Chapter 1074: Awakening
Chapter 1074: Awakening
His hands were drenched in fresh blood, his neck sticky, as if the bleeding had not stopped.
The man was terrified, his brows furrowed in anger. He activated the talismans covering his body, and his surroundings were bathed in a radiant glow. With divine rune power, he swung his fists, sweeping the area.
"Abominable beast, I'll kill you!"
But his fists met nothing but empty air.
He had no idea what evil entity had "kissed" him.
As the man's anger rose, his mind grew turbulent, and his Daoist resolve faltered, accelerating the corruption of his thoughts.
The red lip mark on his neck grew even more vivid and began to spread slowly toward his chest.
Situ Zhenren was alarmed and immediately activated the Six-Yang Crimson Gold Lantern, casting its Six-Yang aura over the man.
Under the golden glow of the Six-Yang aura, the man's neck seemed to be scalded by boiling water, quickly withering and even producing white smoke.
But the red lip mark was halted.
"Cut the flesh!" Situ Zhenren commanded.
The Taoist priest thrust his peach wood sword, slicing into the man's neck and removing the flesh and the lip mark with it.
The man's spirit was damaged, and he let out a pained roar. But he knew the situation was dire, so he endured the intense pain, manifesting a fire rune at the wound to burn away the evil aura and cauterize the flesh to stop the bleeding and heal the injury.
The others also activated their spiritual consciousness techniques or treasures, protecting the man while remaining vigilant.
The monk also activated his prayer beads, invoking the Sanskrit mantras to protect everyone.
But from the corner of his eye, he suddenly saw a graceful and sinister shadow standing beside him. A blood-red mark was approaching, and he was immediately shaken. Without hesitation, he pushed his prayer beads to their limit.
The golden Sanskrit mantras dispelled the red mark and repelled the sinister shadow.
The monk felt a slight sense of relief, but the next moment, he felt a wet, sticky sensation at the back of his neck.
A chill ran through his body.
"It's impossible! The Jiedi Sanskrit from Prajna Temple cannot fail to defend against this evil entity!"
"Is my devotion to the Buddha not strong enough?"
"Have I harbored impure thoughts?"
"No, that can't be..."
The monk gritted his teeth, but his face couldn't stop trembling.
He knew his Buddhist heart should be unshaken, but he couldn't help doubting himself, questioning whether his cultivation was right and whether he had let his resolve waver.
The more he tried to strengthen his Buddhist heart, the more he doubted himself.
As doubt multiplied, a hint of fear crept in.
It seemed that everything he had done in his life was wrong.
Because his path was wrong, he couldn't resist the evil entity's temptation.
After walking a long distance in the darkness, constantly slaying demons and exorcising evil, the tension that had been building up suddenly surged back, suffocating the monk.
In his confused state, he saw a figure approaching from a distance.
It was a graceful and alluring figure.
Her skin was as smooth as ice, her bones as delicate as jade, and her body was barely covered by a light veil, revealing glimpses of her allure that stirred the heart. Her face was beautiful, her eyes like pools of water, and her white, delicate feet seemed to step directly into the monk's heart with each step.
The monk struggled to control his desires, his gaze resolute, and he recited:
"Abominable beast, do not try to corrupt my Buddhist heart!"
"The mortal world is but flesh, and beauty is but a skeleton."
The monk chanted, "The mortal world is but flesh, and beauty is but a skeleton", and the alluring figure before him began to change.
Her beautiful face rotted into flesh, and her smooth, delicate body dried and decayed, revealing a skeleton.
The monk's desires faded, and his mind was calm like water.
But before he could truly relax, it was as if time had reversed.
The face that had rotted into flesh became white and beautiful again, and the skeleton was covered with flesh, transforming back into the alluring figure.
And she was even more captivating, completely naked.
The monk's desires flared up again like a flame.
"Red powder is but a skeleton..."
The monk recited his mantra.
The woman's figure turned into flesh and bones before his eyes.
The monk's desires faded, but in an instant, the rotting flesh and bones transformed back into an alluring body.
No matter how many times he recited his mantra, the beautiful face and smooth, delicate body continued to tempt him.
His defenses were on the brink of collapse, and the monk felt a growing sense of fear.
He could only watch as the graceful and beautiful figure approached him step by step.
The white before his eyes became more vivid, and he could smell the sweet, blood-tinged fragrance.
The monk knew that the beautiful woman before him was nothing but rotting flesh and bones.
But no matter how he tried to sever his desires and force himself to change his perception, she was still beautiful.
