Chapter 132 Where did Zhong Jiuli go in Werewolf?
In the distance, the warships of the Ghost Control Sect moved stealthily, attempting to escape into the air while everyone was distracted.
"Old ghost, where do you think you're going to escape to?" Bai also raised his tail, arched his back in an attack stance, and stared intently at the Yu Gui Men's warship with his amber eyes.
"Don't move, you brat, your wound is bleeding again." Bai Shu held down her paws while taking out some medicine to bandage her wound.
Bai obediently raised its paws and let its mother do as she pleased. Actually, such a small injury would heal quickly without bandaging, but it couldn't refuse its mother's love.
She continued to stare at Yin Laogui and threatened, "When you were struck by lightning just now, didn't you say you would fight me to the death?"
The old lady Bai glanced at them indifferently, her robes fluttering without any wind. Without her making a move, the warship of the Ghost Control Sect inexplicably began to move towards them, as if an invisible hand was dragging the warship.
The old ghost shrieked, "Patriarch Bai, with the great calamity of heaven and earth imminent and the Void Demon Clan eyeing us covetously, do you truly intend to slaughter all the Mahayana cultivators of the Nine Provinces?"
"Heh~"
Old Madam Bai smiled contemptuously, "If the Void Demon Clan were to return to the Nine Provinces, you insects would surely be the first traitors to turn your swords against the human race."
"In that case, killing you here today can be considered cleaning up our own house ahead of time."
Upon hearing this, everyone was once again shocked.
Previously, the cultivators of various sects still had some wishful thinking, believing that the law would not punish the masses. Moreover, at this time when people are needed, the Bai family head should leave some room for the human race, right?
But judging from the old woman's posture, she doesn't seem like she'll give up now.
"Everyone, did you hear that? This old hag has no intention of leaving us any way out. Rather than being slaughtered, we should fight to the death!" Yin Laogui roared, inciting the crowd to resist.
With a wave of her hand, as if swatting a fly, the old lady Bai unleashed a powerful strike, and Yin Laogui's primordial spirit exploded in mid-air with a "poof," startling everyone present.
"Kill her! Fight her to the death!" A loud, blustering but cowardly roar rang out from the crowd.
After shouting, the man immediately fled backward, thinking that at least a few people would rush up to fight Old Madam Bai to the death. But to his surprise, dozens of streaks of light scattered like headless flies, none of them heading towards Old Madam Bai.
"Buzz!"
The heavens and earth trembled once more, and a curtain of azure water descended from the sky, instantly sealing off this space.
The warships from Storm Island hurtled through the air. Jiang Lian, dressed in a sea-blue dress, fluttered in the wind. She first looked at Bai Ye and saw the little tiger cub nestled in his mother's arms, his body stained with some blood. But his big, round, amber eyes were still peering at the fleeing crowd.
It seems the injury wasn't serious, otherwise he wouldn't have the energy to watch the show.
She turned her gaze to the crowd trapped by the water curtain. "Gentlemen, you think you can just hurt people and walk away? There's no such thing as a free lunch."
A commotion broke out within the water curtain, and everyone began to speak:
"Lord Jiang, do you also wish to be our enemy?"
"We were already planning to stop, why are you determined to wipe us out?"
"Your Storm Island has always kept to yourself, so why get involved? If things really come to a standstill, do you think your East China Sea Islands can withstand the wrath of the major religions?"
Some in the crowd threatened others, while others humbled themselves and begged for mercy.
Jiang Lian nodded slightly, a hint of agreement in his eyes: "That makes sense. Storm Island shouldn't have gotten involved in this mess. Therefore, I've decided to clear up this mess today."
She raised her hand, and in her palm lifted up an exquisite city. Within the city, pavilions and towers were scattered, and countless mortals walked to and fro in the streets and alleys. It seemed that one could also hear the hustle and bustle of the marketplace.
When Bai saw the small town, his tiger eyes widened, and his short fur stood on end. "How did she bring the whole town here? This... isn't this a bit crazy?"
