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Chapter 144 The Dragon's Beard Binding Tide Secret Technique Appears, Butterfly Transformation and Puppet Traces Hidden Within Illusion [Two-in-One]

'What kind of monster is this?'

Tang Hao was dumbfounded, but dared not hesitate for even a moment.

With a quick glance, his figure had already moved swiftly.

Based on previous experiences, that terrifying suction force will appear soon.

And as that gaping maw, like an abyss, opened, an absurd conclusion arose in his mind: 'The cycle of that black tide originates from the breath of this unknown behemoth!'

“Young master, there are no fissures in the ground nearby.”

Because of the giant beast's presence, everyone switched to communicating by voice. Although it seemed to be asleep, who knew if it might suddenly wake up?

Tang Hao also controlled the dust-purifying light sphere, lowering its height and reducing its brightness.

"Even if there is a fissure in the ground, at such a close distance, with that giant beast above, if you hide inside, you'll be sucked out."

Not only Tang Hao, but others also speculated that the constantly circulating black tide came from the breathing of the giant beast.

"The entrance on the stone wall seems to be quite far away; we might not be able to get in in time."

"How to do how to do?"

Tang Hao calculated that, given their speed, it was absolutely impossible for them to break through.

My heart was pounding, and everything around me seemed to slow down.

The trembling, rope-like shadow swept across the ground ahead, and he suddenly looked up, staring at the swaying whiskers in the air.

"I'm betting!" Tang Hao roared, his figure soaring into the sky. "Follow me!"

The suction force was already strong, and this move undoubtedly accelerated the speed at which he plunged into the giant mouth.

However, the nine women did not hesitate at all and followed him closely.

"It's now."

Looking at the thick, tree-like tendrils that several people would need to encircle to reach, they swept past in the distance.

A sudden gust of wind swept around Tang Hao, pushing him to change direction, and he caught him in his arms as they passed each other.

The whiskers appear smooth, but in fact they have a rich textured structure.

It looks like a hair magnified countless times, with layers of scales arranged like overlapping tiles on the surface.

He gripped the gaps between the scales tightly with his fingers, and suddenly, strands of water coalesced, holding him firmly in place.

Then, Tang Hao turned to look at the nine women.

A few people were lucky enough to be on the road that Xu Zi was passing by.

The other three were less fortunate, being pulled by the suction force and hurtling towards the abyss's maw.

Among them was Yao Guang, whose eyes already showed despair.

Those who fall into the mouth of a behemoth that devours demonic energy and nightmare energy will certainly not have a good end.

However, if they abandon their physical bodies, the dense nightmare energy here will cause their consciousness to instantly sink into oblivion.

"Young Master, take care!" Yao Guang waved goodbye with tears in her eyes.

"Son..."

"Are you going to give up already?" As Tang Hao's voice rang out, several thick water ropes were swung out and instantly wrapped around the waists of the three women.

Under the corrosive influence of demonic energy, the water ropes became thinner and fuller, clearly undergoing a tug-of-war.

"We're here to help too!"

"hold onto!"

After settling themselves in, the other six women also came to their aid.

Ropes formed from qi and blood were thrown out, working together with the water ropes to pull the three people over with difficulty.

As soon as they grasped the gaps in the scales, countless water ropes, shimmering with a glassy white light, quickly wove into a net, trapping everyone inside.

After a series of crackling sounds, the water network froze into ice, and with the purifying effect of the [Dust Purification Technique], it became much more stable for a time.

"The suction near the whiskers isn't that strong, but be careful of its shaking," Tang Hao reminded everyone, something he had noticed as soon as he arrived.

He wasn't surprised by this, as the whiskers are an extremely sensitive part of any creature that has them.

To this colossal beast, they were nothing more than insects.

Otherwise, it might be startled awake the moment it's touched, which is what Tang Hao is betting on.

After a moment of silence, seeing that although it was occasionally twitching its beard, it had not yet woken up, everyone finally felt relieved and quietly waited for the black tide to subside.

So, what exactly is this big thing?

The beast's head was so enormous that the light from the small sun only illuminated a faint outline, making it impossible for him to discern anything clearly.

Thinking this, Tang Hao looked at the reminder above his field of vision.

The background of the button in the video is a long, whip-like beard.

'Shouldn't we be able to glimpse the truth from here?' He consciously selected and clicked.

The scene slowly unfolds.

A dark, damp, and oppressive atmosphere immediately envelops you.

Amidst the flickering shadows, a cacophony of sounds emanated.

"They're here! They're here! We have to get out of here!" The fearful cries spread like wildfire.

Some complained, "We've held out for so long, where are the reinforcements? Why haven't they arrived yet?"

"Hahahaha... Reinforcements? The Five Elements Heaven has been destroyed, where are the reinforcements? They're all dead, they're all dead, let's die too! Hahahaha..." The laughter turned into wailing.

Tang Hao could sense the extreme negative emotions in the scene, including fear, resentment, and despair, but he couldn't understand what this had to do with the giant beast.

'Could it be that a giant beast forced them into this predicament?' He immediately shook his head in denial, as this did not conform to the system's mechanism.

