After Shen Liang finished speaking, Taotie added in a muffled voice.
“Don't think we're useless. We're not useless, not at all!”
“If we had our original cultivation, this level of pollution wouldn't even be able to touch the two of us.”
“It's just that because Master hasn't fully inherited the Xuandu Ghost Mansion, we, the Seven Evils of the Xuandu Ghost Mansion, are just like Lord Xuandu—we can't leave the Great Emperor's Palace.”
“Fortunately, Master previously transcended the thin guy and me, allowing us to temporarily attach ourselves to his body and follow him out. Otherwise, even Lord Xuandu wouldn't have been able to do anything about us.”
“But because our soul-bodies are attached to him, our original cultivation has also been suppressed to Master's level.”
“Master is currently at half-step Siming. Otherwise, I could have slapped that bat thing into ash with a single strike.”
Hearing this, Chen Zhou shifted his gaze from Taotie to Wu Gou, his brow arching slightly.
“Oh? Such a massive breakthrough? You went from the third symbiosis contract to half-step Siming just like that?”
Wu Gou pressed his palms together and gritted his teeth, as if a flood of words he had been holding back had finally found an outlet.
“Don't even get me started! What's so great about half-step Siming? This poor monk earned it! I traded my life for it!”
“Xuandu is truly heartless. He sent me to Hell to transcend evil ghosts, and then threw me into the Six Paths to temper my Buddhist heart.”
“Damn it all, this poor monk went through three hundred reincarnations in there, and in every single life, I was a hungry ghost.”
“I finally understand what kind of life those hungry ghosts in the Path of Hungry Ghosts of the provincial capital have been living for the past few centuries.”
“I really miss my precious Yu He to death!”
“Sigh, I wonder if he misses this poor monk too.”
He spoke with animated gestures, his tone entirely filled with exaggerated complaints as if he were telling a funny story.
But Chen Zhou picked up on the underlying grimness.
The Eighteen Levels of Hell were located beneath the Wujian Hell, and the Wujian Hell required the simultaneous suppression of the four Ghost Emperors of the Zongshe Ghost Mansion to barely maintain its stability.
Yet Wu Gou had actually gone to a place like that.
As for the already shattered Six Paths, Chen Zhou had no idea what kind of place that was; he had only ever seen the Path of Hungry Ghosts manifested by the provincial capital.
If even a mere imitation was that perilous, how terrifying must the real thing be?
Wu Gou spoke of it lightly, but the narrow escapes and heart-stopping terrors hidden within were likely ten times worse than he let on.
Chen Zhou did not point this out, only frowning slightly, but the shift in his expression was caught by Taotie.
Sensing an opportunity to show off, Taotie immediately chimed in.
“Master really had a grueling time!”
“Young Palace Master, you have no idea. When Master emerged from Hell, there wasn't a single shred of flesh left on his body, and he couldn't even stand. It was Old Zhao who carried him out on his back.”
“And get this, he rested in the Ghost Mansion for less than an hour, not even having time to nurture his physical body. The moment he heard Diting's message saying the Young Palace Master was in trouble, he rushed straight over.”
As Taotie spoke, he carefully took hold of Wu Gou's left hand and pulled back his wide sleeve, revealing a bloody mess of an arm beneath.
The flesh was almost entirely gone, leaving only stark white bone with a few shreds of meat clinging to it. Torn tendons dangled at the elbow joint, and the surface of the bone was marred by deep and shallow cracks, looking as if it had been repeatedly gnawed on by something.
Only the hand was perfectly intact.
The ten fingers were slender, fair, and well-defined, with neatly trimmed nails, creating a shocking contrast with the mangled, ruined arm.
Taotie quickly added, “Master hasn't even finished healing his physical body yet. He only regrew his hands before rushing straight here. When it comes to loyalty, Master is truly unmatched.”
Wu Gou shot a cold glance at Taotie, his tone flat but his eyes brimming with murderous intent.
“Taotie.”
“When we return, this poor monk will teach you how to practice Silent Zen.”
Taotie scratched his round head foolishly. “What does that mean? What's Silent Zen?”
Wu Gou did not answer. He merely lowered his sleeve unhurriedly, concealing the mangled arm once more.
“It's a minor issue,” he said, smiling at Chen Zhou with a relaxed tone.
“Just a side effect of Golden Cicada Shedding its Shell. It's not like you haven't seen it before.”
Chen Zhou had indeed seen it.
Wu Gou had used it several times, shedding his human skin to escape from desperate situations.
Golden Cicada Shedding its Shell had four layers of shedding: first the human skin, then the flesh and blood, then the skeleton, and finally a single sarira.
Shedding down to the flesh and blood layer was already a desperate bid for survival, a matter of finding life within death.
Just what had Wu Gou experienced in the Wujian Hell to be pushed to the point where he couldn't even preserve his own flesh and blood?
Chen Zhou did not pry further. Adults had their own pride. He remained silent for a moment before speaking.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
Wu Gou waved his hand with a grin, looking completely unbothered.
