Chapter 179: Cicada Molt Yin Plate, Refining The Yang Embryo Form
Shi Yanzhi nodded, saying nothing more.
“Chen Mou knows.”
Chen Shun’an cupped his hands, his feet stepping on thick fallen leaves, silently heading toward the depths of the dense forest.
Until Yun Ruo and the others’ auras had completely vanished.
Chen Shun’an wiped his face, controlling his facial muscles to change his appearance, closing all the pores on his body, not leaking the slightest heat. Not to mention others—even Wan Niang would not recognize him if she saw him face-to-face.
With successive white hair turning black again and old teeth falling out, he had severed the Martial Path deity.
Chen Shun’an’s control over his entire body’s muscles, even the finest details, had reached the point of being as flexible as his own arms.
He could even perform some absurd acts beyond ordinary imagination.
After checking the Pearl-Containing Miasma-Averting Pill and various treasures on him, Chen Shun’an’s figure turned into a wisp of green smoke, silently slipping into the shadows of the dense forest, heading toward the distant rising smoke.
At this moment, with Liu Qingyi and the others at the front, holding the advantage.
This was exactly the time for Chen Shun’an to strike from the shadows and secure the favorable position.
……
“Pfft!”
Red light burst forth as Liu Qingyi’s spear brutally pierced through Zhao Guanghui’s throat, the spear tip emerging from the back of his neck with black blood.
Even so, Zhao Guanghui did not fall.
As if nothing had happened, his grayish-blue cheeks twisted into a ferocious expression, fangs bared, and he suddenly opened his mouth, spewing out a mass of gray-black corpse qi!
Within the corpse qi, numerous Lishi suddenly appeared, clad in armor covered in copper rust, holding tattered weapons, their features blurred, yet their movements orderly and disciplined, without chaos. Controlled by Zhao Guanghui’s intent, they immediately charged toward Liu Qingyi, Zhao Guangxi, and the others.
Meanwhile, Zhao Guanghui did not stop moving, following closely behind, trying to carve a bloody path to escape.
With Liu Qingyi and Lu Jing facing him head-on, Zhao Guangxi holding the Chengping Temple Well Sword, poised to strike, and Qiu Chen waiting for an opportunity to strike the drowning dog.
Zhao Guanghui knew in his heart that if he could not escape today, he would surely die here.
The reason the crowd before him was still entangled with him was merely because they feared the immortal fate on his body.
Zhao Guanghui felt desolate inside.
His good brother Zhao Guangxi had no martial virtue, ambushing him from behind!
The Undying Molting Insect Solution has yin and yang bodies: one Cicada Molt Yin Plate, one Yang Embryo Form, combined into a white pill, enabling yin-yang transformation, refining corpse into spirit, and nurturing numerous Ding Jia Warriors.
With the underground palace destroyed, the Cicada Molt Yin Plate damaged by the Li Tan Banner’s yin wind and ghost fire, the Undying Molting Insect Solution was already slipping from his grasp, working sporadically.
It was not just the Cicada Molt Yin Plate that was damaged.
It was also due to his forced change of fortune: Zhao Guanghui had fallen on hard times, denounced by thousands, trapped in extreme danger, gradually losing fortune telling’s favor, and being abandoned by the Undying Molting Insect Solution!
Betrayed by kin and virtue, even the Undying Molting Insect Solution showed signs of leaving him!
And that was not all.
Even if he escaped today, there would be no place for him in the entire Sacred Dynasty.
He would become a rat crossing the street, shouted down by all.
Once he showed his face, various troubles would afflict him.
Such as being slain for demons, slaying demons, exorcising demons, and the like.
These Central Plains states were, after all, the Sacred Dynasty’s territory!
Not only had Zhao Guanghui refined corpses, but he had monopolized the interests without timely reporting, and had no backing!
That was breaking the rules!
“Ghouls and monsters, you cowardly lurkers dare approach me?!”
