CHAPTER 53: CHAPTER 53: IT’S YOU AGAIN!

"What’s going on here?"

At the entrance of Gejia Village, a bewildered Nie Xun looked at Yuan Baiyi and Qi Xiu, who had suddenly closed their eyes and become motionless.

The moment they arrived at the village entrance, Qi and Yuan fell into a strange coma.

No matter how Nie Xun shouted, both of them kept their eyes tightly shut, standing still like logs, with only their breathing remaining normal.

Damn, it’s an ambush, Nie Xun thought.

Realizing that Lv Shuai and Qi must have been struck by Demons’ Sorcery, Nie Xun quickly became alert to his surroundings. He gripped his Gold-Plated Tiger Head Spear tightly and protectively positioned Qi and Yuan behind him.

RUSTLE, RUSTLE, RUSTLE—

The very next second, a rustling of footsteps could be heard.

The previously peaceful and comfortable village suddenly filled with numerous figures.

These people were shriveled and darkened, clearly having had their blood and flesh sucked out, yet their faces bore an expression of benevolence, with hands joined in prayer.

Horror mixed with tranquility.

The darkened corpses all stepped forward, walking towards Nie Xun and the others.

With a focused gaze, Nie Xun clenched his spear tightly, Qi Force roiling around his body. One red and one blue ray of Divine Light circulated beneath his skin, forming a pattern of cracks.

It was the Water-Fire Qi from the "Water-Fire True Skill Diagram".

RIP—

Just as Nie Xun was about to charge with his spear to slay these eerie darkened corpses, a sudden tear appeared on the shoulder of Qi Xiu’s clothing, as if it had been forcefully ripped apart.

「...」

If this is an illusion, there must be a way to break it. If I can’t leave the village, then the way to break the illusion must be within the village itself,

Qi Xiu thought.

Leaping onto a rooftop to dodge the eerie villagers pursuing from below, Qi Xiu glanced at the tear on his shoulder. He’d gotten careless, and one of the eerie villagers had torn it.

But logically, with the speed of these strange villagers, they should not have been able to catch him at all.

My stamina and reflexes seem to be constantly declining, and the power of these monsters is constantly increasing. If I can’t find a way out soon, I fear I’ll be torn apart by them in minutes.

Twisting to look back at the dense crowd of heads, Qi Xiu hurriedly ran forward, lips pressed tightly together.

Gejia Village was not large, but with around a hundred households, searching was still rather difficult.

Kicking open the door of a house, Qi Xiu quickly scanned the room’s furnishings.

A simple and ordinary interior: wooden tables and chairs, beds, and wardrobes. There was nothing unusual or outstanding to be seen.

This was the thirty-fourth house he had searched. The arrangement in almost every house was exactly the same; even the patterns on the bed covers were identical.

Stepping out of the doorway, the oncoming footsteps from the pursuing crowd grew near once again.

Around the corner of the wall, several eerie villagers poked their heads out, smiling unnervingly as they turned to stare at Qi Xiu. Persistent as shadows, he thought, keenly sensing that the eerie villagers were catching up faster and faster as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.

The hem of his clothing was soaked with sweat. His physical strength had also severely declined.

If I don’t find the exit soon, I’m really done for.

Clenching his teeth, he employed his Qinggong and leaped onto a rooftop, continuing his search.

Time kept passing.

Searching through house after house, unable to find the slightest discrepancy in the copy-pasted setups, Qi Xiu’s strength was at its limit. His legs felt like lead, rendering his Qinggong completely unusable. He could only run with difficulty, struggling to maintain distance from those eerie villagers.

Propping himself up on his knees in a small alley corner, Qi Xiu gasped heavily, large beads of sweat trickling down from his chin.

Ever since he had become proficient in martial arts, this was the first time he had been pushed to such a state. Even when chased by a horde led by the Fox Demon, he had never been this disheveled.

He had combed through the entire village, yet not a single clue had surfaced.

With a grave expression, Qi Xiu’s gaze intensified. Could it be that this illusion has no exit at all?