Hearing her mutter like that, Jiang Lian's lips curled up slightly, and she casually tossed the small town aside.
The city swelled with the wind, transforming in an instant into a colossal city that blotted out the sky, crashing down upon the crowd in the water curtain.
"Block them! Form ranks!"
"Lord Jiang, spare my life!"
Within the water curtain, some begged for mercy, while others cast spells to resist. As the giant city was about to crash down, several people prepared to disintegrate and escape.
"Why......"
A hoarse sigh echoed from the horizon.
An elderly woman with a full head of white hair, dressed in coarse linen clothes, appeared from the void. She held a dragon-headed cane, raised it slightly, and thousands of chains of laws extended out, supporting the falling giant city and saving the lives of those people.
Someone in the crowd recognized the newcomer and immediately shouted, "Senior Mai, help me!"
The old man dressed in coarse linen clothes ignored the crowd, but looked up at Old Madam Bai and said slowly, "Little Bai, the world is about to collapse, why fight amongst yourselves?"
"Senior Ma Yi, do you want to protect them?" Old Lady Bai asked in a deep voice.
The old man in hemp clothing shook his head. "What I want to protect are all living beings."
"Since you care so much about the common people, why didn't you show yourself when the Three Pure Ones Sect suffered?" Jiang Lian asked.
"I wasn't in Kyushu before, but I had a feeling about it a few days ago, so I rushed back," the old man in hemp clothing explained good-naturedly, not caring about Jiang Lian's questioning.
Jiang Lian did not doubt the truthfulness of her words. Those who have reached the pinnacle of cultivation are naturally connected to the fortune of heaven and earth, and will naturally be able to sense the impending calamity.
"How does the senior intend to quell this matter?" Old Lady Bai asked, still holding some respect for this senior in hemp clothing.
Throughout the land of Kyushu, countless cultivators have received her guidance or been protected by her. She can be called the Living Buddha of Kyushu, and is the most loving and selfless.
The old man in hemp robes said in a conciliatory tone, "How about we stop here? Each sect will compensate the Sanqing Sect for all its losses. Your sect will temporarily set aside today's matter and discuss right and wrong after the great calamity. As for your sect's guardian beast, I will find a way to help it be reborn from the ashes."
Old Madam Bai and Jiang Lian exchanged a glance. Neither of them made a decision on their own. In the end, it was the Sanqing Sect that suffered the consequences, so they returned the decision-making power to the Sanqing Sect.
Given Liu Xianyue's fiery temper, she wished she could overturn the table on the spot, twist off all those people's heads one by one, and turn the entire land of Kyushu upside down before she could feel relieved.
But with Zhong Jiuli absent and the situation in Kyushu dire, it was not the time for internal strife. She practically gritted her teeth and reluctantly agreed to this frustrating mediation.
As for the allied forces of the various sects, they are now like fish on a chopping board, with no say whatsoever and no right to even bargain. Each sect can only empty its coffers to redeem itself and the lives of its disciples.
The matter was considered to be over. The disciples of the Sanqing Sect, Wanxiang Pavilion, and Tianji Pavilion silently walked through the ruins, treating their fellow disciples and collecting their bodies.
The old man in hemp clothing greeted everyone, then with a flick of his sleeve, he left with the remains of the Dragon Python Rock.
Bai was also held in her mother's arms as she returned to the Sanqing Sect with Liu Xianyue and the others. Only then did she realize that she hadn't seen Zhong Jiuli at all.
"Liu Xianyue, where did Zhong Jiuli go?"
Liu Xianyue paused slightly, her expression momentarily frozen.
Bai was being held by her mother and couldn't see her expression, so she asked to herself, "Why didn't she show up when those people attacked the Three Pure Ones Sect? Where did she go?"
There was no way to hide it from her, so Liu Xianyue had no choice but to turn around and face her, carefully choosing her words: "Some time ago, she left Kyushu and went to the lair of the Void Demon Clan."
