All the evil beasts in the world, I feed on demons and monsters

Chapter 368 Taiping Sacrificial Wine
The desolate grave was silent, and Ji Ran stood there in silence for a long time.

During his journey to the Southern Han, besides Chen Chu, whom he encountered at the beginning, Chen Qingyan was the second most important person. In the end, on Guanchao Mountain, he, Xun Yu, and Chen Qingyan fought side by side.

Ji Ran recalled that torrential rainy night, where the red thread of the Death Pardon Curse resembled a blood-red net piercing the heavens and earth, supporting the collapsing battle line.

When he left, Chen Qingyan, though his hair was completely white, was still alive, though he looked like a frail old man, but certainly not dead. Even if he were truly dead, this should be the tomb of Chen Qingyan's body, not a cenotaph.

After I left, some things changed here.

boom.

Ji Ran straightened the slightly crooked stone tablet, then turned and walked down the mountain. He had enough time to find out why.

Based on the time of this entry, more than a year has passed since my previous entry. Considering the actual time frame, the time ratio should be approximately 1:12.

When one enters the heavens according to the natural order of the seasons, they usually return within three days. However, this time, my karmic entry is limited only by 100% karmic experience, with no other restrictions. This means that I should be able to stay in this world for a longer period of time.

Da da da.

After passing through desolate graves and crossing mountains and forests, Ji Ran found himself at the foot of the mountain surrounded by a dense array of talismans.

The night wind was bleak, causing hundreds and thousands of talismans to rustle, like a yellow prayer flag. Threads strung together all the talismans, like a large net covering all sides of Guanchao Mountain.

This feeling... is like being on guard against something.

It's not about defending the inside, but the outside.

Ji Ran silently observed for a while, but couldn't understand it. Cultivation in this world is not simple. At least, he hadn't cultivated a single bit of the "Six Ghost Talisman" that Chen Qingyan had given him.

It wasn't that I was unwilling to cultivate, but rather that I simply couldn't understand it. If that book, "The Six Ghost Talismans," were to be compared to university-level mathematics, then in the context of this world's talisman system, I was merely at the elementary school level.

Ji Ran didn't delay and went straight out.

He currently only possesses the "Characteristics of Cause and Effect," and he has no clue about the two goals depicted on it. As for traveling to the Tang Kingdom, for someone like him living near the South China Sea, it would require traversing almost the entire south.

We need to find a place where there are people first.

Ji Ran thought for a moment and then walked toward the location of the county town in his memory.

……

"Yuan San!"

In the pitch black, several figures were crawling on the road not far away.

“The village’s poll tax can’t be delayed any longer; your sister is nearing her end.”

"She's been exposed to Ziyu. If she doesn't take the county magistrate's antidote, she'll die in the next few days."

"So, you'll have to take the loss this time."

A thin man was hiding behind some weeds and said to a gaunt boy, "Whether you live or die, as long as you succeed, your sister will definitely get a share of the antidote."

"it is good!"

The thin boy had sparse, yellowish hair and had already made up his mind.

The man placed a bamboo basket filled with glutinous rice in front of him and handed him a short axe. Yuan San took it, slung the basket over his shoulder, covered it with a dirty red cloth, and then straightened up and walked toward the official road.

The cold moonlight blanketed the mountains and fields.

A slight tremor lingered in Yuan San's eyes, yet he walked with unwavering determination.

His parents were dead. He couldn't forget the day a shower of purple rain fell, changing everything.

My parents, who were busy working in the fields outside, were soaked to the bone and collapsed when they got home. My father fused with the floor, becoming a monster. My mother was entangled with the hoe and the dry firewood behind her, her mouth gushing blood, and she only managed to point at my younger sister at the very end.

Those were his last remaining relatives, and also his only reason to live in this world.

Yuan San gritted his teeth and walked step by step toward the official road, heading toward the dark mountains to the south. As he drew closer, shadows began to appear on the plains below the mountains.

The moonlight illuminated a scene of chaotic dancing demons.

Even though he had witnessed countless bizarre events after the Purple Rain, Yuan San still couldn't help but tremble as he walked on the plains far from the official road.

A clump of thorns was throbbing slowly, and wrapped around it were several grass snakes that had unfortunately been eroded by the purple rain. Their scales were fused with the thorns, their heads drooping limply, but their bodies twisted and curled with the rhythm of the thorns, as if they had become a new kind of plant-like reptile. Their originally slender bodies were now replaced by the whole patch of thorns.

Walking on the ground, Yuan San had to be constantly careful.

Beneath his feet, countless eerie creatures on the "shoals" breathed and exhaled starlight. They fused together the rubble embedded in the earth, exposing deformed, withered bones, forming blurry, faceless human or beast shapes.

