43. Boss Nine-Headed Seal

The ghost, expressionless, retorted, "What about me?"

"Your poison! You're a descendant of the Ghost Fang Axe?"

The nine-headed octopus suddenly approached, its nearly three-meter-tall body flashing past with a gurgling sound. It exuded an extremely strong sense of oppression, its turbid eyes fixed on Gui Fang Wu Di, who had not retreated an inch. It muttered excitedly to itself.

"That's right! You are a descendant of the Ghost Axe! The corrosive poison that penetrates to the bone! I've seen this poison before! It really is you!"

The three of them froze, staring at each other in disbelief.

What's going on?

The three of them had just learned from Qinglong that the strange energy cultivated by Guifang was not some kind of "karmic curse," but a deadly poison that grew stronger with each generation. The octopus monster found out as soon as they landed at Langji Mountain.

Gui Fang looked at his two companions, who were clearly clueless. The simple-minded Bei Chen could only nod and shake his head blankly, while constantly giving Gui Fang strong signals like "Give it to me, hurry up and give it to me" and "Free hotel, didn't you hear me?" Tang Xihe seemed to have thought of something, her brows furrowed slightly, and she remained silent, her gaze following Jiu Tou Zhang.

Several sticky tentacles reached out in front of the ghost.

Nine-Headed Zhang chuckled obsequiously, "Give me the poison, and I'll provide you with free lodging. How about it?"

Gui Fang Wu Di looked the giant octopus up and down with a suspicious gaze, took two steps back to Tang Xi's side, turned his head and asked, "What did you just say it was called?"

"Nine-Headed Seal".

"Where are the nine heads? And why are they asking humans for toxins?" Gui Fang muttered. "How suspicious. Shall we go?"

"But……"

Tangxi tiptoed close to Guifang's ear and said, "Qinglong said that there might be an opportunity for you here."

Gui Fang: "It doesn't matter, I don't care about these things."

Seeing the two talking in hushed tones and seemingly about to turn and leave, Nine-Headed Octopus immediately lowered his voice: "Don't go! I don't want your immortal coins, I don't need them anyway. Just send me some poison threads, okay? You cultivate demonic energy, right?"

"Boss, do guys who cultivate strange energy receive preferential treatment here?"

Bei Chen chuckled enviously twice, then suddenly turned to look at Gui Fang, "Why!"

"That's a good question, I don't know."

Gui Fang shrugged, put his arm around the two people, one tall and one short, and turned to leave. "Children, let's go. It doesn't matter where we rest. We'll wander together, with the sky as our blanket and the earth as our bed..."

"Wait! Don't go! Don't go! I have a little supernatural power, I can see!"

A fleeting look of panic crossed the nine-headed octopus's face as it stretched out its tentacles to block the three's path. It hurriedly said, "I can not only see the sticky, heavy poison in your spiritual veins, but I can also see both of you! Little dwarf, you have an inner core, don't you! And you, you have supernatural powers too! That staff covered in lightning is actually formed from sword energy!"

The three of them stopped and turned around one after another.

Tang Xi rubbed her fists together. The only way she could think of to keep it a secret was to take the octopus monster's head.

Bei Chen, quick as a flash, grabbed Tang Xi and said, "Wait! Don't be impulsive, friend! You octopus monster, how can you have supernatural powers!"

The nine-headed octopus waved its fleshy tentacles, its tone somewhat smug. "I had it when I was a kid! Who says only humans can acquire supernatural powers!"

Tang Xi nodded. "There is indeed no such rule in the secret realm. However, your supernatural powers allow you to 'see' the spiritual veins within us?"

This ability sounds familiar.

"Doesn't it resemble Zhu He's 'Insight into the Soul'?"

Bei Chen whispered, "Qinglong said that the Wandering Inn has an opportunity suitable for Gui Fang. Could it be that this octopus monster beat us to it?"

"It's unlikely." Tang Xihe denied it outright. "Demons and monsters do have a chance to gain supernatural powers. Just like Zhu Qianqian stayed by Zhu He's side for a long time and was influenced by what she saw and heard, her flames gradually became assimilated... Let's take it one step at a time. Our current goal is to try to stay at the Wandering Inn."

