Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 903 Murder Through Beauty

Although not good at proactive deduction, it is extremely effective in concealing oneself and confusing cause and effect, making ordinary divination unable to touch one.

As for Xu Xuan, there's no need to elaborate; the Grand Historian proved the true value of the extraterrestrial demons with his own blood and tears.

Unless they actively become involved, it is absolutely impossible for this group of people to uncover the truth.

Xu Xuan crouched in the grass, carefully observing the composition of the pursuing team.

Although they may appear to be a mixed bag, they are actually all servants belonging to the same family, well-trained, and work in perfect harmony, with an overall skill level that is quite high.

Among them, four or five have reached the "entering the Dao" level. Moreover, judging from the material of their robes and the spiritual light of their magical artifacts, the financial resources and power of their backers are quite substantial, far from being ordinary small sects.

Especially the old monk who led the group, he was indeed following the orthodox path of Buddhism.

Judging from the degree of refinement of his aura, he has already reached the peak of the first realm.

The wisdom and harmony implied in the operation of magical power are quite similar to the Prajna school's concept of "emptiness of all phenomena".

However, although the old monk's aura was strong, it revealed an undeniable superficiality.

It is clear that he took some shortcut in his cultivation or relied too much on external elixirs, and his foundation has been damaged.

Without a tremendous opportunity to rebuild one's foundation, it is unlikely that one will ever have a chance to break through in this lifetime.

However, these people have another crucial commonality: the causal threads entwined around them are all mixed with an overwhelming amount of "evil causes" and "evil consequences."

Although the resentment and deathly aura on the surface seemed to have been temporarily washed away and suppressed by some kind of Buddhist or magical power, the heavy traces left by the accumulation of sins could not be concealed in the eyes of Xu Xuan, who was extremely sensitive to cause and effect.

Since he bears such evil karma, he can act without any psychological burden at this moment, which can be called "acting on behalf of Heaven".

The old monk was deep in thought, pondering how to report to his superiors the strange situation where "Xia Ji's" physical body had been destroyed, yet the murderer could not be found.

suddenly!

Without warning, the magic weapon in his hand began to spin wildly, its pointers trembling erratically, emitting a humming sound as if it could not bear the strain!

A chilling, pure aura of death, like an invisible sword, suddenly pierced through all defenses and plunged deep into his mind!

There are enemies!
Moreover, they are an extremely formidable enemy!

A thick and eerie gray fog had somehow spread through the mountains and forests.

This fog was unlike any other mountain mist; it carried a sweet, fishy smell that made one's throat nauseous.

It was as if rotten honey and thick rust had mixed together, almost completely blocking out the light, causing visibility in the forest to drop to less than ten steps.

The once lush green trees around them were now covered with a sickly dark green, and a thick, tar-like black liquid was constantly seeping from their bark.

The drops made a slight hissing sound as they fell to the ground, and wisps of white smoke rose up.

The soil beneath my feet had become unusually sticky and slippery. Stepping on it felt less like walking on earth and more like stepping on rotting, fermenting chunks of flesh, which was terrifying.

Even more terrifying, an invisible yet extremely malevolent aura was quietly emanating from the void, like countless cold, sucker-like tentacles.

It slowly and steadily wrapped around and enveloped the minds of everyone present, attempting to penetrate their deepest fears.

The bad guys began to feel a strong sense of suffocation, as if every breath they took was filled with concentrated fear and despair, and this negative energy was infiltrating their reason and soul in every way.

The team instantly fell into chaos:
Some of the less astute were still looking around in panic, shouting, "What's going on?"

Those who were slightly smarter had already turned pale and pulled out their evil shamanistic artifacts, either for protection or offense, as if facing a formidable enemy.

Some were even smarter; their eyes darted around, and they began to move stealthily, preparing to seize the opportunity to slip away.

There were also some particularly "clever" ones who knelt down with a thud, raised their hands, and were ready to surrender.

Of course, the one who considered himself the smartest, with a fierce glint in his eyes, quietly tightened his grip on his weapon and glanced at his "comrade" beside him, clearly looking for a suitable "pledge of allegiance".

This terrifying art style, resembling the arrival of a great demon and the end of the world, instantly shattered this small cultivation group that was already bound together by interests and violence, revealing its ugliest greed and cowardice.

However, the choice was no longer in their hands.

