Chapter 389: Consuming the Dark Empyrean (Third Watch)
Chapter 389: Consuming the Dark Empyrean (Third Watch)
As Clan Leader Wugong approached, the toad cries grew louder, as if resonating in everyone's ears. There was an inexplicable feeling, as if listening to these cries, one's gaze would be involuntarily drawn to the Venom Basin.
Gradually, their eyes were fixed, and their attention was entirely on the Venom Basin. Even their thoughts seemed to be bound to it.
Amidst this crowd, standing as still as wooden statues, Clan Leader Wugong took a deep breath, his expression gradually becoming calm. From the initial preparation, probing, and words, he had even thought of the horse that could withstand the bites of the poison bugs.
Having come this far, how could it be easy?
Holding the Venom Basin, he felt his heart race as he drew closer to the mineral vein, as if sensing the excitement of the poison bugs and approaching a great secret.
"Brother Wugong, this is not a fair thing to do..."
But amidst this oppressive silence, a voice suddenly rang out, carrying a hint of helpless lament, "Wasn't it agreed that you'd help us, except for your crazy son?"
As the voice sounded, even Clan Leader Wugong, who was walking forward, paused. He turned and saw Chief Zhuang Erchang, holding a knife, standing not far away. Moreover, he was slowly approaching.
Everyone else was already immobile, unable to resist the toad cries, except for Chief Zhuang, who, with his Year-End Guardian abilities, was still moving forward.
It was evident that it was difficult for him, as his knife-wielding hand trembled slightly, and dark blood seeped from his mouth and nose, making him appear weak.
"I'm just trying to help."
Clan Leader Wugong raised his head sternly, glanced at Chief Zhuang, and noticed the black blood seeping from his mouth and nose. He didn't take him seriously and said indifferently, "When the Sorcerer God descends, he will kill Wu Song and also help our clan eliminate all the scourges."
"You will be included too!"
"..."
"Brother Wugong, your words truly hurt..."
Chief Zhuang Erchang seemed to be forcing himself to approach, his face bearing a bitter smile. "I've always been good to your sorcerers. We've exchanged meat, salt, bowls, dishes, and iron pots. Have we ever lacked anything?"
"Even when you sorcerers needed the Dark Empyrean for curse crafting, I cut and delivered it to you."
"Whenever there were conflicts between the miners and your sorcerers, I would scold our miners first, ensuring your sorcerers didn't suffer any losses..."
"This time, after being cursed, I immediately thought of asking you, Elder Brother, to remove the curse for me. But who would have thought that upon receiving my letter, you would plan to harm me and kill everyone in the mine, right?"
"..."
However, Clan Leader Wugong did not refute but chuckled softly, "You Han people have already taken so many good things."
"Unfortunately, you only know how to pick the best—the green, the red, the golden-threaded, and the white ones are all ignored. We sorcerers also want to seek blessings, so we can only get things from the gaps between your fingers, taking the unwanted Dark Empyrean for curse crafting."
"But who could have imagined?"
"The poison bugs are one with us. When they consume the Dark Empyrean, it's as if we've eaten it ourselves..."
"The things you Han people disregard the most, we sorcerers, after frequent contact, can hear the call of the Parasite Deity from them..."
"..."
As he spoke, he took another step forward, slowly walking towards Clan Leader Wugong, and said, "The Sorcerer God eagerly awaits his arrival in the world to save us all..."
"Now, I'm helping the Parasite Deity craft his incarnation to welcome him..."
"..."
"You..."
As Chief Zhuang listened to his words, his face suddenly flashed with anxiety. But before he could speak, a foul-smelling black blood welled up in his mouth. He covered his mouth and muttered, "Elder Wugong, did you consume the Dark Empyrean?"
"The Dark Empyrean is not edible. Eating it can drive one insane, and even malevolent spirits will become bizarre..."
"You... you're basically..."
"..."
He seemed to be earnestly persuading, as if putting forth all his effort, staggering forward, trying to stop him with his last bit of strength.
But no one expected that when he was about three zhang away from Clan Leader Wugong, his eyes suddenly turned fierce, and the hand covering his mouth suddenly withdrew. With a backhand, he struck out a dark flash.
It was three iron pellets, launched with the power of a Year-End Guardian, possessing the force to shatter stones and pierce armor. They instantly smashed towards Clan Leader Wugong's face. Simultaneously, his body surged forward, and the knife in his hand slashed out a blade glow, aiming directly at the Venom Basin in Clan Leader Wugong's hand.
Judging from this momentary action, there was not a hint of weakness, as if his previous feeble appearance was an act.
This sudden turn of events startled even Clan Leader Wugong. He knew that Chief Zhuang was cursed, and his previous injuries were not fake. Moreover, he could manipulate the severity of his injuries, keeping him under control.
