The Immortal Soul and the Mandarin Duck Girl Appear
The sunlight in the woods was fragmented by the branches and leaves, leaving a chill on the ground. Lin Shen's grip on the dagger tightened, the silver coating gleaming faintly in the light. But he knew that this time he wasn't facing a flower fairy, easily subdued by silver, but the remnant of the evil witch god, which even red light purification couldn't completely eliminate. Ghosts had already died once, so how could they be so easily "killed"? What they had destroyed was only the pottery jar where the evil witch god had been deposited and most of the remaining soul. The true core consciousness had long since been hidden, like a cancerous wound, in a vessel deep in the woods.
"Everyone, stay together. Stay alert." Lin Shen lowered his voice, his gaze sweeping over the surrounding trees. The trunks were covered in thick moss, some of it a strange black, as if tainted by evil spirits. The wind rustled the leaves, mingling with faint whispers that were indistinguishable from the wind or the whispers of the evil sorcerer.
Xiuxiu walked in the middle. The red glow of the peach wood sword had dimmed considerably, and the runes on the blade flickered. It was clear that her spirit hadn't fully recovered. "He's right up ahead," Xiuxiu's voice was a little tired, yet still firm. "He's absorbing the Yin energy in the forest. His carrier is under that old locust tree."
Everyone looked in the direction she pointed. Sure enough, deep in the woods, there stood an old locust tree. Its trunk was so thick it required two people to hug it, and its branches were twisted like an old man's withered fingers. Black vines entwined the tree, bearing small white flowers with black stamens that exuded a sweet, rotting odor. Even more eerie, a figure seemed to be leaning against the old locust tree, entangled in the vines, its form indistinct.
"Let's go and take a look." Li Ye gripped his trekking pole tightly and headed towards the old locust tree. He had only taken a few steps when he heard a sudden "crack" beneath his feet. He looked down and saw that he had crushed the skeleton of an animal. The skeleton was covered in black moss, and tiny black vines were entangled in the cracks between the bones, as if the animal had been strangled to death by the vines.
"I'm afraid the animals in this forest have all been killed by the evil witch god's yin energy." Su Wan frowned and took out the last piece of talisman from her pocket. This was the last complete talisman Zhou Tang left. She held it carefully in her hand and said, "Everyone, be careful with the vines. They may still be controlled by the evil witch god."
As they approached the old locust tree, the black vines wrapped around its trunk suddenly moved, as if alive, reaching out towards them. Chen Ba immediately pulled a clay pot from his arms and opened the lid. The poisonous insects within flew out, landing on the vines and biting them. However, the vines this time were tougher than those in the secret room. The insects bit for a long time, only making a few small incisions, and the vines continued to wrap around them.
"The power of the evil witch god is recovering!" Xiu Xiu shouted, and the peach wood sword suddenly stabbed at the vines. Red light burst out instantly, and the vines curled up due to the burning of the red light. Black juice dripped onto the ground, corroding small pits.
Everyone seized the opportunity to rush to the old locust tree, finally catching sight of the figure beneath it—a long-rotting female corpse, clad in a red wedding gown whose gold thread had turned black. Most of the flesh on her face had decayed, revealing the bones beneath. Only her eyes remained eerily intact, their cloudy pupils fixed fixedly ahead, as if staring at something nonexistent. The remnant spirit of the evil witch god possessed the corpse, and black mist emerged from its seven orifices, entwining itself around the vines and controlling their movements.
"He's actually attached to a corpse!" Lin Shen looked at the female corpse in shock, pointing the dagger at her chest. "As long as we destroy this corpse, we can scatter his remaining soul!"
But just as he was about to make a move, the corpse suddenly moved! Her head slowly lifted up, and a "crunching" sound like bones rubbing against each other came from her rotten neck. Then, an even more terrifying scene appeared - the corpse's head slowly separated from her neck. Black mist connected the head and body like a ribbon. The head floated in the air, and her rotten lips slightly opened, and a hoarse voice uttered: "You... disturbed my wedding..."
"This isn't the voice of the Evil Witch God!" Su Wan's face turned pale, and he subconsciously took a step back. "This is another ghost!"
As soon as the words fell, the female corpse stood up. The broken neck revealed the white bones. Black mist emerged from the broken neck, forming a vague human figure. The figure and the head spoke at the same time, the voices high and low, like a chorus: "I am the mandarin duck girl... This tree is my wedding room... You... all must be my best man and bridesmaid..."
Everyone gasped. This mandarin duck woman was even more terrifying than the evil witch god—her head and body were completely separated, yet they could move independently. A black mist connected the two, as if they shared a single soul, yet also seemed like two separate entities. Even more terrifying, her head floated in the air, and black tears of blood suddenly flowed from her rotting eyes. These tears dripped onto the ground, and immediately grew black vines that wrapped around everyone.
"Her blood and tears can grow vines!" Meng Yao exclaimed, raised her camera and pressed the shutter button continuously. The flash illuminated the horrific appearance of the mandarin duck girl, but this time the flash did not have any effect. Instead, the mandarin duck girl's head flew towards her, and her rotten fingers grabbed her face.