These are monsters that didn't have time to escape when the purple rain arrived and directly merged with the earth.

Even the air is no longer safe.

Some wispy, purple-tinged fluff—insects like mosquitoes and moths—had their wings assimilated into luminescent fluff, while their bodies became the core of the glow, drifting helplessly in the pale moonlight like a group of tormented ghosts.

Yuan San tightly covered his mouth and nose with the cowhide collar, and plugged his ears with burlap. These insignificant little things were the most dangerous things at that moment.

I have personally witnessed villagers accidentally inhaling these substances, and the next day, the villagers discovered that the entire family of three had been killed and their internal organs eaten.

On the roof beam of his house, there was a strange purple worm about the size of a piglet.

During the day, these monsters are perpetually hungry, devouring any living thing that comes near. At night, however, all is well. This is because the monsters absorb starlight, becoming quiet and lethargic. Even when attacked, they rarely react unless their lives are in danger.

At this moment, Yuan San had arrived at a relatively open area, where a clump of gray "grass" was growing on the ground in front of him.

But if you look closely, you can see that the grass is actually a patch of gray fur, within which are twisted wolf heads, squinting and spitting out starlight.

This vast expanse of land, nearly thirty meters wide, was home to a wolf pack. Rows of gray "grass" were covered in serrated edges, capable of strangling any living creature that approached. At the center of all the heads, the largest wolf's head rose like a small hill.

now.

Yuan San carefully crouched down, picked up the axe, and chopped at the monster on the ground!

Pfft!

With one swing of the axe, Yuan San closed his eyes, his body trembling slightly, awaiting his fate—the first attack was the most dangerous. There was a chance the monster would notice him, and at least a quarter of the Flesh-Cutting Men died at this point.

A moment later, Yuan San opened his eyes. He saw the thick, dark purple blood flowing from under the axe, revealing the purple mass of flesh beneath the fur, and the unresponsive wolf's head. Only then did he feel relieved.

Pfft!

Phew!
……

Chunks of purple meat were chopped off and stuffed into glutinous rice. The white glutinous rice visibly turned purple. Yuan San only stopped when there were no more pieces of meat left to put in.

His luck is good.

The starlight was exceptionally rich tonight, and all the monsters were immersed in it, none of them noticing him. In the past, the Flesh Slayer would have been targeted at least two or three times in this short period of time.

Yuan San secretly breathed a sigh of relief, picked up the bamboo basket, bent down to pick up the axe and leave.

But the next moment, he froze, still bent over, when he felt a chill run down his spine and he instantly stiffened!
On a patch of gray fur, the largest head, fused with the earth, opened its eyes.

boom!
The next moment, Yuan San saw a scene that filled him with utter despair!
The wolf, which had been frozen on the ground, suddenly "stood up" under the intense starlight! The grass, which was several dozen feet wide, was torn apart, and a bizarre wolf-shaped rock, dragging its body covered in gravel, stood up!

Yuan San gritted his teeth, grabbed his basket, and tried to run away!

But behind him, the thorn snake awoke, its countless vines surging like waves, blocking all directions!

"younger sister……"

Surprisingly, Yuan San felt no fear at this moment.

The fourteen or fifteen-year-old boy's eyes were filled with longing and reluctance. He knew that if he died here today, his sister would be beyond saving.

In some cases, if people can't pay their taxes, the entire village will be arrested.

stab-

The gray grass brushed against Yuan San's arm, instantly tearing his skin open! The intense pain caused gray-black wolf fur to grow on his right arm, and he began to feel dizzy.

But it didn't matter anymore. He was reluctant to give up, but he also felt so tired.

He looked ahead and seemed to see his parents walking towards him as usual. His father carried a hoe, and his mother carried a bamboo basket full of wild vegetables.

"Father, mother..."

boom!
Yuan San staggered, tripped by the sharp gray fur, and fell to the ground with half of his body covered in blood and flesh!

The gray stone wolf, however, did not kill him. Instead, it let out a strange, low growl and looked ahead.

The same goes for the thorn snake.

On this plain, hundreds of purple-blooded monsters, all endowed with terrifying power by starlight, struggled to break free from their original shackles!

Yuan San regained some of his senses. He clung tightly to the bamboo basket filled with purple meat on the ground, but his head was turned forward, in the direction where all the monsters were staring.

The moonlight bathed the dark forest, and footsteps echoed along the pale official road.

Da da da.

A touch of dark blue reflected a pitch-black human figure.

Ji Ran, supporting himself with his broadsword, walked step by step out of the dense forest at the foot of Guanchao Mountain. Drops of purple blood dripped down the lower part of the hilt.

At this point, the blade of the large horizontal sword reached 130 centimeters, and the handle was also large enough to be held with both hands.