From the depths of the gray fog, two blurry figures were walking slowly towards them.

As they drew nearer, a chaotic, violent, and gloomy mix of emotions raged wildly within the survivors' hearts like wildfire!
At the same time, the eerie fog was stirring up trouble, amplifying everyone's premonition of disaster and unfortunate associations.

The trivial matters and minor frictions that they would never have paid attention to on ordinary days are now like venomous snakes, frantically gnawing at their already shaky rationality.

The distorted and amplified emotions quickly transformed into nameless rage and murderous intent. Many people had bloodshot eyes, were panting heavily, and had only one thought in their minds.

He wished he could kill everyone in front of him!
When the first evil cultivator, unable to withstand the dual pressure from within and without, went completely mad, roaring as he smashed his magical artifact against the head of his companion beside him.
The bloody chaos erupted like a toppled domino effect!

That's the nature of evil; once ignited, it can never stop.

When Xu Xuan slowly walked to the center of the already chaotic scene, only a few heretical cultivators who had barely entered the "Entering the Dao" realm were still standing.

And the old monk, barely intact, was enveloped in a faint yet resilient layer of Buddhist light.

He didn't even glance at the blood and mangled limbs scattered on the ground; instead, he looked down at the Shengxie Sword in his hand, which was buzzing incessantly and exuding a sense of pleasure and thirst.

On the sword's blade, the originally dim patterns were now greedily absorbing the negative energy and lingering fragments of souls in the air, faintly revealing an eerie vitality and sense of growth.

"In a good mood, you little good-for-nothing."

Xu Xuan lightly flicked the sword with his fingertips, producing a clear and melodious sound.

Having absorbed so much negative emotion, the broken sword has finally come back to life.

It seems that the North is indeed much richer in nutrients than the South.

He casually stuck the Shengxie Sword into the ground, letting it continue to absorb the dense evil energy of the place.

Then, their gaze turned to the few trembling survivors, and they began a simple interrogation.

Faced with this "Great Demon King" who could create such a terrifying scene with just a few words, the few evil cultivators had no intention of resisting at all. They almost rushed to tell him everything they knew.

It turns out that they were all privately supported by the Jia family of Luoyang, and they came to Gaoyou on orders to capture a corpse demon named "Xia Ji".

A corpse demon with an extremely beautiful appearance.

Xia Ji?

Xu Xuan raised an eyebrow slightly. The only person who would dare call themselves that is probably…

"That... the princess of Zheng during the Spring and Autumn Period?" He asked with a hint of confirmation. "Yes... yes, sir."

A rogue cultivator answered tremblingly, his voice shaking, "It's said that the Jia family unearthed it from an ancient tomb in Yuzhou a few years ago and had been locking it in a secluded residence in Xuzhou using secret methods. Recently, somehow, they bewitched the guards and it escaped..."

Keeping demons in captivity is nothing new to these powerful families.

Jia Ning, whom Xu Xuan killed, also raised a snake king with a broken tail.

Unexpectedly, the rest of the Jia family went even further, daring to lock up an ancient corpse demon of this level inside the mansion.

However, if it really is the corpse demon transformed from Xia Ji, who is famous throughout the ages for her "beauty"...

It seems not impossible to understand the Jia family's almost suicidal behavior.

Xia Ji was the daughter of Duke Mu of Zheng, and her mother was Consort Yao. She was called Xia Ji because she married Xia Yushu, the Sima of Chen, whose fief was located in Zhuyi.

She was recognized as one of the Four Beauties of the Spring and Autumn Period. She had affairs with several feudal lords and officials, which led to a series of historical events.

He was a truly legendary figure, and his record is well-documented.

Adultery and elopement were commonplace for them, and their unrestrained behavior was shocking even in an era of moral decay.

Before she was married, she had an affair with her half-brother, Gongzi Man. Less than three years later, Gongzi Man died.

Then began his extraordinary life.

Historical records state that she became queen three times and married seven times, with a total of nine men dying because of her. She was known as "the one who killed three husbands, one king, one son, and caused the downfall of one country and two ministers."

Unexpectedly, after her death, she transformed into a corpse demon and was still able to cause trouble.

The Jia family dug her up and kept her in captivity. Weren't they afraid of the terrible curse that had haunted them for thousands of years coming back to haunt them?

