Chapter 1032: Qing and Niu Enter Devilbird (Green and Ox Enter Devilbird)
The frigid wind blew over the ice plains, sending snowflakes flying everywhere.
The woman in the snow seemed incredibly beautiful and charming. But as far as Xu Qing was concerned, those good looks were as unrealistic as flowers in a mirror or the moon in the water . He looked up at Erniu.
“Eldest Brother,” he said coolly, keeping a firm grip on the recording jade slip. “There’s a hole in the plan.”
Erniu’s eyes flitted to the jade slip. Inside, he was muttering apprehensively. There was no doubt about it. To someone like Erniu who valued face a lot, this particular strategy being employed by Xu Qing was deadly, to say the least. At the very least, Erniu simply couldn’t be as cocky as normal.
Erniu cleared his throat. “What hole? You mean the fact that Feng Lintao has a bounty on his head again?”
Xu Qing nodded.
“I already accounted for that,” Erniu said. “Granted, that bounty on Feng Lintao isn’t ideal. But Yue Dong can have more than one puppet.”
Erniu waved his hand, and a coffin flew out of his bag of holding to land with a thump on the ice. It was pitch black and covered with a host of magical symbols. And it was sealed tightly with a handful of nails. Erniu performed an incantation gesture, and the nails started shaking. A moment later, the nails pulled out of the lid, the magical symbols flared, and the coffin opened.
Out stepped a zombie that looked like a seven- or eight-year old child. It was pitch black from head to toe, with necrotic patches all over it. What was more, it pulsed with the fluctuations of the great circle of Void Returning.
“You see,” Erniu continued, “we don’t need to rely on Six Thieves Deceive Life to actually make any puppets. I found this one right inside of Yue Dong’s bag of holding. I got the details about it from Yue Dong’s own memories. This used to be her Junior Brother.“Yue Dong comes from a very famous family in the Devilbird holy land, and her Master, in a past life, was the ‘grand immortal adept.’ Yue Dong and her Junior Brother were at odds with each other for years until Yue Dong eventually put him to death and refined him into a zombie puppet.”
Erniu clicked his tongue mockingly. “Yue Dong eventually achieved a cultivation base breakthrough, whereupon the puppet became obsolete. But she kept it around to occasionally bring it out and torment it. That alone shows you how much she hated this Junior Brother of hers. Therefore, little Ah Qing, doesn’t this impress upon you how amazingly your Eldest Brother treats you? You should really treasure that!”
Xu Qing nodded.
Feeling very pleased, Erniu decided he had done enough educating. He pointed at the coffin. “Little Ah Qing, you can feel free to transform into him now. Take this medicinal pill to help the process.”
Erniu tossed a black medicinal pill to Xu Qing. It was none other than one of the Garmentfolks’ shadeheaven demonmoon pills.
Xu Qing caught it, looked at the zombie, and then quietly said, “How many times can the pill be used, Eldest Brother?”
Erniu chuckled darkly. “Don’t worry. It’ll work several times in a row. If you don’t like this puppet, then after we get to the holy land, we can find another hot female cultivator similar to Yue Dong. That would be an even better fit for you. And then the twin beauties Qing and Niu could really shake things up in that holy land!”
Erniu suddenly looked very proud.
Xu Qing acted as though he hadn’t heard any of Erniu’s lofty aspirations. He pushed the medicinal pill against his forehead, whereupon a black energy swept out, turning into a garment that covered him.
From Erniu’s point of view, Xu Qing was transforming. He shrank down, his skin turned pitch black, and a host of necrotic patches popped up all over him. A strong aura of death began to swirl around him. The entire process lasted for the time it takes an incense stick to burn. After it was over, a boyish zombie stood in front of Erniu.
Xu Qing opened his eyes. They were pure white. The contrast they formed with the pitch black skin made him look like an evil ghost, the mere sight of which was shocking to the core.
“Most excellent!” Erniu said, licking his lips.