Just then, a flash of fire appeared on the screen, and he vaguely saw wisps of black energy rising from these people: 'Nightmare energy?!'

'So, this beast is related to the Nightmare Qi?' This wasn't too unexpected.

The interplay of light and shadow in the scene makes time seem to fly by at an extremely fast pace.

A shadowy figure gradually took shape, moving among the various lights, wandering in the depths of dreams, and lingering in the consciousness space of the deceased.

It gnaws at dreams and memories, absorbs yin energy, nightmare energy, and demonic energy, and devours cultivators, demons, and ferocious beasts.

As it grew rapidly, its scales gradually hardened, a ferocious horn sprouted from its head, and a nightmare core condensed.

It finally acquired a body that was a mixture of reality and illusion, covered with twisted black and purple scales, and its wings spread out like a shadow that blotted out the sky.

A pair of whiskers, like steel whips, tore through the air and split the earth, and the ferocious head finally revealed its full form—a colossal beast that resembled a dragon but was not.

At the end of the video, the giant beast roared silently, its eyes fixed on you.

Tang Hao couldn't help but shiver. He knew it couldn't possibly see him, but he still felt a chill run down his spine.

Especially considering that this terrifying behemoth is currently right above them, and they are even holding onto its whiskers.

He glanced at the system log: '【Nightmare Dragon's Whisker】? So this behemoth is called the Nightmare Dragon, a terrifying dragon beast born from nightmare energy and formed within demonic energy?'

'What would happen if I claimed this reward?' He glanced outside; not much time had passed, and the black tide was still raging.

The Nightmare Dragon is a mixture of reality and illusion, meaning that its whiskers could also be pure energy.

'I'll take it and try it out.'

With various systematic preventative mechanisms in place, he became increasingly reckless.

Select "Claim Reward".

The notification panel immediately appeared.

Instead of displaying the information about obtaining the [Nightmare Dragon's Whisker], a series of warnings and selection reminders popped up.

"Warning: The [Nightmare Dragon's Whisker] is a special energy item. You must choose to claim it as a physical or virtual item."

"Physical Reward: Can be used as the main material for crafting Tier 3 treasures."

"Ethereal Body Acquisition: Can be fused with the [Nightmare Butterfly], allowing this secret technique to further grow and evolve." "[Physical Body Acquisition] [Ethereal Body Acquisition]"

Tang Hao carefully browsed through the information on the panel and fell into thought.

"A third-tier treasure, also known as a magic weapon, given the origin and appearance of this whisker, would most likely be suitable for crafting into a whip-like treasure."

Upon thinking this, he immediately frowned: 'The Qinghua Sect, as a Qi-based immortal sect, does not possess any method for controlling such a wondrous treasure as the Soft Whip.'

In that case, the treasure's power might not be fully realized.

It's like having a great sword but not knowing how to use it; you can only rely on its sharpness, which is a real waste.

However, the secret technique of [Nightmare Butterfly]...

'The [Sleep-Inducing Spell] is only at a beginner level, and the amount of [Nightmare Energy] used last time was extremely small. Even with the residual energy from the [Thousand Butterfly Soul-Guiding Pillow], the [Nightmare Butterfly] only barely reached the Foundation Establishment level.'

'If I absorb the [Nightmare Dragon's Whisker], even if the [Nightmare Butterfly] can't reach the Core Formation stage directly, it can still undergo another transformation, right?' Tang Hao was immediately tempted.

So, I stopped hesitating and decided, 'That's it.'

Consciousness selects [Virtual Body Acquisition].

This time, the [Nightmare Dragon's Whisker] did not appear in the outside world first, but appeared directly in the Purple Mansion of the Sea of ​​Consciousness.

'Is this also one of the extraordinary aspects of the Nightmare Dragon?'

The thought had barely crossed his mind when Tang Hao's consciousness was pulled into his sea of ​​consciousness.

The black butterfly secret technique runes, as if smelling honey, suddenly flapped their wings and pounced on the black and purple [Nightmare Dragon's Whiskers].

He thought it would be a fusion, but to his surprise, the butterfly slurped it up and sucked it into its mouth like slurping noodles.

'Tsk tsk, this Nightmare Butterfly really does always surprise us!' A strange look flashed across his face as he muttered to himself.

Then, the butterfly runes began to change rapidly.

The original black butterfly looked like an ordinary insect commonly found in gardens and mountains.

At this point, its changes began to exhibit some characteristics of dragons and beasts.

The pair of antennae on its head gradually hardened and forked, transforming into the shape of dragon horns.

The two whiskers that grew out replaced the antennae and became its new sensory organs.

Its body became more slender, with a tail resembling a dragon's tail curled under its belly, and the outline of its wings became more streamlined.

'Even its claws have become much sharper.' Tang Hao exclaimed in admiration, curiously observing the butterfly's transformation.

All of this is an illusion, a strange illusion produced when the runes change.

But he knew that when he used this secret technique again, the Nightmare Butterfly that would be created would look like this.

