The Transmigrator's Cultivation

Chapter 46 - Arc 4: The Affairs of Chenghuang Kingdom | Chapter 46: Purging Devil

Chapter 46 - Arc 4: The Affairs of Chenghuang Kingdom | Chapter 46: Purging Devil

Translator: Lynn

As Xu Ziqing dispatched Su Xin to confront the blood demons, he found himself overwhelmed by their onslaught. Swinging the millennium steel wood, he hacked at the demons while dispersing the shining leaves, managing to repel some of them and create a brief opening to turn around.

Suddenly, he sensed two intense gazes fixated on him, sending shivers down his spine and a chilling sensation creeping up from within.

Taking a deep breath, Xu Ziqing swiftly unleashed two streaks of green light while stealing a glance at the source of those glares.

The blood demon’s gaze was filled with insatiable greed as if he desired nothing more than to devour Xu Ziqing alive.

Realizing that the blood demon had developed an appetite for him, Xu Ziqing suppressed such thoughts for the time being. He took another deep breath, disregarding the menacing stare, and focused on eliminating the corpse demon.

At that critical moment, a figure crashed down heavily, none other than Su Xin, who had been knocked away by the blood demon. Seeing him about to fall into the midst of the corpse horde, with the corpses already lunging at full force, Xu Ziqing swiftly reached out and grabbed his arm, pulling him in front of himself. With a forceful slash, he shattered the corpses that had lunged at them!

Su Xin had failed in his battle against the blood demon, proving himself no match for the formidable creature. Even when sent flying, he remained unequal to the blood demon’s power.

With a momentary respite, Xu Ziqing found the opportunity to ask, “Fellow Daoist Su, can you still hold on?”

Through gritted teeth, Su Xin responded, “Daoist friend Xu, just attack! Young master… I can endure!”

Su Xin, knocked away by the blood demon, felt a metallic and sweet taste in his throat, nearly spitting out blood. He was barely managing to hold on.

Swallowing the choking blood fiercely, he bit the tip of his tongue and spat a mouthful of blood onto his flying sword. The turquoise blue flames surged, instantly reigniting the dimmed light, restoring its brilliance.

Having been beaten back by the blood demon, Su Xin felt a great loss of face. He couldn’t afford to be looked down upon if he didn’t regain his dignity!

A mixture of resentment, youthful fervor, and deep-rooted hatred revitalized Su Xin, leading him to retrieve a pill from his pocket and reenter the fray.

Surrounded by a radiant green light, Xu Ziqing continuously released the Ethereal Wood Qi. Countless green leaves formed several swirling trails around him, exuding a refreshing greenness amidst the endless blood mist.

Aware that the blood demons were observing them and utilizing the power of the formation, Xu Ziqing desired a swift victory. Although the demons couldn’t physically approach due to the formation’s manipulation, they were still benefiting from its effects, resulting in their lesser consumption of energy. However, Xu Ziqing and Su Xin had to continue battling the corpse demon, and even with their strong spiritual power, they couldn’t sustain this draining fight indefinitely.

Witnessing Xu Ziqing and Su Xin effectively combatting the blood demon, the blood demon himself understood Xu Ziqing’s intentions and emitted a sinister laugh. Waving the blood flag in his hand twice, the demons moved in unison, doubling their speed.

Su Xin became engulfed in a frenzy, unwittingly lured further away by the demons. Yet, Xu Ziqing faced an even graver situation, as the blood demon commanded the majority of the demons to surround him!

As bone wings fluttered, thick blood splattered, narrowly missing Xu Ziqing’s body but coming dangerously close to staining him. The luminous attacks were almost within reach!

Xu Ziqing’s heart raced with horror as he swung his steel wood to deflect a tainted beam of light. However, this momentary action caused a brief pause, allowing the demons to seize the opportunity and pounce in his direction!

As Xu Ziqing faced the imminent capture by the menacing bone claws, two piercing sounds echoed through the air. The skulls of the corpse demons were swiftly penetrated by sword energy, reducing them to ashes in an instant.

It was Yun Lie’s sword aura!

Delight washed over Xu Ziqing as he glanced sideways. Though mostly concealed by the blood demon, an ethereal shadow emitted an impenetrable sword aura that transformed into a long white trail, swirling around to his left.

Within the span of a single breath, the sword energy pierced through all the surrounding corpses, obliterating them into dust…

Once again, I am indebted to Brother Yun for his timely intervention. Xu Ziqing sighed softly, feeling a profound sense of peace in his heart.

