No taboos

Chapter 576 The Sword-Serving Corpse

Of the five hundred demon soldiers under the command of the big-bellied serpent, more than a hundred were caught by the little girl with a single net.

However, these demon soldiers were not very good; they were only second-rate.

The strongest fifth-rate big-bellied serpent has already been killed by Li Shanzhu.

The remaining demon soldiers, however, were all blue-faced and fanged, baring their teeth and claws, chasing after and killing the villagers!

In an instant, seven or eight villagers tragically lost their lives.

Immediately following, a series of sharp, hissing sounds rang out, and a flash of cold light appeared as the enormous heads of the demon soldiers fell to the ground one by one.

The fortune teller collapsed to the ground, utterly terrified.

He practiced a forbidden technique.

This method has a very diverse range of abilities, but it is complex and lacks depth.

It is very likely that it was created by those fortune tellers who traveled around back then, after encountering all sorts of strange occurrences, and combined with their own "skills" to create a tradition.

To this day, no one has even reached the seventh rank or higher in this method...

Fortune tellers are just low-class people.

His usual method was to point out the target with one finger, turning it into a small evil spirit, then take it in and enjoy the hospitality of the host.

If you're lucky, you might even get some small change as a thank-you gift.

Today... how come a single finger strike unleashed hundreds of powerful evil spirits!
To fortune tellers, the ninth-rate demon soldiers are truly great evil spirits.

He stumbled and fell, his obese body not very agile, and his limbs were weak; he tried several times to get up but couldn't...

The demon soldiers, however, showed no gratitude for his release. They leaped forward with their four claws, their terrifying mouths snapping open as they lunged at his neck.

"Ah—" The fortune teller turned pale with fright, thinking to himself, "My life is over!"

Suddenly, a cold light, like a wandering star, circled in front of him.

Those terrifying demon soldier heads fell to his feet.

Foul-smelling, foul-smelling blood splattered all over his head and face with a "plop"!

Instead, it jolted the fortune teller awake.

He turned his head and saw that the sword was being held in a fair hand.

The fingers are long and slender with strong joints, giving them a powerful appearance.

The owner of the hand was not tall or strong, and even had a somewhat delicate face.

"Little Yuan..."

After seeing the person clearly, the fortune teller was speechless.

Xiao Yuan's swordsmanship was superb; he moved through the demon soldiers with only his sword, leaving a trail of afterimages.

Man wields sword, sword leads man; man and sword become one, form and intent follow each other.

Wherever it passed, the sword light was often obscured, and one could only see demon soldiers falling one after another!

Xu Yuan stood at a distance, thinking to himself: This is not one of the Dragon King's men.

Because the fortune teller released these demon soldiers, seventeen or eighteen villagers have already been killed.

To the Dragon King, each of these villagers was incredibly precious.

The Dragon King wouldn't let them die until he had drained their souls and collected all their faith.

If he's not one of the Dragon King's people, then he can only be one of the Mountain Lord's people.

They're really willing to spend a lot of money to kill these demon soldiers.

More than a hundred demon soldiers were killed, with nearly half killed in the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

The remaining demon soldiers, finally gripped by fear, scattered and fled in all directions, howling and screaming.

Even if Xiao Yuan is strong, he won't have time to hunt them all down.

The sword swept across a wide area, killing only a dozen or so more before the rest disappeared without a trace.

Xu Yuan looked at the sword in Xiao Yuan's hand and nodded repeatedly, thinking to himself: This treasure should belong to me!
With a wave of his hand, Xiao Yuan sent the sword flying into the air. It reached a height of seven or eight zhang before falling straight down and clanging accurately back into its scabbard on his back.

His movements were stylish and cool.

Xiao Yuan displayed his extraordinary prowess without even breaking a sweat.

Moreover, he was rather thin, unlike a martial arts practitioner.

However, his swordsmanship makes it impossible to discern which school of martial arts he belongs to.

The villagers wailed and cried.

When someone in the family dies, they slump down beside the mangled body of their loved one, crying and pounding the ground incessantly.

The village chief was in a complete mess.

They didn't even bother to build houses for the newcomers.

Instead, he instructed Xu Yuan: "Tell these newcomers about the village rules."

Then he hurriedly led his people to make arrangements for the funeral.

The fortune teller shakily got up and first clasped his hands in a fist and palm salute to Xiao Yuan: "Xiao Yuan, you saved my life, and I will remember it."

