CRUNCH, CRUNCH~
Beneath the desolate moon, amidst gusts of chilling wind and the sound of mournful opera, the gruesome crunching of bone and sinew echoed relentlessly through the Pear Garden.
Three red-and-white "pretzels" writhed on the ground, their limbs tangled together. Their heads were twisted completely around to face their backs, and the stark white shards of broken bone were blindingly conspicuous.
There was no doubt about it.
Physiologically, these three people were dead. The most bizarre thing was that they had killed themselves.
Wu Dao, a practitioner of the Essence Devouring Art, knew one thing for certain: due to the human brain's self-preservation mechanisms, a person couldn't hold their breath until they died, let alone voluntarily perform life-threatening actions.
But these three young men...
...had, under everyone's watchful eyes, twisted themselves into human pretzels.
There was only one explanation: possession by a Gui, or rather, their brains had been completely dominated by one!
Wu Dao knew the feeling.
Back at the Red Fire Mine, he had experienced a Gui possession event himself.
The Gui of this World, upon possessing a host, would immediately damage the brain's nerves, destroy the spirit, seize control of the will, and turn the person into a puppet.
It could be said that...
...once possessed by a Gui, a person was brain-dead. Not even an Immortal could save them!
And this was only the lowest level of Gui, the Wandering Souls!
As long as one's Martial Refinement was successful, reaching the Hard and Soft Realm where one had begun to break the body's limits, a person with abundant and vigorous spiritual energy could, to a certain extent, be fearless against them.
And for those who were stronger...
...like a Martial Arts Grandmaster, for example.
Their Martial Dao Will was already integrated with their spirit. On the level of spiritual consciousness, they were like a great furnace. For Wandering Souls like the ones in the Red Fire Mine, they wouldn't even dare to get close, let alone attempt possession!
But this Gui in the Pear Garden was completely different!
Not only could it tangibly affect the real world, but its singing alone could control the minds of ordinary people. It already belonged to another level of Deceitful Species.
Even for the current Wu Dao...
...to be honest, he found this entity somewhat troublesome.
Because he remembered something.
This Gui had appeared out of nowhere, which meant it very likely possessed the "shadowless and formless" ability of low-level Gui.
No matter how strong his brute force was...
...he couldn't attack it or cause it any harm.
Not unless a person's Essence, Qi, and Spirit underwent a transformation, granting them the ability of Tongyou Guanshen.
But this kind of skill was only possessed by those who had achieved Mastery of Martial Arts, or by Cultivators at the Cocoon-Breaking Realm who had undergone a Rebirth.
In the Essence Devouring System...
...one would need to enter the Heroic Domain, where their Spiritual Consciousness covered both the macro and micro structures inside and outside the human body, to possess that kind of ability.
'Troublesome...'
Wu Dao narrowed his eyes, staring intently at the Gui on the stage and grinding his teeth.
If this thing weren't possibly connected to the anomaly within Canyun Mountain, he honestly wouldn't have much interest in getting involved.
But he wasn't in a hurry.
Just because he had no way to deal with it didn't mean the native Cultivators of this World were also helpless.
'I can't fight the Gui.'
'But fighting people? That's a sure thing. I'll just reap the fisherman's profit.'
WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH~
As Wu Dao's thoughts churned, the chilling wind grew stronger. The sound of opera from within the Pear Garden gradually faded until it was inaudible.
The green-clad dan on the stage stopped her singing and dancing.
Below the stage, the three red-and-white pretzels fell still.
WHOOSH~
A gust of chilling wind swept by.
The green-clad dan on the stage transformed into a phantasmal shadow, flickering between corporeal and ethereal.
The sinister wind howled as the flickering green-clad dan tiptoed down from the stage like a phantom in the wind.
Her sorrowful, mournful demeanor vanished, replaced by the ravenous hunger of a beast that had successfully captured its prey.
A bizarre, greedy look appeared on her heavily made-up opera mask. She crouched like a hyena before the three pretzels, opened her mouth, and inhaled.
To the naked eye...
...the three twisted pretzels shriveled up. Their white bones flowed like streams of milk into the mouth of the green-clad Gui shadow.
In the space of a few breaths...
...all that remained were three limp piles of flesh, like soft dough. All the bones had vanished without a trace. The sight was exceptionally horrifying.
'Still not making a move?'
