Chapter 57 Something happened to Xiao Huaiyuan? What if something happened to Xiao Huaiyuan...?
Fu Ming took a deep breath and plunged into the water. The already turbulent surface was stirred up into chaotic waves by the impact, like a bubbling broth in a copper pot, just waiting for the ingredients to be added before the meal could begin.
The pond water felt like water but wasn't quite water; it was sticky and murky, and there was a lot of resistance when sinking. It was also dark and gloomy, making it impossible for him to tell whether what was wrapped around his legs was an undercurrent or water plants.
Where did Xiao Huaiyuan go in the short time it took him to walk back and forth?
Fu Ming stared intently, trying to find Xiao Huaiyuan's shadow in the pitch black, but failed to find his junior brother. Turning his head, he met the eyes of a man whose face was completely gone, leaving only bones.
It startled him; there was a skeleton poking at him with its finger bones!
Seeing the sharp, slender finger bones covered in waterweeds scratching straight at his face, Fu Ming turned and kicked the skeleton in the waist, shattering it into pieces. He continued to probe deeper, but one hand, two hands, and several more skeletons clung to him like leeches, impossible to catch.
Fu Ming can't swim; he only knows a little bit about holding his breath. He definitely can't float to the surface, but it's easy for him to sink again.
But the pond seemed bottomless, and after a long time, there was no one alive except him.
Where is his junior brother? Has something happened to him?
Although Fu Ming knew that with Xiao Huaiyuan's abilities, he shouldn't be in any danger, Xiao Huaiyuan was still poisoned by the Qianji Poison and his soul was severely damaged, which made him very worried.
Sigh! There's no way around it; a proper protagonist should shoulder the responsibility of protecting his underlings.
A strong sense of responsibility welled up in his heart. After all, he had already made a promise to Xiao Huaiyuan, so how could he easily go back on his word?
Thinking this, Fu Ming continued to probe downwards, and the deeper he went, the clearer the things in front of him became.
The surface of the water was murky, but unexpectedly, the bottom was crystal clear, revealing the glass-like white sand and swaying green water plants. But upon seeing the surrounding scenery, Fu Ming was so shocked that he drew his sword.
Skeletons, countless human bones, were stuck upside down in the water, all reaching out to grab him. Fu Ming's mouth was almost empty, and his movements slowed down. He was nearly torn through his clothes by five fingers that attacked from his blind spot.
Fu Ming reflexively activated his spiritual energy shield. The moment his right hand formed a hand seal, he was invaded by an extremely cold chill, causing him to exhibit a very strange reaction.
Oh no, his right hand is acting up and starting to move randomly!
He immediately cut off the source of spiritual energy, but his unfortunate right hand continued to wave wildly like a chicken claw, and the chill even climbed all the way up to his elbow.
Fu Ming finally understood how these skeletons had come to be. It turned out that they had been accidentally attacked while using spiritual power, causing them to lose control and perish here. The blood-written clues they found under the bed also applied here.
Will his junior brother be infected?
Fu Ming started thinking about this question for no reason. Reason told him not to worry, but what if something went wrong? Even horses can stumble, and people can make mistakes.
"He won't die here so soon, junior brother." But even if he really dies, it doesn't matter. As long as his soul hasn't dissipated, he can use a skeleton to rebuild Xiao Huaiyuan's body.
He quickly examined the skeletons he had cleaved with his sword, especially scrutinizing the skulls.
He's shorter than him, so that's definitely not him. He's also thinner than him, so that's not him either. The rest of them are obviously ugly just by looking at their eyes and teeth, so they certainly can't be his junior brother.
Amidst the rippling water, Fu Ming tossed one skeleton after another. The closer he got to the white sand at the bottom, the fewer skeletons he saw, until they almost disappeared completely. Those who fell into the water were either all dead or had escaped.
He suddenly felt a faint suction from the bottom of his feet. It was a whirlpool hidden among the water plants, which might be the exit to the outside world. He had a strong premonition.
With a splash, Fu Ming deliberately plunged into the vortex, letting himself be swallowed by the turbulent current without any defense, waiting to emerge on the other side of the world.
"Cough, cough, cough!"
A moment later, poor Fu Ming was finally swept by the river to a rocky beach covered with scattered boulders.
Fu Ming was blinded by the sunlight and collapsed onto the gravel. Unable to swim, he involuntarily swallowed a lot of water and could only cough up a lot of filth. After coughing for a while, he vomited several clumps of dirty water, three or four pieces of water plants, half a snail shell, and a piece of a human little finger bone.
Damn it, he hasn't seen a single living person on his way here. Has he returned to the primitive society?
One of the compulsory courses for disciples of the Tianyan Sect is to mark their targets when undertaking missions in the wild so that fellow disciples can find them. He was quick enough that he didn't see Xiao Huaiyuan along the way, nor did he see a single footprint or mark.
This means that Xiao Huaiyuan most likely did not leave the pond through this route. Even worse, the two locations are now worlds apart.
Along with the return of bright daylight, lively mechanical sounds also returned.
System: "Beep beep beep~ Dear host, your thoughtful system is online. Here's some good news and some bad news. Which would you like to hear first?"
Fu Ming wasn't in the mood to listen to its nonsense: "Skip it, can't you just say both at the same time?"
The system, having failed to charm its way through, softened its tone: "Okay, the bad news is that this mission is too difficult for your clone, it's easy to die. But the good news is that the coordinates here are quite close to the Demon Realm, so this system can temporarily take over your clone, and then you can bring your main body over to merge into one."
