The Outer Demon Beyond the Tightening Hoop
The dark red Fire Pillar of fire twisted and shifted, releasing ripples of destruction that filled the surroundings.
The scorching air howled, making the dense forest ripple like waves, and the temperature suddenly rose.
The Lianxi people were overjoyed, feeling the heat and sweat pouring from their bodies, but they showed no panic whatsoever.
Scattered among the Lin Zhong were spies from other tribes, and even a few gods and cultivators hidden in the shadows, ready to act as they saw fit. They had long been eyeing the expansion of the Lianxi Tribe and were eager to take advantage of it. Naturally, they would be on guard when they saw a conflict and standoff breaking out here.
However, the ground was now ablaze with Earthfire, ripples spreading outwards, and violent heat waves surging and roaring. Even those a hundred feet away were affected by the scorching waves, and the scouts were immediately covered in sweat. The gods and cultivators, on the other hand, sensed the destructive intent within it, and were filled with horror and trembling in their hearts.
The forest fell silent instantly, with only the howling wind whipped up by the heatwave.
This is just the destructive ripple of the subterranean Earthfire. If the Earthfire were to erupt directly, this entire forest would likely be engulfed by flames and reduced to rubble. After all, the history of the Land of the Divine Remains is filled with the chaos caused by Earthfire, not to mention that not long ago, a god appeared who wielded the Earthfire!
Immediately, a thought arose in their minds—
"The Earthfire has reappeared! That deity has not left!"
Upon realizing this, the gods and cultivators dared not linger and retreated one after another.
In the Lianxi Tribe, the Fire Pillar formed from the Earthfire spun in the air and then fell down like a dark red waterfall, crashing directly into the statue of the deity!
With a loud "boom," the statue shook, and cracks appeared.
Instantly, the Earthfire spread to the statue, seeping into it along the cracks!
Just then!
Boom!
The ground shook!
Huge rocks rose abruptly from the ground, kicking up layers of sand and dust!
One after another, the boulders flew up, pulled by a force, and hurtled towards the crowd in front of the statue! The momentum was fierce!
A roar echoed from the ground.
"Only when I'm on the ground can I unleash my true power!"
The speaker was none other than Elder Shi. The old man was in a sorry state, his clothes were half-torn, his white beard was almost half-burned, and his mouth was full of blood, but his imposing manner remained undiminished.
Around him, fist-sized clods of earth swirled and hovered, keeping the destructive ripples at bay. As he spoke, his feet sank into the earth, causing the ground to ripple like water, as if someone were lifting a bed sheet!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Tiny pebbles shot out from the waves of soil, each one enveloped in a thin layer of True Essence, sharp as a knife, whistling through the air!
Stones rained down from the sky, and rubble fell all around, blocking the Lianxi Tribe's path forward and retreat!
Faced with imminent doom, everyone cried out in alarm!
"If I had known from the beginning that a deity was lurking nearby, even ripples of Earthfire wouldn't have been able to harm me!"
The moment Elder Shi finished speaking, the statue trembled. Flames shot out from it, one after another, winding and weaving, swirling and rising around the many clansmen, transforming into a wall of flames to separate the inside from the outside!
The falling boulders and flying debris were instantly scorched to dust upon contact with the barrier of flames. Even the True Essence within was no exception!
Upon seeing this, Elder Shi was not surprised but instead laughed.
"If we don't act now, when will we?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a person suddenly darted out from behind him; it was Feng Zhongzi, who was holding a sword in both hands.
Feng Zhongzi was equally disheveled, his clothes covered in burn marks, but he wore a smile on his face. With a flick of his wrists, the two swords in his hands flew out, transforming into two tornadoes mid-flight, riding the gale, twisting and turning, before crashing into the wall of flames!
"Two Wind-Controlling Sword the Wind-Rising Flame-Strengthening Formula! You, a deity, can control Earthfire, so your Domain of Law must be related to fire. But you are guided by the will of the people. Since that's the case, I will lend you a hand and let you burn your believers to death!"
As if to prove his words, the fiery barrier that collided with the two tornadoes suddenly went berserk!
The tornado transformed into wisps of wind, stirring the flames and making the fire burn even more fiercely.
Flames soared, illuminating half the sky! An aura of destruction spread everywhere! It seemed to have completely spiraled out of control!
The air around us was filled with heat, and the temperature rose another notch!
From within the fire came the cries of alarm from the Lianxi Tribe. Outside the fire, the Elder Shi Feng Zhongzi, making their complexions appear slightly pale.
In this attack, one of them used his internal True Essence and the other used his Divine Sense, resulting in significant losses.
"That fluctuation just now was indeed a manifestation of a thought. The people of this tribe can entrust their thoughts to the idols, communicating with the gods, and the idols, in turn, emit their own thoughts, mobilizing the underground Earthfire..."
Elder Shi squinted, his aged face filled with solemnity, but his eyes revealed a hint of joy.
Feng Zhongzi nodded and said, "That's right. If we can capture this god, interrogate him, and learn his secrets, one of the factors that are restricting us in this Land of the Divine Remains will be removed!"
Just as the Earthfire erupted and destructive ripples struck, Elder Shi and Feng Zhongzi fell from the sky. But at the critical moment, they discovered a clue. After landing, they did not choose to flee, but decided to join forces to fight the enemy.
