Hands covered in bright red, neck sticky, as if blood was still flowing nonstop.
The big man's heart trembled with fear, then anger flared in his eyes and brows. He activated talismans all over his body, his entire form flashing with light. His fists, charged with the power of divine talismans, swept fiercely around him.
"Damn beast, I'll kill you!"
But where his fist swept, there was nothing but emptiness.
He had no idea what evil creature had "kissed" him.
When the big man's anger surged, his temperament became agitated, his Dao heart developed flaws, accelerating the corruption of evil thoughts.
The lip print on his neck grew even brighter red, slowly spreading down toward his chest.
Master Situ was startled and immediately activated the Six Yang Crimson Gold Cup, shining the Six Yang light onto the big man.
Under the cloak of the Six Yang energy and crimson-gold light, the big man's neck looked like it had been scalded with boiling water, rapidly shriveling and even producing white smoke.
But the bright red lip print was suppressed.
"Cut the flesh!" Master Situ immediately ordered.
The Taoist's peachwood sword thrust forward, slicing the big man's neck, carving out flesh and spirit, including the lip print.
The big man screamed in pain from the damage to his primordial spirit but knew the situation was critical.
Enduring the agony, he manifested a fire talisman at the wound, burning fiercely to remove the evil qi, cauterizing the flesh to stop bleeding and heal.
Others also activated their spiritual mind techniques or magical treasures, protecting the big man while remaining alert.
The monk activated his prayer beads, chanting Sanskrit to protect everyone.
But from the corner of his eye, he suddenly saw a graceful, evil shadow standing beside him without knowing when. A blood-red mark was approaching him, shocking him greatly. Without hesitation, he pushed the Sanskrit beads to their limit.
Golden Sanskrit script extinguished the red mark and repelled the evil shadow.
The monk felt somewhat relieved, but the next moment, he felt the back of his neck damp and sticky.
A chill surged through his whole body.
"Impossible! The Prajna Temple's Jiedi Sanskrit cannot fail to guard against this evil thing!"
"Is my heart for Buddha not firm enough?"
"Have I entertained evil thoughts?"
"No, no way…"
The monk gritted his teeth, biting his lips, though his face trembled.
He knew his Buddha-heart should be fine, but he couldn't help doubting himself, questioning whether his cultivation was right or wrong, whether the precepts he upheld had slackened.
The more he tried to strengthen his Buddha-heart, the deeper the doubt grew.
More doubt brought forth a trace of fear.
As if all his cultivation efforts in life were wrong.
Because his path was mistaken, he could not resist the seduction of the evil.
Having traveled far through darkness, constantly slaying demons and evil spirits, the tightly wound tension suddenly broke like a tidal wave, crashing down and suffocating the monk.
Confused in mind, he saw in the distance a figure approaching.
It was an extremely graceful and alluring silhouette.
Ice-like skin and jade-like bones, light gauze covering the body, parts hidden and revealed seductively, stirring unbearable desire. The face was delicate and beautiful, the eyes watery and dazed, the fair jade feet seemed to step directly onto the monk's heart with every step.
The monk forcefully suppressed his desire, his gaze firm, reciting:
"Damn beast, don't try to disturb my Buddha-heart!"
"Fleeting dust is but flesh, all beauty turns to skull."
The monk practiced his mental technique, silently repeating "fleeting dust flesh, beauty skull," and indeed the beautiful figure before him began to change.
The lovely face and moon-like appearance rotted into mush.
The ice skin and jade bones gradually dried and decayed, revealing a skeleton.
The monk's desire faded, his mind calm as water.
But before he could truly relax, as if time reversed,
The rotten mushy face turned pale white again, regaining its delicate beauty.
Over the bare skeleton, flesh grew back, skin covered once more, reforming into that graceful figure.
Even less clothed, even more alluring.
The monk's desire rose again like a flickering flame.
"Beauty skull…"
The monk focused on his mental technique.
The woman's figure before his eyes again turned to mush and bones.
The monk's desire faded once more, but in an instant, the rotten flesh and bones again transformed into a tempting body.
No matter how much the monk recited mantras and guarded his mind, the lovely face remained enchanting, the ice skin and jade bones continuously tempting.
His mental defenses were on the verge of collapse, panic grew in his heart.
But he could only watch as this jade-like figure slowly approached him.
The whiteness before his eyes became more vivid; he could smell the intoxicating fragrance mixed with blood.
The monk knew the beauty before him was only rotten flesh and bones.
But no matter how much he tried to break his attachment and force himself to change perception, she was still a beauty.
