Chapter 312 - Gong and Drum
Chapter 312: Gong and Drum
With a puff, Tu Mi opened her jaw and spat out the blade of centipede grass which Chi Maojiu had just fed her, “Qilian immortal master, shall we share this between us?”
The blade of grass did not fly high after she spat it out. It dropped downwards again quickly. It stuck onto the other half of Tu Mi’s face which was perfectly fine.
Her shiny saliva was spread out on the leaf. It was green and luxuriant, as beautiful as can be…
Goosebumps rose on the dwarf Taoist priest’s forehead. He hastily took two steps backwards, “I can still bear it. Please, you have it.”
Tu Mi smiled. She struggled and leapt down from Wen Leyang’s embrace. She leaned on her own subordinates and reached out to take the leaf which stuck to her face and said to Wen Leyang and Chi Maojiu, “If you two are awake, it is no difference if my wounds are serious or not. This immortal grass would be wasted on me.” Then, without allowing any objections, she placed the leaf back into Chi Maojiu’s silk sack.
Chi Maojiu exchanged a glance with Wen Leyang. They were in a dangerous spot, as there would be a series of fierce battles soon. It was crucial for them to have a blade of the immortal grass for their own protection, but when they thought about the layer of shining, crystalline saliva…
Tu Mi sighed with extreme relief and waved at her subordinates. The World Sect disciples were full of vigor. Immediately, a dozen of them spread out in all directions to scout the way. At this moment, every one of them had exhaustion all over their faces, but their footsteps were sure and strong. In the blink of an eye, they disappeared from everyone’s sights.
Wen Leyang led the way, while Chi Maojiu brought up the rear. The group grew more powerful as a whole. With the addition of the energy of the World Sect scouts, not only were they perfectly capable of protecting themselves, they even saved many survivors in the place of the outer fringe cultivators along the way.
When it was dusk, they finally found a silent ruin, where there were no monsters in the radius of a few meters. They were tired of running for their lives for the last few days. The cultivators who had long been exhausted finally got to rest for a while.
That night, Wen Leyang and Chi Maojiu took the sentry posts on themselves. The others focused their spirits and utilized their powers to heal themselves.
Wen Leyang calmed his nerves down and thought back in detail about the incidents not long ago. He did not know whether he should laugh or curse at the fact that Nineteen was New Moon.
Chi Maojiu chuckled, “If you knew she was this powerful, you should’ve married her back then!”
Wen Leyang was also amused. He shook his head and diverted the topic, “At the entrance to the place of the outer fringe, the two of us had fought with Kong Nuer’s subordinates. The group of Heaven’s cone nail arbiters had summoned their magical powers and attacked me at the same time.” As he said this, he counted, “Immortal aunt Re, Shudou, Rust, Full Moon and the two Crescent Moons.”
Chi Maojiu did not understand what Wen Leyang meant. He laughed with a blush, “I was preoccupied with the few little kids back then, so I couldn’t be of any help…”
Wen Leyang coughed once and hastily cut him short, “What I wanted to ask was if you could still remember the incantations they chanted, when Full Moon and the two Quarter Moons were casting their magical powers.”
The battle not long ago, especially when the group of Heaven’s cone nail arbiters attacked Wen Leyang with their collective strength, was a complete mess. Chi Maojiu recalled his memories for a while before he nodded, “The First and Last Quarter Moons chanted ‘floating light, flitting shadows’ and ‘snatch away life and death’ respectively. Full Moon shouted…’murderous shadow’…” As he said this, Chi Maojiu was momentarily shocked. After a brief moment, he quickly jumped and repeated with a heavier tone, “Murderous shadow!”
Wen Leyang took a heavy breath, “It’s a murderous shadow!”
During the four years that Wen Shulin spent in Black and White Island, he did more in-depth calculations on the three objects – big flat cake, broken gong and the dog. He derived that the broken gong was Cone Nail, the dog was Qian Ren, whereas the big flat cake’s clue was ‘be free by adhering to fate; have a boundless heart’ and ‘murderous shadow’.
Chi Maojiu could not help but swallow nervously, “Good man! However, you were gravely wounded by the murderous shadow’s magical power in the place of the outer fringe… Going by this trail of logic, would the big flat cake be the Moon cone nail’s arbiter?”