Xiao Yuan simply nodded calmly, indicating that she understood.

Xu Yuan walked up with his hands behind his back and asked, "What are you doing here at Xiaoyushan?"

In this group, at the very least, the fortune teller shouldn't have entered Xiaoyushan without a reason.

The fortune teller opened his mouth and replied, "We..."

He only managed to utter two words before looking bewildered, scratching his head and frowning, "Why would I go into the mountains? Let me think about it... I can't quite remember..."

Xu Yuan looked at the others. Apart from Xiao Yuan, the other five looked confused and tried hard to remember, asking all at once, "Why do we need to go into the mountains?"

"I can't remember either."

"I feel like... I've forgotten a lot of things..."

Xu Yuan had a vague feeling that something was wrong:
They should have already come up with a reason.

Suddenly, Xu Yuan felt a blur in his mind.

In a daze, it seems I've forgotten some things...

But immediately afterward, "No Taboos" shone brightly.

Within the golden light, the effect of memory dissipation was forced back.

But Xu Yuan was still certain that he had forgotten some things!
I just don't know if these forgotten things are important!
The moment Xu Yuan's eyes showed confusion, the six people, including the fortune teller, suddenly stopped trying to remember and rushed towards him, surrounding him and carrying him away.

"Don't think too much about it, just find us a place to stay first."

The six people, including the fortune teller, acted in complete unison!
Lift your right foot, then lift your right foot.

If you extend your left hand, then everyone extends their left hand.

Six people look like one!
Xu Yuan felt a surge of "compliance" rising in his consciousness, and subconsciously he agreed to whatever they said.

Fortunately, "No Taboos" shone brightly once again.

But Xu Yuan still went along with them and led them to his house.

Xiao Yuan followed at the back, his face still cold, as if he had no expression at all.

Xu Yuan's house is not yet finished, but it is already habitable.

Two of the six people were supporting Xu Yuan on either side, but because they were both using their left hands, their movements were very awkward and strange.

After entering the house, the six people still surrounded Xu Yuan in the middle, and then they all extended their right hands.

The moment their right hands touched Xu Yuan's body, they merged into it.

All that could be seen were six illusory right hands rummaging through Xu Yuan's body, like fish in murky water, not knowing what they could catch.

Xiao Yuan stood to the side, staring coldly at Xu Yuan.

The sword behind him was drawn silently, hovering above his head, its blade pointing at Xu Yuan.

Just then, the door suddenly opened, and an old woman stood in the doorway.

It was still daytime, but behind the old woman was a dark and gloomy place, with gusts of cold wind blowing and the sounds of ghosts wailing and howling.

Every now and then, all sorts of strange things would peek out from the eerie wind, their eyes gleaming with an eerie light as they stared into the room.

The old woman lowered her head slightly, casting shadows on her face and making her look eerie and strange.

She was leaning on a cane as thick as an arm.

A red light shone from the top of the staff.

But upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that this is not a cane, but a large, lit incense stick!

Wisps of smoke curled from the incense stick, lingering and not dissipating, like a ribbon connecting to some distant darkness.

"Hehehe..." The old woman's laughter was dry and harsh, like that of a night owl.

As she was about to walk in, leaning on the large incense stick, Xiao Yuan's face turned icy cold, and the sword above his head flew out with a whoosh, stabbing towards her!
The old woman coughed repeatedly, seemingly frail, yet she held up her cane and incense stick with both hands and pushed them towards the flying sword—

The incense stick shone with a bright scarlet light.

With a "poof" sound, it was as if something in the void had been punctured.

The sword, gleaming with cold light, was immediately stripped of its outer layer, revealing its rusty body covered in years of bloodstains!

A strong, foul odor, which could no longer be suppressed, instantly filled the entire room.

The six fortune tellers around Xu Yuan also underwent a sudden change.

They were no longer alive; each one of them bled from all seven orifices, with blue faces and fangs.

There were no visible injuries on his body, but there was a deep, scabbed wound on his head.

Judging from the wounds, they were all killed by a sword stabbing down from the top of their heads!
They all died by this blood-stained, rusty sword.

The old woman chuckled strangely again: "Left Sword King under the Mountain Lord, you're really bold, coming in and thinking you can get out?"

Xiao Yuan's figure became illusory, and with a whoosh, he was sucked back by the blood-stained, rusty sword.