At one moment, a thought popped up in his mind:
Even if she is rotten flesh and bones, to be entwined intimately with this beauty is a great blessing of three lifetimes—why care what she really is?
The moment this thought emerged, the monk's heart blazed, yet deep inside he felt cold.
He knew he was finished...
Those who uphold precepts keep desires faint.
But once the precepts are broken, desires flood back like a raging torrent.
Sure enough, sensing his desire, the beautiful woman smiled seductively, eyes flowing with charm, full of allure.
Her lips were blood-red, gorgeous and dripping with desire.
The woman embraced the monk, pressing red lips onto his cheek and neck.
The soul-consuming desire corroded the monk.
He felt joy mixed with regret and fear, struggling painfully.
Before long, a Six Yang Crimson Gold light shone down,
Burning the beautiful woman's flesh away, turning her into a skeleton.
Master Situ intervened.
He noticed the abnormality and acted immediately. In just a few breaths, his reaction was very fast.
But the corruption of the human heart is a matter of mere fractions of a moment.
By the time he acted, the monk had already, like the scholar before him, become a slave to desire. Half his face was eaten away by the worm-like lip marks, bleeding profusely; his neck and chest were a bloody mess.
Master Situ could only use the Six Yang Crimson Gold Cup to temporarily suppress the evil thoughts in him, then said:
"Use the mantra, get out quickly!"
The wounds were too severe, he could not be saved. Staying here meant certain death, and he would surely become a puppet of the evil god, killing others and himself.
As for what happened after leaving, one could only pray for luck.
The monk, full of shame and regret, pressed his palms together and said:
"Poor monk... has shamed the Buddha's path."
"Go!" Master Situ urged urgently.
The monk gritted his teeth, recited the mantra taught by Master Situ, and with a flash of seven-star light, his primordial spirit began to twist.
But the next moment, space began to tremble, evil thoughts deepening.
It seemed a powerful will was blocking the monk's departure.
But this force was not yet fully awakened, unable to truly stop the celestial Seven Stars Array of the Northern Dipper. After a brief stalemate, the evil power withdrew, starlight blazed, and the monk's twisted primordial spirit was forcibly pulled out of the nightmare.
The monk left; Master Situ's face was extremely grave.
He wondered in his heart:
"When exactly did this Prajna Temple's master of profound Buddhism, the Recluse Real Person, get infected?"
Unless the evil god truly reincarnated, the Jiedi Sanskrit of Prajna Temple once invoked would never be so easily broken by a womb-born demon, allowing corruption of desire.
Why?
Master Situ frowned in thought, then suddenly his pupils contracted, understanding dawned.
Not now, but earlier.
Along the way, constantly fighting evil spirits, the Jiedi Sanskrit could not have been activated the entire time. There must have been moments of weakness.
It was definitely during one of those lapses that the strange womb-born demon unknowingly planted the seed of evil desire.
That seed grew slowly and only erupted now.
The Recluse Real Person's Buddhism could resist evil desire.
But before he activated his Buddhism, he had already been "contaminated."
This caused him to doubt his own Buddhism, shaking his inner heart, causing cracks in his Dao heart.
This is a great taboo in battling demons!
Therefore, in just a few breaths, evil desire corroded his mental defenses.
Once defenses break, all regrets come too late.
Master Situ ground his teeth in silent hatred.
These evil beasts corrupt the human heart without a trace, invading everywhere.
What exactly is this womb-born demon?
Master Situ looked around and said in a deep voice:
"Everyone be careful, find the traces of this vile thing."
Master Situ looked around and said in a low voice, "Everyone be careful—find any trace of this vile creature."
Before his words had even fallen, a seductive melody drifted through the air, ensnaring the heart and soul. Even Master Situ's mind trembled; then his expression changed in an instant: "Watch out!"
Almost simultaneously, beside the White-Robed Female Immortal, a pitch-black, alluring shadow materialized. A bright red lip-print flashed out toward her.
The White-Robed Female Immortal's face turned cold. Born with exceptional spiritual insight and trained in her clan's secret Divine Dao arts, she also wielded the Sanqing Bell—a treasure of great renown. Moreover, being a woman, her innate resistance to such charms was even stronger.
Thus, she awakened a moment earlier than the shadow's approach. Seeing the blood-red lip-print closing in, she immediately rang the Sanqing Bell. Its "Demonic-Breaking" tones thundered out.
The evil shadow contorted and let out a harsh, ear-piercing scream.
Not far away, an old woman activated the half-intact Six Ding and Six Jia, entangling the shadow in their puppet-like forms. The Six Ding and Six Jia were Divine Dao puppets—without minds or thoughts, they could not be ensnared.