As Qi Xiu pondered, the sound of footsteps once again arose all around him. Those eerie villagers seemed to be able to sniff out his scent. No matter where he hid, they could find him with unerring accuracy.

They’ve found me already?

Standing up straight, Qi Xiu faintly felt a pain in his chest, as if his lungs had been injured from running intensely for a long period.

With a furrowed brow, Qi Xiu subconsciously drew a Medicine Talisman. The medicinal power rose and transformed into a clear stream that flowed into his body, and the pain dissipated significantly.

"Huu..."

Taking a deep breath, Qi Xiu was just about to step away when his body suddenly froze.

That’s not right! The Medicine Talisman can be used?

With a slight change in complexion, Qi Xiu bit his tongue and drew another Medicine Talisman in the palm of his hand.

Medicinal clouds rose. The exquisite medicinal power gradually spread throughout his body.

Something’s terribly wrong.

His mind churned with countless thoughts as Qi Xiu meticulously recalled the many abilities he could not use.

The Suppression Talisman, the Martial Talisman... My martial skills are usable, but they’re continuously dissipating. The only one not restricted is the Medicine Talisman. This means the restricted abilities are all limited to the ones I use frequently, and those from my earlier stages of cultivation.

With a glint in his eyes, as if he had just realized something, Qi Xiu turned around.

At the end of the dirt road, a dense crowd of those bizarre villagers clustered together, their unnerving smiles unchanged, persistently pressing forward.

If my guess is correct...

Reaching for the bamboo cane tied around his waist, Qi Xiu narrowed his eyes and swung the cane in his right hand forcefully forward.

SWOOSH—

A demonic shriek sounded as vivid red Sword Qi suddenly flew out. In an instant, it bisected the bizarre villagers in front of him at the waist.

Countless torsos fell to the ground, their bodies empty within, like paper-mache husks.

That was until the Sword Qi struck a solid object, making a DING! sound upon impact.

"It’s you again!" With an indignant look, Qi Xiu faced the all-too-familiar figure across from him and cursed while raising his cane.

The Jade Bodhisattva! This mysterious Demonic Artifact has been entangled with me ever since the Qian Family incident! It even tried to ambush me when I was fleeing Baoho County. This illusion is undoubtedly its doing.

However, compared to before, the appearance of the Jade Bodhisattva had changed slightly. It still mostly looked like a jade statue of a Bodhisattva. But now, at its feet, there was a new addition: a young acolyte, about twelve or thirteen years old, with hands clasped in prayer. The boy was exquisitely sculpted and quite endearing, yet his long, slender eyes held a strange, captivating allure that made one instinctively want to draw closer.

No wonder only the Medicine Talisman works. This thing had no idea I’d comprehended new Innate Cloud Inscriptions. This illusion restricts abilities it knows I have. Lucky for me, I brought this bamboo cane. Since it’s also a Demonic Artifact, the Jade Bodhisattva can’t restrict it.

Gripping the bamboo cane tightly, Qi Xiu’s eyes were solemn as he prepared to swing it again.

Everything around him suddenly collapsed, like a heap of tumbling blocks, quickly falling apart.

The Jade Bodhisattva is the exit of the illusion!

Once Qi Xiu found it, the illusion could no longer hold and began to self-destruct.

Staring intently at the Jade Bodhisattva opposite him, Qi Xiu’s gaze was icy. He considered his options, determined to reclaim this Demonic Artifact when the opportunity arose.

Then I’ll let it have a taste of a hundred. No! A thousand Suppression Talismans!

On the verge of the illusion’s destruction, the Jade Bodhisattva’s expression turned back to its previous sinister and ferocious look, glaring fiercely at Qi Xiu. It seemed to be warning him as well.

The grudge between man and demon was far from over.

「...」

POP—

Like the sound of a soap bubble bursting.

Slowly opening his eyes, Qi Xiu sighed in relief for having finally escaped the illusion, but before he could catch his breath, a dry, dark claw suddenly reached out in front of him.

...