But "Little Yuan's" voice came from the sword, full of resentment and arrogance: "What do I have to be afraid of? Once Lord Mountain arrives, all of you long worms who have been hiding for hundreds of years will be dragged out and killed!"

With its sound, the blood-stained rusted sword arrived swiftly, unleashing over a hundred strikes in the blink of an eye!

The old woman was sinister, with a strange smile on her face. She simply swung her cane, a large incense stick, from side to side, and a scarlet light would spread out like a curtain, deflecting any sword that came from anywhere.

Even the crimson light showed signs of seeping into the sword.

But that bloodstained, rusty sword was no ordinary weapon either. The blood on it twisted like earthworms, intertwined with the red light, and they fought fiercely together.

Two muffled groans echoed in the void, and the Bloodstained Rust Sword and the old woman each retreated.

From the dark and murky shadows behind the old woman, countless strange creatures emerged, howling and screeching, menacing and cheering on her.

The old woman's face darkened further. She withdrew her cane and incense stick, slammed them heavily in front of her, held the incense sticks with both hands, and cried out, "Invite the Dragon King—"

The wisp of smoke from the incense stick suddenly flowed backward!

Moreover, it has become several times larger.

The old woman's body swelled rapidly, and her face was covered with dense dragon scales!
His pupils elongated and narrowed, and his gray hair snapped open, exploding from his headscarf with a loud crack, each thick strand standing upright like a dragon's mane.

Sharp bone spurs were growing rapidly from every joint of her body.

It revealed its dragon-like form, but looked more like a grotesque, deformed monster! The old woman roared like a giant beast, and thrust her large incense stick into the house—

"drink!"

A terrifying force swept into the house.

Unable to withstand the attack, the blood-stained, rusty sword retreated steadily. Then, it suddenly turned around, pierced through the house with a whoosh, and fled.

"Little Yuan's" voice came from afar: "A bunch of snakes! Huddled in this tiny place, how much incense and faith can you possibly accumulate?"

"You stupid old woman, if you use it a few more times, your old snake will be drained dry!"

The old woman remained unmoved, thrusting her cane and incense forward. The terrifying force of her crushing blows into the house, instantly obliterating the six fortune tellers into dust.

Xu Yuan suddenly shuddered and "woke up," seemingly feeling a discomfort in his body, and began to cough violently.

The old woman, looking sinister, put away her cane and incense stick—the wisp of smoke on the incense stick had returned to normal, but the deformity on her body did not immediately recover.

She was about to walk in when she took a step and found that her flesh and blood began to writhe uncontrollably. Underneath her dress, her lower body had become a smooth, scaly mass!

She dared not move.

I stood there for a while to catch my breath.

Otherwise, it might turn into an aquatic creature!
Fortunately, she noticed that Xu Yuan in the room had been coughing for quite a while, and then looked blank and dazed.

The old woman finally suppressed her own strange transformation, but she couldn't immediately retract the "dragon-like" aura around her.

She moved slowly, feeling as if her body had been taken away and then taken back, making her feel somewhat unresponsive.

"How many of your destiny numbers are left?" the old woman asked, surprising everyone.

Xu Yuan coughed violently again.

The old woman stood aside with a cold laugh, waiting for Xu Yuan to finish coughing before speaking: "Foolish! You've been guarding against my Dragon King at every turn, but you didn't expect the Mountain Lord to have prepared special methods to deal with you, did you?"

The old woman felt that standing there while talking was not in the manner of a superior person, but when she looked around quietly, she found that the room was completely empty, without a single table or chair!
Xu Yuan hesitated and asked, "Your surname is Liu?"

The village chief had once told Xu Yuan that only Granny Liu made incense in the village.

Granny Liu squinted and said, "She's not stupid."

Xu Yuan cupped his hands, looking weak and sickly: "I'm ashamed, I've made you laugh, senior."

Granny Liu said, "Their methods are specifically designed to target those who cultivate destiny. Your background has already been thoroughly investigated by the Mountain Lord."

This method is extremely rare; you're so young, you've probably never even heard of it before.

Xu Yuan exclaimed in shock, "They specialize in stealing destiny fragments?"

Granny Liu nodded: "Their method makes you forget that you are a cultivator of destiny without realizing it, and you may even forget all your abilities and think that you are just an ordinary person."

This way, you won't have to use your various life-saving techniques.

Then they use specialized methods to steal your destiny from your body.

Xu Yuan's heart tightened as well.

Fortunately, I have "no taboos," otherwise I would have really forgotten everything.

