nashuaworldcup Chapter 113: Power works miracles
Chapter 113: Power works miracles
Beneath the veil of illusion lies the hidden White Lotus Sect stronghold; the dilapidated walls they see outside the crack are the stronghold's perimeter walls.
This is an extremely old courtyard. From the outside, it looks dilapidated and uninhabitable. Visually speaking, if Mo Xunzong were to forcefully break the formation, given the state of the house, it's highly likely he would destroy it along with the structure.
After seeing through the illusionary formation, Ma Jiepu and his companions could sense the chaotic demonic energy within. The pressure wasn't very strong, but it was extremely disorganized. This was caused by the Lotus Sect members locking up various small demons with different attributes together. The demonic power could be suppressed with external objects, but the auras of these small demons would still remain, and they were also mixed together.
The two leaped onto the roof again, and the little fox that had come with them also jumped onto the wall. The gray rat, as usual, stayed on the fox's head, using the fox as a temporary vehicle. Here, it was the smallest and could not fly and climb with the two human-like figures, so it could only stay on the yellow-haired fox's head, acting as a "hat".
Perhaps they were too confident in the external formations, or perhaps they were short-handed. There were no guards at the entrances or in places where enemies could easily jump over, so the defense system was practically non-existent.
It wasn't that there weren't any; there were demon-suppressing talismans pasted on the wall. But Ma Jiepu had already discovered something on the wall and made preparations for the fox and rat, who were also demons. That's why the little fox wasn't burned off by the talisman when it climbed up the wall.
"...It's a legitimate exorcism talisman."
After climbing over the wall, Ma Jiepu tentatively peeled off a talisman to examine it. The neat strokes on it, along with its aura that differed from that of evil and unorthodox methods, indicated that the talisman came from the hands of a legitimate exorcist.
It seems that the other side had considered the possibility of monsters coming to their rescue and had prepared special measures to attack monsters. It's just a pity that among the uninvited guests who came today, there were only two weak monsters. The remaining two main forces were a fox spirit with a special identity, whose cultivation path was more inclined towards immortals than that of monsters, and the other was even more special, as he was not from this world at all.
The so-called special attack methods were useless against them, and their power was not even as great as the formation that Mo Xunzong impulsively stepped on before. They could not create any damage, but at least that one could be triggered normally.
This courtyard is very large and must have been the residence of a very wealthy and powerful person in the past. However, for some reason, it was abandoned in the suburbs and was taken advantage of by the White Lotus Sect.
"What if this was originally the property of the White Lotus Sect?"
Mo Xunzong held the fox in one arm and the gray rat on his shoulder. Because the mansion was very large, they had to jump between the rooftops to make it easier to search. He disliked that the fox's short legs made it too slow to climb the rooftops, so he simply picked up the two small animals and carried them with him.
Thus, the two little demons, who were at the bottom of the list of spirits, experienced what it meant to fly ahead of time. As the most inconspicuous part of ordinary fox spirits, the little fox was at most good at jumping and could climb rooftops, but it was impossible for it to leap over a large area. Compared with the fox spirit Ma Jiepu and the innate Mo Xunzong, its speed was indeed not good.
"Isn't the White Lotus Sect a history of several hundred years? Since it has a lineage, it's possible that some of its businesses have been passed down."
"That's certainly possible, but..."
Theoretically, this is possible, but the White Lotus Sect...
"The White Lotus Sect is mostly composed of ordinary people, whose lives are short, lasting no more than a hundred years. Moreover, there are changes in dynasties, wars, and even internal sectarian shifts..."
Putting aside others, even considering the lifespan limit of a mere mortal, it's difficult to guarantee the continuation of a White Lotus sect member's legacy, no matter how high their social status. This is a cult that the government has been suppressing, sending people to crack down on it every now and then. The higher someone's position in the sect, the harder it is for them to remain neutral.
Even a mage who knows magic can be surrounded and killed if he is not careful. In such a chaotic situation, is it possible to leave behind a legacy?
"What if?"
Mo Xunzong countered with a question.
"Anyway, in our place, even if a villain is sealed away for hundreds or thousands of years, when he breaks free of the seal, he can continue his evil deeds from a thousand years ago. Even if he dies, someone will take over his legacy and use it for their own purposes."
The White Lotus Sect is in chaos. Many sects' rules and beliefs are short-lived, perhaps only active for a few decades before disappearing. But in the future, new sects will be reorganized with various motives. What if some geniuses emerge from these sects and unearth the legacy of their predecessors that was not confiscated?
There's something I've wanted to say for a long time.