Seeing the charging Lishi spirit bodies, Liu Qingyi sneered, took a deep breath to gather qi, and on his tiger-head red-tasseled spear, two colors of strength flowed vibrantly, radiating brilliant light.
In an instant, it fully unleashed the terrifying qi unique to Slay Five Thieves, making even Lu Jing and the others feel their hearts jump and faces change.
The surrounding mountains and forests, filled with rustling insect chirps and bird calls, fell into complete silence.
Rumbling!
Like thunder and fire erupting, the spear intent of the tiger-head red-tasseled spear filled this small heaven and earth. Wherever it passed, the Lishi spirit bodies let out a shrill scream before instantly turning to dust.
“Liu Qingyi’s strength has grown stronger. Could he be about to pass the ‘Yin Dregs Exhausted, Corpse Qi Extinguished’ passage?”
Lu Jing glanced warily at Liu Qingyi, casually shattering a Lishi spirit body that had sneaked up behind him.
The ‘Yin Dregs Exhausted, Corpse Qi Extinguished’ passage was a nightmare haunting the entire martial path cultivation.
The stronger one became, approaching Slaying the Six Thieves, the more pronounced this passage.
Especially for Lu Jing, who had first slain the Mind Thief, gaining strength and power of intent far surpassing peers at his level, but also causing his spirit to wander, overly sensitive, clearly sensing something extra inside his body…
Often in the dead of night, it would quietly awaken, usurping his body, making him jolt awake from nightmares multiple times.
“My Lishi!”
Watching the Lishi he had accumulated over many years, painstakingly nurtured, nearly wiped out with few intact ones left.
Zhao Guanghui’s ashen face twisted, his heart bleeding.
Liu Qingyi’s five senses were keenly attuned, sharply capturing Zhao Guanghui’s subtle emotional shift, giving him no chance to breathe before thrusting his spear toward Zhao Guanghui’s heart.
At the same time, he shouted sharply,
“Zhao Guangxi, strike!”
A suspended, uncommitted killing move was the true killing move.
Zhao Guangxi had not acted from the start, silently nourishing his spirit, hiding his sword in hand.
Hearing this, his eyes snapped open, wrist flipping, and the Chengping Temple Well Sword unsheathed.
Sword light trembled.
The blade, only an arm’s length, surged with a zhang-high sword light, splitting the night like a falling meteor, even illuminating the surrounding mud with a cold white glow.
In terms of power, it was not inferior to Liu Qingyi, this Slay Five Thieves expert!
Seeing this, Qiu Chen also struck, his toes tapping the ground as his long saber slashed out, the saber light thick as a wall, kicking up shards of residual snow from the ground, chopping toward Zhao Guanghui’s side waist.
“When it comes to claiming credit, Qiu Mou cannot lag behind.”
The four unleashed their techniques, each displaying their prowess.
Not far away, at the edge of this smoke and gunpowder, a sneaky figure lay flat on the ground like a civet cat.
Starting with his trump card, twirling the Heart-Piercing Nail on his fingertip, also eager to act.
“You want me dead?!”
“Fine, then die together!”
Death’s crisis flooded Zhao Guanghui like a tide.
In this instant, Zhao Guanghui abandoned all illusions, his face turning ruthless.
The Undying Molting Insect Solution, parasitizing his heart and absorbing essence blood, reluctantly withdrew its mouthparts, revealing the Cicada Molt Yin Plate, which immediately closed, its black-brown shell engulfing Zhao Guanghui entirely, to transform into a Yang Embryo Form!
Eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, intent—the six senses gradually faded.
Wind sounds and weapon clashes became muffled.
Zhao Guanghui only felt his body wrapped in a cold yin force.
Yet a faint mysterious light gradually emanated radiant colors from within the Cicada Molt Yin Plate.
Looking closely, that mysterious light was actually a one-inch-tall little person.
But unlike the withered, zombie-like Lishi.
This little person wore golden armor, with dignified features, eyes free of bloodlust or yin chill, truly resembling the legendary guardian deities, Six Ding Six Jia.