Master Situ also summoned a shaft of Six Yang Crimson-Gold light to envelop the shadow.
With several of them working together, the light dispersed the darkness and incinerated the evil qi. Under that blaze, the shadow's true form was revealed.
It was a demon in the shape of a woman. Her figure was tall and seductive, brimming with temptation—but her limbs and skin were covered in purple-tinged, rotting flesh. Her face was etched with demonic patterns of sinew and muscle, her features grotesquely twisted and barely human. Only her lips remained a dripping, enticing red, exuding an alluring fragrance.
"A Pink-Flesh Womb Demon." Master Situ frowned, greatly troubled. Then, sensing the demon's cultivation level, he relaxed slightly.
Peak Rank-Three.
This was a Rank-Three-Peak Womb-Born Demon born alongside the True Fetus of an Evil God. According to certain elder-ancestor tomes passed down in Xuanji Valley, the demon spawned with an evil god's True Fetus will always rank one level above the fetus itself—but never a full major rank higher.
That meant the Evil God's True Fetus here was Rank-Three as well. And for people like them—who had attained Feathering or Void-Entrance—their great Realms could somewhat suppress an Evil God. If it had been a Rank-Four Evil God True Fetus, once it hatched, they'd all die without question.
At least now, there was still a chance to fight.
"Quickly—finish it off! Kill this Womb Demon!" Master Situ's gaze turned icy, and his voice was resolute. He pointed forward, unleashing a beam of Crimson-Gold light.
The Taoist thrust out his peachwood sword, the old woman commanded the Six Ding and Six Jia, and the Void-Entrance elder-ancestors unleashed sword-qi and spells in unison. Their divine-mind power was fierce.
Yet in the next instant, the Pink-Flesh Womb Demon let out a sinister laugh and vanished right before their eyes.
No one could detect her true presence within their spirits.
"A Womb-Born Demon, co-gestated with an Evil God, nourished by the god's remnant essence—truly treacherous…" Master Situ said in a low voice. "Find that beast immediately!"
This Pink-Flesh Womb Demon could conceal its form and leave no trace, stealthily stirring human desire. If it wasn't eliminated quickly, it would surely spell disaster.
One after another, they activated divine-mind techniques or spirit treasures, attacking in every direction, but could not find the Pink-Flesh Womb Demon anywhere.
Master Situ frowned. Then, an idea struck him. He immediately pointed again, condensing a beam of Crimson-Gold light toward the altar where the child Yuer—the Evil God's True Fetus—lay.
Sure enough, as the Crimson-Gold light hovered in midair, the Pink-Flesh Womb Demon manifested of her own accord, spewing out pinkish evil qi to block the beam.
As the demon born alongside the Evil God's True Fetus, her very purpose was to protect the True Fetus.
The others quickly realized this. They all performed divine-mind techniques targeting the True Fetus instead.
"Attack its god-core; the demon will defend its master."
Just as expected, the Pink-Flesh Womb Demon let out an enraged roar but had no choice but to absorb Master Situ's attack in order to shield its "master." Though a womb-born demon with strong power to appear and vanish at will—stirring desire and corrupting the soul—her raw cultivation was only Rank-Three-Peak. In a direct fight, she could never match Master Situ and the others.
Before long, the Pink-Flesh Womb Demon was struck by the peachwood sword, then scorched by the Six Yang Crimson-Gold Cup, and finally suppressed by the senior ancestor of the Lingfu Sect with a Calming-Evil Talisman.
The Pink-Flesh Womb Demon was completely subdued.
Master Situ let out a breath, preparing to "eradicate the evil thoroughly" and slay this womb-born demon once and for all. But visions of those demon-fetus eggs cracking before came back to him.
He pondered briefly, then his face turned pale, and he said, "No—it can't be right."
A companion demon-fetus egg would not hatch before the Evil God awakened. This Pink-Flesh Womb Demon was likewise an exception. If she had prematurely hatched, it must have been released deliberately.
And indeed, there were "scratches" on that demon-fetus egg.
This meant that something had come to the altar before them and released a womb-born demon egg early, using it to "ambush" them.
"There's something else here!"
The moment this thought arose, Master Situ felt a chill in his heart.
Almost at the same time, a black shadow appeared in midair. A pitch-black, massive hand, surging with tremendous divine-mind power, abruptly attacked Master Situ—intent on killing him.
A warning bell rang in Master Situ's chest. He summoned the Six Yang Crimson-Gold Cup to shield his body, while quickly retreating.
Immediately, the three brothers of the Xiuxuan Gate's Escape-Techniques blocked in front of him.