He was no fool. Prior to Yun Lie’s intervention, Xu Ziqing suspected that he had been left to confront the blood demon in order to gain valuable fighting experience. Now, with his own defenses crumbling, Yun Lie had come to his rescue, displaying a genuine act of goodwill.

Xu Ziqing would not forget this favor. With most of the immediate danger alleviated, he resumed his battle once the sword energy subsided. Despite the grisly sight of blood-soaked corpses and enraged demons, he felt a newfound ease, knowing how perilously close he had come to losing his life.

While Xu Ziqing regained his composure, the Blood Demons seethed with gnashing teeth, consumed by their hatred. How could the one who manipulated the formation, the blood demon himself, have remained oblivious to its progress?

Although he had failed to notice before, it was now painfully clear. That enigmatic presence, with its overwhelming and deadly sword aura, carried an intent to slice through anything and everything!

Why had he refrained from attacking earlier, only to intervene now? The Blood Demon’s anger surged, and he thought, “How dare a mere soul intrude upon this formation? Let him become the formation’s bait!”

With this thought in mind, the blood demon waved the blood flag in a few more positions, causing the formation to swiftly change.

The blood mist converged on Yun Lie’s left, taking the shape of a towering blood tiger, its mouth gaping open and lunging for Yun Lie’s head.

However, Yun Lie remained motionless, emitting only a cold hum.

That cold snort resonated like a twilight bell, crashing into the blood demon’s consciousness. The blood tiger emitted a mournful howl before vanishing instantly.

A miscalculation! The Blood Demon’s face contorted in a dramatic change!

Who is he, for heaven’s sake?

The Blood Demon had never anticipated that a mere wisp of Heavenly Soul could possess such immense power, capable of subduing even ordinary ghost cultivators within the formation.

At that moment, he dared not launch another attack on Yun Lie. The blood demon remembered that this man had come to his aid when the young man in the green shirt was about to meet his end, and he couldn’t help but feel that today was an unfortunate day for him…

Now, there seemed to be only one last resort. If it failed… His hatred surged as he contemplated, “If it fails, I will bury those two young cultivators along with them!”

While Xu Ziqing was occupied slaying a few corpse devils, a sudden jolt stirred within him.

The formation he had imposed had been broken!

The two brothers, Dong Lixi and Dong Lizhao were inside the house, and Xu Ziqing had intentionally placed a protective restraint on them.

He had assumed that by engaging in battle with the Blood Demon alongside Su Xin, the Blood Demon would be too preoccupied to harm the two brothers. Yet, the Blood Demon had found another way, somehow breaking through the restraint.

Now, with Xu Ziqing unable to protect himself, he realized he was unable to safeguard the two brothers as well.

Taking a quick glance at Su Xin, Xu Ziqing noticed that he had been pushed back by a mile. Despite the sparse number of corpse demons in that area, there were still around 40 to 50 of them, leaving Xu Ziqing unable to spare any attention to assist Su Xin. Reluctantly, he stowed away the thousand-year-old steel wood and summoned a white vine from his palm.

This Bloodthirsty Demon Vine, known for its insatiable appetite for blood and flesh, would have to absorb the tainted essence within the formation. Although Xu Ziqing preferred to keep the vine uncontaminated due to its origins with the Southerners, he had no choice but to sacrifice its purity in order to save lives swiftly.

Having made his decision, Xu Ziqing’s face grew solemn as he raised his hand and flung the Bloodthirsty Demon Vine outward. As expected, the white vine created only a faint shadow in the air, causing the thick blood mist to rapidly converge and rush towards it.

In a matter of moments, all the blood mist within a ten-foot radius of Xu Ziqing dissipated, revealing everything that had been concealed by the mist before. The more blood mist it absorbed, the redder the vine became. Its color transitioned from light red to scarlet, then to bright red, resembling a shimmering and lovely red jade carving. Upon closer inspection, the vine’s veins were clearly defined, appearing as natural carvings with a pulsating flow of blood-like aura.

Unwilling to relinquish its feast, the Bloodthirsty Demon Vine had long been famished and now seized the rare opportunity to indulge in a satisfying meal. The entire formation collapsed before the naked eye, causing the once formidable corpse demons, devoid of the formation’s support, to revert back to their skeletal forms and fall to the ground.

At that moment, Xu Ziqing heard a stifled groan and quickly turned his head. He witnessed a pair of corpse demons transforming into skeletons and collapsing in front of the brothers, Dong Lixi and Dong Lizhao. Dong Lixi, gravely injured, nearly plummeted to the ground but was fortunately caught by Dong Lizhao.