"Be careful!" Li Ye rushed over immediately and smashed the trekking pole towards the Yuanyang girl's head. With a "bang", the trekking pole hit the head, but it was like hitting cotton. The head just paused slightly and continued to fly towards Meng Yao.
Xiuxiu raised the peach wood sword and stabbed it at the Yuanyang girl's head. The red light penetrated the black mist and pierced the head. The head screamed shrilly, and the black mist instantly thinned slightly. The head flew backwards and reconnected with the body. "Her core is in the black mist connecting her head and body!" Xiuxiu shouted. "Only by dispersing the black mist can we temporarily suppress her!"
The remnant spirit of the evil witch god seemed unwilling to let the mandarin duck girl be suppressed. The black mist surrounding her corpse suddenly surged, controlling the surrounding vines to form a massive net that enveloped the group. Lin Shen wielded his shovel, cutting through a few vines, but there were too many of them and they quickly entangled his ankles. Black fluid seeped into his pants, causing a sharp pain.
"Su Wan, talisman paper!" Lin Shen shouted, and Su Wan immediately threw the talisman paper in his hand over. The talisman paper fell on the vine, and golden light burst out instantly. The vines curled up due to the burning. Lin Shen took the opportunity to break free from the vines, rushed towards the female corpse, and stabbed the dagger into the chest of the female corpse - that was the core of the residual soul of the evil witch god.
But just as the dagger was about to pierce the female corpse, the woman suddenly blocked the way. The black mist at her neck instantly condensed into a black sword and stabbed towards Lin Shen. Lin Shen subconsciously dodged to the side. The black sword grazed his arm, leaving a deep wound. The black mist seeped into his skin along the wound. Lin Shen felt his arm numb, as if he had lost consciousness.
"Lin Shen!" Su Wan exclaimed, wanting to rush over to help him, but was stopped by the mandarin duck girl's head. The head floated in the air, and black mist emanated from its rotting mouth. The mist fell to the ground, forming small black holes, as if trying to suck people in.
Upon seeing this, Chen Ba immediately threw the last can of poisonous insects in his arms at the Yuanyang woman's head. The insects landed on the head and frantically gnawed at the black mist. The Yuanyang woman screamed, and the black mist began to dissipate, her body becoming slightly more transparent. "Now!" Chen Ba shouted. Li Ye immediately rushed towards the woman's corpse, stabbing the metal tip of his hiking pole into the woman's chest. The black mist instantly erupted, and the remnant spirit of the evil witch god roared angrily, and the woman's body began to tremble violently.
Xiuxiu seized the opportunity and thrust her peach wood sword at the black mist connecting the Yuanyang girl's head and body. A red light instantly enveloped the mist, which sizzled and rapidly dissipated. Both Yuanyang girl's head and body simultaneously let out a shrill scream. Her head fell from the air, and her body collapsed to the ground. The black mist gradually thinned, leaving only a few wisps writhing on the ground.
But just when everyone thought they had temporarily suppressed them, the remnant spirit of the evil witch god suddenly floated out of the female corpse and entered the body of the mandarin duck woman! The mandarin duck woman's body instantly stood up, the black mist around her neck condensed again, her head floated up, the black blood and tears in her eyes flowed more fiercely, and the vines around her grew wildly again, thicker and tougher than before.
"He and Yuanyang Girl have merged!" Xiuxiu's face turned pale, and the red light of the peach wood sword began to flicker, as if it would go out at any moment. "Their power has increased! We are no match for them!"
Lin Shen's arm grew increasingly numb, the black mist spreading down his arm to his shoulder. He could feel the Evil Witch God's consciousness attempting to invade his mind, like countless needles piercing his brain. "We...we have to retreat!" Lin Shen gritted his teeth, wielding his shovel to push back the vines. "If we don't leave now, we'll all die here!"
Everyone also realized the danger. After the fusion of Yuanyang Girl and the Evil Witch God, their power far exceeded before. Their talismans and poisonous insects were almost used up, Xiu Xiu's soul had not recovered yet, and Lin Shen was injured again. If they continued to stay here, they would only die.
"Retreat towards the town!" Li Ye shouted, shielding the group as they retreated. The mandarin duck girl's vines pursued them relentlessly, black swords constantly condensing from the black mist and stabbing at the group. Meng Yao accidentally got caught in the vines' clothes and fell to the ground. The vines immediately wrapped around her ankles and pulled her towards the old locust tree.
"Meng Yao!" Su Wan turned around immediately and wanted to pull her up, but the mandarin duck girl's head had already flown towards Su Wan, and her rotten fingers grabbed her hair.
At this critical moment, Xiuxiu suddenly used all her strength to throw the peach wood sword towards Yuanyang Girl's head. The peach wood sword, with a red glow, pierced the black mist surrounding the head. The head let out a shrill scream, and the black mist dissipated instantly. The head fell to the ground, temporarily losing its ability to move.