The brothers raised their heads at the same time and looked at the moon which hung in the sky. It was the middle of the month; the moon was as bright as day.
Chi Maojiu asked with slight hesitation, “This moon… looks like a big flat cake?”
Wen Leyang was at a loss for words.
Early the next morning, the dwarf Taoist priest and Tu Mi had regained much of their vigor. Wen Leyang and Chi Maojiu set a garrison Prohibition with poison and Witchcraft. Then, they brought along wooden bells used for communications and left the campsite.
The Prohibition at the edge of the campsite could stand study even if a large group of monsters launched a sneak attack. With Wen Leyang’s and Chi Maojiu’s body movements, as long as they did not go too far, they could rush back in time.
They only returned at dusk. They brought hundreds of survivors with them.
Chi Maojiu and Wen Leyang did not look too good. They had scouted the exit of the place of the outer fringe. It was like a broken irrigation gate, where the monsters’ strength was at its fiercest. The two of them had worked together and attempted to break through three times. Not only were they unsuccessful, Chi Maojiu almost fell into the monsters’ hands during the final attempt. However, he managed to plant the ‘Looking Eye Spell’ at the exit.
‘Looking Eye Spell’ was connected with Ben Ming. The current situation at the exit would be transmitted to Chi Maojiu’s heart in real-time.
Intense disappointment hung on everyone’s faces. They had been charging everywhere before this. Their situation was extremely dire, but they still had a sliver of hope. They looked forward to being led by the two peerless elites, Wen Leyang and Chi Maojiu, to escape after they woke up.
With half a face left, Tu Mi could only manage half a smile, “Do we have… any reinforcements?”
Wen Leyang shook his head, “I don’t know either!”
Their reinforcements had already gathered at the edge of Shiwan Mountains. They were Chang Li, Cone Nail, Hanba and his daughter, Wen Nine, Wen Thirteen, Mumu and her zombie, Kunlun Sect, Eyang Sect, Great Mercy Temple…
Those who were here to watch the show, help out, and the Tuo Xie direct lines who had poured out of their nest, were easily ten thousand in total. The cultivators gathered at the edge of Shiwan Mountains.
Fat monk, Shui Jing, was making magical hand signs. His eyes were shut tight as he searched for the enemies’ whereabouts. The group of core elites stood silently around him as they waited patiently. The Heaven’s cone nail descendants were not to be trifled with. They even obtained Kong Nuer’s formation magic. Under their intentional hiding, they could only hope for Shui Jing to pinpoint their locations.
In the blink of an eye, half a day had gone by. Just when everyone was getting impatient, a sharp sound suddenly broke the skies from afar. Fat monk, Shui Jing’s hand gestures changed. He caught the Buddhist prayer bead which shot towards him. After feeling it in his hand for a moment, he quickly opened his eyes and laughed, “I’ve found them!” As he said this, he stretched out his hand. He pointed on the mountain map which was prepared beforehand.
Chang Li laughed. She lifted the monk, “Let’s go!” As she said this, her body swayed and floated towards the mountain!
The group of elites had reached a consensus on their way here. This time, fighting the Heaven’s cone nail descendants could be said as the decisive battle with the full force of Kong Nuer’s subordinates. No capriciousness or mischief were allowed. Every core elite must muffle their steps after they enter the mountain and move with the group.
The peerless elites, Chang Li, Cone Nail, Hanba and his daughter, Tuo Xie arbiters, Liu Zheng and San Wei’s split body went on before the others. They left marks along the way. Old demon rabbit would lead the rest of the cultivators and follow closely behind them. When they encountered the enemy, they would send word through their communications magic weapons.
Countless orders resounded. The ten thousand cultivators that gathered at the edge of Shiwan Mountains moved at the same time. They each urged their own bodies and went boldly into this extremely dangerous land which had been occupied by countless evil beasts since primordial times.
Chang Li’s beauty flowed silently throughout Shiwan Mountains. Even when she muffled her footsteps, she was extremely swift. The ones who were with her were all people with peerless cultivation bases. In the blink of an eye, they had already disappeared in the depths of the mountain.
