51: Flower Street Girl, Seven Star Needle counters Shadow Xiao! ?
Seeing Li Yan inhale a large amount of insect egg powder, yet still stand before her unharmed, without the slightest discomfort, Mystic Night Taoist Nun's eyes trembled wildly at this sight.
She couldn't understand how a Cultivator of flesh and blood could inhale large mouthfuls of insect powder and still maintain a smile.
Shouldn't he be suffering from ten thousand insects devouring his heart, in unbearable pain, kneeling and begging her now?
[Host inhaled insect powder, Blood Qi increased, Breakthrough to Ban Xue Realm Seventh Layer.]
[Host inhaled insect powder, Blood Qi increased, Breakthrough to Ban Xue Realm Eighth Layer.]
Li Yan enjoyed the side effect turning positive, as a continuous warm current poured into his Dantian.
It was only then that Xuan Ye realized something was wrong; when she tried to run, she discovered something even more terrifying.
Three pairs of Shadow Demon hands were wrapped around her feet, holding her firmly in place.
It was at this moment that Mystic Night Taoist Nun realized she had fallen into Li Yan's trap from very early on.
While she was releasing the insect powder, Li Yan had silently manipulated his shadow to bind her feet!
After all, given the disparity in strength, if Mystic Night Taoist Nun couldn't defeat Li Yan, she would try to escape.
Give her a little hope, then let her relax her guard, and finally bind her with shadows.
Li Yan handled the entire process with caution.
Those who knew his secret absolutely could not be allowed to escape, and he absolutely could not fail!
After binding her, Li Yan raised two fingers and silently chanted, “Bloodline Burning Lantern Technique.”
Golden light ignited from the three shadows beneath Xuan Ye's feet, illuminating her entire being.
Amidst a desperate wail, the golden light fiercely scorched Mystic Night Taoist Nun.
The Gu insects within her began to flee, countless insects attempting to escape her body, drilling out of every orifice, only to be purified into ash by the golden light.
The outwardly young and beautiful Mystic Night Taoist Nun began to age rapidly.
From a plump young woman, she transformed into an old hag of eighty or ninety.
Without the enhancement of the Gu insects, she lost a large amount of Blood Qi, and her skin began to shrivel.
Ultimately, she became a decrepit, white-haired old hag on the verge of death.
This was Xuan Ye's true appearance; without her Gu insects, she devolved from a Cultivator to a Mortal.
Looking at her wrinkled hands, Yong Ye wailed, “No… no no no, my appearance, my…”
Before she could finish her words, she had already breathed her last.
The largest Gu insect in her heart also vanished into thin air.
Her entire body melted like a candle, turning into a puddle of mud on the ground.
So-called beauty was merely built upon false cultivation.
Cultivating Gu, once the Gu insects within her were exhausted, she was reverted to her original form.
“Cultivating such external things is ultimately not one's own ability.”
“No matter how much power these Gu insects provide, what does it matter?”
Li Yan looked at the puddle of mud on the ground; who could imagine that she was once a beautiful Taoist Fairy?
From a white-haired old hag to dust, it took only a few breaths.
Seeing the puddle of mud, Li Yan shook his head repeatedly, sighing.
“Cultivating Gu, cultivating shadows—among the Cultivators I've seen so far, not a single one relies on their own Internal Energy to Cultivate.”
At this point, Li Yan crouched down and picked up an insect Medicinal Pill from the mud.
This was what remained in Mystic Night Taoist Nun's Dantian; Li Yan picked it up with two fingers and roasted this insect Medicinal Pill on the treasure lotus lamp.
Using the refining method of the Divine Pill, he refined it, then tilted his head back and consumed it.
Instantly, a large amount of Blood Qi surged into Li Yan's Dantian, and Mystic Night Taoist Nun's memories also flooded into Li Yan's mind.
The secrets of Master Quiet Void Taoist, the Daogu's background… various mixed scenes poured into Li Yan's mind.
[My name is Yu Xiaojing, originally a courtesan in the flower district. As I aged, my beauty faded, and I was no longer favored by my patrons.]
[One day, an Old Taoist came from the mountains, calling himself Quiet Void Taoist. He told me that if I just took those Medicinal Pills, I could regain my youth and eternal beauty.]
[I believed him; he was my last straw. If I grew old, how would my young daughter and my alcoholic husband survive?]
[Although those Medicinal Pills were strange, after taking them, it felt like something was moving inside my stomach. But I visibly grew younger little by little, returning to my youthful appearance.]
[Since I became young again, more patrons came to me. As long as I saved enough money, I could take my daughter Xiaoyin and escape this den of iniquity!]
[Recently, there seems to be a strange illness in town. People who contract it start growing maggots on their bodies, and eventually their wounds fester, leading to death. Batches of corpses are dragged to the mass grave for burial, and among the dead, many were my patrons… Could it be because I'm infected?]
[That day, I saw Quiet Void Taoist at the mass grave. The Old Taoist was laughing at the corpses… praising me as a good woman.]
[What does the death of others have to do with me? I just need to save enough money and take my daughter to escape this den of iniquity, escape that alcoholic husband! As long as I sleep with my daughter, I feel very safe.]
[My daughter seems to be sick… because she kissed me last night, and since today, she's had a continuous high fever. I found her the best physician, sparing no expense! But… but her illness couldn't be cured no matter what. I could only take her to the Taoist temple and ask Quiet Void Taoist for help.]
[A few days later, Quiet Void Taoist told me that he had already refined Xiaoyin into a Medicinal Pill.]
[The Taoist told me to take this Medicinal Pill, so that my daughter and I could be together forever. Xiaoyin would never be sold to a brothel again; she would always be in her mother's belly…]
[I took Xiaoyin and escaped the flower district. I didn't do anything wrong, I must be right.]
The subsequent memories then plunged into chaos.
There were also many memory fragments; Xuan Ye was stimulated and lived like a walking corpse ever since.
From this memory, Li Yan extracted useful information.
“Quiet Void Taoist's lair…”
“This Old Taoist really has some tricks, manipulating hearts and reversing cause and effect.”
“If Quiet Void Taoist doesn't die, I'm afraid I won't have peace either.”
“Also… Seven Star Needles? Hmm?”
Li Yan suddenly shivered.
From the memory fragments, he saw a Magical Artifact! A Magical Artifact that restrains shadows!
“That Quiet Void Old Taoist has a Magical Artifact that restrains shadows, the Seven Star Needles?”
“Why didn't he use it?”
Li Yan instantly realized the seriousness of the situation; this Old Taoist had a backup plan!
He quickly formed a hand seal and summoned the Blood Shadow Art, releasing one of his shadows to check the situation.
Just then, at that very spot, Blood Shadow First Daughter and Quiet Void Taoist were fighting back and forth!
Quiet Void Taoist stepped on his Flying Sword, constantly dodging and weaving.
First Daughter released her Thousand Shadow Hands, pursuing the Quiet Void Old Taoist.
On the surface, First Daughter had completely won!
First Daughter's shadows overpowered the Quiet Void Old Taoist; that Taoist with a crane-like complexion and youthful face could only be forced to dodge.
But in reality?
After reading Mystic Night Taoist Nun's memories, Li Yan realized that the Old Taoist still had a killer move.
First Daughter saw the Quiet Void Old Taoist being forced into a corner by her, and she sneered, “Old Taoist, stop struggling! Just become my Shadow Puppet obediently.”
“Hehehe.”
The benevolent-looking Quiet Void Taoist let out a treacherous laugh.
With a flick of his wrist, he suddenly held several Seven Star Needles!