The Curse of the Undying and the Embers
Just as the golden glow of the rising sun bathed the rooftops of Qingwu Town, Zhao Yu felt a sudden, bone-piercing chill from the fragment of the Chiyang Gu box in his arms. It wasn't the chill of morning dew, but a sinister chill, like countless needles piercing his palms. He looked down sharply to see black liquid seeping from the cracks in the fragment. The liquid coalesced into a twisted rune in his palm—the very same evil witchcraft incantation he'd seen on the coffin and bronze mirror.
"Impossible..." Zhao Yu's voice trembled. He dropped the fragments to the ground, only to see the juice, as it hit the ground, seep into the cracks in the soil. The ground shook slightly, and from the old locust tree stump, previously charred by the Red Sun Fire Sword, a new root suddenly emerged. The root was completely black, and a faint black aura clung to its tip. The outline of the black aura was clearly the profile of the man in the black robe, the scar under his left eye so clear it made one's scalp tingle.
"Do you think you can win by burning the locust tree's soul?" The black-robed man's voice rang out from the roots, with a playful smile. "I have long since planted a soul curse deep within the locust tree's roots. The Red Sun Fire can only burn my outer shell, but it can't burn away the curse! Look, the very soil of Qingwu Town has long been soaked with my evil energy..."
As soon as he finished speaking, the dirt at Zhao Yu's feet suddenly bulged, and a pale hand suddenly emerged from the soil, firmly grasping his ankle. He looked down in horror, only to see the villagers previously devoured by the Huai Spirit crawling out of the dirt. Their skin was bluish-gray, their eye sockets were sunken, black blood flowed from the corners of their mouths, and their nails were long and sharp, clearly transformed into zombies by the evil curse.
Even more terrifying was the sound of a creaking noise coming from the distant cabin. The previously burned black vines suddenly emerged from the cracks in the cabin's wall and crawled along the ground toward Zhao Yu. The spikes on the vines glowed green, and their dripping sap fell to the ground, instantly corroding small holes in the soil and emitting a pungent stench.
"Although Su Xiao's soul fire is powerful, it hasn't completely cleansed Qingwu Town of its evil spirits." The black-robed man's voice grew closer. More roots emerged from the cracks in the old locust tree stump, entangled with countless tiny black auras. "The corpses of these villagers, these vines, are all my 'nutrients'. It won't be long before I can borrow the earth and be reborn. When that happens, all of Qingwu Town will become my corpse-gu breeding ground!"
Zhao Yu picked up the broken knife from the ground and slashed at the crawling zombie. But as the blade touched the zombie's shoulder, it was deflected by a surge of evil energy. The zombie instead grabbed his wrist and bit his neck. Zhao Yu kicked the zombie away and turned to run towards the volcano. He knew that only by finding the altar of the evil witch god and finding a way to completely purify the evil energy could he stop the black-robed man.
But he had barely taken a few steps when black vines entangled his ankles. The vines tightened suddenly, their spikes piercing his skin. A chill coursed through his veins, and his calves instantly stiffened, as if frozen. Zhao Yu looked back as more and more zombies crawled out of the earth, closing in on him. From the cracks of the old locust tree stump, the upper body of a black-robed figure slowly emerged. The scar under his left eye glowed darkly, and a strange grin played on his lips.
"Run! Why don't you run?" The black-robed man stretched out his hand, and black energy surged from his palm, transforming into a black rope that wrapped around Zhao Yu's neck. "Su Xiao used soul fire to protect you once, but this time, no one can save you. You will be the first sacrifice of my rebirth. Your soul will be trapped in the soil of Qingwu Town forever, accompanying those who died..."
As the black rope drew closer, Zhao Yu's breathing quickened. He stared at the surrounding zombies, the black-robed figure's distorted face, and a sudden, even deeper despair welled up within him. The peace Su Xiao had purchased with his life was merely a trick played by the black-robed figure; the crisis he thought was over was merely the beginning of a greater catastrophe. Within the land of Qingwu Town lay an inextinguishable evil, and he would soon become part of it.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
