Slaying the Misty Mirage

"Damn it, that kid lifted the Huang Pi Dao Master's veil!"

"We're doomed! The deity will be angered!"

"Whose brat is that!"

Below the stage, a sea of weasel heads bobbed, filled with angry shouts.

But soon, a sharp-eyed demon among the crowd recognized him and said to Fourth Master Huang in the procession:

"Hey, Fourth Master, isn't that your grandson Ajun..."

"Yeah, Fourth Master, isn't that your grandson Ajun!"

"That kid is usually quite well-behaved, how could he do something so absurd!"

The crowd buzzed with discussion, their voices heavy and complex, weighing down Fourth Master Huang's spine like a burden.

At this moment, Fourth Master Huang, who had transformed into a colossal demon, couldn't help but hunch his back slightly. He remained silent as stone, his eyes fixed on Lu Jun on the stage.

Move!

Why can't I move!

Lu Jun stood frozen like a green zombie, his body immobilized, completely unable to move. He could only helplessly meet the gaze of the Huang Pi Dao Master before him.

He stared into its hollow, transparent, eerie eyes and its mocking, strange smile.

"Doesn't it feel... like this kid Ajun smells really good..."

Suddenly, a voice, not loud but extremely clear, came from the crowd.

"Yeah, it smells so good... better than the feast at Old Master Xu's eightieth birthday banquet in town..."

Lu Jun's heart skipped a beat, and he looked back towards the crowd.

The countless weasels with golden, vertical pupils were all staring at Lu Jun in unison, their eyes filled with intense craving, their mouths dripping with foul-smelling saliva...

"Kill him! Sacrifice him to the deity! Appease the deity's wrath!"

One stone stirred a thousand waves!

Suddenly, in an instant, the villagers below, who had all transformed into demons, erupted in a frenzy.

"Right!"

"Kill him!"

"Sacrifice to the deity!"

"Appease the deity's wrath!"

Each villager raised their torch, their emotions running high, but the greed and craving in their eyes could not be concealed.

At this moment, the village chief stepped forward, his gaze towards Lu Jun also filled with craving and greed.

"Since this is what the people desire, then this must be a divine decree from the Huang Pi Dao Master..."

"Then let us follow the divine decree..."

The village chief's voice was faint.

Yet, it caused the villagers' emotions to surge, and they paused abruptly.

Then, in the next second, the countless villagers transformed into demons no longer hesitated, and swarmed forward in unison, charging towards Lu Jun on the stage.

A chill ran through Lu Jun's entire body.

Despair grew in his heart.

And the Huang Pi Dao Master before him smiled even more brilliantly...

Just then, a demon took the lead and leaped onto the stage. Just as its sharp claws were about to grab Lu Jun, a deafening roar echoed, and the demon was violently stomped under the feet of another demon that suddenly descended from the sky, kicking up a cloud of dust...

Pointed triangular ears, a familiar weasel head, wearing a familiar coarse hemp robe, with a slightly hunched back...

"Grandpa..."

Lu Jun's eyes were complex.

"I'm really done with you! I told you to go to Yunzhou to get help, but you insisted on coming here to chop down the statue!"

"Why are you always so damn reckless at critical moments!"

"And you don't even run when you get caught!"

Despite his monstrous form, he spoke with Lu Jun's familiar tone, uttering these unseemly scoldings.

"Fourth Master, what are you doing! Even now, you're still protecting your traitor grandson!"

"Do you want the deity to be enraged and the entire village to be buried with you!"

"The villagers are reasonable. Ultimately, your grandson is the one who made a mistake. If you move aside now, you'll still be one of us, and we'll let bygones be bygones regarding everything that has happened."

"..."

The many demons roared at Fourth Master Huang.

Fourth Master Huang simply stretched his limbs, his bones cracking like popping beans. He spoke softly, "Alas, fighting is something this old man only did in his youth. With these old bones now, I don't know if I can still do it..."

"If my grandson makes a mistake, it's always the grandfather who takes the fall first. How could I ever sell out my own grandson? Besides, I truly want to hold my great-grandchild!"

Fourth Master Huang sighed softly, then gently approached Lu Jun. "Child, this might hurt a bit. You have to hold on..."

Fourth Master Huang swung a palm, and a powerful gust of wind assaulted Lu Jun. He felt the exposed skin on his body sting as if pricked by needles, followed by an immense force.

Lu Jun was flung back dozens of meters. The wind whistling past his ears carried Fourth Master Huang's voice, a faint two words: "Run."

Lu Jun slowly got up from the ground. His skin throbbed with a stinging pain, but because the strange gust of wind the old man had unleashed had sent him far away, his muscles and bones hadn't sustained significant damage.