"The foundation of the gods lies in their believers. If you burn believers to death with your own hands, you will not only lose the People's Wishes and incense offerings, but you will also be tainted by karmic Karma and fall into weakness. That will be the perfect opportunity to capture them... Hmm?"
As the two pondered this silently, a sudden chill ran through them, and a strong sense of foreboding arose within them!
Then, the raging flames that had enveloped so many tribesmen spiraled upwards, surging, twisting, and deforming, eventually transforming into half a giant!
It's described as half a giant because this giant has no legs; its waist is connected to the ground, and its entire body is covered in dark red flames. The flames are concentrated, and you can vaguely see its bones and muscles!
Through the layers of Earthfire, one could vaguely see a group of bewildered mortals gathered inside the belly of this half-fire giant!
The abdomen is hollow!
What's going on?
Elder Shi and Feng Zhongzi were shocked by what they saw, but before they could take a closer look, they quickly left their original spot—with a whooshing sound, a giant flaming palm descended from the sky and covered the two of them from above!
"Not good! This god's Divine Ability are beyond our expectations. We cannot defeat him alone. Let us retreat!"
"Good idea, let's get the others involved and attack together. If we can find out the method for absorbing thoughts, the others will definitely be interested!"
After leaving behind two sentences, Elder Shi and Feng Zhongzi, one burrowing underground and the other riding the wind, were about to escape. But the next moment, fire broke out underground, forcing Elder Shi out of the earth. The giant palm in the sky turned into a rain of fire, scattering into the wind and forcing Feng Zhongzi to fall!
Then, flames engulfed their bodies, scorching their flesh!
"Ah!"
The two cultivators with Divine Ability screamed in agony!
This burning was not a destructive ripple, but a terrifying Earthfire that instantly scorched their flesh and blood to a blackened state, causing their skin to crack and bleed. The intense pain further agitated them, scattering their emotions and thoughts.
The scene was horrific, filled with screams; the two seemed to have transformed into evil spirits and demons from mythology.
Then, the flames transformed, capturing the blood and thoughts, condensing them into two headbands that were placed on the heads of the two cultivators. They took root in the flesh, connecting with the blood and flesh, and resonating with the thoughts.
"Too dangerous! Too dangerous!"
Several hundred feet away, in the dense Lin Zhong, a swarm of poisonous insects was moving rapidly, leaving the leaves withered and the air thick with poisonous fumes.
Within the swarm, one thought was secretly rejoicing.
"Those two bastards are so arrogant, thinking they can gain an advantage. What a joke! Even the Wang He and the Ancestor couldn't get away with it. How could two cultivators who have been trapped for over a hundred years, with their true essence depleted and their Divine Sense withered, possibly turn the tide? I was the smart one; I ran away immediately, without a moment's hesitation!"
During their migration, the swarm of insects gradually coalesced, quickly forming a human shape, melting and transforming into the likeness of the Poison Insect God.
"This test proves that the deity can still interfere with this land. From now on, I will never set foot here again! Hmm?"
As the Poison Insect God was rushing forward, he suddenly felt the Unseen force enveloping him. The Divine Spirit Talisman within his body trembled, releasing wisps of divine power that filled his limbs and bones, solidifying and freezing within his Divine Body.
Snap!
The Poison Insect God, which was rushing forward, froze, its feet stopping and no longer alternating between pedaling. However, its previous momentum was too strong, and it still charged forward for nearly thirty feet before stopping, leaving a deep groove in the ground.
"This aura... this is the aura of the Black Marsh! Why is it here?"
Surprised, and then guessing, the Poison Insect God took a deep breath and waited quietly.
Soon, a thought entered his mind—
"Oh? You didn't even think about resisting?"
Upon hearing this unfamiliar voice, the Poison Insect God confirmed his suspicions and replied telepathically, "You have even controlled the aura of the Ancestor. It seems you have subdued him. How can Lesser God possibly resist? Lesser God am willing to submit and become the guardian of your followers!"
He actually pledged his loyalty directly.
The thought that came through was Qiu Yan's. He was slightly surprised upon hearing this, and then asked directly, "Very well, you are willing to submit, which saves a lot of trouble, but you must have a pledge of allegiance, otherwise it will seem that you are not sincere enough."
The Poison Insect God was taken aback upon hearing this, his expression changing slightly, but he quickly recovered and simply said, "Please give your orders, Your Majesty."
"I won't make things difficult for you. After all, you are a deity, so I won't impose too many restrictions on you. First, tell me about the Divine Path in the Five Marshes."
"The situation of the Divine Path in the Five Marshes?" Upon hearing this, the Poison Insect God pondered for a moment, then without hesitation condensed the relevant memories into a ball of light and released it.
Upon receiving the ball of light, Qiu Yan sent out another thought before disappearing.
With this retreat, the Poison Insect God's divine power returned to normal. He frowned slightly, shook his head, and dejectedly returned the way he came.
At the same time, the Lianxi Tribe's encampment returned to peace, and half of the fire giant slowly dissipated, turning into streams of fire that merged into the statue.
As soon as the giant dispersed, the Lianxi Tribe who were surrounded inside were revealed.
The group of people were all drenched in sweat and panting heavily.
Among them was the clan chief, Shao Jing. This young chieftain glanced around, his heart filled with complex emotions upon seeing the nearly ruined tribal settlement. A thought grew stronger within him, and then he turned his head to look at the statue of the god. (To be continued)
P. S.: Thanks to "Wind and Snow" for the monthly vote!