Xu Qing turned to look at the body in the coffin, then he looked at Erniu. Suddenly, he waved his hand. The Grand Emperor needle appeared, shot forth, and began stitching the zombie’s fate and karma to Xu Qing. When that was accomplished, Xu Qing sent the needle flying to Erniu, The work continued, causing Yue Dong’s fate and karma to be grafted onto Erniu. The end result was that all such karma, fate, and aura was deeply a part of both of them. Ɍ𝔞ΝốΒÈS
“Perfect!” Erniu exclaimed, his eyes shining proudly. Beckoning, he continued, “Let’s go, Junior Brother. It’s time to go home!”
Erniu shot up into the air toward the sky.
A host of threads spread out from Xu Qing in his boyish zombie form, which connected to Erniu. They were the representation of the immortal skill of Six Thieves Deceive Life. The presence of that immortal skill was the final cover concealing their subterfuge.
As Erniu flew up, he looked up, performed a double-handed incantation gesture, and then waved his hands above his head.
That motion caused a rift to open up. It was like a wound in the sky, and it was so unstable that it started closing almost immediately. It was a magic Erniu had taken from Yue Dong’s memories, and it created a teleportation that led directly back to the Devilbird holy land.
The moment it appeared, anticipation flashed in Erniu’s eyes. However, he quickly suppressed it. With icy eyes and a cold face, he strode into the rift.
At the same time, he grasped the fate connected to the zombie puppet and... pulled it with him into the rift. In an instant, the two of them vanished.
The rift closed. Only the cold wind remained, covering everything and sweeping with it the snowflakes of the north.
The teleportation process was guided by a mysterious power that locked onto the two of them to check their identity. The thorough inspection included a check into aura, blood, and fate.
***
In the east of the Devilbird holy land, quite a distance away from the Grand Emperor dao altar, there was a vast plane known as Heavenfall. In that location, a spring wind carried with it birdsong and the fragrance of flowers. There was virtually no mutagen here. The spirit energy there was so strong it could be considered rare in Revered Ancient.
It was a place that could well be called a celestial paradise, and it was also home to a teleportation portal. The portal connected to Revered Ancient, and was one of the ways that Devilbird cultivators could return to their holy land.
There were currently about a hundred Devilbird cultivators seated cross-legged around the portal. They wore silver robes embroidered with starry sky designs. The fluctuations they emanated were extraordinary, and all of them had wings. The cultivation base levels were varied. The weakest were in the Nascent Soul level, with the most powerful being five- or six-world Smoldering Gods.
Their job during this time of war was to guard the teleportation portal and check the identities of everyone who came through it. Although the spell formation itself would weed out any non-Devilbird infiltrators, the fact that a war was on meant that there couldn’t be any slip-ups. And thus, this team of cultivators was here to do additional inspections. Their primary task was to check whether or not the people coming through the portal had their names in the holy lands’ records. If necessary, they could forcefully inspect travelers’ bags of holding.
At the moment, the light of the teleportation portal flared, and powerful fluctuations rolled out. The surrounding cultivators’ eyes locked onto the portal, and they activated their cultivation bases. They looked like they were ready to face any enemy who came through.
A moment later, a burst of snow shot out of the portal as two figures emerged, one tall, one short. It was a boy and a woman.
After a few breaths of time passed, the portal deactivated. There on the platform stood Xu Qing in the form of a zombie and Erniu in the form of Yue Dong. Xu Qing’s face was expressionless. He was supposed to be a puppet, and a zombie, so he didn’t need to reveal even the slightest bit of emotion. All that work was to be handled by his Eldest Brother.
Erniu didn’t disappoint. He stuck his chin up, and with a cold expression on his face, he walked toward the stairs leading off the portal.
When the surrounding Devilbird cultivators saw ‘Yue Dong,’ their expressions flickered, and some of them chose to clasp hands and bow.
“Greetings, Immortal Adept!” they said. When Xu Qing heard that form of address, he didn’t react at all. He just followed Erniu.
Erniu ignored everyone. Just as he was about to walk off the portal, a person stepped out of the group of cultivators.
“Halt!” he barked.