Upon hearing this, Bai immediately bristled, letting out a howl as it broke free from its mother's embrace. The tiger floated in the air, its eyes bulging like copper bells.
"Where is the Void Demon Clan? Why did she leave Kyushu? How did she get there? Was she alone?"
Her questions came one after another, so Liu Xianyue had to answer the key ones: "The Void Demon Clan invaded and opened a spatial rift. She chased after them, and we couldn't keep up."
"Oh, I see. I understand." Bai remained calm. "Then you guys go ahead with your work. I need to go back and treat my injuries."
After she finished speaking, she fluttered her little golden wings, wanting to leave.
Bai Shu knew exactly what the little tiger was thinking. She grabbed the tiger cub in mid-air, held it tightly in her arms, and comforted it, "Alright, alright, don't rush, and don't sneak away. Sect Leader Zhong's soul lamp is still lit, she's safe for now."
“You must behave well. If you sneak away, your mother and great-grandmother will worry about you, and your friends will worry about you too.”
"Mother~" Bai called out pitifully, her amber eyes brimming with tears.
"But I'm also worried about her. It's so dangerous for her to venture into the demon clan's lair alone. Even if her soul lamp is lit, what does that mean? What if she gets surrounded and trapped by the demons and can't escape?"
“I possess the power of the void and the Golden Eye of Truth. If I don’t help her, no one else will.”
Old Lady Bai advised, "Young man, the Void Demon Clan is far more terrifying than you imagine. If you really want to help her, you should work on improving your mediocre cultivation. Once you cross the threshold of the Mahayana stage, you can go and help her."
“With your current cultivation level, I’m afraid you can’t even open a passage between realms, so how can you go find her?” Liu Xianyue also advised.
Everyone chimed in with the same message: don't waste your bloodline talent; the most urgent thing is to focus on cultivation and grow stronger as soon as possible.
Even Xiao Wang said, "Ye Zai, it's okay. Zhong Jiuli is the female lead; she'll survive until the finale."
"I understand." Bai buried his head in his mother's shoulder, his voice muffled, and his whole body went limp. "I will break through as quickly as possible."
She knew everyone was right; throwing a tantrum wouldn't work if she wanted to find Zhong Jiuli.
Most importantly, she couldn't drag her elderly mother and grandmother along; that would be too selfish.
"In that case, go to the Scripture Pavilion for secluded cultivation," said the Scripture Pavilion elder who had remained silent until now.
She handed over a black iron token, saying, "The cultivation techniques and classic texts accumulated by the Three Pure Ones Sect over tens of thousands of years are all in the Scripture Pavilion. Since you take the stars as your body and follow the path of all methods to enter the Dao, you should go and read extensively. With this token, you can browse through the books in the pavilion at will."
Bai also stretched out its two front paws and hugged the token.
"Let's go, I'll take you there." Liu Xianyue stood up and hugged her. "I also need to go into seclusion to prepare for a breakthrough."
Bai was carried outside by her. She glanced at Bai Shu, whose face was full of worry, and said, "Mother, don't worry, I won't sneak away."
Bai Shu nodded, watching his son being taken away by Liu Xianyue.
......
Although the library is named after a pavilion, it is a small world of its own inside.
Stepping inside is like entering an endless universe, with no dome above and no earth below, as if you are in the void.
The thousands of books were enveloped in various colors of spiritual light, like living fish swimming freely in this small world, or like shooting stars streaking across the night sky.
Bai was also in this mysterious space. If he hadn't been holding the token, he probably wouldn't have been able to catch those flowing lights. Those cultivation manuals containing the true meaning of the Great Dao have their own sentience and will actively avoid them, testing those who come.
From the moment she embarked on the path of cultivation, Bai had been receiving cramming-style education, and her cultivation speed was so fast that it could be described as abnormal.
However, she had never systematically studied any classic teachings that had been passed down through the ages. At this moment, she was immersed in the sea of books and starlight, reading through the ways of the ancients and comprehending thousands of methods, before she finally understood.