After extracting some information from these evil cultivators, Xu Xuan turned his attention to the old monk who had been resisting with his eyes closed.

This person is of the highest caliber and is also the team leader, so he must know more inside information.

Despite being surrounded by Buddhist light and possessing a solemn and dignified appearance, the other party closed their eyes and focused on contemplating Buddhist principles, attempting to maintain a clear mind and resist external demonic invasion.

However, Xu Xuan, as a "professional demon," was far too adept at breaking through such defensive measures.

"wake up!"

Xu Xuan let out a cold shout and struck the old monk's ancestral aperture between his eyebrows with a palm!

Snapped!
A soft sound, like something breaking.

First, the "heart lamp" that the old monk used to visualize and calm his mind shattered instantly. Then, the golden light protecting his body also fluctuated violently and dimmed by nearly half, as if cracks had appeared in his golden body.

It should be noted that the evil aura permeating the area at this moment, amplified by the Victorious Evil Sword, is now filled with the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance.

Xu Xuan himself was unaffected simply because he was even more "evil" than Sheng Xie, but anyone else would have to expend all their energy to fight against him.

Within the old monk's mind and consciousness, though it was originally in boundless darkness, there still stood a Buddha statue with a blurred face, yet radiating a gentle and firm golden light, protecting his spiritual wisdom from being lost.

This is a direct perception in Buddhism, using concentration to counteract delusions; it is an extremely profound method for guarding the mind.

However, as Xu Xuan struck down with his palm from a distance, the Buddha statue, whose face was originally blurred, suddenly became clear, transforming into Xu Xuan's face with a half-smile!
This sudden collapse and distortion, originating from the level of inner faith, instantly shattered the old monk's painstakingly maintained state of meditation!

Demonic invasion!

"puff--!"

The old monk suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze filled with horror and disbelief.

He coughed up a mouthful of blood containing his life essence, his Buddhist light completely dissipated, and he collapsed to the ground, his face as pale as paper, powerless to resist any longer.

It didn't take much effort for the old monk to completely give up resistance and voluntarily begin to confess the information he knew.

Since he managed to rise to become the head of the Jia family's retainers, he was certainly not some true saintly monk who strictly adhered to the rules and regulations; he was very pragmatic.

"You mean... the mastermind behind the imprisonment and research of that corpse demon Xia Ji wasn't a man from the Jia family, but a woman?"

Xu Xuan raised an eyebrow slightly; this was somewhat different from what he had expected.

It turns out that the men of the Jia family, though coveting the infamous Corpse Demon, were also eager to make a move.

Some with unique fetishes are even burning with desire, wishing they could immediately have some fun with their old man.

But the mastermind behind this matter didn't allow these people to get involved, instead giving Xia Ji another, more "practical" value.

"The higher-ups...they've reached an agreement with that corpse demon...to refine beauty and skin-nourishing ointments and secret elixirs..."

The old monk spoke in a weak voice, with a strange expression on his face.

To concoct a beauty ointment?

Xu Xuan was taken aback at first, then almost burst out laughing. The way these women of the Jia family think... is truly unique and pragmatic!

However, upon further reflection, considering Xia Ji's "product power"—which remained astonishing even after transforming into a corpse demon—this thing's attraction to women is probably indeed fatal.

No matter the era, women's pursuit of eternal youth and ageless beauty remains unchanged.

“Yes,” the old monk said hastily, seeing that Xu Xuan’s expression seemed to have softened, “Previously, we mainly used… the eyes of young girls as a medicinal ingredient, supplemented with…”

Before he could finish speaking, the faint smile on Xu Xuan's face vanished without a trace.

The atmosphere suddenly plummeted to freezing point.

The Stone King didn't know what was happening, but it sensed that the winds of death had begun to blow, and this land was about to undergo a baptism.

A nearly transparent spirit butterfly silently gathered at Xu Xuan's fingertip, and then flew swiftly towards the direction of Baoan Hall in Jiangnan.

The cycle of cause and effect, retribution is unhappy.

Ultimately, it landed precisely in Yu Yingnan's hands.

Among the three heroes and two clouds, the most rational and resilient girl had a hint of moisture in her eyes, which was then evaporated by the blue flames.

The flames of Nanming soared into the sky, heading straight north to vanquish the demon!

Even more striking was the purple and blue sword energy following closely behind!

(End of this chapter)