Chapter 504 - 252: Rebirth

Chapter 504: Chapter 252: Rebirth

Back in Lu Town.

Zheng Xiu used blood as ink. Guided by his brush, beams of crimson light descended from the night sky. They formed a cage of twisted, bloody bars, completely sealing off the area around the inn.

"Drawing Prison!"

"Unbreakable!"

Zheng Xiu unleashed his power instantly. He first activated his [Unbreakable] state, then immediately began to paint again. His hand moved like lightning, the grotesquely twisted brush becoming little more than a whistling afterimage as it danced before him.

One by one, small, bloody swords materialized from nothing.

After Zheng Xiu had unleashed two consecutive moves, Fragrant Maiden, who was on the ground preparing to receive the Nascent Soul, was still focused intently on Mo Kuang. But Bai Qiuyue suddenly looked up, his mouth agape, at the single-winged figure in the sky and the overwhelming deluge of bloody sword shadows.

He silently prodded Fragrant Maiden with his bamboo pole.

"It seems we have a slight complication."

Fragrant Maiden looked up, bewildered.

"Go!"

Zheng Xiu waved his hand, and ten thousand swords shot forth.

Bai Qiuyue’s gaze sharpened. He stepped in front of Fragrant Maiden and swung his bamboo pole forward. Instantly, the path of the pole echoed with the sound of surging waves. A small river, like vapor or mist, appeared in a strange arc. It flowed through the void, its beginning and end unseen, forming a shield.

"Go with the flow!"

The thousands of bloody sword shadows, raining down toward the ground like a torrential downpour, strangely bent the instant they touched the "river" Bai Qiuyue had swung into existence. All of them were deflected back toward Zheng Xiu.

The moment Zheng Xiu learned that Bai Qiuyue was a "Mystic," he knew not to be careless, which was why he had used his [Painter’s Deceitful Object] from the very start, hoping for a killing blow. But a Mystic truly lived up to the name. The Deceitful Object was like an illogical amplifier for Miracle Techniques. The Mystic Bai Qiuyue’s "Ferryman" Ability was unfathomably mysterious; with a wave of his hand, he created a long river that "ferried" Zheng Xiu’s sword shadows back to their source.

The hairs on Zheng Xiu’s body stood on end like needles. His [Intuition] triggered, and he immediately put his bleeding wrist to his mouth.

The bleeding stopped.

SWOOSH!

The thousands of bloody sword shadows flying back at Zheng Xiu lost most of their momentum in mid-air. Unable to maintain their sword-like forms, they dissolved into a light, drizzling rain of blood that spattered all over him, completely harmless.

A bloody mist filled the air. With a powerful flap of his single wing, Zheng Xiu summoned a gust of wind that scattered the blood rain obscuring his vision.

Looking back at the inn’s entrance, Fragrant Maiden and Bai Qiuyue were long gone.

"Gone?"

Zheng Xiu’s expression darkened. His right hand moved almost without pause, repeatedly touching his forehead and then flicking away. The two Traits, [Scouting] and [inspiration], took turns making assessments, presenting him with a comprehensive, multi-angled view of his surroundings.

"What manner of fiend is this!"

Seeing the "Lonely Yin Embryos" grabbing Mo Kuang, Situ Yong, driven by his Medical Compassion, hardened his resolve. He drew two "life-saving" knives from behind his back, moved forward, and swung twice at the Lonely Yin Embryos on either side of Mo Kuang.

Suspended in mid-air by her invisible threads, Xi’er looked down and couldn’t help but click her tongue in amazement as she watched the Elder Divine Doctor’s blades fly. As the saying goes, "the layman watches the show, the expert sees the skill." Although Xi’er didn’t understand Swordsmanship, she had seen her fair share of the world. Situ Yong’s bladework was different from an ordinary person’s. It was less like he was cutting someone and more like he was "dissecting" them. His delicate Swordsmanship, combined with his nimble hands, allowed the Elder Divine Doctor to make several swift cuts that precisely carved away the flesh of the two small hands gripping Mo Kuang, freeing his own hands.

"Waaaah, I really don’t want to use this move..."

With a tear-stricken face, Xi’er had a clear, bird’s-eye view of the situation in the city. Seeing more and more Lonely Yin Embryos heading their way, she didn’t dare hesitate any longer and raised her hands.

"Human Puppet!"

In the blink of an eye, the crying expression on Xi’er’s face turned serious and focused. She crossed her hands in front of her chest, each middle finger and thumb, bent toward her palm, pinching an embroidery needle. Holding her breath for a moment, Xi’er whispered, "My dear little threads, I’m so sorry to do this to you," and flicked her middle fingers. The two embroidery needles shot out. One lodged in the top of Mo Kuang’s head, the other in his tailbone, one above and one below, echoing each other.

This was a Miracle Technique Xi’er had developed by accident, allowing her to control a living person with her threads. However, such a method had long since crossed the line of the "Tailor" Path’s rules. Simply put, she was trespassing. Xi’er had always been afraid of tainting her Path Cultivation and was unwilling to develop this Magic any further. But she already knew how to do it. Now, forced by circumstance, her mind was a jumble of thoughts about her "Path," "sidetracks," "rules," and "Restrictions." In the end, she could only console herself: ’Just rubbing against the edge without going in probably won’t cause too much trouble.’

Under Xi’er’s control, Mo Kuang, with the two needles in him, shuddered as if he’d been jolted. Then, his limbs began to move uncontrollably toward the Elder Divine Doctor.

"Elder Divine Doctor, do it now!"

Situ Yong paused. "You mean..."

Xi’er gritted her teeth. "Dissect him! It’ll be too late if you don’t!"

Situ Yong looked hesitant. "But..."

By this time, Zheng Xiu had already landed in front of the inn. He decisively swung his blade, chopping several grinning Lonely Yin Embryos into pieces. The Lonely Yin Embryos looked bizarre, but once chopped into sections, they lay motionless on the ground, seeming to pose no great threat. Hearing Xi’er’s words, Zheng Xiu nodded. "Dissect him!"

Zheng Xiu didn’t know what Zhu’s true scheme was, nor did he have any idea what kind of damn thing this soon-to-be-born "Nascent Soul" was, but he was more than happy to see Zhu suffer a setback. Whether it was their illusory feud within the Cannibal Painting or Zhu’s predatory gaze upon Feng Bei, it was all destined to place the two of them on opposing sides forever, with absolutely no possibility of reconciliation. ’Since I just so happened to stumble upon Zhu’s plan,’ he thought, ’I might as well ruin it. Nothing to hesitate about.’