For a moment, a thought crossed his mind:
So what if she is rotting flesh and bones? To be close to such a beauty is a rare and fortunate opportunity. Why should I care what she truly is?
As soon as this thought emerged, the monk felt a burning desire in his heart, but a chill ran through his body.
He knew he was finished...
A person who adheres to the precepts has few desires.
But once the precepts are broken, desire surges back like a flood, overwhelming and uncontrollable.
Indeed, the beautiful woman seemed to sense his desire and smiled seductively, her eyes filled with allure.
Her lips were as red as blood, her beauty captivating.
She embraced the monk, her red lips pressing against his cheeks and neck.
The intoxicating desire consumed the monk.
He felt a mix of pleasure, regret, and fear, his expression a mix of struggle and pain.
Before long, a beam of Six-Yang Crimson Gold light shone upon the beautiful woman, burning away her skin and reducing her to a dried-up corpse.
Real Master Situ took action.
The moment he sensed the anomaly, he immediately intervened, reacting with incredible speed. However, the corruption of the human heart can happen in an instant.
By the time he acted, the monk had already become a slave to his desires, just like the scholar. Half of his face was chewed raw by worm-like lip marks, and his neck and chest were a mangled mess of flesh and blood.
Real Master Situ could only use the Six-Yang Crimson Gold Lantern to temporarily suppress the evil thoughts within him, then urged:
"Recite the incantation, and leave quickly!"
The monk’s injuries were too severe; staying here meant certain death, and he would inevitably become a puppet of the evil deity, turning on his own kind.
As for what would happen after they left, they could only hope for the best.
The monk, his face filled with shame and regret, clasped his hands and said:
"I... have failed the Buddhist order."
"Go!" Real Master Situ urged urgently.
The monk gritted his teeth and recited the incantation Real Master Situ had taught him. With a flash of the Seven Star light, his spirit began to twist.
But in the next instant, the space began to shake, and the evil thoughts intensified.
It seemed that a powerful will was obstructing the monk’s departure.
However, this force was not yet fully awakened and could not truly hinder the immense power of the Mystic Heaven Northern Dipper Seven Star Formation. After a brief standoff, the evil force retreated, the starlight shone brilliantly, and the monk’s spirit, twisted into a vortex, was forcibly pulled out of the nightmare.
The monk was gone, and Real Master Situ’s expression was extremely grave.
He was puzzled:
"When did Venerable Kuji, the accomplished monk from Prajna Temple, fall victim to this evil?"
Unless the True Fetal Evil Deity had been reborn, the Jiedi Sanskrit of Prajna Temple, once invoked, should not have been so easily breached by the Fetal Demon, allowing it to erode his desires.
Why?
Real Master Situ furrowed his brow in thought, then his pupils contracted as he understood.
It wasn’t now, but before.
During the journey, while battling evil spirits, the Jiedi Sanskrit could not be continuously activated. There must have been moments when it was vulnerable.
It was during these moments of vulnerability that this strange Fetal Demon must have planted the seeds of evil desire, unnoticed.
These seeds grew slowly, only now manifesting.
Venerable Kuji’s Buddhist teachings were capable of resisting evil desires.
But he had already been "tainted" before he could activate his teachings.
This caused him to doubt his own teachings, leading to inner turmoil and a crack in his resolve.
This was a grave mistake when facing evil spirits!
In just a few moments, the evil desire had eroded his defenses.
And once his defenses were breached, it was too late to repent.
Real Master Situ clenched his teeth in silent fury.
These evil spirits and abominable beasts truly eroded the human heart without a trace, finding their way into every crevice.
What exactly was this Fetal Demon?
Real Master Situ surveyed the surroundings and said gravely, "Everyone, be cautious. Find the trace of this abomination."
Before he finished speaking, a seductive melody wafted through the air, captivating the heart. Even Real Master Situ’s mind wavered, and he immediately changed his expression, warning, "Be careful!"
Almost simultaneously, a pitch-black shadow appeared next to the white-robed female adept.
A crimson lip mark approached, about to kiss her.
The white-robed female adept’s face turned cold.
She had an exceptional divine perception, practiced the divine path secret techniques of a major clan, and possessed the Three Pure Bells, a powerful magical treasure. Being a woman, she was also naturally more resistant to such allure.
Thus, she awoke a moment earlier. Seeing the blood-red lip mark approaching, she immediately activated the Three Pure Bells, releasing a "Demon-Breaking" sound that struck the evil shadow.
The evil shadow twisted and let out a piercing scream.
The old woman nearby immediately activated her remaining half of the Six Ding and Six Jia, entangling the evil shadow.
