Chapter 396: Creepy (II)

"Brother Lin, there's no need not be so modest," Wei Yun said with a smile. He gestured for Lin Zheyu to sit and poured him a cup of wine.

"What is the situation like now?" Lin Zheyu asked.

"It is somewhat troublesome. The endless demon puppets are only a secondary concern. Those creatures lack intelligence and act on instinct. We only need to prevent them from breaching the defenses. The real problem lies with the rats hiding in the dark. Ancient yao, the barbarian tribes, the Nine Nether Sect, the Painful Sacred Church and other forces have all joined in, hoping to seize a share during this turmoil," Wei Yun said with a slight frown.

"Is it that complicated? Has the Buddhist sect not joined us? Have they not taken action?" Lin Zheyu asked.

"They acted long ago. Without the Buddhist sect suppressing the demon cave in the west, a demon calamity would have already erupted. A demon calamity is far more terrifying than these forces," Wei Yun replied, shaking his head.

The demon cave was called so because it contained several massive space-time nodes that could not be sealed and could only be suppressed by great formations. Even so, the land had long been corrupted by the foul energy leaking from the nodes into demon-tainted soil. Yaos and demons often broke through the formations, making the area chaotic. If Great Wei had not cooperated early with the Buddhist sect to share the burden, the western demon cave would have already collapsed into disaster.

"

Haha

, do not worry. The army of Great Wei is not weak. Those rats in the shadows only dare hide and scheme in darkness," Wei Yun said with a laugh.

After a few cups of wine, Lin Zheyu prepared to take his leave and begin patrol in the mountain forests. The defensive line was guarded by the City Guard, whose military formations could stop even a Grandmaster realm yao or demon if it came alone. However, such formations lacked flexibility. Tasks like forest patrols and hunting demon puppets had to be handled by powerful martial artists.

"Liang Cheng."

"At your command!"

"Deliver this confidential letter to Cold Wind Tower and hand it personally to Deng Yuanzhi," Wei Yun ordered.

"Yes, Sir." Liang Cheng received the letter respectfully and departed swiftly.

"What a coincidence. Brother Deng just asked me to keep an eye on this lad, and now he is assigned here. He's even ranked twenty-fourth on the Hidden Dragon List. Truly a genius. But a genius must survive to stay one. If he falls halfway, he is nothing," Wei Yun said with a smile as he returned to his seat and poured himself another cup of wine. The earlier solemnity had vanished from his face.

***

A gentle breeze swept through, and the trees rustled softly. After entering the forest, Lin Zheyu did not immediately search for demon puppets. Once he confirmed no one was watching, he altered his appearance and determined his direction before moving toward the place where he had previously hidden the Ink Jade Disk and the blood lotus. Those two items were likely of the same level as dharma artifacts.

Lin Zheyu moved swiftly and soon reached the burial spot. Arriving beneath the tree he had marked, he tapped his foot lightly and leapt onto its crown. The Ink Jade Disk had been hidden within the trunk.

Forming his right hand into a claw, he tore open the regrown bark and revealed the black Ink Jade Disk inside.

"It's still here. But why are the light spots gone?"

He took the Ink Jade Disk down and returned to the base of the tree. After dripping a drop of spirit liquid onto it, nothing happened. He pondered briefly, then caught a ferocious beast and smeared its blood over the disk before adding another drop of spirit liquid. Still, nothing changed.

"Strange. Has it stopped working? Or does it require a special method of use?" Lin Zheyu muttered.

He brought the Ink Jade Disk closer for inspection and seemed to notice something. Then he raised it toward the light to better examine its internal structure.

The internal patterns have vanished. Not only that, but the entire Ink Jade Disk has developed cracks. Could this thing be single-use?

Lin Zheyu speculated.

The Ink Jade Disk now felt completely different from before. It lacked its former mystery and seemed no different from an ordinary piece of jade.

I will hide it again. I can retrieve it if it proves valuable later.

After examining it for a while, he decided to hide it again. He knew too little about such mysterious items. Even if it was still usable, he would not be able to unlock its secrets.

"Should I check on the blood lotus? That thing is filled with sinister energy. Even if it remains intact, I probably would not be able to study it with my current knowledge," Lin Zheyu mused.

After brief hesitation, he decided to check it anyway to confirm whether it was still there. The two hiding spots were not far apart. In less than a minute, he arrived at the second location. Judging by the bark, no one had come.

He tore away the healed bark, revealing the blood lotus within.

"

Hm?

"

Sensing the sinister and eerie aura emanating from it, Lin Zheyu felt a strong sense of danger. His blood qi surged instantly, and his muscles tensed, ready to flee.

"The blood lotus has actually merged with the tree!" Lin Zheyu said, his expression shifting with uncertainty as he saw its form inside the trunk.

The palm-sized blood lotus had grown several vein-like tendrils from its core that burrowed into the trunk. Under its influence, the entire tree had turned blood-red. From the area he had torn open, an eerie crimson sap even seeped out.

What in the world is this thing?

Lin Zheyu wondered in shock.

He did not dare remain any longer and dropped swiftly from the tree. This strange object exceeded his understanding and filled him with danger. For safety, he decided that retreating immediately was the best course of action.

However, a sudden change occurred. At the moment Lin Zheyu retreated, the previously motionless branches lashed toward him at astonishing speed. They moved like countless fleshy tendrils, coiling toward him.

Lin Zheyu's gaze sharpened as a powerful aura burst from his body. The Purple Thunder Demon-Slaying Saber slashed out and severed the branches reaching for him. As he landed, he retreated swiftly, striking repeatedly to cut down the pursuing tendril-like branches.

"What in the world is this thing?" Lin Zheyu exclaimed as he stared at the tree that seemed to have turned into a monster.

The severed branches on the ground returned to their normal appearance. As he moved farther away, the tree itself reverted to its original state.

𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Just now, I sensed an aura unique to the demon gods. Could this thing originate from one of them?

Lin Zheyu looked at the tree with a grave expression, then turned away. Whatever it was, it existed on a level beyond his current strength. Even though he was confident he could destroy the tree fused with the blood lotus, he had no intention of doing so. The realm of demon gods was beyond his understanding, and he did not wish to provoke an unknown enemy through reckless action. Until he became stronger, caution and survival were the wiser path.

As Lin Zheyu left, a face-like shape suddenly formed on the tree, watching his departing figure.

"Another one with a special destiny..." the face murmured before vanishing.

Deep within the mountains, in a forest shrouded by poisonous mist, a man in ritual attire inside a shrine suddenly opened his eyes and looked toward the man beside him.

"Go. Capture that man. He has caught the attention of the Demon God. Do not kill him," the priest commanded with authority.

"Yes, High Priest."