Zhong Kui's body emitted a burst of bloody light, and the Nanming Li Huo Sword instantly transformed into a ball of fire. Wherever the sword's edge passed, all the tree roots and branches were broken, spurting out a blackish-blue viscous sap.
"Aaaaaah...Aaaaah...This hatred is irreconcilable..." After being injured one after another, even the thousand-year-old tree demon could not hold on any longer. She couldn't help but scream in exasperation. A huge tongue extended out, several feet wide and tens of meters long, like a giant python turning over, carrying immense power, and swept over with a roar, as if it wanted to swallow Zhong Kui and the river in one gulp.
"Lord Laozi, by your command, thunder and fire shall vanquish the demon!"
In response, Zhong Kui's talismans unleashed a torrent of lightning and thunder, with flames raging. Lightning possesses various effects such as paralysis, carbonization, and exorcism, while flames are the nemesis of evil spirits. As a demon born from a locust tree, it was utterly subdued by the flames!
Zhong Kui used his uncle's talismans as a foundation and incorporated Jiang Liu's divine runes from the "Covering the Sky" world. He already possessed an astonishing talent for talismans. Therefore, the power of his talismans was naturally considerable.
"Ahhhhhh..."
As soon as the two made their move, Jiang Liu knew that Zhong Kui's strength had improved extremely rapidly, truly living up to his reputation as a Celestial Master Saint. Granny Huaimu didn't even have a chance to attack before she let out a miserable howl. Her fair, powdered skin was now covered in black charred marks, and her mouth, especially after being struck by lightning, began to swell up like an inflated duck's beak, resembling two thick sausages hanging from her lips.
The shattered fragments of the long tongue fell to the ground, turning into broken branches and vines that burrowed into the soil like snakes. The flames clinging to them did not extinguish; even after disappearing into the earth, they turned to ashes within seconds.
"Ah! I'll take your lives!"
Now that things had come to this, Grandma had no choice but to fight desperately. She immediately unleashed her powerful demonic energy, and the trees around her suddenly rose from the ground, twisting and turning into more than a dozen giant tree people who gathered from all directions and attacked her.
"Well done! We must thoroughly vanquish demons and monsters, and reduce you to ashes!" Zhong Kui showed no fear on his face. With a wave of his hand, several talismans enveloped the area, and then he chanted a long and obscure incantation, causing thunder and fire to descend from the sky.
Jiang Liu nodded in satisfaction. Zhong Kui's growth had far exceeded his expectations. Compared to Xue Rengui and Luo Binwang, Zhong Kui's strength had surpassed theirs.
Despite being a ghost, he wielded the purest and most yang power of thunder and fire, using the Nanming Lihuo Sword to subdue demons without the slightest hindrance.
Grandma roared and her body suddenly exploded. In an instant, countless blood vessels shot out from the explosion, like arrows covering Jiang Liu and Zhong Kui.
"Watch out, the true form of the thousand-year-old demon has emerged!"
Jiang Liu reminded Zhong Kui, and as soon as he finished speaking, the ground shook violently as if an earthquake had struck, and a terrifying shadow appeared in front of them.
"The true form of the tree demon!"
Just now, the fire talisman ignited a large tree, transforming it into a giant torch that illuminated the darkness. That terrifying shadow was a tree! No mistake, just one! A single tree forming a forest! A gigantic locust tree!
"Hahahaha... If you want to kill me, you'd better be prepared to be killed!"
The disgusting, ear-piercing laughter that was neither male nor female rang out again. The trunk of the giant tree split open, revealing a fleshy, tube-like structure from the inside, displaying an extremely repulsive human face.
As the thousand-year-old tree demon laughed, its branches and leaves shook violently. Zhong Kui's pupils contracted as he saw human heads hanging from some branches extending from the old locust tree's trunk, along with some large leaves that wrapped around dried corpses.
Upon closer inspection, these half-rotten heads were still alive, their expressions contorted in pain, their mouths opening and closing incessantly, and their eyes blinking constantly, but they could not utter a sound, sounding both like wailing and cursing.
This is a "dead man's tree"!
Chapter 380 Ghost King Xiaoqian
A tree laden with dead bodies!
The heads and corpses on the tree branches were only part of the story; many more lay piled up on the ground, their bones forming mountains.
Mountains of bones—how many people must have died to build that?