Lin Shen took the opportunity to rush over, cut off the vines wrapped around Meng Yao's ankles, and pulled her up: "Quickly retreat!"
The crowd didn't dare to stop and ran wildly towards the town. The Yuanyang girl's body was in hot pursuit, and vines like venomous snakes continuously emerged from the ground and wrapped around their ankles. The evil witch god's voice rang out from the Yuanyang girl's body, full of mockery and anger: "You can't escape! I will capture you one by one and make you my vessels! You will become Yuanyang girl's best men and bridesmaids!"
The trees in the woods began to shake, and black vines emerged from the trunks, forming a barrier that blocked everyone's way. Li Ye swung his hiking pole, repeatedly cutting the vines, but there were too many vines, and their speed was getting slower and slower. The Yuanyang girl's body was getting closer and closer to them, and the black sword was already clearly visible.
"There's a path ahead!" Meng Yao suddenly shouted, pointing to a narrow path on the right - it was a path she had discovered when she was playing with the children in the town before, and it could lead her back to the town quickly.
Everyone immediately ran towards the narrow and rugged path with relatively few vines. They finally managed to escape the mandarin duck girl's pursuit for a while. However, the mandarin duck girl's screams and the evil witch god's roars could still be heard from behind, as if foreshadowing that they would soon catch up again.
By the time they reached the edge of town, Lin Shen's arms were completely paralyzed, and the black mist had spread to his chest. He could no longer hold on and collapsed to the ground. Everyone hurriedly stopped. Su Wan placed her hand on his chest, her expression grave. "The Evil Witch God's mist has already penetrated his internal organs. If we don't find a way, he'll become the Evil Witch God's vessel!"
Xiuxiu leaned weakly against the tree. The peach wood sword had lost its red glow and became no different from an ordinary wooden sword. "I... I can dispel the fog, but it will take time... We need to find a safe place..."
At this moment, a sudden scream erupted from the town, followed by flames shooting up into the sky—from the direction of the hotel! Everyone's hearts tightened, realizing that the Mandarin Duck Girl and the Evil Witch God had likely circled around to the front of the town and attacked the hotel!
"Grandma!" Xiuxiu yelled, running towards the hotel. Everyone followed Xiuxiu, not even bothering to rest. From a distance, they could see a huge fire on the hotel roof. Amidst the black smoke, the head of the mandarin duck girl was floating in the air, continuously spewing out black mist, setting the surrounding houses on fire. The old lady lay motionless at the door of the hotel, as if she had been murdered.
"Grandma!" Xiuxiu rushed over and knelt beside the old lady. She found that she was still breathing, but unconscious. Xiuxiu immediately pressed her hand on the old lady's chest. Black blood oozed from her fingertips and slowly flowed into the old lady's body. The old lady's face gradually regained some color.
The mandarin duck girl walked towards them, a black sword condensed in her hand, and the voice of the evil witch god came from her body: "Now, you have nowhere to escape!"
Everyone surrounded Xiuxiu and the old lady. Lin Shen struggled to his feet, pointing the dagger at Yuanyang Girl. Although his arm was numb, his eyes remained firm. "Even if there's nowhere to escape, we won't let you hurt them!"
Su Wan placed the last piece of talisman against Lin Shen's chest. It instantly shone with golden light, temporarily suppressing the black mist within him. Chen Ba also took out the last bit of his evil-repelling powder and sprinkled it around the group. Though it wasn't much, it still managed to ward off some of the evil spirits.
The mandarin duck girl thrust her black sword towards them, and everyone prepared for battle. Even if it meant death, they had to protect Xiuxiu, the old lady, and this town. But just as the black sword was about to reach Lin Shen, a sudden thunderclap echoed from the sky, and a bolt of lightning struck the mandarin duck girl, instantly dispersing the black mist. The mandarin duck girl's body and head simultaneously let out a shrill scream, and she fell to the ground, temporarily unable to move.
Then, it began to rain heavily. The rain fell on the ground, washing away the black mist and extinguishing the fire in the hotel. Everyone was stunned. They did not expect that at the critical moment, lightning would appear to save them.
"It's a response from Heaven!" Xiuxiu exclaimed in surprise. "The evil spirits of the Evil Witch God and Yuanyang Girl are too strong, and they've brought down Heaven's punishment! We need to leave now and find a place to hide!"
Everyone nodded. Li Ye picked up the old lady, and Lin Shen supported Xiu Xiu, and ran towards the cave outside the town - it was a hidden cave they had discovered before, which was very suitable for temporary shelter.
The rain intensified, washing over the town's streets and the bodies of the Yuanyang women. But everyone knew this was only temporary; the punishment from Heaven could only temporarily suppress them; when the rain stopped, they would catch up again. Furthermore, the evil witch god's remnant spirit was immortal; as long as it retained a shred of consciousness, it would constantly seek a vehicle to harm others.
Their escape is not over yet, and this battle between humans and demons is far from over.
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