The cultivators in the main group were a complete mess. Their many footsteps moved quickly. The most elite among them, Great Mercy Temple and Kunlun disciples, took the lead and brought up the rear respectively. Although the group was in a mess, they were not slow.
Amidst Shiwan Mountains, there was only silence. No Heaven’s cone nail descendants came to attack them, nor did any monsters appear. There were no birds or little beasts, but the group of elites dared not let their guard down, even for a second. Their telegnosis abilities were scattered far and wide from the start. They were halfway through their journey when fat monk, Shui Jing, suddenly exclaimed with surprise. His face was full of puzzlement, before the sky-breaking sound rang again. This time, two Buddhist prayer beads swirled and flew towards him from afar.
Shui Jing caught the prayer beads with his hands. After feeling them for a brief moment, he stammered, “Also, in two more places, there are peerless elites as well…”
Cone Nail took a deep breath. She tried hard to suppress her agitated feelings, “Inside Shiwan Mountains, other than us and the Heaven’s cone nail descendants, are there two other extremely powerful forces?” After she finished, she confirmed again, “In total… there are three unidentified powers?”
Shui Jing nodded, “Correct! But I couldn’t determine their sizes… well, they’re all extremely powerful.”
Although the monk’s art of searching was magical, his cultivation base was truly limited. The strength of these three powers far exceeded his knowledge of cultivation bases. Just as a big mountain and an earth mound looked like sky-high objects in the eyes of an ant, he had no way of differentiating which one of them was higher.
Cone Nail frowned. She gave a heart-breaking hesitation, “Out of these three groups of people, which one of them is the nearest?”
Shui Jing was confident this time. He quickly pointed towards the direction they were headed, “The ones who we’re looking for are nearer!”
The few demon immortals exchanged a glance. Chang Li was the first to step forward, “Let’s start with the nearest!”
The little darling Xiaowu had been sitting in Hanba’s embrace. She suddenly interjected with a question, “There’s also an extremely powerful wild man in Shiwan Mountains. Could he be among these three gangs of enemies?”
The few well-experienced demon immortals nodded at the same time. Cone Nail’s tone relaxed slightly, “That wild burly man will not trouble us, as long as…”
She had not finished when the banging of gongs and drums suddenly rang from the depths of the great mountain!
The sound of the gong was rapid, as if a bunch of strong women were quarreling at high-pitched voices. Their sounds extremely irritated everyone. However, the drumming was slow and heavy; it resembled the footsteps of a primordial great god. Every beat pounded firmly on everyone’s hearts.
This stretch of Shiwan Mountains which seemed to go on to the ends of the earth came to life with the sound of gongs and drums…
The instant the gongs and drums sounded, old demon rabbit, Bu Le, who was leading the main group at the back, quickly stopped. Little demon rabbit Shan Duan beside him raised his head. The edge of his nose twitched rapidly, as if he could already smell the scent of danger.
The leader of the Five Great Monasteries chanted Buddhist hymns. He led the disciples under his seat to form the protective great formation in the blink of an eye. The other cultivators did not need to be instructed. They took out their magic weapons for their own protection. They reminded each other to be careful as they kept vigilant on their surroundings.
After a long while, nothing happened, but the sound of the gong and drum was still as stifling!
A gleam flickered in the old demon rabbit’s eyes. He waited for a while longer but he saw nothing move. Then, he slowly shouted an order, “Don’t put away your protective magic powers. Carry on slowly in formation!”
The huge group started moving again, but nobody had expected that just when most of them took a step, a heaven-shocking loud blast sounded. The ground in the middle of the group suddenly caved in. It was a pit, as wide as a meter and as deep as thirty meters!
Then, strange shuffling sounds sounded ceaselessly. From the center of the pit, densely-packed, iron-armored giant ants surged out like waves. They were larger than puppies. They flooded about a thousand cultivators in a split second. With a roar, every cultivator was flustered. They hastily retreated backwards.