"So many dead people, over a thousand heads? And corpses too!" Zhong Kui exclaimed in shock. "Old Demon Huaimu, just how many sins have you committed? Aren't you afraid of divine punishment?"
The thousand-year-old tree demon laughed maniacally, the human face on its trunk twisting and contorting: "One general's success is built on the bones of ten thousand! Aren't you humans the same? You've committed just as many killings as I have! Cultivation is inherently defying the heavens. You're making such a fuss over a mere few thousand lives? How many killings have you committed since you condensed your ghostly form!"
"Today, you two will become part of this skeleton!"
Zhong Kui was furious. In his previous life, he was a Confucian disciple who studied poetry, literature, rites, and music, and cultivated loyalty, filial piety, and righteousness. He was a talented, learned, and erudite man who was upright, honest, and incorruptible. Even though he had become a ghost, his every action was in accordance with the way of a gentleman. He would not eat any evil spirits and would eliminate any evil he encountered.
Immediately, he took up the "Nanming Lihuo Sword," made hand seals, and unleashed his supernatural powers, engaging in a fierce battle with Granny Huaimu.
As expected of Zhong Kui, after Jiang Liu's guidance and instruction, he has already begun to display his supernatural powers.
Even without rivers, Zhong Kui can still become a god. During the Spring Festival, Zhong Kui is a door god; during the Dragon Boat Festival, Zhong Kui is the celestial master who vanquishes the five poisonous creatures. In summary, Zhong Kui is the only omnipotent god among the gods of traditional Chinese Taoism, granting blessings and wealth as desired, and answering all prayers.
Jiang Liu felt he had truly taken on a good disciple.
With a flick of her wrist, Xiaoqian let out a soft gasp and collapsed at Jiang Liu's feet, her beautiful body lying prone, her eyes wide with shock as she looked at him, utterly captivating.
Do you want freedom?
This group of female ghosts, in the end, were nothing more than being controlled by the tree demon, unable to control their own lives, luring humans to obtain blood offerings for Grandma. Although they committed many evils, the real evil was the tree demon, even though some of the female ghosts occasionally received some leftover soup and broth from Grandma.
“Nie Xiaoqian, you have followed this thousand-year-old tree demon and have harmed countless people over the years. But considering that you are controlled by the tree demon and have no choice in your actions, I will give you a chance to repent and start anew, and moreover…”
At this point, Jiang Liu paused slightly, then continued, "Moreover, I will also give you a great opportunity!"
"Young master, please give your orders. My ashes are controlled by my grandmother, preventing me from being reincarnated. I can only obey her, which has led to the harming of many people, but this is not my wish. If I can regain my freedom, I am willing to go through fire and water..."
Jiang Liu touched Xiaoqian's exquisite face and sighed, "She truly is a peerless beauty among ghosts!"
As he spoke, Jiang Liu suddenly plunged his hand into Xiaoqian's chest, probing directly inside. Although Xiaoqian, as a ghost, could already condense into a physical body, her essence was still a soul. Jiang Liu pierced deep into her soul, his divine sense probing in as well, setting up layers of restrictions.
"What...did you...do to me?" Xiaoqian was already swaying, and pain was no longer a word to describe her current feelings.
"I'll help you become the Ghost King!"
As he spoke, he pointed to the "Nanming Lihuo Sword" in Zhong Kui's hand. The sword moved like a dragon, its crimson light piercing through the tree, making three in and three out of the locust tree demon's trunk, and finally pulling out a jade-colored wood core as thick as an adult's arm.
In an instant, the demon's body collapsed, and the great demon of a thousand years died on the spot.
Although the Locust Tree Demon was a great demon in the world of Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, it was nothing in the world of Journey to the West, and naturally it couldn't last a single round against Jiang Liu.
The demonic energy dissipated instantly, but Jiang Liu intercepted it with his hand, kneaded it into a ball, and stuffed it into Xiaoqian's body.
At this point, she had completely lost consciousness and was completely at Jiang Liu's mercy.
Zhong Kui also took the opportunity to devour the remaining female ghosts and sat down to digest them. For him, improving his cultivation level only required constantly devouring ghosts; the greater the karma of the ghosts and the more evil they committed, the more they suited his taste.
Not long after, Jiang Liu took a piece of the locust wood core and carved a small figure with the same face and figure as Xiaoqian. He then put Xiaoqian inside and handed the rest of the demon wood core to Zhong Kui.
