As expected, Hei Mu withstood the attack. This further solidified Lu Xuan's suspicions. The poisonous insects Hei Mu had released earlier had some strange connection to him. Those creatures could continuously evolve and adapt to various attacks, eventually developing strange magical resistances. And this resistance would be inherited by Hei Mu's body.
Of course, now it seems that it might not necessarily be Kuroki's body. It's more likely the work of the beast god behind the scenes. Only such a being could possess such strange methods.
Two lightning spells failed to stop the arm's transformation. The thing had visibly taken shape. The flesh and blood of the arm rapidly expanded, transforming into a dark version of the Taotie in just a few breaths.
The original Taotie, though ferocious and ugly, was still essentially a special kind of demonic beast. But now, this creature was covered in blood, seemingly transformed into a skinless Taotie. Crucially, its entire body was covered in various fleshy growths, bulging and swollen, as if something was wriggling inside. Visually, this thing was simply inhuman.
Seeing this dark version of the Taotie take shape, Lu Xuan finally couldn't stand it anymore. For some reason, ever since he achieved mastery of his cultivation, the style of his battles had always been completely different from what he had imagined. So far, he hadn't encountered a truly evenly matched opponent who actually used legitimate spells...
With a loose grasp of his right hand, a silver spear appeared in Lu Xuan's grasp.
"I'm fucking fed up with all of you rubbish!" Lu Xuan's entire body blazed with lightning, more than ten times stronger than the lightning magic he had used before. Hei Mu, who had been filled with resentment, suddenly became blank-faced.
Abandoning all his elaborate spells, Lu Xuan thrust his spear straight forward. Violent lightning surged along the Thunderbolt Spear, transforming into a blue-green lightning dragon before him. The flesh-and-blood gluttonous beast, seemingly mindless, charged forward fearlessly. Then, its massive body dissolved into a shower of blood.
The countless tumors and pustules on its body then burst open, spewing out all sorts of toxic water, toxic mist, and even unknown poisonous insects. But the next second, they were engulfed by violent lightning.
Kuroki finally snapped out of his daze, screamed in terror, and turned to run. A surge of violent lightning engulfed him. But he was decisive; his entire body self-destructed. A dark spiritual energy erupted wildly, blocking Lu Xuan's lightning.
The next second, Lu Xuan only saw a human-shaped head disappear into the forest. The art style was as usual...
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Chapter 452 Resurrection
Lu Xuan had no intention of giving chase, even though the head wasn't moving very fast; it would only take him a few breaths to catch up. But Xiao Bai beside him was starting to feel the strain.
The Taotie is theoretically on par with the Blackwater Serpent and the Yellow Bird—all ancient ferocious beasts. However, this one appears to be a juvenile. Judging from its size, it's only about two or three elephants in size. While that would be enormous to humans, it falls far short of the standards of ancient ferocious beasts. Of course, considering that the one known as the Beast God would have nurtured a juvenile Taotie, it's not entirely unexpected.
At her peak, Xiaobai could easily handle a juvenile Taotie. However, after being imprisoned for three hundred years and recently injured by a divine soul technique, she is now struggling against this Taotie. It's worth noting that in the original story, Jin Ping'er also faced a Taotie in this generation. Despite being on par with Gui Li, she couldn't withstand a single blow.
However, Lu Xuan's arrival immediately changed the situation. Lu Xuan actually wanted to keep the creature. But just as he joined the battle, an ancient and desolate cry echoed through the mountains. Then, the Taotie turned and ran without hesitation. Seeing its opponent leave, Lu Xuan also did not give chase.
That shout just now must have been from the Beast God. If they chased after it, they'd be facing the boss head-on. According to the setting of Jade Dynasty, the Beast God is immortal before it has a physical body. Lu Xuan didn't intend to rush into battle with that thing.
Letting Kuroki go earlier served a similar purpose. He needed Kuroki to help the Beast God fulfill his wish before he could possibly defeat this guy.
........
Suddenly, Fenxiang Valley announced its seclusion. Without explanation, it simply recalled all its disciples and declared a period of seclusion. This action plunged the entire cultivation world into suspicion. Both Qingyun Sect and Fenxiang Valley dispatched envoys to Fenxiang Valley to inquire what had happened.
