I, who was turned into a woman by the Jade Maiden Master, want to rebel against the Heavenly Gang.

Fist-sized fleshy flower buds hung upside down from the eaves. If Qin Rufeng hadn't brought the long-lasting Purple Gold Jade Sachet, these ignorant rookies would probably have been sucked dry by the ticks and wasps that flew out of the buds, turning them into human skin.

The massive root system arched up, seemingly supporting people. But these were merely hollow, gelatinous shells barely maintaining the outline of limbs. Their surfaces were covered with withered twigs and leaves, resembling that of a straw beetle.

Some of the corpses had their necks pierced by dark brown tree roots, which branched out into their chest cavities. The abdomens of several empty shells had split open, from which semi-woody vines sprouted, their ends blooming with bloody fleshy flowers.

The entire village seemed to have become some kind of living petri dish.

The group broke through the broken walls and tiles blocking their path and discovered that the veins and blood vessels underneath were rhythmically contracting, seemingly connected to something unknown.

Led by Xiao Hongjin, the group arrived at what should be the village ancestral hall.

This place is the most severely decayed, with fleshy and woody roots intertwined and coiled like giant pythons mating, and each node bulging with cyst-like flower buds.

The "tourism group," who had been chatting, laughing, arguing, and bickering along the way, fell completely silent upon seeing this horrifying scene of carnage...

Qin Rufeng could sense the immense emotional pressure emanating from everyone. Although Tang Cheng was still circling around Qin Rufeng, he had essentially stopped speaking.

Just then, a "whoosh" sound came from behind.

The ancestral hall's main gate was broken, and its beams and pillars had collapsed. A figure as black as iron suddenly appeared, blocking the way the group had come from.

For Qin Rufeng, this thing was an old acquaintance; it was the Crimson Moon Horse-Face.

However, this horse-faced demon was no longer the one she was familiar with...

A tar-like substance flowed from the horse's mouth. The originally angular lower jaw pierced the epidermis like the tusks of a warthog, but upon closer inspection, it was revealed to be a woody root system.

His jet-black mane had condensed into rust-colored moss clumps, and a fleshy flower bud the size of a fist was embedded in his right eye socket.

His skin, which was originally as black as iron, was now covered with bark-like cracks, and dark red blood vessels growing in the cracks looked like bulging blue veins.

The muscles from the left shoulder to the ribs had become completely lignified, and the gnarled muscle fibers had turned into intertwined roots. The huge hoof had also mutated and forked, splitting into four root-like claws.

The chest and abdomen of the horse-faced demon have been hollowed out, and the internal organs are fibrotic.

The surface of the heart was covered with hyphae, the folds of the lungs were filled with pomegranate-seed-like sporangia, and the stomach had become a thin sac filled with scarlet liquid, which kept hitting the ribs with each breath.

The only exception is... his golden spear never falls, he just wins on the first draw.

Chapter 185 Swallowing Raw

Xiao Hongjin ignored Ma Mian and walked straight toward the center of the ancestral hall.

Although Qin Rufeng was capable of dealing with this kind of thing, it was just like when he was playing a game on Earth and encountered an elite monster that he could defeat but had a lot of health. He really didn't want to waste time on this thing.

She could tell that Xiao Hongjin was bewitched, as if something was drawing her in. Afraid of losing her, she followed closely behind.

Everyone else was stunned...

Senior Sister and Qin Rufeng appeared to be escaping the monster, but they seemed overly calm and composed, yet showed no intention of making a move.

So the others could only follow closely behind, fleeing from the mutated horse-faced monster. They could only hope that the monster wouldn't catch up.

The reality is certainly not like that...

A scream came from behind. Xiao Nan Niang, whose movements were slowed by illness, had already been captured by the mutated horse-faced demon.

Upon seeing this, Tang Cheng shouted "Xiao'er!" and turned to charge back!

This time, Jiang Lu frowned and angrily said, "You beast, stop hurting my friend!" Then she made a hand seal and chanted a spell.

Qin Rufeng knew from her reaction that nothing good was going to happen.

After Jiang Lu finished chanting the incantation, she raised her hand and shot out a flying sword!

Those flying swords were not sword energy manifested in form at all, but rather magical swords, belonging to low-level spells that were flashy but impractical.

Even so, the flying swords did not hit the horse-faced demon, but instead, they struck the roof beams by a bizarre angle...

With a loud "boom," half of the roof of the already dilapidated ancestral hall collapsed, sending dust flying everywhere.

Xia Jinghong had no choice but to rotate the umbrella sword to stir up the wind pressure, so as to prevent dust from getting on her fairy-like body.

Jiang Lu and Jiang Xue followed, covered in dust and dirt, while Tang Cheng, Xiao Nan Niang, and the mutated horse-faced demon were blocked on the other side of the ruins.

"What a pity." Xiao Hongjin looked at the pile of ruins and only said the word "pity." Then she continued forward.

Jiang Lu actually sensed that something was wrong with her "senior sister," but she chose to sacrifice her own companions rather than herself, burying her two teammates and the mutated horse-faced demon in the ruins. There was no turning back now.