“There's nothing to worry about.”
“It's not like you don't know that this poor monk's escape skills are top-notch. If there were real danger, I would have fled long ago. Rest assured, I'm fine.”
Taotie nodded repeatedly from the side, chiming in with a foolish grin.
“Yes, yes! Rest assured, Young Palace Master. Once Master returns to the Great Emperor's Palace, he can nurture his body back to health. It's no big deal.”
“At worst, he'll just die and convert into a ghost cultivator. That works too.”
“The thin guy and I have cultivated for over a hundred thousand years, after all. We have quite a few insights into the ghost path, and it won't be any worse than Buddhist cultivation.”
“When the time comes, all of us Seven Evils can help guide Master.”
At this point, he added another line.
“Young Palace Master, you are truly kind-hearted. You were even worried about the thin guy and me earlier.”
“We are really fine, so please don't worry, Young Palace Master. Once we return to the Great Emperor's Palace, this tiny bit of pollution won't even be as troublesome as a minor itch.”
Hearing this, Chen Zhou's gaze swept over Taotie, his expression turning peculiar for a brief moment.
Compared to Wu Gou, he really wasn't that worried about these two evil ghosts.
He wanted to choose his words carefully so as not to hurt the self-esteem of the two evil ghosts.
But on second thought, both of them had lived for a hundred thousand years and had seen all kinds of storms. There was no need to beat around the bush, so he said straightforwardly:
“Actually, I wasn't worried about you two.”
“It's just that I really need... that Nü Tu Fu you just ate.”
Taotie's expression froze.
“What?”
Chen Zhou repeated, “The Nü Tu Fu. The one with the bat wings you just ate. Is there any way you can spit it back out?”
Taotie's eyes bulged. His mouth opened and closed as he stared at Chen Zhou's face, confirming that the other was not joking.
Oh, no!
Taotie's heart skipped a beat, a cold shiver running from his tailbone straight to the crown of his head.
It's over, it's over, it's over! He had messed up with good intentions!
The Young Palace Master had gone to all this trouble to come to Qingzhou, wading into this muddy water and getting himself into such a wretched state, all for this very thing!
How could he not control his own mouth and just eat it!
The Young Palace Master said he needed it, which was very polite and gave him plenty of face!
But maybe the Young Palace Master was just playing nice, pretending not to hold it against an honest guy like him on the surface, while secretly cursing this useless, blundering fat idiot in his heart!
Just now, he also seemed to have made Master a bit unhappy, but why?
It made no sense!
The Young Palace Master and Master had such a great relationship!
Would he end up getting targeted by Master in the future because of this?
The more Taotie thought about it, the more panicked he became. His mind was already replaying scenes of being dragged back to the Ghost Mansion by Wu Gou, only for the other six of the Seven Evils to crowd around and gloat, ostracizing and pushing him out.
In a panic, he thrust his chubby hands deep into his throat, bent over, and began to gag violently.
Blech—!
Blech—!
Blech—!
He gagged for a long time, his face turning bright red and stars flashing before his eyes, the veins on his neck bulging.
But his stomach was empty, and nothing came out.
Watching from the side, Shen Liang couldn't bear it any longer and let out a sigh.
“Forget it, forget it. Let me do it.”
He walked over to Taotie. His pale arms suddenly elongated, and his fingertips grew thin and long like silver needles, thrusting straight down Taotie's throat.
A bizarre gurgling sound echoed from Taotie's throat. His face flushed a deep, swollen color, but he didn't dare to move a muscle.
Shen Liang's arm rummaged and stirred inside Taotie's stomach, searching for a long time.
Finally, his fingertips brushed against something hard.
He pinched the object with utmost care and slowly pulled it out.
When it was pulled out, the object's surface was coated in sticky slime and gastric juices, emitting a strong, foul stench.
Shen Liang glanced at it, casually summoned a stream of turbid water, and washed it a few times.
The true form of the object was revealed.
It was a palm-sized scale, hard in texture. Its surface was coated in a milky-white luster, and its edges glowed with a faint silver halo.
Shen Liang wiped the scale repeatedly. Once he confirmed it was clean, he held it in both hands and presented it to Chen Zhou with a respectful, pleasing posture.
“Young Palace Master, look. Is this the item you wanted?”
Chen Zhou reached out and took the scale.
The moment he touched it, a line of text appeared on his system panel.
【You have obtained a Spirit of the Girl Constellation (Activated)】
Taotie remained in his throat-gagging posture until he confirmed that Chen Zhou had indeed put away the scale. Only then did he let out a long breath, plumping down onto the wet ground as his flab shuddered violently.
“Scared me to death... Scared me to death...”
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he turned to glance at Shen Liang with gratitude in his eyes.
“Thin guy, thank goodness for you. You're a true brother!”
Having retracted his long, slender arms to their normal length, Shen Liang tucked his hands into his sleeves and pursed his lips expressionlessly.