The Six Ding and Six Jia were divine puppets, devoid of heart and thought, immune to seduction.
Real Master Situ also immediately activated a Six-Yang Crimson Gold light, enveloping the evil shadow.
With the combined efforts of several people, the light dispelled the darkness, burning away the evil aura, and the true form of the evil shadow was revealed.
It was a female demon.
Her figure was tall and graceful, radiating endless allure, but her limbs were covered in purplish-pink rot, and her face was a twisted mass of muscle and demonic patterns, her features unrecognizable. Only her lips were a bright, enticing red, emitting a seductive fragrance.
"A Crimson Fetal Demon."
Real Master Situ frowned, feeling the difficulty, but then, sensing the demon’s realm, he slowly relaxed.
Third-rank peak.
This was a third-rank peak evil fetal demon.
According to the ancient texts passed down by some of the elders of the Mystic Mechanism Valley, the demons accompanying the True Fetal Evil Deity were slightly higher in rank than the evil fetus but not by a major rank.
This meant that the True Fetal Evil Deity was also third-rank.
With their group, including Yu Hua and Cave Void, they had a significant advantage in realm. Dealing with the evil deity would be somewhat easier.
If it were a fourth-rank True Fetal Evil Deity, they would all undoubtedly die the moment it was born.
Now, they at least had a chance to fight.
"Quickly, kill this fetal demon!"
Real Master Situ’s gaze was cold, his voice decisive. He pointed and a crimson gold light shot out.
The Taoist priest summoned a peach wood sword, the old woman called upon the Six Ding and Six Jia, and the Cave Void elders no longer held back, unleashing their Sword Qi and spells, their spiritual consciousness powers fierce.
But in the next instant, the Crimson Fetal Demon gave a sinister laugh and vanished right before everyone’s eyes.
No one’s spirit could detect her.
"The fetal demons, born with the evil deity, inherit the evil deity’s legacy, are indeed insidious and cunning..."
Real Master Situ said gravely, "Find this abomination!"
This Crimson Fetal Demon can conceal its form and invisibly incite desires in people. If not removed soon, it will surely bring great disaster.
Afterward, everyone began to use their spiritual consciousness techniques or spiritual consciousness treasures to attack, but none could find the Crimson Fetal Demon.
Situ Zhenren frowned, then a thought struck him. He immediately extended his fingers, summoning a beam of crimson-gold light that struck toward Yuer on the altar, who was the True Fetal Evil Deity.
Sure enough, the crimson-gold light hovered in mid-air, and the Crimson Fetal Demon revealed itself, emitting pink evil aura to block the beam.
It was a demon born alongside the True Fetal Evil Deity, existing to protect the evil fetus.
The others soon understood and began using their spiritual consciousness techniques to attack the evil fetus.
Attacking the divine master would force the demon to intervene.
Sure enough, the Crimson Fetal Demon roared in anger but had to protect its "master" and take Situ Zhenren's attack.
Although it was a powerful fetal demon, its strength lay in its ability to hide and incite desires, corrupting the spirit.
Apart from that, its actual strength was only at the peak of the third rank. In a direct confrontation, it could not match Situ Zhenren and the others.
Before long, the Crimson Fetal Demon was struck by a peach wood sword, then burned by the Six-Yang Crimson Gold Lantern, and finally subdued by the Lingfu Sect's Evil Suppressing Talisman.
The Crimson Fetal Demon was thoroughly restrained.
Situ Zhenren took a deep breath. Just as he was about to "eliminate evil completely" and thoroughly destroy the Crimson Fetal Demon, the images of some fetal demon eggs breaking earlier flashed in his mind.
Situ Zhenren pondered for a moment, then his heart suddenly sank.
"Something's wrong!"
Companion demon eggs would not hatch before the evil deity awakens.
This applied to the Crimson Fetal Demon as well. If it hatched prematurely, it must have been deliberately released.
Indeed, there were "scratches" on the demon eggs.
This meant that something had come to the altar before them and deliberately released a fetal demon egg to "delay" them.
"There's something else!"
As soon as this thought surfaced, Situ Zhenren's heart turned cold.
Almost simultaneously, a black shadow appeared in the void. A pitch-black hand, infused with powerful spiritual consciousness, suddenly attacked Situ Zhenren, intent on killing him.
Situ Zhenren's senses immediately went on high alert. He summoned the Six-Yang Crimson Gold Lantern for protection and quickly retreated.
The three brothers from the Daoist Sect of the Northern Dipper immediately stepped in front of Situ Zhenren.
