016. The Gecko Sheds Its Tail

In the distance, Ziyu, who had been waiting for a chance to strike, looked at the cat demon that had been crushed to a pulp and could not help but marvel, “As expected of a senior—using just an insect as an avatar, you can wield such power!”

Meanwhile, Lu Wu stayed in place, trying to see if he could absorb blood. To his surprise, he found he could.

“This demon’s vitality is truly tenacious. Even after being reduced to a pile of flesh, its body is still trying to reassemble itself.”

Of course, this was simply because the demon cat’s life force was so strong and its death so sudden, its flesh had yet to realize it was dead and was treating all the destruction as mere wounds to be healed. But this process wouldn’t last long. For the moment, he could still absorb blood, but once the cat demon’s life force faded, the blood would quickly lose its vitality.

“It’s remarkable that even after death, these cat demons’ blood remains as fresh as when they were alive.”

“It won’t last, though.”

“I wonder, if the blood of those legendary great demons was extracted, would it remain potent for a long time?”

If one could keep a dragon and draw its blood slowly over time...

How delightful!

Lu Wu quickly absorbed all the essence blood from the cat demon.

“The path of evolution has opened.”

“One: evolve into a fly.”

“Two: mimic a gecko.”

“Three: accumulate spiritual energy and prepare to break through to the Qi Gathering realm.”

Lu Wu chose to mimic a gecko without hesitation.

Once again, his soul totem began to condense.

Just as he thought, after breaking into a new realm, he could form a new soul totem.

The Book of Knowledge updated swiftly:

“Skill gained: Tail Regeneration. Any non-fatal injury less than twenty percent of the body can be rapidly healed.”

Lu Wu’s eyes lit up—this was a truly overpowered ability!

He tried viewing the world through the gecko’s eyes. The clarity was about one-eightieth that of a human’s vision, but at least it wasn’t the compound vision of an insect anymore! More importantly, the gecko’s night vision far surpassed that of humans—about three hundred times better.

Now, he could finally enjoy the superior night vision of a higher animal!

Elsewhere, Ziyu had already dispatched three cat demons with her sword.

At that moment, a distant, agonized scream from another cat demon caught both Lu Wu’s and Ziyu’s attention.

Following their gaze, they saw Zhao Yi and a young man facing off against a cat demon.

This mid-Foundation Stage cat demon was pitch black, similar in size to a house cat, with many gray spots on its body. Every time a spot burst open, it released a cloud of gray mist. While weaving through the fog, the cat demon’s speed increased.

“Uncle-Master Ziyu, we’re here to help you!” The young man chased after the cat demon, sword in hand.

The patches of mist produced by the cat demon weren’t large—about half a meter across—but as the cat demon darted through them, its speed clearly exceeded normal.

The Book of Knowledge updated: “Shadow Cat Demon, mid-Foundation Stage. Ability: Generates gray mist, increasing its power by thirty percent while within.”

Ziyu frowned for a moment, then raised her sword and joined the fray.

Working together, the three quickly subdued and killed the mid-Foundation Stage Shadow Cat Demon.

Their victory soon drew a horde of cat demons, which gathered around them. In the growing darkness, countless ghostly lights glimmered—the eyes of the cat demons.

Ziyu asked, “Weren’t you two headed for the Little Spirit Spring?”

Xingnan, out of breath, replied, “Uncle-Master, in the Demon Suppression City... I saw what happened in Nange Village and wanted to bring Junior Sister here to see if we could put an end to the demon threat.”

“We didn’t expect to find you here, Uncle-Master Ziyu.”

Ziyu nodded. “Every one of these cat demons is late-Foundation Stage or stronger. I’m afraid you two can’t handle them. You should withdraw from Nange Village and let me clear them out slowly.”

Zhao Yi brushed aside her hair and wiped the sweat from her brow. “Uncle-Master, it was my fault for offending you before.”

“But we truly came to help.”

“With demons running rampant and mortals falling victim, how could we bear to stand idly by?”

“As cultivators, it is our duty to eradicate demons and uphold the Dao!”

“Please rest assured, Uncle-Master, we brought an excellent treasure.”

Ziyu’s interest was piqued. “Oh?”

Zhao Yi produced a blazing talisman. “This is a Flame Armor Talisman. It can conjure a suit of fire armor for you, Uncle-Master.”

“It will shield you from demonic attacks.”

“Unfortunately, it’s single-use—once expended, it’s gone.”

Lu Wu glanced at the Book of Knowledge.

“Flame Talisman: an explosive, single-use spiritual treasure. Within ten feet, it is unstoppable by anyone below mid-Qi Gathering level.”

Lu Wu: What?

Ziyu, unaware of this, asked curiously, “How did you come by such a treasure?”