"Master, I feel that the Yin and Yang in this world are extremely unbalanced, with insufficient Yang energy and excessive Yin energy. How did this world become like this?" As a ghost, Zhong Kui was very sensitive to the power of Yin and Yang and immediately noticed the abnormality.
“We are not in Jambudvipa now!” Jiang Liu didn’t lie to him and told him the truth.
“Not in Jambudvipa? Could it be in Uttarakuru? It is said that demons roam Uttarakuru, but there is no imbalance of yin and yang there! How could the underworld allow it…” As he spoke, Zhong Kui rejected his guess.
Jiang Liu laughed and said, "We have arrived in a small world, which does not belong to the Eastern Continent, the Southern Continent, the Western Continent, or the Northern Continent. Demons and monsters roam freely here, and the Six Paths are in chaos. I, your master, am preparing to build an Underworld and establish a Heavenly Court to restore a bright and clear world to this place!"
"It's in such a mess. I wonder what Zhong Kui can do for his master?"
"We are preparing to establish an underworld and unify the ghost realm. This will all require your assistance. I have found out that the underworld in this small world has collapsed, and the City of the Wrongfully Dead has been occupied by a demon called the Black Mountain Demon. He may not be very strong, but it will take a lot of effort to completely capture all the ghosts wandering in the mortal world and close the gates of hell."
Jiang Liu explained the details of this world to Zhong Kui, making him even more solemn. The responsibility of saving the world was too heavy, making Zhong Kui somewhat overwhelmed.
"So, I've paired you with a female ghost. As the saying goes, teamwork makes the dream work. The locust tree demon's cultivation is enough to elevate her to the level of a ghost king, so she should be a good helper!"
As he spoke, the puppet in Jiang Liu's hand seemed to come alive, then exploded into dust, revealing a girl in white standing suspended in mid-air.
"I... I've gained all of Grandma's cultivation?" Xiaoqian was still incredulous. It was unbelievable that she had absorbed the cultivation of a thousand-year-old demon. Although she lost two or three tenths of it, it was still seven or eight hundred years of cultivation!
"Congratulations, Ghost King Xiaoqian!"
Nie Xiaoqian landed on the ground. Although she had obtained her grandmother's cultivation, she dared not be arrogant. All of this cultivation was given to her by the person in front of her with ease, and could be taken back with a flick of her finger.
"Xiaoqian greets you, sir. May I ask what you need me to do to improve my cultivation?" A smart person naturally knows what to say and do without needing to say more.
"It's still early, just wait! Zhong Kui, you talk to her, and I'll call you out when I kill the Black Mountain Demon." With that, he took the two ghosts into his small world.
After removing the barrier, Jiang Liu walked outside, preparing to conquer the bearded swordsman.
Chapter 381 A Chance to Find Immortality
Yan Chixia was originally a ruthless judge who was famous throughout the twenty-six provinces of Guandong and Guangxi. He hated corrupt officials the most. Because of the power of treacherous officials, he withdrew from the martial arts world and lived in seclusion in Lanruo Temple.
As for the origin of his demon-slaying and monster-exorcising supernatural powers, Zhong Zhi Qiu Yi Ye once said that he was a scholar from Kunlun. Yan Chi Xia may have received a similar inheritance, thus growing from a swordsman into a sword immortal.
He wasn't from a prestigious family; he was just a lucky swordsman who inherited the family tradition.
Jiang Liu's certainty was based on evidence. He rummaged through his memories and found that in the first part of A Chinese Ghost Story, Yan Chixia was indeed powerful, but he could only use one sword. He was half martial arts and half sword master. Moreover, when dealing with Granny Huaimu and the Black Mountain Demon, he seemed to rely mainly on Taoist techniques. He didn't seem to have any sword immortal abilities.
However, in the second part, dozens of swords could fly out of his sword box. He could use sword control techniques to manipulate dozens of swords at once, and he could even separate his soul from his body. His strength had made a qualitative leap compared to the first part.
He is worthy of being called a sword immortal!
Looking at the timeline, the second part is at least a year ahead of the first. Ning Caichen went home after collecting his debts, only to be arrested and imprisoned for a while. He was released by the erudite scholar Zhuge Wolong, who was hiding in the prison, just before he was about to be beheaded. This ordeal in prison even caused Ning Caichen to grow a beard, and only then did the plot of the second part of A Chinese Ghost Story officially begin. Based on this, Ning Caichen may have spent about a year and a half in prison.
