Good, very good. A heavily injured thief fleeing, and a Devil Head who just suffered Qi Deviation... both gathered together. Or is it that... you are the same person." He stood up slightly, his kasaya moving without wind, and a powerful coercion permeated. "Pass the order down, advance toward the northeast, to the area with residual Devilish Qi. Kill anyone suspicious on sight! If you encounter that person who suffered Qi Deviation..." Liao Chen's killing intent was fully exposed, "then kill him with thunderous means! By the way, see if that thief is colluding with him!"
"We obey the Buddhist Son's decree!" The monks responded in unison, their eyes burning with Battle Intent and a desire for Karma. Purifying Demonic Path evildoers is a great Karma! If they could find the Buddhist treasure, it would be an even greater merit!
Soon, a Buddhist team led by Liao Chen, with all their elites dispatched, like leopards smelling blood, wrapped in chilling killing intent and brilliant Buddha light, sped toward the depths of the far northern ice plains, in the direction of the devil's den where Jian Wushuang might still be hiding and recovering. Wherever the Buddha light passed, the cold air on the ice plains was dispelled, but that murderous intent was more biting than the cold wind.
And at this moment, deep in the ice plains, in an ice cave that had been completely eroded by thick Devilish Qi and whose internal structure had become distorted and weird.
Jian Wushuang sat cross-legged on a huge ice rock that was constantly seeping black Devilish Qi. The wound on his arm had stopped bleeding; instead, it was wrapped in viscous, tangible pitch-black Devilish Qi, condensing into a constantly twisting and changing Devilish Qi arm. Jian Wushuang's entire body was churning with Devilish Qi, his aura more violent and cold than before. A dark red demonic pattern between his eyebrows was like a living thing, slowly wriggling. His originally handsome face was now covered with dark red demonic patterns, his eye sockets were deeply sunken, his pupils had shrunk to the size of pinpoints, and the whites of his eyes were covered with bloodshot veins. His eyes were muddy and crazy, but deep in the madness, a chilling resentment and paranoia were settling.
"Qingyao... Mu Changge... Wandao Sword Sect... Righteous Path... You group of hypocrites... all deserve to die... all deserve to die!" He kept making unconscious low roars, his teeth chattering. In his mind, those lingering, seductive sounds, mixed with Mu Changge's mocking face, the contemptuous gazes of his fellow Disciples, the excruciating pain of self-castration, the humiliation of his severed arm... various scenes intertwined and mixed, like poisonous insects gnawing at his Divine Soul day and night.
"Power... I need more power! Kill! Kill them all!" He suddenly raised his head, blood light surging in his eyes. The weird divine technique he had cultivated, obtained from the Sword Burial Abyss, was running surprisingly more smoothly after he completely fell into the Demonic Path and the Heart Demon took deep root. Its power was becoming more terrifying, but the price was that he was becoming more and more effeminate, and his rationality was being swallowed bit by bit by endless negative emotions and the desire for slaughter.
He needed to vent, needed fresh blood, needed more resentful souls and negative emotions to nourish his Demonic Technique and consolidate this sudden power that brought destruction to everything.
Just then, he suddenly turned his head, his bloodshot, muddy demonic eyes staring fixedly at the entrance of the cave. Although he had laid layers of Devilish Qi Restrictions at the entrance to isolate the inside from the outside, he still vaguely felt that several figures emitting "hypocritical light" that he extremely detested were approaching rapidly!
"The bald donkeys of the Buddhist Sect?" Jian Wushuang made weird laughter in his throat, and viscous demonic saliva dripped from the corner of his mouth. "Just right... I also need some 'guinea pigs' to test my surging power... Experience treasures delivered to my door... Heh heh... Kill you! Use your cultivation to help me break through!"
He slowly stood up, and the arm condensed from Devilish Qi turned into a hideous demonic claw. The Devilish Qi around his body exploded, shaking the already fragile ice rock in the cave so that it fell with a rustling sound. He took a step out, and the Restrictions at the cave entrance collapsed rapidly, revealing the icy world outside and the faint Buddha light rapidly approaching in the distant sky.
"Come on... you bald donkeys... become the first batch of sacrifices on my Demonic Path!" Jian Wushuang looked up to the sky and let out a shrill, sharp demonic howl that did not sound like a human voice. He took the initiative to meet the brightest part of the Buddha light, turning into a pitch-black demonic rainbow and rushing away! Wherever the Devilish Qi passed, the ice and snow melted, leaving charred, corrosive traces on the ground.
In the distance, the Buddhist team led by Liao Chen also saw the violent demonic rainbow soaring into the sky, as well as the monstrous Devilish Qi and the extreme malice toward them contained within it.
"Devil Head! Truly here!" Golden light flourished in Liao Chen's eyes, and the Buddhist staff in his hand slammed heavily. "Set up the 'Vajra Subduing Demon Formation'! Today, I will purify this evil obstacle and restore peace to the Secret Realm!"
"We obey the decree!"
The monks responded in unison, instantly forming the formation. Streams of pure Buddha Yuan soared into the sky, interweaving in the air into a huge Vajra phantom, holding a Subduing Demon Pestle, solemn and dignified, with Buddha light shining everywhere, colliding head-on with the monstrous Devilish Qi that was sweeping over!