Witnessing this, Wu Dao shot a surprised glance at Cloud Heaven Flow, who remained calm and focused not far away.
'Did I guess wrong?'
'Do these people not have the ability to subdue the Gui? Are they just following the clues, waiting for the true anomaly behind the scenes to reveal itself?'
CLOMP CLOMP CLOMP—
Just as Wu Dao was feeling puzzled, his ears twitched. He heard the sound of heavy footsteps approaching from a distance.
It was accompanied by a shout filled with righteous fury—
"Audacious Demon! How dare you harm people in broad daylight! Begone!"
With that shout...
...the silent, eerie atmosphere of the night was shattered.
Wu Dao was surprised, Cloud Heaven Flow frowned, and the breathing of the others hidden in the surroundings grew chaotic.
The green-clad Gui shadow in the Pear Garden, like a startled beast, was about to ride the chilling wind and dissipate into a formless phantom.
But before it could disappear...
WHOOSH~
A sound of something cutting through the air rang out.
Beneath the stars and moon, a three-foot-long Celestial Banner Ruler, wrapped in yellow Talismans and glowing with a brilliant light, shot through the void. Like a long nail, it pinned the green-clad Gui shadow in place.
"SCREEE—"
A shrill, painful shriek, like the cry of an eagle, erupted. A tsunami of Spiritual Power blasted out, sweeping in all directions.
"Ah! Where did this fool come from!"
"Son of a bitch!"
"It hurts like hell!"
Under the assault of the spiritual storm, the people hidden in all directions cried out in pain. The scene instantly erupted into chaos; they had clearly suffered serious injuries.
Even Wu Dao...
...felt a sharp pain in his head, as if it were being pierced by needles. He frowned deeply.
"Ah, my apologies, fellow Daoists! This humble Daoist will subdue this monster now!"
The newcomer apparently hadn't expected this situation either. His apology rang out before he even arrived.
Accompanied by hurried footsteps...
...a young Daoist in a gray Daoist Robe appeared before everyone under the bright moon.
He was about twenty, with a tall, slender figure. He had a sallow face, a goatee, his hair was tied in a Daoist topknot with a wooden pin, and a patched Gua Bag and a Red Gourd hung from his waist.
His overall appearance was not impressive—he looked like a chronically malnourished weakling—but he exuded an undeniable aura of noble righteousness.
'A Daoist?'
Wu Dao's expression faltered. The man's appearance gave him an inexplicable feeling of closeness and familiarity, no different from the itinerant Daoists of his previous life.
But Wu Dao knew...
...that in this World, the path of the Immortal Dao truly existed. The so-called Daoists most likely followed this path.
The sudden appearance of this strange Daoist not only broke the stalemate in the Pear Garden but also threatened to foil the schemes of everyone present.
Because this Daoist was clearly here for the green-clad dan. His every word and action revealed his intent to vanquish demons.
It was just unclear if this was premeditated...
...or if he had simply been passing by, sensed the Gui's malevolence, and acted out of a sense of justice.
"Infinite Celestial Venerable..."
The Daoist strode forward under the moonlight, his steps swift. In the blink of an eye, he was inside the Pear Garden. Seeing the tragic scene, he couldn't help but sigh.
"You truly deserve to die!"
Then, the Daoist's cold gaze, sharp as lightning, shot toward the struggling green-clad dan under the Celestial Banner Ruler.
Seeing a gray and white lotus blooming between its brows, he said coldly, "If I let you cross this threshold and cultivate into a White Lotus, who knows how much more evil you would commit!"
"Daoist... I can't control myself. I never meant to harm anyone. I beg you, Daoist, spare me this once."
Beneath the Celestial Banner Ruler...
...the green-clad dan, suppressed and heavily injured, had lost its earlier ferocity and shrillness. It spoke in a soft, gentle voice, begging for mercy.
"Silence!"
The young Daoist's voice boomed like spring thunder, upright and unyielding as he furiously rebuked it, "A Gui is a Gui! The fact that you have harmed people is undeniable. And you're still spouting this nonsense?"
As his voice fell...
...the Daoist took the Red Gourd, which was covered in runes, from his waist and began to chant.
In less than three breaths...
...the runes on the Red Gourd flared with a brilliant light. It floated into the air and unleashed a powerful suction, pulling the green-clad dan inside bit by bit.