Zhao Guanghui was using himself as a blood sacrifice to refine that Tongue Corpse Ding Jia!!
Zhao Guanghui already had a Tongue Corpse Ding Jia, nurtured for years, just one step from emergence.
If not for someone repeatedly sabotaging from behind—first swapping Nie Zheng’s corpse, then reporting him, drawing so many powerhouses like Liu Qingyi.
And Zhao Guanghui was no ordinary man in cunning.
He vaguely sensed that Li Yaozu, who had inexplicably intruded into the underground palace, was likely bait, deliberately lured here.
Killing two birds with one stone by borrowing Zhao Guanghui’s hand, drawing Liu Qingyi’s fury.
“Don’t let me find out who you are, or whether I become a ghost or Tongue Corpse Ding Jia, I won’t let you go!!”
In Zhao Guanghui’s heart, his hatred for that unseen person far exceeded Zhao Guangxi, Liu Qingyi, and the others before him!
“Attack!”
Liu Qingyi’s spear tip advanced three more inches, spear wind stirring up stone blocks.
Zhao Guangxi’s sword light circled the Cicada Molt Yin Plate, blade sparking.
Qiu Chen’s long saber slashed straight down, finally holding nothing back.
Lu Jing gathered power in his palm, driving intent like a tide, wrapping palm force in thought, crashing down like heaven collapsing and earth splitting, with overwhelming might.
Rumbling!!
Suddenly, the ground cracked open, dirt blocks flying like cannonballs.
Gunpowder smoke scattered then regrouped in the blast waves, stars and moon flickering in and out.
Even the martial artists standing far off were tossed about by the blast.
As the smoke gradually cleared.
“Cough cough cough…”
Liu Qingyi’s arm bore a deep, bone-visible wound scraped by baleful qi, blood staining the spear shaft red, his face pale.
Zhao Guangxi’s tiger mouth torn, hand gripping the Chengping Temple Well Sword trembling, a wry smile on his face,
“It’s been a long time since I fought so desperately—nearly lost my life for real…”
Qiu Chen’s left leg struck by a stone block, limping over with an ugly expression, silent.
Lu Jing’s injuries were the worst; he had been in continuous battle for a month, just returned from demon-hunting in Funiu Water Marsh with unhealed wounds, then joined to ambush Zhao Guanghui.
His whole body swayed unsteadily, on the verge of exhaustion.
The power of their clash just now was too great.
Even Chen Shun’an had silently retreated several zhang, lying flat on the ground without dignity.
“Good thing Chen Mou wasn’t at the front; otherwise, in this fierce fight… I’d have to go all out with every trick to avoid serious injury.”
Moments later, the group slowly gathered.
At the original mourning hall site was now a bottomless deep pit, widest at seven or eight zhang, narrowest at seven or eight chi.
This pit seemed merged with the underground palace, black-brown yin sha qi surging like thick fog from the cave, corroding nearby stone blocks visibly.
Even Liu Qingyi’s clothes eroded small holes upon contact with the yin sha qi, which also eroded qi and blood without mercy.
Seeing this, Liu Qingyi frowned and stepped back, saying,
“Such strong yin sha qi! Poisonous, bone-eroding, and devours qi and blood—impossible to approach.”
Good news: the emerging Tongue Corpse Ding Jia had its gestation interrupted, aborted prematurely.
Not a threat.
However, Zhao Guanghui likely fell into this deep pit, missing alive or dead—a lingering hidden danger.
Lu Jing lightly covered a cough, his palm full of bright red blood.
He discreetly circulated his qi and blood to evaporate the red, then calmly said,
“From the look, at latest in two or three months, this yin sha qi will dissipate completely. Guard it during this time, bar all approach, and we few take turns holding watch here.”
“Once it’s about done, we enter the deep pit. Then each relies on their means to contest the immortal fate.”
The immortal fate on Zhao Guanghui was profoundly mysterious, beyond anything they had seen.
Likely even surpassing that Li Tan Banner.
Everyone naturally coveted it in their hearts.