Zhao Yi replied, “A family elder gave it to me, afraid I’d encounter danger on my first mission.”

Lu Wu thought, “Ziyu, can’t you see through such a flimsy lie?”

Ziyu did not see through it. Instead, she thought, “With this talisman, I can exterminate the demons even faster.”

Zhao Yi continued, “I’ll activate it. Uncle-Master, please sheathe your sword and prepare for the fire armor.”

Ziyu put away her Phoenix Dragon Sword Embryo. “Go ahead.”

Lu Wu shook his head at this foolish girl.

Mosquito’s wingbeat frequency, butterfly’s flight distance, rhinoceros beetle’s size, ant’s strength amplitude, fly’s agility, mantis’s explosive power—activate!

A blossom of flame flew toward Ziyu, unfurling slowly before her.

Ziyu realized at once that the fire was not forming armor but was instead erupting outward violently.

With no time to evade, she vanished from sight in an instant.

Zhao Yi watched as the flames detonated, a scorching barrier filling the air, obliterating everything before her eyes.

“Hahaha, nothing left—not even ashes!”

Xingnan said, “Junior Sister, now that I’ve killed that little wretch Ziyu for you, how will you thank me?”

Zhao Yi’s eyes glittered with flirtation. “Senior Brother, how do you want me to thank you?”

Xingnan’s expression shifted from stern to lewd. “What do you think, Junior Sister?”

Zhao Yi hesitated, then said coyly, “Oh, stop—it can’t be here, can it?”

At that moment, behind them, Ziyu stood frozen.

Lu Wu sent a message with his primordial spirit: “Have you realized now?”

Ziyu’s resentment took shape in her voice, cold as ice: “From now on, I’ll trust no one but you, Senior.”

Hearing her voice, Xingnan and Zhao Yi stiffened in terror.

“How…how is it possible? She just broke into Qi Gathering—how did she survive the Flame Talisman…”

Xingnan cried, “Grab hold of me!”

Zhao Yi snapped out of her daze and clutched at Xingnan.

Xingnan immediately deployed a flying vessel.

When not in use, it resembled a cigarette case; when activated, it instantly enveloped them both.

Xingnan was frantic. “Damn, if Ziyu’s alive, we’re dead. We have to escape!”

Zhao Yi panicked. “We can’t go back?”

“Go back? Go back and wait for the sect to destroy us utterly?” Xingnan shouted.

“To attack and assassinate a senior of our own sect, to betray our teachers—how could we have failed, how could this have happened!”

“Hurry!”

Lu Wu, now perched in Zhao Yi’s hair, sent a message: “Ziyu, take care of the remaining demons—be careful. I’ll go with them; once I’m done, I’ll return.”

……

After fleeing several miles, Xingnan stopped the vessel. “We can’t keep using this—it’ll be recorded if we pass other cities, and the sect will find us easily.”

“We’ll hide in the woods.”

Beneath the moonlight, the two slipped through the forest and found a cave, likely an old bear’s den.

Inside, Xingnan panted, blood vessels bulging in his eyes. “Damn it! How could this happen?”

“How did she survive the Flame Talisman?”

Zhao Yi was frantic. “What are we going to do now?”

Xingnan’s chest heaved as he muttered, “What now? Now I can only hide my identity and find a place to disappear.”

Zhao Yi didn’t notice that Xingnan had said “I” instead of “we.”

Xingnan turned and glared at Zhao Yi. “Damn it, I became a traitor to the Grand Void Sect for your sake!”

His eyes swept over her. “Take off your clothes.”

Zhao Yi froze. “What?”

Xingnan seized her by the hair. “You wretched slut! I ruined my future for your sake!”

“I’m furious right now!”

“Senior Brother… we’re in this together now. Is this really the time for that? We should be planning our escape—I can contact my uncle…”

Xingnan interrupted with a cruel smile. “You’re still hoping for a comeback? It’s over! We’re finished!”

“I’ve been the disciple of a prestigious sect for ten years—now it’s time to see what a woman is really like.” With that, he tore Zhao Yi’s dress.

As Zhao Yi clung to her arms, Xingnan pressed in.

“Dragging you along, you foolish, troublesome woman—where could I possibly escape to?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll have my fun and then give you a quick end, then escape on my own.”

Confronted with a side of Xingnan she’d never seen, Zhao Yi was stunned. “Senior Brother… what are you saying?!”

Lu Wu sighed inwardly. If he could kill demons for you, why not kill you as well?

Wasn’t this filthier, more wicked, and more evil than any demon?

The ocean is ten thousand fathoms deep, yet has a bottom; the human heart is but three inches, and unfathomable.

In the next instant, Lu Wu spoke: “You two deserve death. But before you die, you’ll serve one last purpose.”