Her own path, from the very beginning, was unique. No other cultivation method in the world could possess an independent will like Xiao Jin in the Great Creation Scripture, constantly residing in her mind and conversing with her about everything under the sun.
"Hmph, young master, you know that much," Xiao Jin said arrogantly.
Bai also asked, "Senior, can the Great Creation Scripture be integrated into my Dao of Stars?"
"Wrong."
"The Way of the Stars can be integrated into the Great Creation Scripture, but the Great Creation Scripture can never be integrated into the Way of the Stars. To this day, you still haven't grasped the true meaning of the word 'creation'."
Xiao Jin sighed softly: "You shouldn't have given up on the Great Creation Scripture. You don't understand at all what the Great Creation Scripture represents. It is not an ordinary method, but a method that points directly to the origin of the Great Dao, enough to transcend all laws of the past and present."
"You hold the reins of creation; the birth and death of all things are within your control. Do you understand?"
“There are tens of thousands of cultivation manuals here. If I read through them all, can I complete the subsequent chapters of the Great Creation Scripture?” Bai asked tentatively.
"The Great Creation Scripture is the condensation of the wisdom of all races. To complete it with the power of one person is as difficult as ascending to heaven. However, nothing is absolute," Xiao Jin replied calmly, but she did not make any definitive statements.
"I'll give it a try first."
After Bai finished speaking, he completely calmed down and devoted all his attention to the vast sea of books before him.
Time flies, and years pass by in a flash.
In the blink of an eye, Bai had been in seclusion in the Scripture Pavilion for more than half a year. During these six months, she had been almost constantly reading ancient secret texts and deducing countless methods.
Each time, he would exhaust himself until his consciousness was completely depleted, spitting out blood and fainting, which was considered his rest.
Xiao Wang felt very sorry for Bai Ye, but she couldn't help her cultivate. All she could do was chat with her when Bai Ye was tired.
While Bai was diligently pursuing his questions, the turmoil in the outside world had not yet subsided.
Since the great battle that shook the entire land more than half a year ago, the Sanqing Sect has completely closed its gates, no longer paying attention to worldly affairs, and no longer having any visitors. The entire sect has fallen into silence, and all the Sanqing disciples are devoted to their cultivation within the sect.
During the more than six months that the Sanqing Sect has been silent, strange events have occurred frequently throughout the Nine Provinces, and a great calamity has arrived.
The most sensational of these events were the large-scale massacres that broke out in several cities. Disciples of some prestigious sects suddenly underwent a drastic change in temperament, raising their knives against their own disciples and ordinary people, and after killing them, holding bizarre and bloody sacrifices within the city.
This incident first occurred in Dongzhou.
All the mortals on the entire island were slaughtered, and their blood stained the seawater near the island. A strange blood moon appeared in the sky above the island.
Under the blood moon, the ancient demons in the endless seas awakened one after another, stirring up towering waves that raged against the inner sea of Dongzhou.
Countless lineages were wiped out one after another under the rampage of these great demons. By the time people received the news and rushed to Dongzhou to investigate, the entire Dongzhou sea area had already been transformed into a living hell.
The Sanqing Sect also received a distress message, but the mountain gates were sealed. Elder Zhenfeng simply ignored the distress messages from the outside world.
On this day, Bai, who had been in seclusion for a long time, finally emerged from the Sutra Repository. She had to admit that her previous idea of trying to complete the Great Creation Scripture was indeed somewhat unrealistic.
This supreme scripture is all-encompassing; even if she were to sit in seclusion in the scripture pavilion and die, she probably wouldn't be able to complete it all by herself.
Xiao Wang asked in her mind: "Do you want to continue doing the mission?"
Bai nodded and said, "I've already figured out how to complete the mission."
[How are you going to accomplish this? Didn't you say you didn't want close contact with other women?]
"I have a brilliant plan."
Bai and Xiao Wang chatted casually as they walked, and soon arrived at the entrance of Tianjing Lake.