But this black shadow's divine-mind power was extremely strong. With a single palm, it repelled all three brothers—its sinister intent infiltrating their bodies, causing them to spit up fresh blood.
The black shadow advanced toward Master Situ with murderous intent.
The talisman-wielding big man rushed forward to intercept but was also struck with a single palm and left grievously wounded.
Now, the black shadow's two hands resembled demonic claws, poised to strike at Master Situ from close range.
The Grand Luo Gate elder-ancestor manifested a heavy sword in his hand. Sweeping it in a horizontal slash, he used the profound divine-mind power of Void-Entrance to block the black shadow.
Palm and sword clashed fiercely—tremors of divine-mind power rippled through the air.
The Grand Luo Gate elder-ancestor was forced back three paces.
Yet the black shadow only retreated one step.
This showed that the black shadow's divine-mind power surpassed even the elder-ancestor of Grand Luo Gate.
Strangely, though the black shadow was wreathed in oppressive black mist and riddled with evil intent, its silhouette and outline did not seem demonic at all, but more like a human.
The Grand Luo Gate elder-ancestor frowned and asked, "You…are you human?"
The black shadow remained shrouded in sinister mist and did not answer.
"Cowardly scoundrel, hiding and peeking out! In all my life, I detest the likes of you most!" the elder-ancestor of Grand Luo Gate shouted, then raised his heavy sword on high and unleashed the Great Luo Unity Sword Art, slashing hard at the black shadow.
His Great Luo Unity divine-mind sword art was something he had developed himself, in envy of the Xiuyou Gate's spirit-sword metaphysics. Though crude and lacking refinement, it still wielded considerable power. As long as his divine-mind could cut, it was no trifling force.
Thus the Grand Luo Gate elder-ancestor used this rough Great Luo Unity divine-mind sword technique to fight the black shadow.
The other three Void-Entrance elder-ancestors also rushed forward to assist.
The black shadow's divine-mind was deep and seemed likewise well-versed in divine-mind arts. Mixed within its divine-mind were strands of perverse qi, making its primordial spirit stronger than anyone else present.
But however strong, it could not withstand the combined efforts of four Void-Entrance elder-ancestors. In fewer than a dozen exchanges, it fell into the disadvantage.
He was strong, but still couldn't simultaneously overcome the combined efforts of the four洞虚 (Dongxu) elders, so after dozens of rounds, he fell into a disadvantage.
After fighting for a while longer, the Great Luo Sect's patriarch sensed that the aura of this shadow was strange—and somewhat familiar. His eyes narrowed sharply as he forced his divine mind to surge. Sword Qi erupted violently, and with increased speed, he slashed down toward the shadow's head.
The shadow could only dodge.
Taking advantage of this opening, the Great Luo Sect patriarch suddenly threw away his sword and instead swung a massive fist, the size of a pot, imbued with divine mind power, striking the shadow's face.
The shadow's head was deformed by the heavy punch.
After a moment, the evil aura recondensed, forming a head again, but the black mist that had concealed the face was shattered by the punch.
The Great Luo Sect patriarch now clearly saw the face of the shadow and gritted his teeth, shouting fiercely:
"Xiao Zhengming!"
Xiao Zhengming was the name of the Xiao family patriarch.
The Xiao family had many connections with the Great Luo Sect, so the two patriarchs had a personal relationship.
But precisely because of this, the Great Luo Sect patriarch was even angrier.
Xiao Zhengming wore an evil expression, unconcerned.
The Great Luo Sect patriarch suppressed his anger and asked coldly, "When exactly did you become a lackey of the evil demons?"
This question seemed to anger the Xiao family patriarch as well. His face twisted, filled with a kind of fanatic devotion:
"From beginning to end, I have been the servant of the Divine Lord."
The Great Luo Sect patriarch cursed silently, knowing the Xiao patriarch was beyond saving.
"We've known each other for a while. I'll send you off." Saying this, he hefted his heavy sword and swung it again toward the Xiao patriarch.
The Little Spirit Sect patriarch, the Spirit Talisman Sect patriarch, and the洞虚 elder from Kunzhou all joined to surround and suppress the Xiao patriarch.
The Talisman of Suppression held down the evil aura of the Xiao patriarch.
The Great Luo Sect's 'Return to One' sword clashed directly with the Xiao patriarch.
The Little Spirit Sect patriarch's divine mind spells supported from the side.
Meanwhile, faint exorcising lightning flickered along the Thunderwood Sword, gradually weakening the Xiao patriarch's strength.
The Xiao patriarch's primordial spirit was suppressed; the black aura around him was gradually stripped away, revealing the true state of his primordial spirit.