"Huh? Do I really have to stay here?" Gui Fang exuded disgust. "But it keeps staring at me."

"What are you muttering about?"

Nine-Headed Octopus, like a secret agent from a village gossip intelligence station, waved its tentacles at the three of them with a mysterious expression.

"It's normal for older demons like us to know some famous human stories! Before humans occupied the blessed lands, we not only focused on cultivation, but also knew about astronomy, geography, news, and gossip!"

"Old?" Bei Chen seized on the key point. "Are you old? You're not over eight hundred years old, are you? Could it be that when the Fairy World was bombed back then, cough cough cough..."

Gui Fang slammed his elbow down, interrupting Bei Chen's words, "Idiot! Don't reveal too much!"

The nine-headed octopus paled—it's a bit strange to describe an octopus monster as paled, but the nine-headed octopus was indeed taken aback by Beichen's bluntness. It gurgled twice and took two steps back, its fat tentacles weakly covering the sides of its head. Its cloudy eyes genuinely shimmered with tears, and its huge, pale blue head instantly faded to complete transparency. Moonlight pierced through its head and shone down, turning the deep blue, semi-transparent "brain core" inside into a fluorescent green, contrasting with the deep red "brain core" at the deepest part, which resembled a heart. The scene was eerie yet tinged with a touch of humor.

"How rude! Don't you know that asking someone's age is a big no-no!"

Bei Chen winced in pain, clutching his ribs, his back bent at an angle, his face contorted with rage. "I mean, you, you are so stunningly beautiful, it's impossible to tell you're over six hundred years old!"

Nine-Headed Chapter then pouted and said unhappily, "Alright, for the sake of the corrosive poison, forgive Sugarcane Man's rude friend."

Gui Fang narrowed his eyes, his arms jerked, and golden threads burst forth: "Who's going to give me sugarcane? Believe me or not, I'll blow your head off?"

Bei Chen quickly stopped Gui Fang: "Calm down, Gui Fang! Aren't you dizzy? The boss is trying to give us free accommodation, don't be angry!"

Nine-Headed Chapter: "No! I'll only give him a place to stay for free! You two don't have the corrosive poison, so you have to give me immortal coins."

Bei Chen was extremely disappointed, his face fell: "How could this happen! Gui Fang, you should just blow its head off."

"..."

Tang Xi, who was standing to the side, silently withdrew her gaze.

He recalled a line from the original work that was only briefly mentioned: In the secret world, no monster is allowed to actively learn human writing.

This is a secret rule that Bei Chen only learned when he and his companions explored Junxing Mountain in the original novel.

Furthermore, Junxingzi's remnant soul revealed to Beichen's entourage that after the human race occupied the blessed land, in order to prevent the demons from developing "dialects" and "secret languages" that the human race could not understand, all demons had to learn the human race's common language, and those who violated this rule would have "shame plaques" nailed to their necks.

It seems the Nine-Headed Chapter has survived since before the "Secret Realm Rules" were established. No wonder Azure Dragon kindly introduced the protagonist here.

However… Tang Xi was a little troubled. Everything that was happening now was completely unrelated to the original story, and he couldn't guarantee that if they went to Junxing Mountain next, Junxingzi wouldn't use the recording stone to leave a lingering image of Beichen.

Ugh, everything's a mess.

"...Ugh, this is so annoying! You guys have three mouths! I can't argue with you!"

Nine-Headed Octopus was somewhat angry; its deepest red "brain core" contracted violently, and its turbid eyes glared angrily at Bei Chen. "Rude! What did you say!"

"Me? I'm rude? Am I a rude person?"

Bei Chen Sui Xing was somewhat frustrated. "My name is Bei Chen Sui Xing."

Nine-Headed Zhang was taken aback, blinked, and said, "Bei Chen?"

Is it really that much of a coincidence?

The name is like a memory anchor, instantly pulling Nine-Headed Seal back to his childhood.

Back then, this blessed land beneath our feet was a vast ocean. Every octopus in the Nine-Headed Octopus Clan truly had nine heads. Monsters and humans lived in harmony, cultivating together fairly.

