Chapter 762: Weird Devouring Power
Chapter 762: Weird Devouring Power
Hearing this, Shen Li took out something from his arms, which was a palm-sized sculpture of the City God.
As a golden light lit up from the center of the sculpture’s brow, the sculpture seemed to come alive and opened its eyes.
“Esteemed elder, could you please examine the nature of the black mist surrounding us?” Shen Li asked respectfully.
The City God surveyed the area and looked a little surprised. “This is the Plague Dao of the Lord Plague.”
“The Plague Lord, who is that?” Qin Feng asked curiously.
“The Plague Lord is a god that controls plagues. Its strength may not be the highest, but it’s Plague Dao is greatly feared by the gods and demons, as it can erode the flesh and spirit of others.”
“During the descent of the gods and demons in the past, the Plague Lord unleashed a plague that turned an area a hundred miles wide into a land of the dead in an instant.”
“But after that battle, the Plague Lord’s name disappeared from the Destiny Monument, so it should have perished completely.”
As the City God spoke, it looked towards the source of the black mist, spotting the ghastly Ghost Buddha, and sighed, “I see.”
“What do you mean?” Qin Feng asked, perplexed.“These bizarre creatures can read the memories of what they devour. And if the devoured possess a technique, they can even make it their own.”
“Now it appears that the Plague Lord did not die in the gods and demons’ battle, but was instead devoured, allowing this creature to wield the Plague Dao.”
Fuck, Qin Feng’s eyes widened, his heart racing with shock.
Not only do these things possess immortal abilities, but they can also steal others’ techniques by devouring them. Just what kind of monsters are they?
At that moment, a labored breathing sound came from the side.
Turning his head, Qin Feng saw that fine black markings had appeared on Senior Brother Shen Li’s face.
Though the Literature Saint Dao Lineage had Righteous Qi that could protect them against a hundred poisons, making them naturally resistant to plague miasma, in the face of a powerful Dao, they could only hold out a little longer than others.
Given time, they would inevitably be affected as well!
As for the condition of the rest, it was far more severe than Shen Li’s.
His two wives and Gong Cang were seated in a lotus position, straining to circulate their spiritual energy to resist the plague’s erosion, but their flesh and blood were still deteriorating at a visible pace.
The weaker ones could even see the stark white bones beneath their decaying flesh!
Fu Ruoyun and Bai Wudi were struggling to maintain their stance, while also launching attacks against the Ghost Buddha, hoping to disrupt its continued release of the plague miasma.
However, in their current state, how could they possibly inflict any meaningful damage on the Ghost Buddha?
“Where’s the Patriarch?” Qin Feng hurriedly looked around.
The rolling black mist obscured his vision, and he could not see the Patriarch’s figure anywhere.
The plague technique was indeed formidable. Continuing like this was not a viable solution, Qin Feng’s expression turning grim.
At that moment, Shen Li managed to ask with difficulty, “Little junior brother, why are you completely unaffected?”
“Huh?” Qin Feng paused, that’s right, why was he completely unaffected?
The black mist was swirling all around, and it was even seeping into his body, but the plague energy was sinking into him like a stone in the ocean, without causing any ripples.
Expanding his spiritual awareness, he examined himself, and the truth became clear.
Within the Divine Sea, the black and white energies had once again transformed into the pattern of the yin-yang fish and were continuously circulating.
And the plague energy that had entered his body was being completely absorbed by the yin-yang dao!
Qin Feng paused for a moment, then realization dawned on him: ‘This plague energy is a part of the Plague Lord’s Plague Dao. Since it is a Dao, it can be absorbed by the black and white Qi!”
“Wait, if that’s the case, then this dense black mist is actually just nourishment for the yin-yang dao?”
After realizing this, Qin Feng’s previous apprehension towards the surrounding black mist vanished.
Focusing his thoughts, he connected with the yin-yang dao, and opened his right palm – in moments, the black and white energies surged forth, transforming into the yin-yang fish pattern in front of him.
“Absorb!”
The yin-yang fish began to rotate, and the rolling black mist was drawn into it.
Liu Jianli and others discovered the abnormality and all opened their eyes. The plague energy was constantly being extracted from their bodies, and the strange black markings on their skin were rapidly receding.
The City God looked at the yin-yang fish and was quite shocked. “This is… have you mastered the yin-yang dao?”
“Only slightly,” Qin Feng replied nonchalantly, putting on a bit of a show.
While guiding the yin-yang fish to devour the plague energy, he also summoned Bai Su.
Although the black mist was being suppressed, and the plague energy was being extracted from their bodies, the damage had already been done. He needed Bai Su’s healing lightning to help everyone recover.
Especially for those weaker Third Realm cultivators, whose flesh had already started to decay – without treatment, they would surely perish.
“Bai Su,” Qin Feng called out.
The little fellow responded with a chirp, and the tender sprout on its head emitted a verdant glow.