Elder Lu remained dutifully guarding the place, and when she saw Bai arrive, she didn't ask any questions.
Bai greeted her and then stood guard by the lake, cultivating with the spiritual energy of the place while comprehending the great Dao of heaven and earth.
Several more days passed, and ripples appeared on the calm lake surface as the young geniuses, who had been in seclusion for over a year, emerged one after another.
Elder Lu opened a passage for everyone, and Ming Wushuang and the others appeared one after another.
Just as everyone was about to greet Bai Ye, she flashed and appeared directly in front of Ye Rugo. She grabbed Ye Rugo's sleeve and led her into a secluded grove of trees.
"Hey, you troublemaker, what are you doing?" Lu Yao shouted at the top of his lungs.
Jiaojiao, who had been eagerly trying to jump into Bai Ye's arms, missed her target. She awkwardly spun around in mid-air and jumped into Xiao Taihuo's arms, pouting and complaining, "Has this brat gone mad from his cultivation? Trying to snatch a beautiful girl in broad daylight?"
"Let's go take a look." Lu Yao waved to the group and quickly followed.
Seeing this, Xiao Taihuo, carrying the much-grown Xiao Lü and Jiao Jiao, followed after them.
In the clearing in the woods, Ye Rugo looked at Bai Ye blankly, "Fellow Daoist Bai, what are you doing?"
"There's something very important that I need your cooperation with." Bai Ye's expression was grave as he cut to the chase, "Do you know about the Void Demon Clan?"
"I have seen relevant records in the sect's records." Ye Rugo nodded.
“Alright, you’ve been parasitized by the Shadow Demon. I’m going to help you get rid of it.” Bai said, his eyes gleaming with golden light as he looked straight at her.
Last time, she couldn't find any trace of the Shadow Demon within Ye Rugo's body, but this time, she found it with ease. The black mist that the Shadow Demon had transformed into was entrenched deep within Ye Rugo's sea of consciousness, permeating the air and already staining most of her sea of consciousness black.
Ye Rugo was puzzled by this. "Fellow Daoist Bai, wait a minute, you're saying I've been parasitized by a Shadow Demon? When did this happen, and why didn't I notice it?"
"If you can detect it, it's not called parasitism, it's called trespassing," Bai muttered. "Alright, you stay quiet for now, I'll help you catch that bastard."
She raised her hand and touched Ye Rugo's brow, her spiritual energy flowing and probing into her sea of consciousness. She used the power of the void to envelop the black mist and pulled it outwards.
"Ah!" Ye Rugo cried out in pain, clutching her head with both hands, her face instantly turning ashen. "My primordial spirit feels like it's being torn apart."
"Just bear with it, it'll be over soon," Bai reassured him, his movements becoming even more swift and decisive.
Provoked, the Shadow Demon finally began to struggle violently, trying to break free from Bai Ye's grasp. However, it was enveloped by the power of the void and could not escape Bai Ye's palm at all.
The large hand grasped the wisp of black mist and peeled it away from between Ye Rugo's eyebrows.
The onlookers, seeing this, were greatly alarmed. Lu Yao was the first to jump out, pointing at the black mist and saying, "Troublemaker, what the hell is that?"
"Don't touch it! It'll parasitize your body in a minute." Bai slapped her hand away, pointed a finger, and golden light flowed, directly crushing the energy core of the black mist.
This thing is far weaker than the one that parasitized Hei Yang. Bai thought to himself that these monsters from the void must also have a hierarchy, and the one parasitizing Ye Rugo was probably the weakest of them all.
After Bai finished dealing with the Shadow Demon, he simultaneously heard the voice in his mind that the mission was completed. Xiao Wang was a little stunned, finding it unbelievable.
Is this even allowed? Wouldn't that be considered exploiting a bug?
"Of course not. I had very proper close contact with her, and the distance was so close that it went right into her head," Bai replied, sounding quite self-righteous.