Inside Incense Valley, a solemn atmosphere prevailed. Shangguan Ce and Yun Yilan were having a conversation in a secret room.
"Is the news confirmed? The beast demon is back?"
"That's right. Although I haven't seen it with my own eyes, changes have already begun to appear in the mountains. Just like the description in the book. Although it hasn't actually appeared yet, I think it won't be long."
"Good, very good, very good." Unexpectedly, Yun Yilan did not seem to sense any crisis.
"Sect Leader, the return of the beast demons is no joke."
“I understand this perfectly well. But don’t you think this is also an opportunity for our Incense Valley, Junior Brother?”
"Where do we begin? The emergence of a beast demon is a catastrophe for heaven and earth. Our Incense Valley is the closest, so we will be the first to bear the brunt."
"No, that won't happen. If the beast demons really possessed human intelligence as the legends say, they wouldn't have attacked Fenxiang Valley first. Our methods are effective against beast demons. If they were smart enough, they would have wiped out the world first before coming back to deal with us."
"Senior brother, do you think the Central Plains can deal with the beast demons?"
"Hehe, Junior Brother, you must not underestimate the cultivation sects of the Central Plains. You should know that for hundreds of years, the Qingyun Sect has been recognized as the leader of the three major sects. Their legendary Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation is no weaker than our Eight Fiends Profound Fire Formation. Do you really think that the beast demons can gain any advantage in the Central Plains?"
"Senior brother is right. Once the beast demons are defeated and both they and the Central Plains cultivation world are severely weakened, we can seize the opportunity to strike and unify the world."
"That's right, but all of this depends on our plans going smoothly."
"...We ultimately cannot replicate an existence like the Beast God. The witchcraft we obtained lacks the most crucial element: the ability to imbue those ferocious beasts with consciousness. Therefore, their power cannot be too great, or they will become uncontrollable. Fortunately, however, quantity can solve this problem."
"Very good, then let's add fuel to the fire and accelerate the pace of things."
The following day, Incense Valley suddenly issued a public announcement, explaining everything that had happened in the Southern Frontier. At the same time, it called upon all righteous sects to gather in the Southern Frontier to jointly fight against the Beast God.
Not to mention that the entire cultivation world was thrown into a state of panic by this news, ordinary people at the lower levels had already begun to feel the approach of chaos.
Incense Valley, whether intentionally or unintentionally, a large number of mutated beasts began to enter the Central Plains, and in a short time, the entire Central Plains was littered with corpses.
These mutated beasts, infected by the malevolent aura of the Beast God, have become special spiritual beasts, which ordinary hunters cannot possibly deal with.
All the major sects in the Central Plains dispatched their disciples to slay these demonic beasts near their sects. However, as time went on, these creatures not only failed to be killed off, but their numbers increased and their strength grew.
Later on, some disciples with lower cultivation levels even began to suffer casualties. The Central Plains cultivation world finally became convinced that Burning Incense Valley wasn't exaggerating. A great calamity was truly about to befall them.
However, getting them all to gather at Fenxiang Valley is still impossible. The main reason is the vast distance to the Southern Frontier. The major sects of the Central Plains don't know enough about Fenxiang Valley and some don't trust them.
So everyone went to Qingyun Sect without prior arrangement. As the leader of the righteous path in the Central Plains, he had to step forward and take charge at this time.
Dao Xuan has been feeling very unwell these past few days. Not physically, but mentally.
In fact, there was nothing wrong with Fenxiang Valley's proposal. After all, they controlled the passage between Southern Xinjiang and the Central Plains.
If all the major sects in the world could intercept and kill the so-called beast demons there, it would naturally be the best for the people. But for some reason, he felt something was off about the actions of the Incense Valley.
Dao Xuan's cultivation level is among the top in the world of cultivation. Although this character isn't particularly popular, his cultivation is undeniable. He had a vague feeling that Fenxiang Valley might have ill intentions, but he couldn't just do nothing on the surface. Therefore, he felt extremely frustrated.
And most importantly, he can't use the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation outside of Qingyun Mountain. If the so-called beast demons are truly as described by Fenxiang Valley, then Qingyun Mountain is the safest place.
Inside a cave in southern Xinjiang at this time.
Kuroki, who had somehow regained his human form, reappeared at the cave entrance, still holding a cane. However, this time was different from before.