“Buddha, protective spell!” The old demon rabbit stared angrily and bellowed. He made hand signs and a magnificent glow appeared. The protective spell golden dragon appeared from among the clouds. It moved with blazing-heavenly domineeringness. It howled and plunged right into the giant ant’s nest which abruptly appeared just now! The little demon rabbit followed closely behind his master. The monk’s robe he wore turned into grey butterflies. Amidst sharp sneers, a dozen or so Rakshasa moved like lightning. They protected the golden dragon as they too plunged into the ant’s nest.
The people in the huge pit were beyond saving now. The other cultivators had only reacted now. They summoned their all-covering magical powers and rained their attacks mercilessly down at the huge pit. Flowing lights gleamed colorfully, thunder boomed boldly, countless ants were blasted to smithereens by magical powers amidst their squeaking squalls. Putrid thick juices, mutilated limbs and shattered bodies flew everywhere.
The cultivators were intent on killing the monsters, but someone suddenly screamed and pointed all around them! The blasts of the magic weapons had muffled the sound of thundering footsteps. Countless monsters – all red-eyed – under the urging of the gongs and drums, charged towards the cultivators from all directions like waves!
The disciples of Eyang, Kunlun and Great Mercy Temple were orderly and were not flustered even in the face of danger. However, the large group of rogue cultivators and small sects had no rules or codes. They ran in all directions. In the blink of an eye, the entire group turned into a large blind mass. Ten thousand cultivators, not short of good hands, countless magic weapons danced in the air, ceaseless divine light shone, while their shots and mannerisms were extremely fierce and surging. However, fighting in this disarrayed manner was the same as the battle between the cultivators inside the place of the outer fringe and the monsters. Sometimes, a thousand magic powers hit the same monster, but at times, not even one single magic power struck at the other direction…
The old demon rabbit was agitated. He frantically shook the communication wooden bell to request help from the peerless elites in front of them, as he loudly directed the disciples of the Five Blessings to cover for where their defenses were thin.
It seemed that the endless stream of monsters was closing in on them. The cultivators could almost smell the foul breaths of the monsters. Finally, a series of shouts like rolling thunder rang from the edge of the skies! They were either bright, angry, sinister or merciless.
“Bullet swords, heed this order and punish the demons!” Liu Zheng wore a stern expression. The skies darkened suddenly. A long rainbow formed by ten thousand divine swords blotted out the faint sunlight. They rained down on the monsters like a downpour.
“Thousand ghosts, resurrect and don’t turn back!” Hanba’s eyes glowed an eerie green. A puff of netherworldly pale green tore the air. Countless Yin zombies and ghosts crawled out of the ground. They tore and entangled with the monsters around them.
“Heavenly water, auspicious snow, come and go with every season!” Cone Nail did not summon her handy icicles this time. Ten thousand snowflakes dispersed without warning. Every monster that was touched by the snowflakes had the moisture inside their bodies being completely sucked dry in the blink of an eye. They turned into dried corpses.
“Demon! Disaster! The only one!” Chang Li’s voice was crisp and lovely. It sounded like godly music. Amidst the heaven-covering howls of monsters, it was so lovely that it brought tears to everyone’s eyes. The demonic wind that it struck up, was so putrid that it was sickening. Everywhere it blew, the monsters turned into pus and blood.
The demon immortals and sword immortals in front had returned!
When the gongs and drums sounded, the countless monsters of Shiwan Mountains were riled up once again. The peerless elites who were running ahead had noticed that the main group of disciples were in trouble shortly after. They immediately went back to offer reinforcements. Luckily, Chang Li and the others moved extremely fast. Before they rushed back to help, about a thousand cultivators from the main group were lost!
The monsters who were as domineering as mad ghosts that moved boldly just a few moments ago were scattered and destroyed by countless magic powers in the blink of an eye! As far as the eyes could see, there were only pus, blood, severed limbs, minced flesh and sticky wind!
The group of peerless elites attacked at almost the same time. Every strike was a great magical power that could destroy the world. They stabilized the situation in the blink of an eye. The old demon rabbit finally managed to heave a sigh. He hastily tried to reorganize the troops. The little demon rabbit assisted his master. They assigned different tasks to them according to the strengths of the sects and bands of rogue cultivators. They kept themselves busy for about sixteen hours before they were finally able to advance again.