But now, he realized that he had underestimated the Year-End Guardian's physique. Even with all his organs damaged, a single breath could suppress the injuries, unleashing this formidable force.
Engaging a Year-End Guardian in close combat was extremely dangerous.
Wu Ya and the nearby Nengneng protected him on both sides, but in the face of this Year-End Guardian's formidable slash, neither of them could react in time to stop it.
But at this very moment, Wu Gong, the Clan Leader, faced the iron pellets flying towards his face and the blade swerving towards his hand holding the poison bug, he didn't move or dodge. Instead, he suddenly lowered his head and muttered something to the poison basin in his hand.
In the next moment, the bug cries in the basin grew louder, resonating with some malevolent aura in the valley. The three iron pellets, upon reaching his face, were suddenly deflected away, landing who knows where.
The blade that had swung over, however, began to tremble wildly. Just a finger's length away from the poison basin, it was halted by some invisible force. No matter how much strength Zhuang Erchang exerted, it wouldn't land.
"I came to your mine to refine the poison bugs. Do you think it was just for your few pieces of Celestial Viper blood and flesh?"
Wu Gong, the Clan Leader, slowly turned his head and glanced at Zhuang Erchang, then spoke softly, "Don't you know that bugs have their territories? By refining bugs here, this entire valley is already considered my territory for releasing bugs."
Zhuang Erchang's expression seemed extremely surprised, even fearful. He stared wide-eyed at Wu Gong, the Clan Leader, but then his frightened expression suddenly faded.
It turned into a cold laugh, "Do you, Old Brother Wu, not know that this blood mine was originally my territory?"
"I'm not some young manager, would I really let you in so easily?"
"..."
"Um?"
Looking at his appearance, Wu Gong suddenly felt a pang of panic, realizing something was wrong. He hurriedly tried to whisper something to the poison basin, but unexpectedly, a metallic trembling sound suddenly rang out around him.
This sound was very strange. In the valley, only the bug cries had been heard, suppressing all other sounds. But this metallic trembling disrupted the bug cries.
At the same moment the metallic trembling sounded, Zhuang Erchang suddenly took a step forward. The body that had been restrained burst with astonishing strength, grabbing the poison basin and trying to snatch it back.
"Hisss!"
But as his palm touched the poison basin, white smoke suddenly billowed out, and the flesh on his palm melted rapidly, leaving only bone in an instant.
Zhuang Erchang's expression changed. With a "heh," his palm turned from pressing to pushing upward, directly launching the poison basin into the air. At the same time, he quickly retreated, seeing the melted flesh spreading up his arm, he swung his saber.
"Thud!"
His right arm was severed, the part that fell to the ground instantly turned into black bones.
"Hehe, your bugs are formidable, but do you really think we Year-End Guardians are powerless?"
Zhuang Erchang, now missing an arm, pressed the poison basin and immediately retreated. With a thought, the blood from his severed arm stopped flowing.
"You..."
Even Wu Gong, the Clan Leader, hadn't expected this. Seeing his treasured bugs being picked up and flying away from his palm, he was both shocked and furious, his eyes turning blood-red.
He couldn't afford to think of anything else, quickly jumping up and stretching out his hands to reclaim the bugs.
Beside him, Wu Ya and the pale-faced youth also understood the severity, rushing forward to help. With no one aiding Zhuang Erchang and others not reacting in time, they were clearly no match for the sorcerers.
"Whoosh!"
But right then, something unexpected happened. A sound breaking the air suddenly echoed from outside the valley. A black shadow flashed, and Wu Gong's already extended hands only embraced emptiness. The poison basin had vanished.
Everyone in the valley was startled, turning to see. They saw the poison basin already pierced through by an arrow, stuck to the ground, the arrow's tail feathers still trembling.
This poison basin, revered as a holy artifact and worshipped for over a hundred years by the sorcerers,sorcerers), was thus destroyed without any warning.
The bug cries inside it also suddenly ceased, with no sound at all.
Seeing this arrow, the concern on Zhuang Erchang's face vanished. He turned to the valley entrance and laughed, "Master, I've delayed for so long, finally waiting for you to arrive..."
Everyone followed his gaze and was startled to see several horses approaching from outside the valley.
On the leading horse sat an elder with a brocade robe, round cap, and flowing white beard, looking quite robust. Behind him followed several people, some in black leather armor, some in robes with sparse beards, and some carrying great sabers.
Most crucially, on the horses beside them, were three people dressed as sorcerers, all bound and gagged, struggling and making muffled sounds on the horsebacks.
"These sorcerers were the ones who sealed your mine outside and released bugs to harm people."
The group sat straight on their horses, entering the valley, and threw the sorcerers from the horsebacks to the ground, saying, "We arrived, so we first searched the forest, found seven of them, and killed some."
"What about the others?"
(End of Chapter)
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