If things go wrong, these evil spirits might succeed.

Xu Yuan asked, "Is the Left Sword King only a fourth-rate one? When did so many high-level evil spirits appear in Xiaoyu Mountain?"

Granny Liu slammed her cane down in displeasure and scolded, "You're still wary of us? If I hadn't arrived in time, you wouldn't have survived!"
They took your destiny, do you think you can still live?
That sword will pierce directly into your head, devouring your essence and soul, turning you into one of its 'sword-serving corpses'!

Xu Yuan said awkwardly, "No, it's just that I had a question in my mind and asked casually. If you don't want to answer, then just pretend I didn't ask."

Granny Liu chuckled coldly, "You're starting to mock me. Answer this old woman a question first: How many life cycles do you have left?"

Xu Yuan remained silent, as if he had checked himself, then his face turned pale as he said, "There are only three left."

Actually, none of them were stolen.

When those "right hands" touched inside Xu Yuan's body, "No Taboos" kept flashing, and these strange techniques were ineffective against Xu Yuan.

But Granny Liu didn't know that.

Granny Liu sighed, "I'm still a step too late."

In her opinion, Xu Yuan should have six destinies.

Now there are only three left, meaning three have already been stolen.

Xu Yuan cursed under his breath.

Not only did the Mountain Lord know his own background perfectly well, but the Dragon King of Luo River was also clearly aware of it.

Who leaked it?
It may not be Huang Thirty-Seven and his group, but it is definitely one of the weasels in the family.

However, Xu Yuan didn't expect these cowardly, bullying evil spirits to actually keep his secret.

Moreover, these guys don't even need to be tortured to confess; they'll boast about their powerful backers and reveal all sorts of information about themselves.

Granny Liu kept her head down and didn't speak for a while. Xu Yuan guessed that she was communicating with the Dragon King in secret.

Finally, Granny Liu raised her head and said, "The Mountain Lord has a mysterious origin, but he has a highly skilled artifact called 'Old Smoker,' which can absorb the yin energy of the evil spirits he kills and then spray it out to enhance the level of other evil spirits."

Xu Yuan answered Granny Liu's question, and she answered one of Xu Yuan's questions in return, which was considered a fair trade.

Xu Yuan nodded, trying hard to recall if there were any records of "old smokers" in the books of the Exorcism Bureau that he had read.

Granny Liu then asked, "What brings you into the mountains this time?"

When she asked the question this time, her eyes had become even more "dragon-like".

A sliver of dark golden light shone from her date-shaped pupils as she stared coldly at Xu Yuan.

Xu Yuan said, "I am about to refine myself, but I am missing a major ingredient. I have heard that a mountain lord has suddenly appeared in Xiaoyu Mountain, so I wanted to come and see if it is suitable."

When he answered, Xu Yuan raised his head and met Liu Pozi's gaze calmly.

Granny Liu remained motionless, as if she had turned into a statue.

After a moment, the solemn expression on Granny Liu's face disappeared. She nodded and asked, "There is a second-rate official in Champa. Why didn't you invite him to come with you? Aren't you worried that you can't handle Lord Shan?"

Xu Yuan gave a wry smile: "The Lord of Banlan is a man of the imperial court, and a second-rate official at that. I, a mere law officer, cannot even command him."

So this trip was just to secretly find out about Lord Shanjun's background, and if it was suitable, I would ask Lord Banlan to take action when I got back.

Everything made sense, and Granny Liu nodded again.

Xu Yuan thought to himself: I guess I've passed this test.

The old woman suddenly froze. It must be that the Dragon King secretly descended and used a special trick to test me and see if I was lying.

Luckily, I have "no taboos"!
This is a very important issue.

Xu Yuan, the dignified law lord of Champa, quietly entered Xiaoyu Mountain alone. If it wasn't for the Mountain Lord, then it could only be for the Luohe Dragon King!
If Xu Yuan doesn't have a very convincing reason for pointing the finger at the Mountain Lord, the Dragon King of Luo River will definitely think that Xu Yuan is coming for him.

Then there's no need to discuss the rest.

Fortunately, Xu Yuan had truly reached the critical juncture of "refining himself".

When alchemists "refine themselves," they do indeed consume some key, high-quality ingredients to strengthen their inner core.

This does not conflict with the true meaning of "refining oneself".

This is to increase the chances of successfully refining me.

