Are There Only Demonesses Left in the Cultivation Realm?

SQUELCH.

The blow tore through flesh and blood, pinning the snake’s head to the ground.

That momentary delay was all it took. The giant, tough-skinned lizard and the headless humanoid figure appeared before Lu Changyuan and Mei Zhaozhao once again.

Lu Changyuan frowned.

’This Transformation Dao is utterly disgusting. And in a place like the Netherworld, where life and death hang by a thread, it’s even more advantageous for Xiao Qingfeng to use it.’

[You are about to die]

’Can you stop spouting nonsense?’

Lu Changyuan took a deep breath and raised his sword horizontally.

A Sword from the West!

His target, however, was not the headless giant and the rock lizard before him, but the strange bird flying in the sky.

The strange bird, clearly not realizing it was the target, let out a piercing shriek and fell from the sky.

But Lu Changyuan did not breathe a sigh of relief.

’The hardest to deal with are this rock lizard and the headless giant. Their hides are incredibly tough, and their defenses are hard to breach.’

"Your Hehuan Sect’s Red Desire Technique. Use it."

Mei Zhaozhao only then came to her senses. The Hehuan Sect wasn’t known for producing masters of close-quarters combat; they were experts in manipulating the mind.

Soon, a large seal formed in Mei Zhaozhao’s hands and shot straight into the lizard’s body.

As expected, the lizard stopped moving. It seemed to have lost its sense of direction, unable to pinpoint Lu Changyuan and Mei Zhaozhao’s exact location.

But in that short moment, the three-winged strange bird and the giant python began to show signs of reviving.

"Physician Lu, it’s no use! The headless giant isn’t affected by my seal!"

’What on earth is this species?’

’What kind of era were the Ancient Times to have produced a monster like this—thick-skinned and immune to spiritual attacks?’

A giant fist slammed down in front of Lu Changyuan in an instant. Carrying Mei Zhaozhao, he raced up the giant’s arm, concentrating all his Power into a single point. The tip of his Broken Thought Sword pointed down, descending with unstoppable Sword Qi like a falling star to stab viciously at the giant’s severed neck.

BOOM!

A tremendous roar, like a crack of thunder, erupted! The violent Sword Qi exploded outward from the sword’s tip. Lu Changyuan kicked off forcefully, using the momentum to dodge another of the giant’s punches.

Lu Changyuan gritted his teeth. "What in the world is this monster?"

’Its hide is as tough as some Cultivation Body Cultivators at the Sixth Realm.’

’If I’m held up by this giant, it’ll be big trouble when Xiao Qingfeng frees himself up.’

"Luo?"

Lu Changyuan looked toward the street corner. A phantom-like Spirit had appeared there—it was Luo from the Sin Prison.

Luo roared.

Strangely, Mei Zhaozhao understood it. "Luo says it wants to help Physician Lu."

"How can it help me?"

’You’re just a phantom. You were locked in the Sin Prison for who knows how many years. When I let you out, you were so weak you were about to disappear. How can you possibly help me?’

Soon enough, Lu Changyuan found out.

Luo’s Spirit Body suddenly surged upward, entering the giant’s colossal form like a wisp of green smoke.

Lu Changyuan stood frozen, watching as the giant, which had been rampaging violently just moments before, suddenly froze solid, as if it had turned into an ancient stone statue.

A moment later, the giant raised its arm again. Lu Changyuan instinctively tightened his grip on his sword, only to see the mountainous fist change direction and, with world-splitting force, smash down on the giant python lurking nearby!

A single punch.

Scales shattered and a mist of blood filled the air. The giant python, so ferocious moments ago, had been smashed into a pulp.

Lu Changyuan said in disbelief, "This is your body?!"

The giant had no head, so it couldn’t nod or speak. It just kept smashing the giant python, punch after punch.

The reason for this wasn’t hard to guess.

Xiao Qingfeng’s Transformation Dao had used the giant’s bones to create a Transformed Life in its former shape. But only the physical body was transformed; there was no spirit within. It was merely a puppet following Xiao Qingfeng’s commands.

In that case, what would happen if the giant’s soul returned?

Naturally, it would reclaim its body.

Luo was a Spirit from the Netherworld of unknown age. Lu Changyuan had fought it many times in the past and knew it must have been extraordinary in life, but he never imagined it was this extraordinary.

Xiao Qingfeng had conveniently provided a physical body that could temporarily house its last wisp of Thought. Thus, the tables had turned.

The headless giant waved a huge hand at Lu Changyuan.

The meaning was clear.

’Go do what you need to do.’

Lu Changyuan adjusted his grip on the birdcage, nodded to Mei Zhaozhao, and once again transformed into a streak of light and departed.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"They’ve changed locations again?"

Xiao Qingfeng snorted coldly.

He had already sensed that Yu and the other woman had split up.

He would not be deceived again this time.

Rage welled up from the bottom of his heart—a ferocious flame kindled by the humiliation of being toyed with and severely injured.

He accelerated again, and the Sun and Moon Gnomon in his hand flared once more. The hazy thread of fate grew increasingly clear.

’I can achieve the Dao.’

’I *will* achieve the Dao!’

’I will kill anyone who stands in the way of my Dao!’

"My avatar was stolen?"

The instant the headless giant’s body changed masters, Xiao Qingfeng sensed it. But he didn’t care. It was just an avatar; it couldn’t cause much trouble.

Xiao Qingfeng gave up on tracking Mei Zhaozhao and on trying to reclaim his avatar. Instead, he chose to descend directly.

Lu Changyuan was not far away.

The border between the East and West Cities. Besides a stone stele that served as a landmark, there was nothing here.

Xiao Qingfeng still didn’t know what Lu Changyuan was planning to do.

This time, he did not act rashly.

The Sixteen Bright Moon Flower Needles from the Compassionate Palace had frightened him.

’That woman had a needle. Might this man have a sword?’

’Another strike like that, and my Origin would be damaged. I haven’t even fully ascended to the Yao Guang realm yet. If my Origin were damaged at a time like this, I fear I’d be left with a permanent scar on my Dao.’

Besides, he had long suspected that the real Yu’s strength was beyond the Sixth Realm.

’A Cultivation Technique from the Sun and Moon Palace has reappeared in the world. It’s likely a remnant of the Palace trying to reclaim the Sun and Moon Gnomon. In that case, this Yu... he might be just like my own master, Chen An—a member of the Sun and Moon Palace.’