Meanwhile, the back of the blade was thickened and widened, and the hilt featured a double dragon pommel, with the dragons' bodies intertwined to form a ring. The blade divider was a shallow cloud-shaped cross. Along the way, he had already slain several purple-blooded monsters, but none of them were particularly strong. The great horizontal sword, after being forged, was only more robust overall, and the black gold granted it the ability to be unsealed; otherwise, it didn't offer any special features.

After all, the original intention of modifying this sword was to make it a spiritual tool that was more suitable for his fighting style.

However, through the forging of [Blood-Patterned Purple Immortal Steel], Daozhen's Kunwu Blade lost its durability and could no longer be damaged.

At the same time, a skill was acquired: [Quenching: Every combat clash is a tempering of the Kunwu Jade-Cutting Blade, leaving a "fire mark" on the blade. Any attack that hits the "fire mark" will trigger an internal force of the "fire mark's" power.]

At this moment, the Kunwu Blade bears some black fire marks, remnants of the previous battle. If someone were to strike these marks during a clash, they would be attacked by the marks left behind. If the entire blade turns black, it signifies that the tempering process has reached its peak.

However, this skill is a status skill, which consumes a great deal of mental energy.

"Chirp!"

"be honest."

Ji Ran paid no attention to the purple-blooded monster in front of him, but helplessly comforted Jinwu, saying, "If I don't tell you to make a move, then don't move."

Previously in the forest, I was too lazy to take action and let the Golden Crow attack. I didn't expect that it would immediately raise the alert level by 5% just by using its spiritual power!

Even if the Golden Crow used only a tiny bit of power, it wouldn't work; this might be related to its extremely high rank.

"Chirp."

The golden crow shook itself and settled down on the dark tree. Only then did Ji Ran look ahead.

"I see."

At this moment, facing hundreds of ghosts and monsters, the rich aura stirred him, and Ji Ran finally understood what they were—Ghost Golden Sheep! These purple-blooded monsters were all affected by the aura of the Ghost Golden Sheep and transformed into ghosts.

The reason they are now going mad is precisely because of the lingering spirit of the Ghost Golden Sheep in their own shrines. Only this time, there is no True Lord watching over them.

"Roar--!!!"

A deafening roar shook the heavens and the earth! The gray stone wolf charged forward like a chariot, its body covered with dense, serrated fur, each hair standing upright, taut, and stretched like a blade—wherever it passed, the air was cut with sharp, piercing howls, as if countless invisible pieces of cloth were being violently torn apart!
Behind it, the eerie surged forth like a tide, with countless twisted, bizarre, and indescribable shadows rushing about, like a nightmare materializing into a torrent!
Ji Ran stomped his foot hard on the ground, and his body suddenly leaped into the air!

He leaped up like lightning, gripped the knife with both hands, and delivered a clean and swift slash from mid-air—the knife technique was unremarkable, but the force was like a river bursting its banks!
bass!
A flash of light, like a river, like lightning, like a torrent pouring down!

This strike was simple yet precise and brutal, severing the wolf's head right in the middle!

Pfft!

Before the sound of the blade slicing through flesh and bone could even travel far, Ji Ran suddenly twisted his wrist, turned the blade to one side, and let out a low shout!

"Excited!"

"Chirp—!"

With a clear, crisp cry, Ji Ran's eyes flashed with seven colors, and he immediately grasped that cause and effect!

Stealing life and bestowing spirit are accomplished in an instant.

The wind on the great horizontal blade suddenly burst forth, spinning rapidly! Under the suppression of the Heaven and Earth Dragon Gate, the Wind and Thunder Blade Scripture was not enough, but the cry of the golden crow and its joyful leap caused the wind to accelerate and howl again!
Sword style achieved!
"Kamaitachi!"

Ji Ran delivered a head-wrapping slash, the back of the blade slicing back against his shoulder, and the Kamaitachi, following the momentum of the slash, plunged into the stone wolf's cleaved head!
boom--!
Purple blood cascaded down like a waterfall! The massive rock wolf body, several dozen feet tall, exploded from the inside out!

"Chirp!"

The crow cried out again, and the Kamaitachi, which was about to dissipate, was once again "jumping for joy," its ferocity growing ever stronger, its strangling force unstoppable, sweeping backward! In an instant, it tore the thorny snake behind it to pieces!
Ji Ran glanced at the alert level—it hadn't moved an inch. Simply using a sequence skill wasn't enough to trigger the alert level, since the Joyful Skill also existed in this world.

Da da da!
now.

The ground trembled as a giant monster with a bull's head and a tree's body charged forward, its hundred-meter-long demonic body carrying the force to collapse mountains as it hurtled towards them!

boom! ! !
With a muffled thud, the giant's charge came to an abrupt halt.