In its youth, the Nine-Headed Octopus received the aid of the Black Tortoise and was granted the power of "Insight into the Soul's Heart." It was precisely because of this minor supernatural ability that the Nine-Headed Octopus's medical skills progressed rapidly. Even after thousands of years, this supernatural ability still retains some of its power, allowing the Nine-Headed Octopus to instantly see through the spiritual energy and meridians within the bodies of these three young humans.

Clear as the bright light of the sun and moon, murky as stagnant water in a muddy pool, and insidious as a hundred poisonous snakes and scorpions.

Its gaze fell on the sullen-faced 'Purple Bamboo Pole' in front of it.

The deadly poison, penetrating to the bone marrow, was mixed with countless golden threads. It was slightly different from the deep corrosive poison on Gui Fangfu's body back then; it was more concentrated, colder, and more viscous.

Nine-Headed Chapter recalled the scene when he first saw the eerie spiritual vein of the Ghost Fang Axe when he was a child.

The master's wife's diagnosis of Gui Fangfu was very rushed. Gui Fangfu seemed to have secretly slipped down from the secret realm; his movements were furtive, he concealed his presence, and his face was trembling with fear.

The master's wife couldn't identify which dozens of poisons had afflicted Gui Fang Axe, so she asked Jiu Tou Zhang to use his supernatural powers to take a look. Jiu Tou Zhang then truthfully reported all the poisons he could see. The master's wife's expression grew even more solemn, and she quietly told Jiu Tou Zhang: "The poison in Gui Fang Axe is very special. It has been passed down from generation to generation, and it becomes more and more poisonous with each generation. Unless it is destroyed by itself, there is no cure."

How could Gui Fangfu, who is said to have revealed a special cultivation method to benefit all people and is a distinguished guest of the Immortal Alliance, have such chaotic spiritual veins and be poisoned so many people?

The two carefully told Gui Fangfu the truth, and Gui Fangfu turned and left with a dark face.

In less than a day, a cultivator in the Immortal Realm suffered a qi deviation and self-destructed, and the resulting radiation disaster quickly spread to the Secret Realm, paralyzing most of the blessed lands and grotto-heavens, which have yet to be reopened.

I never expected to see the corrosive poison again after so many years. And just as my master's wife said, the more it is passed down, the more potent it becomes, penetrating deep into the bone marrow. Nine-Headed Seal doesn't need to verify it personally; he can tell at a glance that even the slightest touch from a poisoned person's finger will cause plants to rot.

Interestingly, the ancestors were master and apprentice, and the descendants were also brought together by fate.

The connections between people are truly wondrous.

I've changed my mind!

Suddenly, the Nine-Headed Octopus retreated dozens of meters, then suddenly turned around, kicking up dust, and hovered in mid-air, looking down at the three of them.

"You debate it out, and if I am pleased, I will let the three of you stay for free!"

Tang Xihe: "Is food provided?"

"...Do I look poor and mean?"

Nine-Headed Chapter wanted to roll his eyes at him. This guy was completely out of his mind the whole time, oblivious to everything else, only focused on eating!

"Really?! What's there to debate!" Bei Chen's companion beamed with delight. "Hey friends, free accommodation! Food included! Qinglong was right, he's a true buddy!"

Azure Dragon?

Which Azure Dragon?

Nine-Headed Octopus's heart skipped a beat, but he quickly reassured himself that it must be one of their human friends who had chosen a name with a similar pronunciation.

But at this moment, the esteemed person who is also one of the Four Star Emperors is staying at the Wandering Inn...

Is it really that much of a coincidence?

Nine-Headed Chapter became somewhat nervous and awkward.

Why don't you just stop making things difficult for little humans?

"Are they going to debate too?"

Gui Fang pointed to the two quiet idiots beside him, "The most sophisticated word this muscular guy can think of for arguing is 'break up,' and this brooding jerk who can't even fart after three kicks hasn't said a word from beginning to end. What is he arguing about?"

Tangxi, caught in the crossfire for no apparent reason, was speechless. "It's because you talk too much."

He just wanted to finish all the tasks quickly and then lie down.

Bei Chen was furious. "You underestimate me! Fine, let's argue!"

"Just the two of you, Gui Fang and Bei Chen!"

The nine-headed octopus stretched out its tentacles, as if it were stretching lazily with pleasure: "What I want to hear you debate is: if a master and disciple cultivate the same path, but take different routes, and one self-destructs while the other bears the karma, should their descendants bear the consequences?"

