Heart-Piercing Lock

Deep in the valley, although the One-Horned Mountain Demon had spat out its internal elixir, the burning, stifling sensation in its chest had yet to dissipate. Its head remained heavy and muddled, an agonizing discomfort akin to a human suffering from a severe hangover.

The "Soul-Luring Incense" was by no means a poison; to a demonic creature like the mountain demon, it was like a potent, fragrant wine—highly addictive once consumed in excess.

This peculiar effect had whetted the mountain demon's appetite, leading it to devour so many living humans that its stomach was bloated and struggling to digest. Combined with the massive dosage of the "Soul-Luring Incense," the demon grew increasingly dizzy and disoriented, eventually unleashing its internal elixir in a desperate burst of Sha Qi to clear its mind.

Just then, several white shadows drifted over like a whirlwind, circling the mountain demon's massive frame.

Already agitated and restless from the "Soul-Luring Incense," the mountain demon let out a furious roar and swiped forcefully at the white shadows, but before its sharp claws could connect, the figures scattered in every direction.

A cold breeze blew, and as the effects of the "Soul-Luring Incense" surged once more, the mountain demon grew weary and sluggish. The white shadows closed in again, catching the beast off guard as they extended their palms, striking against its protective elixir Sha.

The paper puppets had made their move. Their palms, harder than gold or iron, collided with the protective elixir Sha. The armor-clad spirit light and the invisible barrier compressed against one another, condensing until, with a sharp "pop," they erupted. The void collapsed inward, sending dust and sand scattering in all directions.

The paper puppets drifted away as if weightless, while the mountain demon staggered, as if jolted awake from its drunken stupor. Rage boiled within it; its eyes turned blood-red, and with a leap, it lunged forward, desperately chasing after the drifting white shadows.

Though the beast possessed a pair of fleshy wings on its flanks, it lacked the ability to fly, and having exhausted so much of its energy, its movements grew increasingly sluggish.

The paper puppets toyed with it like a cat with a mouse, their faces shifting between joy and sorrow as they led the mountain demon deeper into the valley. As they moved further away, only the sounds of snapping trees and beastly roars remained.

Qi Baiyi and the surviving members of the Hu Ma Gang stared at one another in disbelief. The events were so bizarre that they couldn't even muster the relief of having survived a brush with death.

"Roar!"

The mountain demon bellowed at the sky, its eyes glowing brilliantly, a thread of blood within its pupils growing increasingly intense. The next second, it suddenly opened its maw, revealing a scorching red light deep within its blood-stained throat.

Whoosh! The crystal-red, skull-shaped internal elixir shot out once more, transforming into a dazzling, brilliant light. Even from a distance, it was difficult to keep one's eyes open. Wherever the light swept, grass and leaves withered and turned to sand.

The paper puppets scattered in the air, though one was struck by the internal elixir and blasted to pieces.

Hidden on the other side, He Ping, who was controlling the puppets, felt the red light to be blindingly harsh. As the flames flickered, he felt the blood in his own veins begin to boil.

(Fool.)

As the flames gradually dimmed, He Ping's phoenix eyes snapped open, and he sneered inwardly. The mountain demon was truly stupid; did it not realize that spitting out its internal elixir only consumed a vast amount of its Sha-imbued elixir energy?

This internal elixir was the One-Horned Mountain Demon's most powerful offensive weapon, and its destructive power was indeed astonishing. However, every use drained a massive amount of elixir Sha. Once that energy was depleted, the mountain demon's protective barrier would vanish entirely—a truly foolish move.

(In the end, it is merely a demonic beast with limited intellect. After swallowing such a large dose of 'Soul-Luring Incense,' its mind is clouded, its stamina is waning, and its movements are sluggish. To waste such precious elixir energy so recklessly is a death sentence.)

He Ping had been constantly assessing the remaining elixir energy within the demon. After several probes, he concluded that the mountain demon no longer had the strength to spit out its elixir for another strike. Having lost its final trump card, the beast had no chance of escaping with its life.

After spitting out the elixir, the mountain demon gasped for air, its movements even slower than before.

"This One-Horned Mountain Demon is a rare specimen indeed. After forming its internal elixir, it absorbed the blood-skull Sha from the earth's veins, refining it into a singular, potent elixir Sha."

Chixinzi, draped in green robes, couldn't help but curl his lips into an excited smile.

"If I can secure this internal elixir, I can refine a formidable external technique. That will greatly increase my chances of seizing the inheritance of the Sanyuan Devil Palace."

Having said this, he feared that He Ping, who had previously agreed to his terms, might go back on his word, so he quickly added, "Of course, I will also honor my promise and hand over the remaining fragments of the Seed Demon Technique to you, Junior Brother."

"Very well," He Ping replied, his eyelids lowered and his expression unmoved, his hands still busy maneuvering the mountain demon in circles.