Once again, he heard from Mo Xunzong about the alleged villainous deeds of someone from his hometown. Combining this with the stories of several Xiantian people he had known before, and recalling the bits and pieces he had learned from their conversations, Ma Jiepu had a complaint he had wanted to say for a long time, but he dared not say it to their faces because of the lofty and impressive image of the people he had met.
Mo Xunzong looked young and had the impulsiveness typical of young people, so there was basically no pressure in getting along with him. Taking advantage of this time, Ma Jiepu decisively vented his frustrations.
"Why are there so many evil people in your area?"
The White Lotus Sect is full of powerful beings with hundreds or thousands of years of cultivation, and they frequently engage in cults that sacrifice living people, rule the world, destroy the world, and invade the world. Compared to them, the heinous crimes here are just rebellion, and the White Lotus Sect even seems to have a bit of a "benevolent look".
"I don't know either. Maybe the Bitter Realm is rich in resources and has outstanding people?"
Mo Xunzong shrugged. Top masters and villains emerge one after another, then die one after another, and then appear one after another. How can this not be considered a place with outstanding people and resources?
Following the chaotic aura of the little monsters, they finally found the place where they were imprisoned. The house had obviously been altered by later generations; the outer walls were dilapidated, but there were many new houses inside. A large area that should have been the backyard had been cleared out as a temporary storage area for the monsters.
There were many cages piled together, some large and some small, with varying numbers of yellow talismans pasted on them. Mo Xunzong and his group were standing on the roof of the only house here, quite far away, and could not see the incantations on the talismans.
But it's obvious that it was to suppress monsters and prevent the imprisoned from escaping.
These talismans must have given the guards confidence; they only saw two people standing guard there, both of them focusing intently on one of the cages.
Inside the cage was a fox curled up in a ball. Its cage was covered with the most yellow talismans; if it were less, people outside wouldn't be able to see the creature inside.
Make sure there are only two people guarding this place. Don't jump down, knock them out with lightning speed, and then put the fox you're carrying on your arm on the ground.
Having heard from Ma Jiepu about the fox and the gray squirrel seeking help, and knowing that their relatives and friends had been captured, the fox, now seeing the one being taken special care of, assumed that this was the companion the little fox was trying to save, and so it put it on the ground.
Those captured were all minor demons with extremely low cultivation levels; many couldn't even speak human language fluently. Mo Xunzong didn't have the ability to communicate seamlessly with all things. He released the little fox hoping that the other party could communicate with the other side, and then Ma Jiepu would translate for him.
But as soon as the little fox landed, it bypassed the cage that held the fox and ran to a flat cage in the corner, without even glancing at the fox in front of it.
Similarly, the gray rat on Mo Xunzong's shoulder saw that the two members of the White Lotus Sect had been knocked unconscious and there were no enemies around. It slowly climbed down Mo Xunzong's sleeve and ran straight in one direction after landing, probably to find its captured companion.
"who are you?"
The fox in the cage, which was being given special care, heard the noise, opened its eyes, and immediately spoke in a human voice—the voice of a young woman who spoke very fluently.
"We've come to save you."
Ma Jiepu peeled off the yellow talisman from the cage. When he was halfway off, the fox inside looked at the two people on the ground who had been knocked unconscious, then at Ma Jiepu and Mo Xunzong, stood up, and moved closer to the edge of the cage.
Then, the two saw the fox inside undergo a strange transformation, its body becoming narrower and narrower, like a piece of paper with only two sides, easily passing through the gaps in the cage.
There was still a rope around its neck. The fox shook its body and returned to its original form. It stood upright and walked on its hind legs. With a hook of its two front paws, it pulled the rope down. Then it transformed into a charming girl of fifteen or sixteen years old.
The whole process was so smooth and seamless that the cage and talismans were practically just for show.
"With your cultivation level, you won't be caught."
Seeing that the other party had come out on its own, Ma Jiepu lowered his hand. There was no need to investigate further. The changes just now had fully demonstrated the fox demon's abilities. With such cultivation, how could it have been captured?
"They didn't arrest me, I came here on my own."
The woman readily admitted that if she hadn't taken the initiative, these people, with their mediocre skills, wouldn't have been able to catch her even in ten years.
"I heard some scoundrels were bullying the little devils, so I sneaked in to see what they were up to."
The woman's surname was Hu, and she called herself Fourth Sister. She was a powerful demon who had already cultivated to the point of condensing her inner core. She came here after hearing about what the White Lotus Sect was doing, and deliberately sneaked in to see what was going on.
She originally intended to remain hidden until she caught up with the mastermind and subdue the monster, but tonight she unexpectedly encountered rescuers. Ma Jiepu was a capable fox spirit, which she could tell, but Mo Xunzong seemed rather strange to her. He claimed to be a Taoist, but he was very different from the Taoist priests with peach wood swords she remembered.