However, the black shadow's spiritual consciousness was extremely strong. With just one palm, it repelled the three brothers, and the malevolent aura entered their bodies, causing them to spit blood.
The black shadow continued to attack Situ Zhenren.
The tall man with talismans stepped forward to block, but was also severely injured by one palm.
As the black shadow's hands, like demonic claws, were about to reach Situ Zhenren, the Great Luo Sect's elder summoned a heavy sword. With the deep spiritual consciousness of a Cave Void cultivator, he blocked the black shadow.
The sword and the palm collided, causing a powerful shockwave of spiritual consciousness.
The Great Luo Sect's elder retreated three steps.
But the black shadow only took one step back.
Clearly, the black shadow's spiritual consciousness was even stronger than the Great Luo Sect's elder.
However, what was strange was that although the black shadow was shrouded in dark mist and filled with malevolent intent, its form did not resemble a demon but rather a human.
The Great Luo Sect's elder frowned and asked, "Are you... human?"
The black shadow was enveloped in evil fog, emitting a chilling aura, and did not respond.
"You despicable coward, hiding in the shadows! I detest your kind the most in my life!"
The Great Luo Sect's elder angrily rebuked, then raised his heavy sword, activating the Great Luo Unity Sword Technique, and heavily struck the black shadow.
This Great Luo Unity spiritual consciousness sword technique was a crude imitation of the Mystic Heaven Gate's True Secret of Spiritual Consciousness Sword, which he had devised himself. It was a basic spiritual consciousness sword technique, but not very refined.
However, as a Cave Void cultivator and a sword cultivator, as long as his spiritual consciousness could cut through people, it was powerful.
The Great Luo Sect's elder relied on this crude Great Luo Unity spiritual consciousness sword technique to engage the black shadow in combat.
The other three Cave Void cultivators also joined in to assist.
The black shadow's spiritual consciousness was profound, and it seemed to be proficient in spiritual consciousness techniques. Its spiritual consciousness was infused with malevolent aura, making it stronger than any spirit present.
However, no matter how strong it was, it could not match the combined power of four Cave Void cultivators. After dozens of rounds, it began to lose the upper hand.
After a while, the Great Luo Sect's elder noticed something strange and familiar about the black shadow's aura. He immediately focused his spiritual consciousness, causing his sword qi to surge, and swung his sword at the black shadow's head with greater speed.
The black shadow had to dodge.
Taking advantage of the moment, the Great Luo Sect's elder suddenly threw his sword and instead swung a heavy fist, the size of a pot, infused with spiritual consciousness, and struck the black shadow's face.
The black shadow's head was deformed by the heavy blow.
A moment later, the evil aura reformed into a head, but the dark mist that concealed its face was scattered by the punch.
The Great Luo Sect's elder saw the black shadow's face and growled, "Xiao Zhengming!"
Xiao Zhengming was the name of the Xiao family's elder.
The Xiao family and the Great Luo Sect had many connections, so the Xiao family elder and the Great Luo Sect's elder were acquaintances.
But because of this, the Great Luo Sect's elder was even more enraged.
Xiao Zhengming, however, had an evil aura and did not seem bothered.
The Great Luo Sect's elder suppressed his anger and coldly asked, "When did you become a lackey of the evil deity?"
This question seemed to anger the Xiao family elder as well. His face twisted with a hint of devotion.
"From the beginning, I have been the servant of the Divine Master."
The Great Luo Sect's elder cursed inwardly, knowing that the Xiao family elder was beyond saving.
"We've known each other for a while; I'll see you off." With that, he shouldered his heavy sword and swung it at the old ancestor of the Xiao family.
The old ancestor of the Spirit Talisman Sect, the old ancestor of the Little Spirit Sect, and the Cave Void from Kunzhou surrounded the old ancestor of the Xiao family, suppressing him.
The Evil Suppressing Talisman held back the evil aura of the old ancestor of the Xiao family.
The Great Luo Unity Sword Technique tangled with the old ancestor of the Xiao family head-on.
The spiritual consciousness magic of the old ancestor of the Little Spirit Sect supported from the side.
The Thunderwood Sword emitted a faint light of exorcism, gradually weakening the old ancestor of the Xiao family.
The old ancestor of the Xiao family's spirit was suppressed, and the black aura surrounding him was gradually stripped away. Everyone could see the state of his spirit.
His spirit was already rotten!
It was covered in bite marks, gnawed to the point of being unrecognizable, and his chest was hollowed out, forming a large hole.
