Cursed Spirit Nest

The shadow arrow fired from the [Piercing Ox Horn Bow] exploded instantly, shredding the Caterpillar Cursed Spirit's head into fragments.

However, in the instant before this Grade 2 Cursed Spirit's life force was extinguished, its entire torso suddenly swelled violently.

Its flesh peeled outward. Just like what he had seen at the department store two days ago, countless compound eyes lit up amid the mangled meat.

With a wet splatter, dark green fluid sprayed everywhere.

The Grade 2 Cursed Spirit's enormous body instantly came apart, splitting into dozens of rat-sized Grade 3 Clones and a huge swarm of fly-like Grade 4 Clones. They clung to the rooftop floor and wall cracks, frantically scurrying away.

Lu Ping hovered in midair, coldly looking down at the scattered tide of insects below.

He loosened his right hand, and the pitch-black greatbow fell directly into the Shadow Space spreading from beneath his heels.

At the same time, his hands crossed before his chest, his fingers locking together as he instantly formed a savage wolf-head hand seal.

Boom.

On the shattered floor pierced by the shadow arrow, the pool of black shadow that had been deathly still suddenly began to boil.

The shadow transformed into a bottomless abyss. A gaping maw suddenly opened from the darkness, carrying a terrifying suction force.

More than half of the low-grade Cursed Spirits that had only just begun splitting and had yet to leave the mother body were instantly swallowed by that black shadow.

Crunch. Crunch.

The dense sounds of teeth grinding flesh and bone rang out.

The shadowy abyss wriggled, tearing apart and devouring every remaining curse.

A gigantic wolf covered in jet-black fur slowly rose from the shadows, ferocity blazing in its eyes.

Lu Ping landed steadily on the rooftop and adjusted his breathing.

He looked inward. The Blood Corpse within his body was completely silent at the moment.

The Crimson Shadow form enhanced through the Blood Corpse placed too great a burden on him now. He could not use it repeatedly within a short period and needed time to recover.

Still, for the situation before him, the Shadow Wolf in its normal form was already enough.

This Grade 2 Cursed Spirit was weak as hell. If it had not possessed that strange splitting ability, that arrow would have ended its life completely.

The black wolf darted and pounced across the rooftop, its claws and fangs precisely eliminating the remaining clones, which had no ability to resist.

Lu Ping watched the scene, his brow furrowing slightly.

"Normally, an exorcised Cursed Spirit can't reform within two days." Lu Ping calculated silently. Could it have revived so quickly because it could split apart and escape?

With that thought, a glint flashed through his eyes as he controlled the Shadow Wolf to deliberately leave an opening.

A rat-sized Grade 3 Clone slipped through a blind spot in the defense and plunged headfirst into a rooftop drainpipe.

Lu Ping did not immediately send the Shadow Wolf after it. Instead, he tore off a corner of his clothes and used cursed energy to leave a residue trail on the ground, then flipped off the building and followed the faint, lingering stench.

Fifteen minutes later, the trail led him to a desolate alleyway.

He lifted a rusted iron cover from the ground, revealing a dark sewer below.

Lu Ping wrapped himself in shadow and jumped in, stepping along the damp edges of the pipes as he traveled through the tangled underground maze for roughly half an hour.

The light grew darker and darker. Besides the foul stench, the air had also gained a sticky quality that made his skin crawl.

Lu Ping stopped at a junction in the pipes.

He drew his short blade and carved a cross-shaped mark into the wall, no longer daring to press deeper recklessly.

The Three Corpses within his body had begun to stir faintly.

That meant an astonishing number of Cursed Spirits were lurking in the unknown darkness ahead, and their grades were definitely not low.

"There's a nest here." Lu Ping sheathed his short blade. "I need to return to Jujutsu High first and report this to Yaga-sensei."

He turned around and quickly headed back the way he had come.

However, the cursed aura emanating from the depths of the sewer was simply too immense. Like a thick fog, it completely disrupted Lu Ping's perception of cursed energy.

The ever-vigilant Three Corpses failed to warn him of the danger approaching from nearby.

Rumble!

Without any warning, the concrete wall beside Lu Ping exploded.

Countless chunks of rubble, mixed with a massive shockwave, hurtled toward his temple like cannonballs.

Lu Ping's pupils contracted. His body instinctively fell backward, and he rolled three times through the muddy channel, narrowly avoiding the collapsing boulders.

As the dust settled, heavy footsteps came from the hole in the shattered wall.

The newcomer wore a white robe, its surface covered in a complex star map drawn in rough lines.

"Pan Star Religious Group." Lu Ping rose from the puddle and calmly looked at the other party.

Although the earlier attack had looked impressive, it had not inflicted any real harm on him while he was on guard.

Running into a Pan Star Religious Group sorcerer in these deserted underground pipes that extended in every direction made it obvious without further thought: these people were definitely involved in some shady business.

The Grade 2 curse user fully emerged from the darkness.

When he saw the Jujutsu High uniform on Lu Ping, there was no trace of disdain on his face. Instead, he slowly assumed a martial arts stance.

"My cursed technique is—[Mountain-Piercing Quake]."

The curse user spoke hoarsely, voluntarily revealing his cursed technique.

As his words fell, the cursed energy fluctuations around his fist instantly surged by thirty percent—an enhancement brought about by revealing one's technique.

"My fist can transmit vibrational force directly behind any solid obstacle. Kid, a fight between sorcerers isn't simply about comparing the amount of cursed energy."

The curse user gave a savage grin, his leather shoes scraping harshly against the concrete.

This was an underground sewer. For a sorcerer like him, capable of striking through walls, this place was a heaven-sent home ground.

As long as he hid behind the concrete pipes, he would be invincible. There was no reason to let this Jujutsu High informant return alive to sound the alarm.

Lu Ping backed away warily as he rapidly compared the details in his mind.

This sewer junction was actually not far from the department store where the battle had taken place two days ago.

Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto acted too quickly back then. That Semi-Grade 1 Cursed Spirit died too cleanly, and its clones couldn't escape very far. Lu Ping understood. If those two had held back even slightly, Jujutsu High would have rooted out this criminal den long ago.

"Die!"

After revealing his technique, the curse user gave Lu Ping no chance to catch his breath. He pushed off the ground and instantly vanished into the darkness.

Using his absolute familiarity with the terrain, he swiftly circled behind the concrete wall at Lu Ping's side.

Bang!

A dull vibration sounded through the wall.

The air beside him suddenly warped, and an invisible shockwave broke through the concrete and slammed heavily into Lu Ping's body.

Lu Ping grunted as his body was hurled away by the tremendous force.

He forcibly twisted his body in midair, pulled the [Piercing Ox Horn Bow] from the Shadow Space, strengthened both arms with cursed energy, and drew back an invisible bowstring.

Trusting his instincts, he fired an arrow through the wall!