Erniu looked over. “You’re going to stop me?”
The cultivator hesitated briefly, then took a deep breath. “Protocols are stricter because of the war, and I’m in charge here. I hope you can understand. Immortal Adept Yue Dong, I know that you had an exit permit, which means you’re allowed to come back. However, there is no record of your zombie puppet, which means that we have to perform an inspection. If the puppet passes the inspection, then as long as you explain who he is, that should suffice.”
Erniu looked back at him expressionlessly.
The cultivator gritted his teeth and performed an incantation gesture to unleash a magical technique. As the power of the spell formation swept over Xu Qing, the cultivator took out a jade slip to check whether or not this puppet was actually from the holy land.
The inspection didn’t take long. Afterwards, the cultivator breathed a sigh of relief. That said, he was still slightly suspicious about the zombie.
“He’s my Junior Brother,” Erniu said coolly. “Back when we were fighting over the position of immortal adept, I refined him into a zombie puppet.”
Her words caused the surrounding cultivators’ hearts to pound. They all knew who Yue Dong was, and were aware that, in a previous life, her Master had been the famous grand immortal adept of the eastern Devilbirds.
That meant that he was in charge of the eastern Immortal Skills Hall. In the holy lands, immortal skills weren’t just passed around to anyone. Most people would be lucky to encounter even one, and even then, would rarely do more than master the basics. The most terrifying of the immortal skills were kept secure in the Immortal Skills Halls, and only those with the title of immortal adept could study them.
The cultivators present had heard stories about how Yue Dong refined her Junior Brother into a zombie puppet. But this was their first time seeing the actual puppet. Erniu’s words caused the cultivator in charge to mutter apprehensively to himself. If this were any other person, he could demand that they submit to a thorough inspection. But he was actually a bit scared of Yue Dong.
Every person who cultivates an immortal skill is a psycho.... Yue Dong has a good relationship with the Lan Clan, and right now, that clan has run into some really bad luck. What’s more, that exalted individual is on the way.... It’s a sensitive time period right now. I should probably stay out of all this.
Having reached the conclusion that this was definitely the best idea, the cultivator backed away to make room for Yue Dong and the zombie puppet to leave the portal.
The group of cultivators watched as the two of them flew off into the distance. Of course, more than a few of them were whispering into transmission jade slips. Almost immediately, word began to spread that Yue Dong was back.
***
Up in the sky, Erniu laughed coolly. “Junior Brother, your new identity is already on the way. It’ll surely find you automatically.”
Hearing that, Xu Qing said, “I hope whoever comes is suitable.”
***
News spread rapidly thanks to the team of cultivators at the teleportation portal. One of the people to be notified was in a mansion grotto on an unassuming mountain in the east of the holy land. When his eyes snapped open, they were as red as blood.
You’ve finally shown your face, Yue Dong. I’ve already traded in the battle credit I earned fighting the humans to get the cultivation resources I need. Now my cultivation base has improved dramatically. Meanwhile, you are connected to the Lan Clan, which is going through a big catastrophe right now. They’re already on the decline. In that case, it’s time for me to track you down and end this grudge between us!
Rumbling sounds echoed out as a figure shot out of the mansion grotto and flew up into the sky, surrounded by a cloud of blood.
***
In another location in the east of the Devilbird holy land was a huge war chariot rumbling through the sky. It was being followed by a contingent of cultivator guards, all of whom had solemn expressions on their faces. The chariot was incredibly fancy. A single glance made it obvious it was extraordinary.
At the moment, excited laughter was ringing out from inside the chariot. “Change directions immediately! We’re not going to the battlefield. We’re going to the Heavenfall Planes!”
The chariot changed directions immediately.
Inside of the chariot was a young man wearing an extravagant gown, with a delicately beautiful face. You’re finally back, Miss Dong’er.... Do you know how much I’ve missed you...? I prayed for you on every one of the 529 days you’ve been gone. Don’t worry, Little Dongdong. I’m not like I was before. From now on, I’ll be around to make sure nobody bullies you.