Despite the damage to the root of his spirit, the old ancestor of the Xiao family appeared excited and manic, his strength amplified by the evil power, like a last desperate burst of energy.
The battle with the Cave Void was fierce, with spiritual consciousness fluctuations spreading everywhere.
Situ Zhenren couldn't join in, nor did he intend to. In this kind of battle, his participation would be meaningless.
He hadn't forgotten his purpose: to eliminate the True Fetal Evil Deity and resolve the great crisis of Qianxue State Border, and even the entire Qian Prefecture.
This was the most important task.
Taking advantage of this moment, Situ Zhenren's spiritual consciousness rapidly flowed through his mind, quickly reviewing all the causes and effects of the situation.
Their goal was to "slay the god."
The evil side would certainly try to stop them.
It must have been Mr. Tu, using some ritual to summon the tainted old ancestor of the Xiao family into the evil god's nightmare.
The old ancestor of the Xiao family had also prematurely hatched a demonic egg, using it to delay them.
The key was... why delay them instead of directly killing them?
Because... the evil god couldn't kill them?
In Situ Zhenren's heart, the fear of the evil god had always loomed, but he had overlooked one point: while they feared the evil god, the evil god also feared them.
This group, consisting of four Cave Voids and ten Yu Hua, was indeed a formidable force.
The evil god, though powerful, was not at full strength yet.
The demonic eggs had not hatched.
His group was enough to make Mr. Tu, the old ancestor of the Xiao family, and even the evil god wary.
Therefore, Mr. Tu and the old ancestor of the Xiao family, as the evil god's pawns, could only buy time.
Once the evil god awoke, they would all die.
But if the evil god didn't wake, it meant they were actually stronger.
In other words, this moment, right now, was when the evil god and its minions were at their weakest.
Realizing this, Situ Zhenren's mind became clear, and his urgency grew.
They must act quickly and kill the evil god as soon as possible!
They were the stronger side now, but once the evil god awoke, the balance of power would instantly reverse!
The situation would deteriorate to the point of no return.
Killing intent surged in Situ Zhenren's eyes.
In his original plan, if possible, he intended to save Yuer.
Save Yuer, then kill the True Fetal Evil Deity.
But now, he had no idea what to do to save Yuer. His knowledge of the evil god was too limited, and he wasn't sure if the Yuer he saved would still be Yuer.
The current situation didn't give him time to think.
He could only...
Kill the evil fetus along with Yuer...
Situ Zhenren felt unbearable pain, and killing intent mixed with anguish filled his eyes.
As if sensing the bond between mother and child, Wenren Wan immediately sensed Yuer's danger and gradually realized Situ Zhenren's intentions.
Situ Zhenren... was going to kill Yuer.
The person who originally intended to save her child was now going to kill her child.
Wenren Wan was devastated.
Her voice was hoarse, and she wanted to beg Situ Zhenren not to kill her Yuer, but she didn't know how to start.
This was a great disaster for Qianxue State Border.
Situ Zhenren had already put his own life on the line.
Could she really sacrifice the lives of the people of Qian Prefecture for her child? Not to mention the lives of the Wen and Shangguan families, including her father and husband... so many people.
"But... Yuer..."
Wenren Wan couldn't decide, tears filling her eyes, her chest aching as if it would suffocate her.
Situ Zhenren dared not look at Wenren Wan, only enduring the guilt and pain, stepping closer to Yuer.
Sensing his killing intent, the suppressed Crimson Fetal Demon began to shriek.
The old ancestor of the Xiao family, in a manic state, tried to protect his divine master but was desperately held back by the four Cave Voids.
In a few breaths, Situ Zhenren reached Yuer.
He drew a sword, the blade inscribed with the Northern Dipper Seven Stars, its starlight brilliant.
This was the key to the Mystic Heaven Northern Dipper Seven Star Formation. By plunging this sword into the evil fetus, he could summon the powerful Northern Dipper star energy, piercing through the evil god's body and using the heavenly starlight to obliterate the True Fetal Evil Deity. Even if he couldn't kill it, it would severely wound the unborn evil god.
The fate of Qian Prefecture and the lives of its people hung in the balance.
Situ Zhenren no longer hesitated, his eyes cold. He raised the Seven Star Sword, ready to stab the True Fetal Evil Deity, but when he looked up, he saw a pair of innocent, clear eyes, tinged with a hint of evil, staring at him.
It was... Yuer.
Yuer was silently watching him.
Situ Zhenren's pupils dilated, and he felt a chill run through his body.
The evil god... was already awake?!
(End of Chapter)
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