The moment Xu Yuan saw the fortune teller and his companions, he knew they weren't living people.

Under the influence of "fate," nothing can be hidden.

What Xu Yuan found interesting was that, among these "people" under the influence of fate, only one sword truly possessed destiny.

"Left Sword King" refers to that blood-stained and rusty sword.

Even "Little Yuan" was just a sword-wielding corpse.

Xu Yuan had no idea that the Mountain Lord had a special method for stealing life from cultivators!

But it's normal to think about it.

Two hundred years of turmoil have ravaged the world, and among the seven great sects, the cultivators of destiny hold an extraordinary position.

Why hasn't anyone researched methods specifically targeting those who cultivate their destiny?

However, these methods have very strict requirements, making them difficult for ordinary people to master.

But Lord Shan Jun was unaware of Xu Yuan's "no taboos." As long as these methods couldn't escape the realm of the bizarre, they would be ineffective against Lord Xu.

This also served as a warning to Xu Yuan: one should not underestimate the heroes of the world.

I was really too overconfident this time. If I hadn't been so "unrestrained," I probably would have already capsized!

Xu Yuan's "cooperation" with Zuo Jianwang was, of course, to lure out the Dragon King.

The fact that Lord Shanjun so openly sent his subordinate Zuo Jianwang to barge into the village shows that Lord Longjun was in a weaker position in the confrontation.

The Dragon King needs allies more than the Mountain Lord.

Granny Liu said, "Now that you've been targeted by Lord Mountain Lord, what are you going to do?"

Xu Yuan cupped his hands in greeting: "Please enlighten me, senior."

"The Mountain Lord is our common enemy. Why don't we join forces, capture this Left Sword King first, and then we'll help you slay the Mountain Lord and achieve the Third Rank Great Dao!"

Xu Yuan's heart stirred, and he asked, "I wonder if you could let me go back, senior? I've asked Banlan Gong to come and kill that mountain lord?"

This is the simplest method.

But Granny Liu said with a forced smile, "Lord Xu, do you think we're three-year-old children?"

Xu Yuan shook his head and sighed, "If you don't trust me, then forget about it."

This was Xu Yuan's test: to prove that the Dragon King was not confident in controlling a second-rate figure, and thus to roughly understand the Dragon King's current true strength.

It seems that after so many years of hiding in Xiaoyushan, relying solely on the incense and faith of twenty-four villages for sustenance, decline has been inevitable.

Granny Liu said, "Lord Xu, don't think too much about it. Left Sword King is right outside. This is your pledge of allegiance."

"Old woman, I saved you once, and now you're wary of Zuo Jianwang's methods. You need to capture Zuo Jianwang and present him to the Dragon King before we can continue our discussion on the grand plan to kill the Mountain Lord."

Xu Yuan frowned: "The Left Sword King is already trapped in the village. Do you still need me to take action?"

Granny Liu got a little angry and shouted, "Xu Yuan! I'll say it again, this is your pledge of allegiance!"
Even if you don't kill the Left Sword King, it will kill you!
If you still don't know what's good for you, we won't protect you anymore and will let it use all sorts of strange methods on you!

After finishing her sentence, Granny Liu pulled her heavy cane and incense stick together, then walked away without looking back.

Xu Yuan was now certain that although the Dragon King had sealed off this mountain village, the area was vast and their control over it was limited. It was also possible that the incense offerings were precious and they were unwilling to expend too much of their wealth.

Therefore, we still need to capture the Left Sword King ourselves.

Xu Yuan went to close the door.

Then he sat down on the ground, revealing his weak state.

The villagers built this house, and Xu Yuan was absolutely certain that nothing that happened inside could be kept from the Dragon King.

This weakness is a gesture of submission to the Dragon King, to reassure him.

But it is true that Xu Yuan was not in good condition at the moment!
The infection on my body is starting to show signs of breaking!

Xu Yuan never expected that the six sword-wielding corpses reaching in would cause such a strong contamination of him!
Relying solely on "no taboos" is no longer enough to completely resolve the issue; Xu Yuan now needs to shed his skin!
But how could Xu Yuan possibly shed his skin in peace in this mountain village?

Xu Yuan sat there, fully activating "No Taboos," and took several more medicinal pills. It took a full hour before he finally managed to temporarily suppress the infection.

Xu Yuan got up, drenched in sweat, opened the door and walked out, looking around: "Where could the Left Sword King be hiding?"

(End of this chapter)