Faintly...
...one could hear the sloshing of liquid and shrill screams coming from within the Gourd.
'What a treasure!'
Seeing this, a greedy light erupted in Wu Dao's eyes.
'If I had that Gourd...'
'...I wouldn't be so helpless when encountering these Deceitful Species in the future.'
'White Lotus Fierce Gui?'
At the same time, Wu Dao didn't forget the information the Daoist had revealed. It seemed to be a classification for the power levels of the Deceitful Species in this World.
He didn't know the others.
But the basic levels seemed to be Gray Lotus and White Lotus.
If he wasn't mistaken...
...the green-clad dan's power level should be somewhere between the two.
Judging by the young Daoist's wary attitude, a White Lotus Fierce Gui was likely equivalent to a Cultivator at the Cocoon-Breaking Realm and was extremely dangerous.
As his thoughts surged...
...the red light from the hovering Gourd in the Pear Garden gradually dimmed. The green-clad dan had been completely sucked inside.
Only then did the young Daoist let out a sigh of relief.
It seemed that using the Gourd took a great toll on his spirit, as his face was etched with unconcealable exhaustion.
But at that very moment!
"Haha, thank you for your help, Daoist! I'll take care of the purification from here!"
An excited shout, unable to be suppressed, suddenly rang out.
From the shadows...
...a man wielding a blade shot out without warning. Fast as a cheetah, he kicked up a gale of wind, a greedy expression on his face as he reached for the falling Gourd.
"How audacious!"
"You're courting death!"
"That's a Chong Ghost! Whoever gets it can find the Exotic Treasure in Canyun Mountain! Get it!"
The blade-wielding man's sudden move...
...was like lighting a pan of hot oil. Thunderous roars erupted from all sides as one murderous shadow after another shot out.
Their target was the Red Gourd!
"Haha, it's mine!"
That blade-wielding man's cultivation wasn't low; he was at least at the Peak of Internal Strength. Moving like a pouncing tiger, he reached the falling Gourd in the blink of an eye, leaped up, and snatched it.
SCHLICK!
But the next moment, a blade sliced through flesh, and blood sprayed into the air!
Under the cold moonlight...
...the blade-wielding man was cut in two at the waist. Red and green viscera splattered across the ground in a ghastly sight.
It was a sinister-looking old man who had launched a sneak attack with his blade. He snatched the Gourd and was about to flee.
But the surrounding Jianghu People, who had already sprung into action, had him completely surrounded.
Where could he run?
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Weapons clashed, and flesh and blood flew!
An all-out brawl erupted instantly!
"Wait, what are you all doing?!"
From the appearance of the blade-wielding man to the outbreak of the melee, the young Daoist wore a look of utter shock and confusion.
By the time he came to his senses...
...the area around him had turned into a meat grinder. The flying flesh and blood had instantly turned him into a Blood Gourd.
"Stop! Don't fight!!"
The young Daoist looked anxious. Gone was his earlier decisive and swift action; he was now flustered and at a loss, hurriedly shouting for them to stop.
But the people around him were already blood-crazed. His small voice couldn't even be heard over the din, and he could barely fend for himself.
Because some had already set their sights on his Gua Bag and Celestial Banner Ruler, treating him like a fat sheep. Blades, fists, and kicks rained down on him relentlessly.
Wu Dao hadn't made a move yet, merely observing from his spot. This was because Cloud Heaven Flow, who was still in hiding, and another aura at the Divine Power Realm hadn't acted either.
He simply watched the goateed Daoist in the crowd, who was dodging left and right, exhausted from fending off attacks, yet unable to bring himself to strike a heavy blow. A strange expression crossed Wu Dao's face.
'Where did this greenhorn come from?'
'He probably learned a few grand principles about chivalry and justice and then came down the mountain to make a name for himself.'
'The Immortal Dao may be mysterious and formidable, inspiring awe and fear, but that only works if people are actually afraid of you.'
Most of the people in the fray were clearly hardened ruffians who lived on the edge of a blade. They only cared about immediate profit and wouldn't give a damn if you were a king or a general.
'In a situation like this, he carelessly exposed all his treasures.'
'Not only that...'
'...he didn't hold back, gravely depleting his Primordial Qi. Yet he won't fight back and harm others, completely oblivious to the wickedness of the human heart.'
'Isn't he just asking to die?'