He had spent a long time bargaining with Chixinzi to reach this agreement. The internal elixir of the One-Horned Mountain Demon was clearly a treasure—Chixinzi's impatient demeanor made that obvious—but He Ping was far more interested in the Seed Demon Technique.

After all, within the void of his own heart-sea, a shadow left behind by the Seed Demon Technique still lingered on another soul. He Ping felt he could make use of it, especially since he had learned from Chixinzi that it was a "Resentful Demon" created by that very technique.

"This 'Resentful Demon' was refined from the resentment of the hundred-odd members of the Cheng family. I was present when the incident at the Cheng Family Ranch occurred, and I took advantage of the chaos when the Hu Ma Gang and the Changhui Feng were slaughtering them to slip in and refine it."

Chixinzi spoke candidly, explaining that the Resentful Demon required the blood of kin to act as a host. He had previously planted the demon on Cheng Yujiao, intending for it to transfer to the only remaining Cheng bloodline, Cheng Zhi, once she died.

"The Resentful Demon can transfer between blood relatives? And grow stronger by accumulating resentment?"

Hearing this prompted He Ping to think of Cheng Yujiao, who had become a zombie after death, and a plan began to form in his mind.

(Perhaps the zombie Cheng Yujiao has other uses besides being refined into Death Longevity Incense...?)

While considering these matters, he replied to Chixinzi.

"But compared to the Sanyuan Devil Palace, please help me take down this mountain demon first, Senior Brother. That was the agreement we made."

"Hahaha, naturally."

Chixinzi didn't waste any more words. He stomped his right foot against the ground, and his thick-soled black cloth boots channeled an invisible shockwave through the surface and into the soil.

As he did so, the ground behind the distant mountain demon suddenly split open. The "Red-Scaled Earth-Armored Centipede Dragon" slithered out with fluid grace. Its segmented body, covered in hard red scales, coiled around the mountain demon's massive frame.

This centipede-like puppet was covered in Armor-Clad Spirit Light, and the joints of its segments tightened with a grinding, metallic sound.

The mountain demon was bound and constricted, as if trapped in a heavy iron vice. It couldn't even expand its chest to breathe, and it felt as though the air in its lungs was being forced out entirely. Its spine and shoulder blades ached as if they were about to shatter, and it felt as if its very organs were being squeezed out.

It was fortunate that its protective elixir Sha was still active, emitting a faint spirit light to resist the pressure of the Armor-Clad Spirit Light. Otherwise, even if the demon weren't ground into pulp, its bones would have been crushed, resulting in a gruesome death.

"The protective elixir Sha condensed by this mountain demon is not invincible. Point-to-point, it is indeed difficult to break, but in a direct confrontation, its defensive power is diminished. Furthermore, it has over-consumed its elixir energy, and its protective barrier has been weakened repeatedly. It no longer has the strength to resist my 'Red-Scaled Earth-Armored Centipede Dragon'."

Chixinzi let out a shrill, mocking laugh and waved his large sleeves. Several golden lights darted out—the Severed Ghost Hands. These hands flew in from all directions, piercing the spine and limbs like steel spikes, or forming steel hoops to clamp down on the demon's neck and mouth.

He Ping was somewhat startled, realizing for the first time that the Severed Ghost Hands could be used in such a variety of ways.

(Chixinzi's centipede puppet and his Severed Ghost Hands... these are puppetry techniques I have yet to master. If he hadn't helped me today, I would have had to expend much more effort to take down this mountain demon.)

He didn't have any large-scale puppets capable of suppressing the mountain demon head-on. Relying solely on paper puppets and wooden demons would have been a slow, grinding process, far less efficient than Chixinzi's effortless display.

"Junior Brother, if you intend to extract the mountain demon's heart for your 'Heart-Swap,' it is best to do so while the creature is still alive. Speaking of which, our sect's 'Heart-Piercing Lock' is best suited for this task..."

Chixinzi seemed intent on showing off in front of He Ping. He slowly extended a hand from his sleeve, then opened it as if reaching out to grasp something.

"Heart-Piercing Lock?"

He Ping furrowed his brows and looked up, noticing the faint cyan light flickering between the five fingers Chixinzi had extended, as if invisible threads were stretching out into the void.

"Hah!"

Chixinzi suddenly snatched his hand through the air, and the Mountain Demon in the distance let out a shrill, miserable shriek. The unhealed, branded scar over its heart burst open, and with a loud "bang," a bloody hole suddenly exploded outward.

He Ping's vision blurred for a moment, and in the palm of the Chixinzi standing before him, there appeared a massive, slick lump of red flesh. This coconut-sized mass was still pulsing with a rhythmic thump-thump, a sight that chilled the soul.

"Junior Brother He, this is the demon heart you wanted."

The corners of Chixinzi's mouth beneath his mask stretched into a twisted, crooked grin.