The little demons huddled together, peering out through the broken door crack.
“W-what is that thing?”
Not far outside the door, the half-rotted man was circling, dragging chains. His putrid flesh, illuminated by the faint blue light, looked particularly horrifying.
“He's looking over here!” a little demon shrieked, retracting its head and hiding behind a companion.
“Don't push, don't push, let me see too!”
“Oh my, it feels so terrifying.”
The little demons chattered excitedly, scared yet curious, pushing and shoving each other.
Yang Dingding slapped a few little demons on the head. “Quiet down, all of you! Don't make a sound!”
He, however, craned his neck, wide-eyed, and peeked out. After two glances, he gasped, pulled his head back, and looked at Chen Zhou.
“Adult, is that thing the gatekeeper?”
Chen Zhou nodded.
Yang Dingding swallowed. “What is his cultivation level?”
Chen Zhou thought for a moment. “Around the fifth symbiosis contract.”
Yang Dingding's legs went soft; he almost collapsed to the ground.
“F-fifth symbiosis contract?!”
His voice was completely distorted. He quickly steadied himself against the stone wall, preventing himself from sliding down.
Although the surrounding little demons didn't know what a fifth symbiosis contract entailed, seeing Yang Dingding's reaction, they knew the gatekeeper was incredibly powerful.
“Adult, what do we do then?”
Chen Zhou didn't answer, turning to Tao Tuantuan instead. “Do you still have glowing mushrooms?”
Tao Tuantuan was startled.
Yang Dingding was also stunned.
The surrounding little demons exchanged glances, not understanding why Adult suddenly asked this.
“Mushrooms?” Yang Dingding scratched his head. “Adult, what do you need those for?”
Chen Zhou said, “They're useful.”
Although Tao Tuantuan was also puzzled, she didn't ask further. She turned to the little demons behind her. “Everyone, take out all the mushrooms you're carrying.”
The little demons looked at each other, then began pulling out mushrooms from their pockets, pouches, and bundles.
Some took out a few dried mushrooms, others a few glowing mushrooms, and some carefully pulled out a cloth bag from their bosom, opening it to reveal several well-preserved fluorescent mushrooms.
“These are mine.”
“And mine.”
“Adult, my mushrooms are really fresh; I just picked them yesterday!”
The little demons piled the mushrooms together, each contributing a small piece, quickly forming a small heap.
Tao Tuantuan squatted down, gathered the mushrooms, and presented them to Chen Zhou.
“Adult, this is all of them.”
Chen Zhou looked at them; there were about two or three catties, which was enough.
He took the mushrooms and looked at everyone. “You all wait here; this Venerable will be back shortly.”
Jian Huaishuang gripped his sword hilt. “Adult, are you going alone?”
Chen Zhou nodded.
Yang Dingding gritted his teeth. “I'll go with you!”
He grabbed his greatsword, ready to rush out.
Chen Zhou raised a hand to stop him. “No need.”
Yang Dingding grew anxious. “But Adult, that thing is a fifth symbiosis contract...”
“What if it's a fifth symbiosis contract?” Chen Zhou glanced at him. “If you go, will this Venerable protect you, or will you protect this Venerable?”
Chen Zhou patted his shoulder. “Just wait here, don't worry.”
With that, he turned and walked out of the stone door.
Behind him, the little demons held their breath, anxiously peeking through the door crack.
Tao Tuantuan watched Chen Zhou's retreating figure, her lips moving as if to speak, but she ultimately only let out a soft sigh.
Yang Dingding gripped his greatsword tightly, veins bulging on the back of his hand.
“Adult, he...” he murmured. “He'll be alright, won't he?”
Tao Tuantuan softly said, “Since Adult dares to go, he naturally has a plan. Moreover, Adult's words are true.”
Yang Dingding immediately understood. Tao Tuantuan's ability told her that Chen Zhou's earlier statement, “They're useful,” was true.
He was truly just going to test something.
Yang Dingding slightly relaxed, but his eyes remained fixed on the outside of the door.
Chen Zhou walked out of the stone door, his steps neither fast nor slow.
Jiao Mu Jiao immediately detected an intruder within his patrol range. He stopped circling, turned his head, and his amber vertical pupils fixed on Chen Zhou.
“Retreat.”
Chen Zhou continued forward.
Jiao Mu Jiao repeated, “Retreat.”
Chen Zhou still didn't stop.
Jiao Mu Jiao fell silent for a moment, then said, “Die.”
As his voice fell, he flickered, appearing directly before Chen Zhou, and slashed down with his vine sword.
Chen Zhou was prepared. He sidestepped, and at the same time, waved his hand, causing countless bone spears to erupt from the void, stabbing towards Jiao Mu Jiao.
Jiao Mu Jiao didn't dodge or evade, allowing the bone spears to pierce his body.
The bone spears pierced him, drawing out faint blue light, but that light quickly flowed back, repairing the wounds as good as new.
The two exchanged more than a dozen blows in an instant.
Chen Zhou fought and observed simultaneously.
Jiao Mu Jiao's attack methods were simple: swinging, thrusting, and chopping with his sword. He only had those few moves, but each strike carried terrifying power.
His recovery ability was even more abnormal. Hatred Fire burned him, yet he stood in the flames expressionlessly, his wounds healing faster than they burned. When bone spears pierced his body, a flicker of faint blue light instantly sealed the wounds.
He seemed to possess his own consciousness, not entirely in a controlled state, nor could he speak.
“Retreat.”
“Die.”
He just repeated these two phrases over and over.
Chen Zhou retreated as he fought, slowly luring Jiao Mu Jiao further away from the stone door.
Jiao Mu Jiao pursued him, his chains dragging on the ground with a clanking sound.
As they fought, Chen Zhou suddenly pulled out a few mushrooms.
Jiao Mu Jiao's movements paused for an instant.
Just for that instant, Chen Zhou clearly saw a flicker in his eyes, a momentary ripple of emotion.
But soon, he returned to his hollow state, continuing to swing his sword.
As expected, the emerald green tail summoned by the altar reacted to the mushrooms, and Jiao Mu Jiao also reacted to the mushrooms. This meant there was a chance.
Chen Zhou dodged while clutching the mushrooms in his hand.
The mushrooms' fluorescence was very faint, almost invisible under the faint blue light.
Chen Zhou thought for a moment, then activated a wisp of Hatred Fire, igniting the mushrooms in his hand.
The mushrooms instantly burst into flames, radiating a bright glow, like sunlight, yet also like fireflies.
Jiao Mu Jiao's movements ceased.
He stood rooted to the spot, his vine sword still raised in mid-air, maintaining a swinging posture. But his entire being was as if frozen, completely motionless, his amber vertical pupils reflecting the burning light.
Chen Zhou tried taking a step to the side.
Jiao Mu Jiao didn't move.
Chen Zhou summoned a skeleton and had it punch and kick Jiao Mu Jiao.
Jiao Mu Jiao still didn't move.
With a thought, Chen Zhou sent a bone spear erupting from the void, directly piercing his shoulder.
Jiao Mu Jiao was stabbed, recoiling half a step, but his eyes remained fixed on the ball of light, completely motionless.
Just like the emerald green giant tail, Jiao Mu Jiao was hard-controlled by the light emitted from the mushrooms.
But there were too few mushrooms.
Two or three catties of mushrooms burned very quickly.
The flames grew weaker and weaker, and the light grew dimmer and dimmer.
In Jiao Mu Jiao's eyes, the reflection of the light also grew smaller and smaller.
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