"Fine, as long as the mission is accomplished." Xiao Wang didn't care how Bai accomplished it; as long as she got what she wanted, that was enough.
With the mission accomplished, Bai helped Ye Rugo up and asked with concern, "How are you? How are you feeling?"
Ye Rugo shook her head and said in a deep voice, "It seems that I am much clearer now. Before, when I was in seclusion, I always felt restless and unable to calm my mind, and I was filled with resentment."
Upon hearing this, the expressions of everyone present changed. This feeling of anxiety and unease, this tendency to harbor evil thoughts, had occurred to varying degrees to them during this period of seclusion, but they hadn't paid it any mind.
Ming Wushuang spoke first: "Fellow Daoist Bai, could you please take a look and see if I have also been parasitized by the Shadow Demon?"
Upon hearing this, Bai's eyes gleamed with golden light as she scanned the crowd. Her expression immediately turned serious.
"How could this be..." She could hardly believe her eyes. Deep within everyone's consciousness lurked an ominous and eerie black shadow.
If the Shadow Demon had already silently invaded, wouldn't this world have turned into a cruel game of werewolf?
No one can be sure when their comrades will turn against them and deliver a fatal blow.
Bai also thought of the scene he had once witnessed: a great battle between all races and the shadowy figure. Perhaps the beings of that world were on the verge of extinction because of this kind of werewolf game from within.
Although Ming Wushuang had already guessed from Bai Ye's expression that they had been parasitized, she still wanted to confirm, "Fellow Daoist Bai, have we also been parasitized?"
"Hmm." Bai nodded, forcing a smile. "Don't worry, the Shadow Demons inside you don't seem to have fully fused. I'll help you extract them."
The situation was urgent, and Bai did not waste any time. She told Ming Wushuang to sit cross-legged and instructed her, "Calm down and do not resist."
Ming Wushuang did as instructed and sat down in front of Bai Ye.
With Ye Rugo's experience, Bai Ye's movements became much faster. She raised her finger and pointed, and the power of the void transformed into an invisible hand, locking onto the lurking black mist and pulling it out forcefully.
"Ugh!" Ming Wushuang groaned, veins throbbing on her forehead. Now she understood why Ye Rugo had cried out in pain and lost her composure earlier.
The black mist had already largely merged with her primordial spirit in her sea of consciousness. Now, Bai Ye's violent dragging was tantamount to tearing her primordial spirit apart, causing her unbearable pain.
However, Ming Wushuang was determined and quickly calmed down, letting Bai do as he pleased.
Soon, a cloud of black mist appeared in Bai Ye's hand. With a casual crushing motion, she destroyed the shadow demon.
"Next."
"I'll do it, I'll do it. Troublemaker Wang, please catch him for me first." Lu Yao hopped forward and sat down cross-legged in front of Bai Ye.
"Bear with it." Bai Ye looked at the little girl's chubby face and gave her another word of advice.
"Don't worry, I, Lu Yaoyao, have seen all kinds of storms. I'm not afraid of this little bit of pain." The little girl patted her chest loudly, making bold statements, with an air of "you're looking down on me."
"Okay, as long as you're not afraid." Bai also made his move while she was speaking, grabbing the ball of black mist and pulling it out.
The moment she made a move, the little girl let out a bloodcurdling scream, "Ahhhhh, Grandma, help! Someone is trying to murder your lovely granddaughter! It's all over, it's all over! Lu Yaoyao is going to die before she can fulfill her ambitions, and Kyushu is going to lose a future pillar of the nation."
"Didn't you say you've seen all sorts of storms and aren't afraid of anything?" Elder Lu's face darkened, and he stepped forward to press down on the little girl's shoulders to prevent her from struggling.
Bai also took the opportunity to pull the black mist out of her mind, and the little girl let out another miserable scream, extremely shrill.
Even after Bai stopped, Lu Yao was still nestled in her grandmother's arms, sobbing, "Waaah, Lu Yao's brain must be damaged from being pulled so hard. Will she become an idiot? I'm already a useless person..."
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