No, wasn't his soul still bound by Xiao Huaiyuan's soul-summoning array? Fu Ming subconsciously touched his lower abdomen, but the array pattern that was usually burning hot was no longer warm. He tried to communicate with the core of the Immortal Palace, but there was no longer any obstruction.
Fu Ming reflexively asked, "Did you help me break the soul-summoning array?"
The system was clearly still a bit confused, after all, it didn't even know why Fu Ming was being held captive by Xiao Huaiyuan.
"What soul-summoning array? What are you talking about, host? I don't have the ability to affect your physical body yet. Never mind, host, aren't you happy and surprised to be able to recall your clone?"
Happy my foot.
The array that was set up suddenly became ineffective, not because the person who set it up actively dispelled it, and without any interference from others.
Does that mean Xiao Huaiyuan is already dead?
Being able to regain his freedom was clearly a great joy. To be honest, Fu Ming really didn't like doing that kind of thing with men. Xiao Huaiyuan would only stop when he was driven to the point of losing his mind and body, making his body more and more strange. If he were imprisoned any longer, he didn't know what kind of person this upright and decent man would become in the future.
but.
The babbling brook flowed away, and the pebbles and gravel that had not yet been smoothed out left many cuts on Fu Ming's body, cheeks, back of hands, and back of the neck. In addition to the bruises from the attack on the white bones and the blows from the whirlpool, the pain came one after another like a tidal wave, reminding Fu Ming that he was still in danger.
Fu Ming couldn't quite discern his feelings; it was a profound emptiness mixed with a bittersweet pain, yet deep down he couldn't believe that Xiao Huaiyuan would fall so hastily.
Didn't that old man, the Calabash Taoist, say that my junior brother had the potential to become an immortal? How could he possibly perish in a place like this?
But what's more important now is for him to reclaim his power.
Fu Ming quickly regrouped: "I'll go now. System, take over this clone for me, and send me a rough map while you're at it."
To guard against any unforeseen circumstances, he left a wisp of his divine soul here to keep watch, and then devoted himself entirely to sending his divine soul thousands of miles away.
Although the system cannot exert influence on the physical body, his ability to split his soul across thousands of miles is thanks to the advanced technology provided by the system, and he has tried to inquire about the underlying principles.
The system simply marked a large red cross on the cover: "Can't say, can't say, this is classified!"
He tried to persuade and plead with the system for several more days before it finally said the truth hesitantly: "Alright, you'll know when the host is about to ascend."
To ascend to immortality, one must first reach the Mahayana stage, Fu Ming pondered, suddenly remembering this matter.
The Demon Realm, Changliu Mountain.
The main hall, which the demonic cultivators called the New Demon Palace, was orderly and majestic, without a trace of extravagance. From the mountaintop to the foot of the mountain, medicinal fields, dormitories, and training rooms were scattered around the mountain, looking more like a proper immortal sect than a nouveau riche's chaotic demonic style.
Many demonic cultivators had previously expressed their dissatisfaction with this system, especially the merit system created by Fu Ming. Those who failed to meet the assessment targets received only half the cultivation resources, and those who tried to steal from their colleagues were imprisoned for labor reform. Such atrocities were truly outrageous!
This is not the spirit of demonic cultivators. They want to make demonic cultivators great again. Thinking this, some busybodies instigated a challenge to Fu Ming, to diminish his prestige and dampen his spirit.
These demonic cultivators, along with Lady Wolf Spider and other former leaders of the demon realm who had just been released from prison, signed a petition challenging Fu Ming. They believed they were fully prepared and were eager to slay this incompetent demon lord.
Fu Ming accepted the challenge and hurriedly agreed to fight. Fu Ming yawned in the arena, still feeling sleepy. He thought to himself, "The advantage is in my hands. I will definitely win this round."
But upon hearing the resounding gong signaling the start of the battle, the crowd charged forward. Fu Ming, who had been lost in thought, slowly drew his sword and then, with a single stroke, cleaved them all down the mountain.
The prison on Changliu Mountain has welcomed a large influx of new blood, and Fu Ming has also had a quiet time for seclusion in the Immortal Palace. He has won twice, which can be called a win-win situation.
Since then, almost no one has dared to challenge Fu Ming. After the Ghost Market reopened, many demonic cultivators became engrossed in smuggling and trading and no longer mentioned waging armed struggle.
If any new demonic cultivator is dissatisfied, the others will shout: What? You don't like Fu Ming's behavior? Then you go and do it!
The newly appointed Demon Lord Fu Ming, who has left a deep psychological scar on his subordinates, has been meditating on a futon for months. The calming incense, a specialty of the Demon Realm, slowly wafts through the room, flowing over Fu Ming's black hair, when a pair of sharp eyes suddenly open.
The power of the peak of the mid-stage Nascent Soul realm then poured out, unlike before when it would shake birds and beasts down, it simply announced its return in a low-key manner.
"Welcome back, Your Excellency." Fang Zhengzhi, who was good at reading people, quickly arrived in the hall and bowed to Fu Ming.
"Hmm." Fu Ming flicked his robe and strode towards the outside of the hall. He had no time to waste on formalities.
Having worked diligently for Fu Ming for several years, Fang Zhengxing, believing himself to be quite tactful, asked, "What is Your Excellency's purpose in this trip?"
Fu Ming laughed for no apparent reason. "Fang Moxiang, how could you not know who it was? Wasn't it you who placed that letter? Move aside, don't block the way."
He still had to rush to save Xiao Huaiyuan.
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Author's Note: In the next chapter, Fu Ming, the Dragon King, returns, and a beauty saves the hero (?).
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