Relieved to see that they were both unharmed, Xu Ziqing breathed a sigh of relief. It was fortunate that they were saved in time. Not only did he value his friendship with the two brothers, but their survival was crucial in this battle between the Dao and the Devil, a mandate from the Heavenly Dao.

As the corpse demons fell, the blood demon reached out to seize the two brothers, attempting to pull them towards him. Xu Ziqing couldn’t allow that to happen. Having easily broken the formation, it would be a waste of effort if the two brothers fell into the clutches of the blood demon once again.

However, as the demon vine was currently devouring the blood mist, Xu Ziqing hesitated to use it to ensnare the brothers. Instead, he swiftly extended several green ropes, wrapping them around their waists.

Meanwhile, Su Xin, slightly bewildered by the sudden collapse of the corpse demons, swiftly flew around, unaware of the unfolding situation. Upon seeing Xu Ziqing and the blood demon contending for the Dongli brothers, Su Xin smirked and shouted, “Blood demon, face my sword!”

Caught off guard, the blood demon was struck by Su Xin’s sword light. He recoiled, leaving a bloody gash on his arm that revealed white bones beneath, causing excruciating pain.

Taking advantage of the blood demon’s retreat, Xu Ziqing managed to grasp the two brothers and pull them to his side. He swiftly guided one of them to the ground with him.

The blood demon’s eyes bulged from their sockets, realizing that his advantage had vanished. He had intended to use the two brothers as hostages, but now that he had missed his chance, it was no longer feasible.

Now, faced with the mysterious Heavenly Soul and the green-shirted boy’s blood-colored vine that had absorbed all the blood mist from his formation, the blood demon felt helpless.

His face grew grim, and only one thought remained in his mind. He flicked his wrist, wielding the heavy blood flag, determined to fight the two children to death.

The battle had reached a critical point. The blood demon bit his fingers and smeared the blood on the sides of the blood horse. Fleshy tumors sprouted on the horse’s back, breaking through its wings and forming a pair of fleshy wings.

With a tap of his hand on the horse, it spread its hooves and charged forward.

Observing this, Xu Ziqing tossed the two Dong brothers and entrusted them to Su Xin to catch, while he himself raised the thousand-year-old steel wood to face the impending clash.

The blood flag was exceedingly heavy, and with the blood horse swooping down, its wings beating fiercely, the momentum was intensified. Xu Ziqing firmly grasped the steel wood with both hands and clashed it against the blood flag.

“Clang!”

The thousand-year-old steel wood was incredibly sturdy, but Xu Ziqing’s strength fell short, causing him to be pushed back by the force of the blood flag. His feet carved two deep furrows on the ground.

Setting the Dong brothers aside, Su Xin spoke in a loud voice, “Fellow Daoist Xu, let me assist you!”

Raising his sword, he joined Xu Ziqing in the fight against the blood demon. Su Xin’s swordplay surpassed Xu Ziqing’s, and he fought with great enthusiasm while Xu Ziqing observed his every move attentively.

Although Xu Ziqing had been knocked away by the blood demon earlier, he had now devised a strategy.

A sword is unbreakable, and a sword technique is invincible when it is swift.

Su Xin also wielded his sword with both hands, his arms dancing and transforming a hundred moves into one. He targeted a specific point on the blood flag and struck repeatedly. Each strike weakened the heavy momentum of the blood flag, gradually nullifying its force.

“Bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing…”

The blood demon’s attacks were overwhelming, but Su Xin’s sword was swift and agile. His longsword transformed into a blur of blue, constantly blocking the blood flag without yielding an inch.

As Xu Ziqing watched, his heart pounded in his chest. Taking a deep breath, he activated the meridians in his arms, causing his muscles to vibrate from one to ten, ten to a hundred!

He had succeeded!

Xu Ziqing and Su Xin twisted their bodies, aligning themselves in a parallel position, and struck the blood flag together.

The blood demon could only feel an unrelenting force coming at him, making his arms as heavy as a thousand pounds. As mortal arms, they couldn’t withstand such an attack, and the Blood Demon’s chest grew increasingly heavy.

“Ugh!” A mouthful of blood, mixed with fragments of his liver, spurted out. The Blood Demon’s trembling hands urged his blood horse to retreat.

But Su Xin wouldn’t let him escape. A ruthless gleam flashed in his eyes as his next sword stroke was not aimed at the blood demon but at the Blood Horse — “Spurt!”

