Chapter 172
“Those officials are truly handsome,” the Bone China Woman said, her porcelain lips parting to release a chilling breath. “But they can’t compare to me in my prime... I thought I was going to the Wang residence to be a concubine, but who would have thought I’d end up as a blood sacrifice for the Porcelain Mother? You officials really have hearts of stone. But now, it’s your turn. I will turn you into the most exquisite blood-glazed porcelain.”
As she spoke, she grasped a shard of porcelain tightly and raised it high.
Lin Chen sighed, closing her eyes.
Suddenly, a low, ominous howl echoed through the void.
“Jie jie jie! A fish that slipped through the net, I’ve found you!!!”
A web-like crack suddenly appeared three feet behind the Bone China Woman’s head.
Before she could react, a wave of scorching heat surged from the crack, and a massive crimson hand, enveloped in boiling flames, burst forth from the void—this hand was not human, covered in red scales, resembling a demonic claw.
The Bone China Woman’s head was seized, and she struggled helplessly, twisting her body in a futile attempt to escape, letting out a mournful wail.
A sinister laughter erupted from the void.
“Give it to me…”
“Instantly refine it!!!”
…
…
The current title is still too generic. Does anyone have better suggestions?
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Chapter 185: What Should We Do Next?
Lin Chen opened her eyes at the sound.
Before her, the ghost market that had sealed off the entire food street was collapsing inch by inch. The blood-red sky was riddled with cracks, and the malevolent energy melted away like wax under the scorching sun.
“Refine it!”
“Jie jie jie… Refine them all!!”
Three meters above her head, the once-mighty Bone China Woman was frantically struggling to escape the demonic claw, but she was still dragged into the void by her head.
The crack in the void sealed shut.
Silence enveloped the surroundings.
Lin Chen stood dazed for a long moment, shivering.
The echo of that sinister laughter lingered in her ears.
“Oh my God…” she stammered, curling up in a corner that seemed safe, her lips trembling. “If even such a powerful Bone China Woman could be crushed like that… how strong is the malevolence hidden in Jinde Town?”
Her own strength was at the General level.
Her abilities were twofold: first, her body was enhanced through the practice of breathing techniques, and second, she had awakened a supernatural power with the resurgence of spiritual energy—she named this ability “Jue Du Ti” (Absolute Poison Body). Her entire being could secrete potent toxins, including her weapons, which could easily be poisoned.
Currently, there was no antidote for her poison.
Once infected, one could either wait to die or seek help from a healer like Xiao Yuan, or a practitioner of the breathing technique at the third level or above could help expel the toxins.
Among the Resurgence practitioners, she was considered formidable.
But within the General level, especially with the emergence of the breathing technique, the number of Generals was surging, and she was gradually feeling like she might be at the bottom.
Yet, no matter how low she sank, she was still a General.
She could still resist against General-level malevolence.
But against the Bone China Woman, she had no power to fight back. Surely, the Bone China Woman had to be at the Commander level, right? Then what level was the malevolence that crushed her in the void? Was it King level or Emperor level?
The thought sent chills down her spine.
Now, she could only hope that the King or Emperor level malevolence that devoured the Bone China Woman would be satisfied and wouldn’t turn its attention to her, a frail woman.
Huddled in the corner, she waited until the ghost market completely vanished. When Huang Gubei and the other Demon-Slaying Division members found her, Lin Chen finally managed to catch her breath, still shaken.
“Miss Lin, you’re truly impressive! That Bone China Woman, whom those two Generals couldn’t handle, you dealt with her in no time,” Huang Gubei said, detecting that there was no trace of malevolence left in the area, his admiration palpable. “That Governor Chen was right; your relatives are just too useless. The Demon-Slaying Division needs true powerhouses like you!”
Lin Chen: “…”
Wait a minute, even though her relationship with her cousin and uncle was average, did it really warrant such a putdown? But she had no energy to be angry with Huang Gubei right now. The thought of an unknown malevolence, whether King or Emperor level, lurking in the shadows made her feel like she had a thorn in her back.
“There’s no time for this! We have an emergency!” Lin Chen’s expression turned serious. “The malevolence in the ghost market wasn’t killed by me; it was killed by another malevolence!”