It had already decayed!
Everywhere were bite marks, gnawed beyond recognition, and his chest was hollowed out, forming a large hole.
Though the source foundation of his primordial spirit was damaged, the Xiao patriarch's expression was excited and frenzied. With the aid of evil power, his strength grew stronger, like a last flicker of light before death.
The洞虚 battle was fierce, divine mind fluctuations spreading in all directions.
Master Situ could not intervene and had no intention to. In this battle, his participation would serve little purpose.
He had not forgotten his goal: to eliminate the evil god's embryo, to resolve the crisis threatening the Qianxue State and all of Qianzhou.
That was the most important matter.
Taking advantage of this moment, Master Situ's divine mind rapidly sorted through all the causes and consequences in his mind.
Their mission was to "slay the god."
The evil side would certainly try to stop them.
It must be Mr. Tu who, through some ritual, summoned this corrupted Xiao patriarch into the evil god's nightmare.
The Xiao patriarch had also prematurely hatched a胎生魔卵 (fetal demon egg), using it to delay their group.
The key question was... why delay? Why not just slaughter them outright?
Because... the evil god cannot kill them?
Fear of the evil god weighed heavily in Master Situ's heart, but he overlooked one point: although they feared the evil god, the evil god also dreaded them.
This group—four洞虚, ten羽化 (ascended beings)—was indeed a powerful force.
The evil god was strong, but not at this moment.
The demon eggs had yet to hatch.
This group alone was enough to make Mr. Tu, the Xiao patriarch, and even the evil god itself wary.
Therefore, Mr. Tu, the Xiao patriarch, and the evil god's minions could only buy time.
If the evil god awakened, all of them would die.
But if the evil god did not awaken, it meant that they were actually stronger.
In other words, right now, at this very moment, was when the evil god and the demons were at their "weakest."
Understanding this, Master Situ's mind cleared instantly, and his urgency grew stronger.
They must race against time to kill the evil god as soon as possible!
They were currently the "strong" side, but once the evil god awakened, the balance of power would immediately reverse!
The situation would deteriorate to an irreparable extent.
Killing intent surged in Master Situ's eyes.
According to his original plan, if possible, he wanted to save Yuer.
Save Yuer first, then kill the evil god's embryo.
But now, he had no idea how to save Yuer. His knowledge of the evil god was too lacking, and he didn't even know if the one saved would truly be Yuer.
The current situation left him no time to think.
He could only...
Kill the evil embryo together with Yuer...
Master Situ felt reluctant in his heart; his eyes filled with painful killing intent.
As if mother and child shared one heart, Xinren Wan immediately sensed Yuer's danger and gradually realized Master Situ's plan.
Master Situ... was going to kill Yuer.
The one who had intended to save her child was now going to kill her child.
Xinren Wan felt devastated in an instant.
Her voice hoarse, she wanted to beg Master Situ not to kill Yuer, but didn't know how to start.
This was a great disaster in the Qianxue State.
Master Situ himself had already cast aside life and death.
Could she really abandon the lives of the Qianzhou people for her child? Especially when it involved the Wenren family, the Shangguan family, including her father and husband... so many lives.
"But... Yuer..."
Xinren Wan didn't know what to choose; tears filled her eyes, and her chest ached as if suffocating.
Master Situ didn't dare look at Xinren Wan, only able to endure the guilt and pain in his heart as he stepped toward Yuer.
Sensing his killing intent, the suppressed red-flesh胎魔 (flesh demon embryo) began shrieking sharply.
The Xiao patriarch's expression also turned frenzied, as if mad, trying to protect his Divine Lord, but was desperately blocked by the four洞虚.
Within just a few breaths, Master Situ reached in front of Yuer.
He took out a sword, engraved with the Big Dipper's seven stars, the star light dazzling.
This was the pivot of the Xuantian Big Dipper Seven Stars Formation. Piercing the evil embryo with this sword could summon the powerful power of the Big Dipper stars to pierce through the evil god's body, erasing the evil god's embryo with the cosmic starlight. Even if it didn't kill it, it would severely injure the unborn evil god.
The fate of Qianxue's fortune and the lives of its people all hung in a moment.
Master Situ no longer hesitated, his eyes cold as he raised the Seven Stars Sword, about to stab into the evil god's true embryo.
But when he looked up, he saw a pair of innocent, clear eyes, tinged with a hint of evil, staring blankly at him.
It was... Yuer.
Yuer was silently watching him.
Master Situ's pupils suddenly dilated, his whole body chilled.
The evil god... had already awakened?!
(End of this Chapter)