After the sword strike, the horse’s head flew up, and blood sprayed in all directions.

The horse’s hooves gave way, and it collapsed to the ground.

The blood demon spun around and landed, his eyes filled with hatred.

His arms had been shattered, rendering him unable to perform any tricks. His body was riddled with wounds, and he didn’t dare to release his spirit from his body. Every sign indicated that he was at the end of his rope, with no way out.

Even if he desired to take someone down with him, he couldn’t!

However, Xu Ziqing and Su Xin remained on high alert, keeping a close watch on the blood demon, not letting their guard down.

At that moment, the blood demon suddenly tore open his clothing, revealing his bare chest, and laughed loudly. “Today, I’ve fallen into the hands of you two children. Come!” He slapped his chest. “Stab me here!”

Where the Blood Demon’s palm struck, the smooth flesh bulged, forming a distinctly human face.

Upon seeing it, Dong Lixi exclaimed, “Jiao Tu…”

The human face seemed to hear, struggling to move, as if attempting to turn its head. “Your Highness!”

Xu Ziqing’s eyes showed a hint of pity. “Your Highness, is this Jiao Tu?”

Dong Lixi nodded. “Yes…”

The blood demon’s expression turned wild. “I have trapped Jiao Tu’s soul here, connected to my spirit.”

Upon hearing these words, several people in the vicinity turned pale.

Xu Ziqing knew that the blood demon spoke the truth. Although Jiao Tu’s soul had been left behind, it was merely to manipulate his fate. The blood demon would employ various means to coerce Jiao Tu into submission. One method was to threaten Dong Lixi, while the other was to link Jiao Tu’s soul to his own spirit.

Jiao Tu was powerless to resist, despite harboring a selfish desire to aid Dong Lixi and almost overthrow the Devil’s grip on the Chenghuang Kingdom. As a mortal, he had no choice but to comply.

While it might be fair for Jiao Tu to die if his soul were to be scattered… what about his innocence?

Xu Ziqing sighed, feeling a sense of compassion.

The blood demon grew more and more audacious. He had merely intended to provoke the two of them before his demise, but he didn’t anticipate that this monk would genuinely care about the soul of a person from the South!

The blood demon’s heart trembled with laughter. “It’s just a soul departing. Two immortals, let’s do it!” By vanquishing this wicked demon, the country of Chenghuang will be free from worries, and the person he cherishes… will be free from worries as well.

Now that he is about to die, how can he know whether he will be reborn as a human or an animal in his next life? It’s not his fault! The stolen moments spent with the person he loves, having that intimate connection, have already brought him satisfaction. He can die without regrets!

Su Xin declared loudly, “Good! You still have some courage left in you. I will grant you a good death!”

Xu Ziqing closed his eyes and nodded in agreement. “So be it.”

The two reached a consensus: one would pierce Jiao Tu’s heart, while the other would strike through Jiao Tu’s Heart, crushing the Blood Demon’s spirit, leaving no chance for escape!

Xu Ziqing gripped the thousand-year-old ironwood, being of higher cultivation, he would be the one to eliminate the blood demon’s spirit. As they exchanged glances, they were about to make their move.

At that moment, a white figure appeared and stood beside Xu Ziqing.

Xu Ziqing was slightly taken aback. “Brother Yun?”

Su Xin, preoccupied with the battle, didn’t pay much attention to Yun Lie, but upon seeing him, he was surprised. “What’s going on here?”

Yun Lie didn’t respond directly but spoke coldly. “His fiery energy is intense. If it hits the soul, it will surely dissipate. You possess a gentle wood attribute. If you do it, there may be a chance for his soul to survive.”

Xu Ziqing felt a surge of joy. “Is that true, Brother Yun?”

Yun Lie replied, “Perhaps we can give it a try. Go ahead.” He said no more.

Su Xin was filled with questions, but he knew it wasn’t the right time to ask. He didn’t want to easily destroy anyone’s soul, so he had no objections.

Thus, the two of them advanced, aiming their strikes at the dantian and the heart.

The flames from Su Xin’s longsword collided with Jiao Tu’s forehead with a loud bang! The purple barrier was pierced through, and the spirit within howled as it was consumed by the blue fire!

Simultaneously, Xu Ziqing made his move, plunging the thousand-year-old steel wood straight into the human face.

The charred human face opened its mouth, then silently vanished beneath the steel wood.

“If there is an afterlife…” the voice whispered like a mosquito’s buzz, unsure if anyone could hear it.

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