His strength has increased significantly in just over a year, which may be due to his comprehension of swordsmanship and the fact that he has only recently received the sword cultivation inheritance.
Therefore, his hiding in Lanruo Temple was not simply a matter of retiring from the martial world; it was likely to be largely for the purpose of practicing sword control techniques and comprehending the methods of sword cultivation.
Lanruo Temple is a good place. You can practice against both small monsters and bosses of similar strength. Only in this way can you integrate Taoist magic and swordsmanship and greatly improve your strength.
Based on Jiang Liu's understanding of this world, most of the great supernatural beings have perished, and even those who survived mostly live in seclusion within their respective sects, daring not to emerge into the world.
Humanity is weak, while demons and ghosts are powerful, as evidenced by the Black Mountain Demon's occupation of the City of the Wrongfully Dead. In this world of "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio," the truly top-tier martial arts are nothing more than the peak strength of an Earth Immortal like the Black Mountain Demon; Celestial Immortals are far beyond reach, with a ceiling firmly blocking their way.
However, given that Yan Chixia possessed the ancient weapon Xuanyuan Divine Sword, was quite wealthy, knew many spells, with sword control being his foundation, and could use the incantation "Prajna Paramita" and "Heaven and Earth are boundless, Qiankun borrows the law" to defeat demons, it is evident that the inheritance he received was extremely profound.
Moreover, in the second part, Yan Chixia, who became a cultivator halfway through his life, was actually stronger than Zhi Qiu Yiye, a cultivator from the orthodox Kunlun Mountain lineage.
It is evident that Yan Chixia possesses exceptional talent, one might even say extraordinary, and the inheritance he received may well be the most top-tier inheritance in this world.
But what Jiang Liu truly valued was that he was undoubtedly the most important chosen one in the world of Liaozhai, possessing great fortune and destined to uphold humanity.
As for Ning Caichen, Wang Sheng, Pang Yong, and the like, although they are protagonists, they are no match for him in terms of strength. Even if the Heavenly Dao were to activate the chosen one of the plane after it was on the verge of death, it would fall on cultivators like Yan Chixia, Zhi Qiu Yiye, and Xia Bing.
Although Ning Caichen and Wang Sheng are the main characters, they are ultimately inferior to these cultivators.
The sound of swords clashing echoed from the eerie woods; the battle was fierce, with the sounds of swords and wind filling the air.
Jiang Liu killed the Locust Tree Demon and set up a barrier, concealing everything. Even the Heavenly Dao of this world did not notice, and Yan Chixia naturally did not know that the old demon he had been fighting for a long time was dead.
"Master!" The lizard demon Xiao Yi revealed himself to Jiang Liu. He had the ability to become invisible and was an excellent scout.
"Yan Chixia is currently sparring with a swordsman named Xiahou, and Xiaowei and I did not disturb him!"
Xiao Wei followed and said respectfully, "Master, I want to go to Jiangdu. I'm worried about Wang Sheng..."
“Xiao Wei…” Xiao Yi gritted his teeth and spat out two words.
What a devoted fox! And isn't Xiao Yi just as devoted a lizard?
Jiang Liu shook his head and sighed, "Immortal opportunities are hard to come by, don't ruin your chances! Wang Sheng is just a mortal, he will die eventually after sixty years. Of course, if you can complete the task I assigned, I can send Wang Sheng into the Immortal Realm, it all depends on how you perform!"
For Xiao Yi, Wang Sheng was his greatest rival in love, so naturally he didn't want Xiao Wei to see him again. Having finally stumbled upon a predestined connection with the immortals, how could he let Xiao Wei go astray again? He immediately said, "Master, just let Xiao Wei return to the immortal realm. As for this world, this humble demon will do everything in my power, even if it means going through fire and water!"
"How many demons and ghosts are there in this world? For example, the tree demon in Lanruo Temple, the centipede demon in the capital, and the Black Mountain Demon are all powerful beings. Xiao Yi, with your strength, can you subdue them? Even if you were to be promoted in the Immortal Realm, you wouldn't be a match for them! Therefore, only if the two of you join forces can you fight them..."