Seeing that Qin Rufeng was still calmly following Xiao Hongjin, she had no choice but to follow as well.

The group then arrived at the center of the ancestral hall. The ground here had collapsed, and the tangled roots stretched straight down into the abyss below.

“Go down from here,” Xiao Hongjin said casually, as if she were going home.

Jiang Lu really couldn't hold back anymore...

She no longer used that affected tone, but instead questioned angrily, "Isn't this outrageous? Xiao Hongjin, where exactly are you taking us?"

Xiao Hongjin ignored it and went directly into the cave along the huge root vein.

Qin Rufeng and the other two followed them down...

A loud noise came from behind, and a tall, muscular figure, as black as iron, could be vaguely seen smashing the collapsed roof tiles with a single punch and standing up from the ruins.

Jiang Lu had no choice but to follow them into the cave...

Below is the deep-rooted foundation.

The dome of the underground cave is entirely constructed from the entwined roots of giant pythons. Many of the roots are covered with translucent membranes, and deep red sap flows between the wood's annual rings and texture.

Like the arteries of a giant whale, they twist and turn, with sacs pulsating at certain fusion points, their surfaces protruding in the outline of human limbs.

Debris and shells are scattered around the roots. They resemble wood, keratin, and flesh; they look like people, insects, and root nodules.

Some of these things were solid and hard. Some were empty shells, cracked on the surface as if something had crawled out from inside. Others were still throbbing, as if they might break free from their cocoons at any moment.

The group gritted their teeth and continued forward.

Just then, the ground beneath their feet suddenly trembled. Suddenly, a gigantic object burst forth from the earthen wall of the cave, its roots intertwined!

This thing looks like a giant segmented worm. The front half of its body is covered with scales that are a mixture of tree roots and flesh, while the back half is a transparent body.

This thing has an expandable chrysanthemum-shaped mouthpart like that of a mollusc, which opens and closes, and secretes a sticky liquid from its mouth.

The monster bypassed Xiao Hongjin and rushed straight at Qin Rufeng.

Without that overconfident Young Master Tang to block their way, it really felt like something was missing. Qin Rufeng didn't want to waste any more time, so he gently touched Feng Hua, who was already getting sleepy, on his shoulder.

Feng Hua simply raised her head and let out a sharp roar in her Little Rainbow Phoenix form. The worm-like monster immediately shrank back, then dodged Qin Rufeng and pounced on Jiang Lu behind it.

The kind older sister Jiang Lu pushed her younger sister Jiang Xue towards the monster, then turned and ran towards Qin Rufeng.

Upon seeing this, Qin Rufeng drew a sharp sword from the Qingping Sword Box and said, "Catch this sword!" He then flew the sword behind him.

Seeing this, Jiang Lu actually used her flying sword technique to defend herself. Even Qin Rufeng couldn't understand her thought process at that moment...

The result was, of course, without any suspense. The "good sister's" magic was completely unable to shake the sword, and the swirling blade even sliced ​​off her right leg, causing her to splatter blood and fall to her knees.

Qin Rufeng's "taking the sword" was certainly not directed at this scheming woman; she was giving the sword, or rather, a bit of luck and a chance to survive, to her younger sister Jiang Xue.

However, Qin Rufeng wasn't expecting Jiang Xue to kill the demonic beast. This worm had already reached the Golden Core realm, and Qin Rufeng would have to exert considerable effort to kill it alone.

Jiang Xue understood Qin Rufeng's meaning and instantly confirmed all her previous guesses. Filled with excitement, she channeled all her spiritual energy and actually caught the sword Qin Rufeng threw.

However, she couldn't hold on to it at all... and was instead carried away by the power of the sword.

Jiang Xue had already realized that Qin Rufeng was a fairy with profound cultivation. Having finally received such a blessing, she naturally couldn't let go, so she gripped the sword hilt tightly. Then, she was carried upwards by the sharp sword.

Qin Rufeng saved her life at this moment. As for whether she can survive... Although the sword is not a magic weapon, it was infused with some icy spiritual energy by Qin Rufeng. Whether she can survive depends on her fate.

Qin Rufeng turned around and continued chasing after Xiao Hongjin. Behind him came Jiang Lu's desperate pleas, "Fellow Daoist, save me! Fairy, save me!"

"I won't fight you for the Blood Vermilion Fruit anymore; you can have everything I have. My leg was injured by you; don't you feel any remorse?"

"Sister in red robes, you look like a bell ringer! Save your little sister!"

"Ahhh!! No!"

"Sister Hongjin, save me! Fairy, save me! I'll be your slave, your servant! Save me!"

"Ah!! Help! Help me!! Ah~~~~"

When Qin Rufeng turned around again, he saw that Jiang Lu had already been swallowed by the worm-like monster.

His hands, feet, and head were sticking out, like a circus performer who got stuck in a drill.

The worm's mouth continued to contract and envelop her, swallowing her body deeper and deeper.