Green lightning, like serpents, coursed through the bodies of the group, restoring the color to their pallid faces. Even those whose flesh had decayed were quickly healing.
“Huh? I don’t feel pain anymore.” Bai Wudi clenched and unclenched her fists, feeling her strength fully restored.
Fu Ruoyun glanced at the green lightning in her palm, then turned around. Her comrades and the Prince Chu army soldiers had all been treated, and the rolling black mist was surging towards a familiar figure.
Squinting her eyes, she recognized the person.
“So it was him.” Fu Ruoyun murmured, a hint of sadness flickering in her eyes as another person’s image flashed through her mind.
On the other side, as the plague technique was being devoured, how could the Ghost Buddha not sense it?
However, just as it was about to investigate the source, the eyeball warned, “Retreat!”
Without hesitation, the Ghost Buddha withdrew. At the same time, a black coffin with flowing green markings descended from the sky.
Boom!
The ground caved in, forming a deep rift.
Qin Feng inwardly lamented the missed opportunity – if the coffin had landed perfectly, the opponent would surely have been reduced to dust based on the previous situation.
However, he was completely surprised that despite the Patriarch’s disheveled appearance, as if he had just crawled out of the coffin, he still possessed such power. Not only was he able to withstand the Ghost Buddha’s Plague Dao, but he was also looking for an opportunity to deal a fatal blow!
Pata!
“Huh? What was that sound?” Qin Feng looked up and was startled.
The old man’s left arm was rotting at shoulder level, and a piece of flesh fell to the ground!
The Ghost Buddha let out a cold laugh. “You old fossil, daring to brazenly withstand the plague Dao? Do you wish for death to come even faster?”
Swish!
Fu Ruoyun and the others quickly moved to shield the Patriarch, for his Dao of Life and Death was the key to breaking the opponent’s immortality and they could not afford any mishaps.
Qin Feng also immediately came to the side of Patriarch, and then asked Bai Su to heal the latter’s injuries.
If Bai Su could help the Transcendence Realm Su Tianyue regrow a severed tail, then repairing a mere severed arm should be no problem.
However, to his surprise, the healing lightning passed over the Patriarch’s body without any effect, the decaying flesh and blood remaining unchanged.
“How is this possible?” Qin Feng exclaimed.
The Patriarch seemed to have anticipated this. “Don’t waste your effort,” he said.
As the words left the Patriarch’s mouth, he suddenly exerted force with his right hand, directly tearing off his own shaky left arm, then casually tossing it aside.
Qin Feng stared dumbfoundedly at the severed arm on the ground, momentarily doubting himself.
If he wasn’t mistaken, that was an arm, right? Even though it was completely decayed at the shoulder, it could still be used in a pinch. Why would the Patriarch mutilate himself like that? Did he have a tendency towards self-harm?
The others were equally perplexed by this sight.
But at that moment, as a thumping sound came from within the black coffin, the severed arm on the ground began to rapidly decompose and dissolve in the blink of an eye.
In its place, a new arm grew back onto the Patriarch’s severed limb!
And this new arm was clearly different from the previous one – the skin was taut, the muscles full and vibrant, like that of a man in his prime.
“This…” Qin Feng was utterly dumbfounded. The wonders of the Dao of Life and Death were truly astonishing.
‘No wonder the Patriarch had to self-mutilate. If I had mastered the Dao of Life and Death and ended up like that, I’d probably replace every single part of my body, too.’
‘Hmm, first I should have my second brother restored to his peak condition,’ Qin Feng mused inwardly.
Given the current situation, which seemed to be turning in favor of the human faction, his mood had relaxed considerably.
After all, as long as Commander Fu and the others could restrain the Ghost Buddha for a moment, the Patriarch slamming down the coffin would be able to end the battle decisively.
Seeing the Patriarch’s recovery, Fu Ruoyun also felt a weight lifted from her heart. She quickly passed a message to the others, and in moments, they had formed a fan-shaped formation, facing the Ghost Buddha.
Everyone began to mobilize their inner energy, preparing to unleash their mightiest techniques in a devastating strike against the enemy.
The impatient Bai Wudi was the first to act, her spiritual energy surging wildly. A massive white tiger phantom rose up, towering over the scene, its unfathomable pressure accompanied by shockwaves that swept across the area.
She opened her mouth and let out a thunderous roar, the illusory white tiger’s cry compressed the void and concentrated the fierce winds into a single point and fired it towards the Ghost Buddha, shattering the space along the way.
Fu Ruoyun wasted no time, stepping forward with her left foot and clenching her right fist at her waist.
Taking a deep breath, she unleashed a powerful punch – it lacked the grand display of Bai Wudi’s attack, but the perfection of her ultimate technique was evident.
The fist energy disregarded the constraints of time and space, appearing instantly behind the Ghost Buddha.
With the two Transcendence Realm cultivators’ full-power strikes, they had completely blocked the opponent’s avenues of retreat.
Such an opportunity could not be missed. The Patriarch raised the black coffin with his single arm and hurled it towards the Ghost Buddha’s location.