Lu Jun looked at the distant, raging sounds of battle and the brutal, blood-soaked scenes. After a moment of hesitation, his eyes once again shone with determination.

"Just a little more..."

"As long as I completely sever that damned statue, everything will be revealed..."

"I was just stunned by a sneak attack. I'm not weak!"

Lu Jun got up from the ground, picking up the ancient long saber in his hand again, his eyes bloodshot. "Kill!"

At this moment, Lu Jun abandoned all thought. His eyes held only one objective: to smash that damned statue!

To sever the so-called curse that had accumulated in the village for countless years.

Lu Jun stood up, gripping the hilt of the long saber in his hand tightly, and roared as he charged towards the statue again with all his might.

It had to be said, the old man's combat prowess was still formidable. Facing dozens of demons and monsters alone, he was at a disadvantage but still managed to hold his own.

However, he could only hold out against a few dozen demons and monsters.

The remaining hundreds of demons and monsters charged towards Lu Jun in unison.

"Kill, kill, kill!"

Adrenaline surged, serotonin, cortisol – all the hormones in Lu Jun's body secreted wildly.

Fear, confusion, hesitation, cowardice – all vanished under the conviction of smashing the statue.

At this moment, the ancient long saber, lent to Lu Jun by the blind old beggar, quietly flickered with a faint blue fluorescence.

Countless demons and monsters roared and howled as they surged towards Lu Jun.

"Mine, your first bite is mine!"

A demon and monster was the first to approach, its claws sharp, and it lunged at Lu Jun.

Lu Jun ignored it, swinging his saber with all his might. The faint blue fluorescence on the blade formed strange rune patterns, and its light flared!

With a single slash, the approaching demon and monster was cut in two.

Blood splattered, drenching Lu Jun.

[Killed a demon and monster, Weasel demon and monster. Mastered its innate ability evolution – Wind Manipulation]

[Wind Manipulation: Control the wind, fly through the air]

[This Spiritual Power has been mastered and converted into Demon Essence.]

[Demon Essence: 600]

[Demon Essence can be used to improve cultivation levels and martial arts realms.]

In an instant, a warm current surged through Lu Jun's entire body. The strength in his arm, which had been somewhat depleted from swinging his saber with all his might, became full again.

Lu Jun ignored the text before his eyes. His gaze was fixed on only one thing: the statue of the Huang Pi Dao Master on the platform.

Lu Jun sprinted at full speed.

In an instant, Lu Jun's speed increased severalfold.

Flowing wind moved beneath his feet.

Upon closer inspection, one could see that Lu Jun's feet were not touching the ground. He hovered just above the ground, maintaining an extremely slight aerial posture, weaving through the surging tide of demons and monsters, heading rapidly towards the statue.

Lu Jun in the distance also caught everyone's attention.

"Damn it, this brat just won't listen. He's too reckless."

"This old man is going to be without heirs... I'm a sinner in the Huang family..."

Fourth Master Huang was already being held down by four Weasel demons and monsters, their limbs pinned to the ground. His body was covered in wounds, bleeding profusely. His expression carried a hint of grief, but also a touch of gratitude for Lu Jun's attempt to rescue him.

"Capture him! We'll feast on him together, everyone gets a share!"

The village chief immediately gave the order.

The second wave of Weasel demons and monsters surged forward, their target solely Lu Jun, who was charging towards them.

But under the enhancement of Wind Manipulation, Lu Jun's speed reached an astonishing level. He was like a loach in a crowd; many demons and monsters could barely touch his clothes.

In the blink of an eye, Lu Jun had once again reached the vicinity of the Huang Pi Dao Master statue.

"Villain, how dare you!"

The village chief roared.

At the same time, the Huang Pi Dao Master turned its head again. Just as its ugly and ferocious Weasel face was about to meet Lu Jun's gaze once more...

Lu Jun, already prepared, closed his eyes and then brought his blade down with a heavy chop, without the slightest hesitation or pause.

Crack!

As he felt the sensation of his blade cleaving through a mud sculpture, he heard the sound of the mud sculpture shattering and an extremely sharp, pained wail...

Lu Jun knew he had succeeded.

Lu Jun opened his eyes. Before him lay a shattered mud sculpture.

Amidst the fragments of the mud sculpture, a pale blue, bioluminescent, jellyfish-like gelatinous creature was frantically struggling, letting out a tragic scream.

[Killed demon, Misty Mirage, acquired its innate ability Spiritual Power—Kyōka Suigetsu]

[Kyōka Suigetsu: Manipulates the five senses to create illusions]

[Demon Essence: 1000]

While Lu Jun was stunned, a flood of memories suddenly surged into his mind.