“During these days, some people have brought in the corpses of monsters, which they have stored in the cellar. Apart from the two who are on night watch, the rest of them are in the houses on the west side.”
Hu Sijie wasn't angry that her plans were disrupted. She had only come with the intention of joining in the fun. During the time she was "imprisoned," she had escaped from the house several times, not to run away, but to explore the structure of the house.
For her, this place is hers to come and go as she pleases, as free as her own backyard. Every time she is caught and put back in the cage, it is because she deliberately reveals herself, otherwise no one can catch her.
"I've heard a lot these past few days. They capture spirits to extract materials for their purposes. They instinctively skin and dismember the dead, and the living..."
Sister Hu paused, recalling how, in recent days, her transformation technique had led the leader here to believe she possessed a special bloodline, thus placing her under strict surveillance.
In reality, she didn't have any special bloodline. Her cultivation was simply high enough that the talismans used to suppress minor demons were useless against her. The ability to freely twist her fox body into different shapes wasn't particularly rare; foxes are naturally adept at transformation, and with enough time and focused practice...
"Among the living ones, they would also find those with special backgrounds, specifically kept for the higher-ups to see, probably for other uses as well."
If it's just for materials from fairies, they should find those who are more famous. They shouldn't let their subordinates grab everything. Just like herbalists, even if they work hard for money, they wouldn't pull up weeds and end up not being able to sell anything.
The same applies to materials carried by monsters. Some monsters carry valuable items, while others are worthless. If you really want materials, you should plan ahead to catch the right kind, instead of just catching them indiscriminately just because you think there will be a reward.
The cost of this reward system is completely disproportionate to what is gained.
Have you seen the people up there?
"No, they haven't arrived yet."
Sister Hu sighed. She had never seen or heard of this person; the White Lotus Sect was quite good at keeping secrets.
"But I heard that some Asura has emerged in the White Lotus Sect. I guess it's that guy?"
"Asura King?"
While listening to Sister Hu's words, Mo Xunzong released the other imprisoned monsters. Hearing a familiar term, he turned around and asked a question.
It may be impolite to say this, but it feels like the ability to subdue countless calamities has already become a legend in the White Lotus Sect. In some time, it might even evolve to the point where it can stop a child from crying at night.
"This is it... What are you doing?"
Hu Sijie looked at Mo Xunzong and fell silent after seeing his actions.
"Dismantle the cage."
Mo Xunzong didn't understand why Sister Hu was looking at him with such a complicated expression.
"...You dismantled the cage with your bare hands?!"
Even after the yellow talisman was removed, many little monsters still couldn't escape. The key to the cages wasn't on the two night watchmen, and destroying the locks one by one was also troublesome. Apart from the cage that held Hu Sijie alone, the other cages were full of little creatures crammed together. If Mo Xunzong used his sword to slash them, there was a risk of accidentally injuring them.
So, considering his own circumstances, he chose a time-saving method: he simply grabbed the cage bars, pried them open, and there it was!
Mo Xunzong thought this was the fastest way. Ma Jiepu already had some understanding of the innate people, so he wasn't surprised. Only Sister Hu thought something was wrong.
This cage can't hold monsters, mainly because of the magical aspect. There are talismans that suppress them, so they can't use magic and can't escape. But physically, it's a solid iron cage, the really hard kind.
During the self-introduction, she remembered Mo Xunzong saying he was a human, right? A very ordinary Taoist practitioner, right? What ordinary Taoist has such great strength?
Hu Sijie watched helplessly as Mo Xunzong grabbed an iron railing in each hand and, while talking to her, bent the railings out of shape without changing his expression.
If, to others, Hu Sijie's body resembles dough when she freely transforms into her fox form, then now, within Hu Sijie's world, the iron cage under Mo Xunzong's control looks just like dough.
"What spell did you use?"
"Without using magic, this thing isn't very hard."
In the exchange of questions and answers, Mo Xunzong easily destroyed another seemingly very sturdy iron cage. The sound of steel being violently bent made Hu Sijie's teeth ache.
Hu Sijie had some doubts about Mo Xunzong's race. She turned to Ma Jiepu and asked him, since they were of the same race, he shouldn't be lying to her.
"...What exactly is his background?"
"...It's a person."
Ma Jiepu understood what she meant. He didn't want to investigate her background; he just wanted to ask if the person who dismantled the iron cage with his bare hands was human.
"Is it really a person?"
Sister Hu: Isn't this wrong?
"He's really human."
Ma Jiepu: You'll get used to it.