Ji Ran held the knife in one hand, the blade hanging down, using only the back of the blade to brace against the impact—and actually managed to stop the violent attack!

The tiny figure and the hundred-meter-tall demonic body formed an exaggerated contrast at this moment.

A level 2 demon, its gigantic size amplifies its power dozens of times. Unfortunately, its physical body is still infinitely close to level 5, and even with its spiritual power suppressed to level 1, it is still an insurmountable mountain that it cannot shake.

Ji Ran flicked his fingertip, the blade flipped, and a cold light flashed—the blade turned inward!
puff!

He darted forward, unleashing a sweeping vertical slash with his blade; the blade flashed like water, cutting right through the center of the bull-headed monster.

Amidst a spray of purple blood, the two giant halves shattered with a deafening roar. Ji Ran brandished his blade, its sharp light gleaming, leaving a trail of purple blood that illuminated a battlefield teeming with demons.

Ji Ran kept his spiritual power at level 1 and fought using his physical strength, without triggering any increase in his alert level.

His moves are extremely simple: chopping, slashing, sweeping, stabbing, etc., are conventional sword techniques, combined with exclusive connecting techniques: wrapping the head, fist stance, cloud blade, and ascending to immortality. The four connecting combinations of the first and second moves constitute the Eight Slashes on the battlefield.

This sword technique places great emphasis on fundamentals; if the connecting techniques are mastered, it is sufficient to handle any situation.

……

The glint of the blade illuminated the night, and blood soaked the spilled glutinous rice.

When Yuan San saw the huge, blood-dripping knife tip hanging in front of him, he was trembling uncontrollably, filled with fear and pain.

But his left hand remained firmly gripping Nuomi, as if branded with a hot iron. Faced with the terrifying purple blood that had soaked his entire body, he knew he was doomed.

Boom!

However, facing this being who had slain all the monsters, a being whose nature was unclear—whether human or demon—he clung to his last shred of consciousness and kowtowed fiercely, pleading, "I beg you..."

"Take this...back to the village!"

Ji Ran looked at the boy in front of her, who was barely breathing and whose body was beginning to merge with the surrounding ground, and nodded: "Okay, I promise you."

"really?"

"Thank...thank you so much!"

A look of surprise appeared on Yuan San's contorted face. At the same moment, a strange light also appeared in Ji Ran's eyes!
Before the primordial spirit in the shrine behind him, a blurry figure appeared. A faint scent of incense emanated from this figure.

This is?

"Want to live?"

"Wha...what?"

Yuan San didn't hear clearly; gray grass was already growing in his ears.

"Want to live?"

Ji Ran gazed at the boy and said, "Live on, then leave this place and go to the Northern Tang Kingdom to live a peaceful and prosperous life."

"Can……"

"Do you want to?"

"miss you!"

Yuan San's eyes cleared for a moment as he looked at the unfathomable man. Then, looking at himself, his lips trembled, and he said bitterly, "My lord, I am about to die."

"Could you take my sister with you?"

"As long as she can live..."

"can."

Ji Ran interrupted him directly, saying, "Take me there."

"well!!"

Yuan San, whose body was half-turned into grass, gritted his teeth and stood up! A layer of flesh was torn off his right side!
Seeing this, Ji Ran reached out and plucked a Soul Flower, handing it to Yuan San and saying, "Eat it."

Without any hesitation, Yuan San swallowed it in one gulp.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up! The pain was gone! The mutating flesh and blood had stopped too!

Skill: Borrowing Life!
At this moment, looking at Ji Ran's tall figure, he asked excitedly in a trembling voice, "Sir, are you a Daoist master from those sects?"

Looking at the increasingly solid figures of believers in front of the shrine, Ji Ran finally understood what he had to do—preach, spread the word, and collect offerings!

"No."

Yuan San was taken aback and asked, "And who are you?"

In Yuan San's mind, only those Taoist priests who could come and go like the wind and possessed superb magical skills could have such abilities.

Da da.

Ji Ran strode towards the official road, stepping on the writhing corpses on the ground. He lit a flame with the fire-resistant cloth and flicked it backward!
Bear!
The prairie fire turned into a rain of flames, burning away all misfortune.

Amidst the raging flames, Ji Ran's voice was calm and resonant: "Burn my tattered body, blazing holy fire."

"What joy is there in life, what sorrow in death? To do good and eliminate evil is for the sake of peace. Joy and sorrow, all return to the earth. May the Yellow Heaven stand, and may all under Heaven share in happiness!"

Yuan San, clutching the bamboo basket of glutinous rice, stared blankly at Ji Ran's figure, his voice echoing in his mind like a morning bell and evening drum, and he heard his name.

"I am the libationer of the Way of Peace."

"Chen Qingyan".

(End of this chapter)