"Save me...please!" Jiang Lu pleaded desperately, until her head was swallowed by the worm, and her hands were swallowed as well. In the end, only her toes were left sticking out...and then they were swallowed into the worm's belly.

The worm's body segment clearly showed a bulge. Its body cavity was filled with mucus, making it very slippery, and Jiang Lu quickly swallowed the transparent part deep into her stomach.

Through the transparent body of the worm-like monster, one could see that Jiang Lu's limbs and bones had been broken by the monster's wriggling intestines, and she was curled into a ball, tightly squeezed and kneaded by the monster's transparent intestinal walls.

That beautiful face was desperately embedded in the middle of her fleshy body. Her toes were hooked under her chin, and her hips were already pressing down on her head.

Her clothes were already dissolving rapidly...

Chapter 186 Mother Nest

Qin Rufeng smiled dismissively and turned to leave without looking back.

Finally, she followed Xiao Hongjin to what seemed to be the center of the root system.

In this underground cave where the sun and moon are nowhere to be seen, red fluorescent lights are scattered everywhere, as if shrouded in blood.

This is a huge cave formed by intertwined roots...

In the very center stood a root system as thick as that of an ancient tree. Qin Rufeng deduced that this should be the main root of the Purple Gold Jade Capital, and the others were all fibrous roots that had grown and mutated.

On that main root, a cluster of flesh and blood, resembling a honeycomb, throbbed like the heart of a demon.

Qin Rufeng thought to himself, "That's probably the root of the corruption, isn't it? All I need to do is remove it..."

However, around the main root, there was a "forest" filled with red spore dust.

Qin Rufeng knew this was no good, so he immediately told Qing Shi Jinghong to hide behind him. He then took out the magic weapon given to him by his master, the [Flowing Cloud Peach Blossom Fan]. This treasure could form a protective shield against the five elements of spiritual energy.

The "trees" in the "forest" all look like half-human, half-wooden things.

It resembled a human, but its legs had essentially transformed into twisted roots, firmly embedded in the root bed beneath its feet. Its arms were like withered branches, and its outstretched fingers had also turned into tree forks.

Without exception, all the "human-shaped trees" are in a backward-leaning, arched posture, their bodies bent like an arched bridge. Their heads are down, some even touching the ground. You can clearly see human faces... all with their mouths wide open and their expressions distorted.

If you only look at these parts, it's like a strange root carving or a person turned into dead wood by magic.

But in reality, these humanoid dead trees are blooming with vibrant flowers...

A tall flower stalk emerges from the chest, at the top of the body's arch. Above the bell-shaped calyx, bloom clusters of blood-red, fleshy flowers.

The delicate stamens in the flower's center were laden with cherry-like fruits. Those were probably Blood Vermilion Fruits.

"Hahahaha! Ahahaha!" Xiao Hongjin let out a maniacal laugh. She rushed into the "forest" filled with spore mist, picked the blood-red fruits from the humanoid tree, and stuffed handfuls into her mouth.

Qin Rufeng frowned slightly and said in a low voice, "Hey! Are you still awake? Those Vermilion Fruits have ruined your brain. Just like a mantis that has been parasitized and lunges at the water, you are desperately trying to return to this nest, aren't you?"

“Not entirely,” Xiao Hongjin said. “Do you know… how these people turned into tree roots?”

Qin Rufeng said, "They must have inhaled those red spore mists."

“What Fairy Liu said is correct.” Xiao Hongjin nodded. “It’s amazing that you remained so calm after knowing this.”

"Fine, once you've entered this place, your fate is already sealed."

Qin Rufeng asked, "What exactly happened?"

Xiao Hongjin smiled and said, "Now that things have come to this, there's no harm in telling you."

“When I first came here, the root system wasn’t as lush. The village was also very prosperous.”

“A Crimson Moon Fairy was here, doing good deeds and healing the sick. I felt that she must be a cultivator from the upper realm, so I humbly asked her for guidance. As a result, I was given a Blood Vermilion Fruit.”

"I consumed Blood Vermilion Fruit to increase my power, and sold Blood Vermilion Fruit to obtain spirit stones. I also brought more people here as the fairy suggested."

"Later, the roots here spread even further. The grass and trees grew flesh and blood, and living beings transformed into grass and trees."

"The villagers gradually merged into the embrace of the Root Mother, detaching from their physical bodies and enjoying ultimate bliss. Finally, the Crimson Moon Fairy also merged into this Mother Nest womb."

"Bliss?" Qin Rufeng sneered, "It's just a hallucination caused by parasitism. You've harmed your own junior brothers and sisters... although some people are inherently a menace in life."

“So, that’s not entirely true.” Xiao Hong shook her head. “My tragedy is that I can’t enjoy pure bliss like Fairy Chiyue and others. I occasionally wake up… and realize that my fate is already unchangeable.”

“I will eventually become one of these trees. I didn’t want to bear all this myself, so I brought them here to keep me company. But because Mother Root doesn’t recognize them, they can’t get here.”

Xiao Hongjin laughed and said, "I didn't expect that in the end it would be Fairy Liu accompanying me... I, oh um!"

"Ah! Ahhh!"