'It seems the name hasn't changed; [Nightmare Butterfly] has only undergone a transformation, without any new effects appearing.' Having learned from his previous experience, Tang Hao was confident in his abilities.

The moment the Nightmare Butterfly completes its metamorphosis.

But an unexpected situation arose.

The arcane runes flickered on and off, trembling slightly.

At that moment, through this secret technique, Tang Hao actually resonated with the Nightmare Dragon.

Countless images flashed before his eyes, and he understood them immediately without needing anyone to tell him.

This is the illusion that cultivators currently trapped in the black tide and affected by the nightmare energy are experiencing.

Each scene was filled with longing, pursuit, pain, regret, resentment, and so on—a dense surge of negative energy. Even though time and space separated them, he could still sense the surging power within.

Tang Hao could still sense the Nightmare Dragon's emotions—the excitement of being trapped in this place for countless years and tasting delicious delicacies once again.

'Hiss… So, it knew we were coming.' A chill ran down his spine, but he was helpless. 'Who could have imagined that the imagined secret treasure had already become a den of demons?'

'Huh, is this Kitayama Mei's illusion?'

As he was reflecting on this, Tang Hao paused slightly, letting out a soft exclamation: 'Yan Yumin and Mei Zhen both seem a bit green compared to how they are now.'

He selected that image: two women inside a formation, seemingly struggling to maintain its operation.

'Is this the battle that killed Tang Hong?' A thought flashed through his mind.

Immediately, among the disciples of the Qinghua Sect, a male cultivator with an outstanding temperament was found.

This person does not resemble Tang Hao at all.

It's not surprising. Although they are brothers, they are half-brothers. It's normal for a son to resemble his mother rather than the other way around.

There's not much to see next, except that Beishan Ming has chosen to stay and fight alongside Yan Yumin and the others.

Then, thanks to Lu Xianyou's opportunity, he and Yan Yumin made rapid progress, leaving Tang Hong far behind.

In just twenty years, they achieved the Core Formation and Nascent Soul Formation, becoming an enviable divine couple: 'This guy probably thinks he's been reborn right now.'

'Uh, why am I in a scene?' Just as he was about to switch out, Tang Hao suddenly saw himself appearing on screen and couldn't help but take a second look.

Upon seeing this, he couldn't help but roll his eyes: 'This kid actually fantasized that I wanted to become his disciple, and then after refusing, he even kicked me out of the sect.'

"Damn it, they're inhuman!" he muttered under his breath.

Hearing this, Yao Guang, who was closer to him, immediately turned around and asked with concern, "Young Master, what happened?"

"Ahem, it's nothing, I just thought of something annoying." He gave a casual, perfunctory reply.

After checking the situation outside, watching videos, claiming rewards, and observing the illusion, the black tide finally showed signs of calming down.

The closer they got to the Nightmare Dragon, the more intense the black tide became. Right under its nose, it felt like it lasted several breaths longer than the first time.

"Get ready. Once the black tide subsides, we'll quickly enter the stone wall entrance," Tang Hao instructed telepathically.

Knowing that the Nightmare Dragon was in a semi-conscious state, he naturally dared not linger.

"Good son."

After the nine women responded, he glanced at the illusionary scene again.

The resonance between the Nightmare Butterfly and the Nightmare Dragon has not stopped, and the picture remains clear and stable.

An ordinary mountain landscape caught Tang Hao's attention: "This looks like the Qinghua Sect?"

Somewhat uncertain, he took a closer look and confirmed that it was indeed the Qinghua Sect.

He glanced at Beishan Ming's rebirth journey and his expression became somewhat strange.

"Jingchen Boy is a transformed spiritual treasure, so he definitely wouldn't be trapped in an illusion. Then who is this? How does he have experience within a sect?"

Just as he was wondering, a petite and exquisite girl appeared out of thin air above the Qinghua Sect's mountain gate formation, looking smug. It was none other than Hua Guigui.

Below, countless disciples of various sects knelt, their robes revealing a diverse array of ranks, from servants and outer disciples to inner disciples and even true disciples.

But then she thought: 'Why am I in this scene again? I'm kneeling before her too... and I'm not even wearing the standard Taoist robes! This witch has designs on destroying my sect!'

The moment this thought crossed his mind, another Flower Ghost popped out of Flower Ghost's body. The two Flower Ghosts started hurling insults at each other and then began to fight.

At this point, her hallucination ended.

'As expected of a witch, this illusion is quite chaotic.' Tang Hao's lips twitched, somewhat puzzled.

Just then, the Kuroshio Current completely subsided.

He dared not delay, and immediately gave the order, leading the nine women to rush madly toward the entrance of the stone wall.

"Finally in!"

"Great!"

The group cheered excitedly.

They saw it clearly just now, and once it enters the mouth, it will no longer be affected by the black tide.

Tang Hao was also very excited, wondering what treasures lay behind the stone wall.
He was about to continue exploring with the nine women.

The illusionary scene that he had abandoned, which he didn't know how to sever the resonance with, suddenly flashed by.

All other sights have vanished.

A puppet beast, its body shimmering with five-colored spiritual light, appeared in the scene.

(End of this chapter)