"..."

The three remained silent for a moment, their expressions strange.

Nine-Headed Chapter thought his expression was too abstract, so he added, "Alright, to put it simply: if ancestors have grudges or hatred due to chance encounters, should the retribution for those grudges extend to their descendants?"

Tang Xi looked left and right, patted the two on the shoulder, and stepped aside, saying, "They came for you."

Gui Fang said unhappily, "Old hag, after living for so long, is this all the debate topic you've come up with?"

"Hurry up and argue! If I'm satisfied, I'll let the three of you stay for free!"

Nine-Headed Zhang looked up at the moon and urged, "There's only a quarter of an hour until midnight curfew, hurry up!"

Bei Chen and Gui Fang both took a half step apart, creating an awkward atmosphere between them. Tang Xi, fearing that she might be caught in the crossfire, retreated directly under the Nine-Headed Seal. "You two argue, I'll pretend I didn't hear you."

"What's there to say?"

Gui Fang scratched his chin. "How embarrassing. We only recently learned the truth behind the legend of the immortals, and now we're being forced to gossip to each other in front of each other?"

"Exactly, I haven't quite grasped it yet."

Bei Chen echoed, then paused, his tone suddenly becoming sharp. "However, if we really want to debate, let's do it seriously."

Gui Fang was taken aback.

What are we arguing about?

What's there to argue about?

"...What are you so passionate about?"

"I don't know, but after learning the truth about the legend of the immortals, I felt a little sad."

Gui Fang sensed something was wrong. "What's wrong?"

"I can't explain it either."

Bei Chen thought for a moment and said seriously, "What I might be thinking is that Bei Chenxing's self-destruction implicated the Immortal Realm and the Secret Realm, and also dragged Gui Fangfu into being judged by the Senluo Platform. Bei Chenxing's self-destruction was the source of everything, but it was you who 'carried heavy poison'... or rather, every generation of the Gui Fang family."

"so?"

"So I feel a little guilty."

Gui Fang Wu Di completely lost his temper, goosebumps rising on his skin: "Why would you care about these things! It's not your fault at all, what are you feeling guilty about!"

Who are you?

"I……"

Gui Fang interrupted him directly, "History is hard to verify, especially history that has been embellished and passed down by word of mouth, which is even less credible. Let's not talk about things from so far ago, let's talk about something more recent. Is it really true that you couldn't beat Tang Xihe from the Earth Immortal Department, as the rumored one in the school said, since you were in the Martial Arts Department?"

Bei Chen opened his mouth: "I—"

I can beat them.

Gui Fang's words were like a cannon blast: "So, because of these rumors, are you holding a grudge against Tang Xihe for deliberately losing to you? Have you even considered challenging Tang Xihe to a duel? Have you? You must have. You only speak up when you have such thoughts, and others will only hear you if you speak up. That's why Xuan Yingxian always seeks out Tang Xihe."

Bei Chen was taken aback and unconsciously touched his chest.

He did have his doubts many times.

"It's a fact that you can defeat Tang Xihe, and it's a rumor that you can't. But you've wavered because of those rumors, haven't you? On the other hand, Gui Fangfu was slowly poisoned, and Gui Fangfu and his seven disciples of the Longevity Sect went into a state of demonic possession. Which is the fact, and which is the rumor? In the end, we didn't see it with our own eyes, so we can't determine the truth from the rumors. But does it matter?"

Gui Fang Wu Di took a half breath, "Because all the claims have been embellished, they can't be believed entirely, only taken as a reference. What's the point of arguing about things that have no basis?"

Bei Chen still tried to struggle: "I..."

"What do you mean, 'you'? Are you some kind of great person? You think you're so important? You have to be a pillar of strength!" Gui Fang covered his ears and kept backing away. "Alright, that's enough!"

"Alright, Boss Jiu, I've heard the answer I wanted."

The nine-headed octopus leaped onto the skullfish's head with a whoosh, shouting, "Follow me! Hurry up! My inn has a security gate!"

Bei Chen's face immediately turned ashen. "How come the fish is still here? Oh well, Gui Fang, let me tell you..."

"You tell Tang Xihe!"