The coffin shot forth like a meteor, slamming down hard on the convergence point of the raging spiritual energies.
All things fell silent, and even the unquenchable flames in the surrounding area paused for a moment.
The shockwaves from the Transcendence Realm battle were so fierce that Qin Feng was blown away like a kite with its strings cut, the rushing winds making it impossible for him to keep his eyes open.
Liu Jianli and Cang Feilan strained to hold Qin Feng back.
Once the aftershocks had somewhat subsided, the group quickly turned their gaze towards where the Ghost Buddha had been.
Black dust was swirling about, but in the flickering light, a hazy, distorted figure could be seen.
As the dust gradually cleared, the remnants of the Ghost Buddha came into view.
The ghostly hand like a dragon had crumbled into dust, and two of its three Buddha heads had been destroyed, with most of its body having vanished.
Only a half-severed spine remained, along with a heart that was barely still beating.
‘Its injuries haven’t healed, so it should be dead, right?’ Qin Feng stared intently for a moment, then let out a sigh of relief.
However…
Crack!
A crisp sound rang out, causing everyone’s hearts to leap into their throats.
To their astonishment, the Ghost Buddha’s neck twisted slightly, and its heart began to beat once more.
Its bloodied eyes were fixed intently on the Patriarch, and it let out a ghastly laugh. “What a pity, you haven’t fully mastered the Dao of Life and Death, otherwise I might have truly died from that last attack.”
Could it be that the Patriarch’s Dao of Life and Death was like the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms, where the final technique of “Dragon-Subduing with Regret” had not yet been learned? Qin Feng’s expression darkened, but after seeing the Ghost Buddha’s current state, he figured it wouldn’t be able to stir up much trouble.
Fu Ruoyun spoke in a somber tone, “Patriarch, can you still fight? Bai Wudi and I will create another opportunity for you.”
Hearing this, Bai Wudi immediately began cracking her knuckles.
“I can,” the Patriarch replied.
An Mingzhi and the others also stepped forward, flanking Fu Ruoyun to support her formation.
Seizing the opportunity to strike while the enemy was weak, everyone here was determined in their actions, not wasting time with idle chatter. Qin Feng’s sense of security increased rapidly.
Facing this formidable array, the Ghost Buddha’s expression remained impassive. “This Divine Buddha’s incarnation has been around for too long and it cannot withstand too much power. But it should be enough.”
Enough? What did that mean?
Qin Feng felt a growing unease at those words.
The Patriarch raised his hand, intending to summon the sunken black coffin back, but the next sight left everyone present utterly dumbfounded.
The coffin shuddered a few times, then remained motionless.
The City God seemed to have guessed what was happening. “This is not good!”
“What’s going on?” Shen Li asked, furrowing his brow.
“Their techniques, they must have been devoured by the opponent.”
“What?” Qin Feng exclaimed in shock.
As if to confirm the City God’s words, the Ghost Buddha’s body began to convulse, and new Buddha heads and flesh started to regrow.
The robust muscles, the pulsing vitality – it was a far cry from the previous decaying state!
This transformation was identical to the Patriarch’s severed arm regrowing!
“The Dao of Life and Death is indeed extraordinary. It seems your technique was all contained within that coffin.”
“Without that coffin, can you still pose a threat to me?” The Ghost Buddha let out a sinister laugh.
It swept its gaze around the group, its six arms twisting with a crisp sound of bones.
“Well, are none of you going to attack?”
Hearing this, how could Bai Wudi hold back?
“So what if you’ve changed your appearance? I was able to beat you once, and I’ll do it again!”
As the words left her mouth, the massive white tiger phantom appeared once more, but to her shock, it crumbled to dust in mere moments.
A colossal black Buddha manifested on the Ghost Buddha’s head, and its two arms swiftly clapped together. In less than a split second, Bai Wudi was crushed by the palms, spraying blood as she fell from the sky.
“Bai Wudi!” Fu Ruoyun cried out, clenching her fist and unleashing another powerful strike. However, its might was now a mere fraction of her previous attack.
In contrast, the Ghost Buddha’s movements were identical, and a ghostly hand lashed out from the void, slamming into Fu Ruoyun’s abdomen.
Boom!
The shockwave was like a mountain collapsing into the sea, and Fu Ruoyun’s body was instantly sent flying thousands of feet, smashing through several mountains along the way.
“Commander Fu!” The Demon Slaying Department members were drained of all color.
It had truly devoured the techniques of the three, and the attacks it used were the same as what they had employed before. Qin Feng’s heart sank to the depths.
In the blink of an eye, the Ghost Buddha’s figure disappeared from its original spot. When it reappeared, it was standing before the Patriarch, its six arms exerting force to embrace the old man, trapping him like shackles.
And before the horrified eyes of the onlookers, the middle head of the Ghost Buddha opened its mouth to an exaggerated degree and swallowed the old man in one gulp.