“Another malevolence?” Huang Gubei’s face stiffened. “What kind of malevolence?”
“I don’t know. I only heard it shouting something about refining, its voice hoarse like a beast. It reached out a ghostly claw from the void and dragged the Bone China Woman away… I suspect she has already become that malevolence’s meal.”
Recalling the scene of the Bone China Woman being dragged away sent goosebumps down Lin Chen’s arms.
It was the first time she had seen fear and helplessness on a malevolence’s face.
“There’s an even stronger malevolence hidden here?” Huang Gubei was taken aback, his face pale, cold sweat breaking out on his back. The other Demon-Slaying Division members also looked grim, their eyes darting around.
He was already considering resigning; if it came to that, he could request a transfer to another province.
How long had it been since the breathing technique emerged? He thought good days were ahead, but the malevolence that had recently appeared was getting stronger and stronger.
“By the way, Chen Huai’an!” Lin Chen suddenly remembered something and hurriedly said, “Wasn’t Chen Huai’an in the Bone China ruins? The malevolence hiding behind the scenes is likely lurking in the ruins! We need to hurry back and warn him to evacuate…”
“Let’s hope it’s not too late…”
…
…
Meanwhile, in the Bone China ruins.
Chen Huai’an had already refined and absorbed the flesh and blood of ninety-nine malevolences. The malevolence energy that he had yet to fully absorb was now so thick it dripped from his body like black ink.
He dragged the struggling Bone China Woman out of the void, lifting her head high.
“Malevolence, I have a connection with you!”
Chen Huai’an grinned, revealing a sinister smile.
“You can assist me in my cultivation; it’s your honor!”
The Bone China Woman screamed, her body erupting with blood porcelain shards as thin as cicada wings. Yet, these shards, which could easily injure someone like Lin Chen at the General level, left only faint white marks on the black scab that covered Chen Huai’an’s body.
“What are you?”
“What exactly are you?!”
The Bone China Woman felt the malevolence energy emanating from Chen Huai’an, even denser than her own, and was utterly dumbfounded.
The only demonic cultivators that should have appeared were the ones under Emperor Jiang’s command.
But those guardians were nothing like the man before her.
Chen Huai’an felt like a black hole, a gaping maw ready to swallow her and all malevolence whole.
“Who am I?”
Chen Huai’an paused for a moment.
His mind, already on the brink of madness from the overwhelming malevolence energy, jolted back to reality. He placed one hand on his hip and chuckled, “I am the one and only, the charming and handsome Lin Chen!”
“Enough with the nonsense; you’re going to become the foundation of my great path!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, the demonic claw gripping the Bone China Woman’s forehead tightened.
He had already gathered ninety-nine portions.
Just one more, and he could complete the first layer of the Blood Cocoon.
Then he could unlock the second layer, Hundred Bones Resounding, and become even stronger.
“Stronger, become stronger, Qingran baby… jie jie… sing Conquer…”
Chen Huai’an mumbled incoherently, his eyes filled with demonic intent. He suddenly exerted force with his wrist, and with a ‘crack,’ he crushed the Bone China Woman’s skull.
The fragments of the Bone China Woman’s essence scattered under the refinement of the Heavenly Demon Technique, infusing pure demonic energy into his limbs and bones. As he refined the hundred layers of flesh, a wave of pleasure surged through him, causing Chen Huai’an to instinctively stretch his arms upward, the sound of popping like firecrackers echoing throughout his body.
But his mind hadn’t calmed down yet.
He was still in a state of extreme excitement.
He desperately needed to do something to relieve his pent-up energy.
“Boom—!”
Chen Huai’an punched the nearby stone wall, instantly creating a large crater.
He continued to unleash a hundred punches, and amidst the explosive sounds, the Bone China ruins trembled.
Outside, Xiao Yuan and Zhao Ying felt the ground shake, their expressions bewildered.
“Strange, I didn’t detect any malevolence energy. What’s causing this commotion?”
Zhao Ying shook his head, equally puzzled. “Maybe… Chen Huai’an is digging up the ground inside?”
From the blurry images provided by the drone, this explanation seemed somewhat plausible.
…
In the underground palace—
After a hundred punches, he still felt unsatisfied.
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