“Next time, ask before you eat something that belongs to the Young Palace Master.”
“Oh...”
Taotie let out a pitiful “Oh,” and then obediently retreated behind Wu Gou alongside Shen Liang.
Chen Zhou put the scale into his system storage and turned to look back at the closed bronze gate.
The divine script on the doors had returned to a dull state, and the white slime had temporarily stopped gushing out.
Lian was still lying on the ground, unconscious, but her breathing was relatively stable, and the remaining black spots in her body had stopped acting up. She seemed to have temporarily stabilized.
In Lian's current state, she probably wouldn't be able to continue opening the gate.
Dou Mu Xie also required a vast amount of death qi to recover and suppress the pollution.
However, Chen Zhou's original goal had been to find something capable of countering the Western Seven Mansions. Although the process had been a bit rocky and the outcome was vastly different from what he had expected, at least they had reached the same destination through different paths.
Now that he had an additional Spirit of the Girl Constellation, the combatants on his side who possessed resistance to the pollution had increased to four. Combined with the combat power of Wu Gou, Taotie, and Shen Liang, taking the Western Seven Mansions head-on shouldn't be much of a problem.
Chen Zhou squatted down and checked Lian's pulse. After confirming that her life was not in danger, he stood up and walked toward Dou Mu Xie.
Dou Mu Xie lay collapsed at the edge of the ruins, the silver-white moonlight on its body almost completely extinguished.
Taotie had used death qi to help it suppress the spread of the pollution earlier. Chen Zhou reached out and pressed his palm against Dou Mu Xie's forehead bone.
“Return.”
The silver-white flames in Dou Mu Xie's eye sockets flickered as if it understood. Using the last of its strength, it transformed into a strand of moonlight, flowing along Chen Zhou's arm and into his Ghost Domain.
Its entire skeleton dissolved into silver-white specks of light, dissipating into the air.
A ball of silver-white light appeared within Chen Zhou's Ghost Domain. Dou Mu Xie was slowly absorbing the death qi inside the domain, repairing itself bit by bit.
The spread of the pollution was temporarily halted, but completely purging it would still require a massive amount of death qi.
Chen Zhou stood up and walked toward the Longevity Deer, which lay collapsed some distance away.
Chen Zhou bent down and hoisted the Longevity Deer onto his shoulder.
The old deer let out a whimper, its four legs dangling limply as it completely gave up all struggle.
Watching this, Wu Gou's lips twitched. “You're still carrying such a burden in a dangerous place like this?”
“It's useful,” Chen Zhou said. “The old deer knows Shrinking Earth. It has already used it twice today.”
Wu Gou froze for a moment, his eyes shifting slightly. “Shrinking Earth? That kind of talent is not common.”
During this period of studying the inheritance under Xuandu, although Wu Gou's days had been hard, Xuandu was one of the Five Direction Ghost Emperors, after all. He oversaw the inheritance of ancient texts and the selection of talents for the entire Great Emperor's Palace, so his understanding of talent was naturally far beyond that of ordinary people.
Constantly receiving Xuandu's guidance day and night, Wu Gou had been deeply influenced. He had now officially initiated his understanding of concepts like talent, destiny, and bone structure.
Xuandu had once said that within the vastness of heaven and earth, there were tens of thousands of techniques practiced by cultivators, but when boiled down, they were divided into three major categories.
Offensive, defensive, and auxiliary.
Offensive techniques were the most common, followed by defensive ones. However, within the auxiliary category, a few talents were one in ten thousand.
Shrinking Earth was one of them.
So the old deer actually possessed such an incredible ability?
If there was a need in the future, he could just strip it from the deer.
Didn't his beloved Diting happen to lack this talent? Earth-tunneling paired with Shrinking Earth would be a perfect match. It would be much more useful in the future.
With this in mind, Wu Gou flipped himself onto Diting's back, lovingly stroking its segments.
Chen Zhou got on as well, still carrying the Longevity Deer on his shoulder. Taotie carefully held the unconscious Lian in his arms, while Shen Liang stood behind Wu Gou like a bamboo pole.
Diting let out a low growl, its massive body sinking into the ground as the earth and stones parted to either side, carrying the group deep underground.
Chen Zhou sensed the aura on the surface. Diting's sense of direction was extremely precise; following the scent of Jianmu, it burrowed out from underground after about the time it took to burn a few incense sticks.
The moonlight overhead had dimmed considerably.
In the night sky of the Graveyard of Ten Thousand Beasts, the silver-white moonlight hung like a thin veil, swaying in the wind.
The shadows of the trees stretched long across the ground, and the contours of the entire forest had grown blurry.
The moment Chen Zhou emerged, he felt it.
A sickening sense of being watched hung over him, sometimes close and sometimes distant, like a fine thread tied to his body, tightening and loosening.
Dou Mu Xie's moonlight had weakened, so its interference against Lou-Metal Dog had also diminished. That thing was currently relocking onto his position, and it wasn't far away.
Rate on N.U.
