"I, WEN YONG, WOULD PREFER DEATH OVER ENSLAVEMENT! PROCEED TO YOUR END! THEN I SHALL PERISH TOO—MPH!" Wen Yong's outburst was abruptly muffled by Wu Qingge, who sealed his lips. Wu Qingge's eyes bore into Wen Yong with a restrained ferocity as his bow autonomously targeted the airborne insects.
"In exchange for your cooperation, I offer you the Golden Peony Flower from my Mount Hua Peak garden! It's yours to consume!" Liu Xiao proposed. The struggling Wen Yong halted at these words. Liu Xiao gave Wu Qingge a silent signal: "Release him." With a subtle gesture, Wu Qingge freed Wen Yong's speech.
"GAAHHH—ARE YOU SINCERE?!" Wen Yong inquired. Liu Xiao responded with emphatic nods and gestures towards the cacophony of ants below. Wen Yong's expression shifted to one of curiosity and contemplation. "HOW MANY WILL YOU PROVIDE?!" he demanded.
"They are all yours! My garden boasts hundreds of them! Feel free to share with the children, and do not overlook my tiny human snake," Liu Xiao replied without hesitation.
Upon hearing that Mount Hua Peak was adorned with hundreds of golden peony flowers, Wen Yong's purple eyes shimmered with the same excitement a child had for a new candy flavor. For any serpent of human form, the Golden Peony ranked second only to the Black Lotus Essence. Rich in refined spiritual qi, the golden peony was incompatible with Liu Xiao's cultivation practices. Thus, he allowed it to flourish in his garden, sharing its bounty with fellow disciples at Mount Hua Peak who nurtured peonies.
The Golden Peony Flower was exclusive to Mount Hua Peak as it was indigenous to that location; hence, it was not found in Shen Hua Mountain. Its refined golden spiritual qi was irresistible to any serpent of human form, offering a taste both exquisite and subtle. Liu Xiao leveraged this to gain Wen Yong's trust through negotiation. Despite Wen Yong's true nature as a celestial demon and beast, he retained the innocence of a child.
"FINE, I'LL HELP YOU! BUT YOU MUST PROMISE TO GIVE ME THAT FLOWER!" Wen Yong capitulated.
"Of course! Do you take me for a swindler? Just hasten so we can return home and you can savor the Golden Peony Flower!" Liu Xiao retorted, his impatience evident.
Wen Yong snorted as black and green smoke enveloped him. His diminutive serpentine form gradually assumed a human appearance, resembling a youth of fifteen or sixteen years. He descended upon the scurrying ants and stomped his left foot with formidable force. At Wen Yong's command, black-green smoke billowed forth, and from it emerged numerous colossal green snakes. They devoured the ants in their entirety, while other ants' heads were seized and chewed by the serpents.
Liu Xiao felt both disgust and amazement simultaneously. He glanced at Wen Ying, who stood with his arms crossed, sporting a grumpy expression while staring at the massacred ants. Yet, more ants were emerging from the shadows, prompting Liu Xiao to stand atop the roof, where he grasped the situation's gravity. He poised himself to leap towards Wu Qingge and exclaimed, "These ants! They're being spawned from somewhere!"
"I had the same suspicion. The gate to the underworld must be close by; that's why they're appearing so quickly," Wu Qingge concurred.
"WEN YONG! YOU HOLD THE FORT AND DEAL WITH THESE ANTS! WE'LL SEEK OUT THE UNDERWORLD GATE AND SEAL IT!" Liu Xiao bellowed to Wen Yong, who was at a distance.
Wen Yong scowled and retorted, "YOU EXPECT ME TO CONTEND WITH THESE VILE CREATURES?! I, WEN YONG—"
"GOLDEN PEONY FLOWER!" Liu Xiao interrupted. Wen Yong fell silent and merely grunted in resignation, allowing them to depart.
Wu Qingge took the lead, with Liu Xiao trailing behind him, effortlessly decapitating any ants that crossed their path. As they delved deeper, the demonic energy grew more intense throughout the cave. It dawned on Liu Xiao just how vast the underworld gate was—possibly larger than the one from the initial war.
At the pathway's end, a blood-red light shone, an unlikely source being the glow of red flowers. Wu Qingge and Liu Xiao flashed towards the pathway terminus, greeted by an immense underworld gate surpassing Mount Hua Peak's entrance in size.
It was circular, with ancient lettering carved around its perimeter, emitting a red glow. Red water, not black shadows, flowed over the round black gate adorned with ancient carvings as numerous ants scurried in and out. Upon noticing Wu Qingge and Liu Xiao, the ants emitted a piercing shriek and advanced aggressively. Caught off guard, Liu Xiao was unsure how to retaliate and retreated.
Wu Qingge stepped forward, channeling his demonic qi into his palm until it formed a dense energy crystal. Clutching the crystal, he slammed it onto the ground, unleashing a black and purple domain that enveloped the ants and the entire cavern. The ants retreated, their hostile shrieks turning to cries of fear as they withdrew towards the underworld gate. However, before they could escape, their bodies began to shrink within the black and purple domain as if sinking into viscous water.
With the ants vanquished, Liu Xiao stood in awe of the protagonist's formidable power. His astonishment only grew when Wu Qingge turned to him with a gentle smile and said, "Gege, it's alright now. Come here." Liu Xiao's mouth hung open in shock, but he nodded slowly and stepped forward towards the colossal underworld gate.
Liu Xiao gazed at the slimy, glowing red water portal at the center of the gate. His gaze then settled on the ancient letters carved around the circular gate. Although he couldn't decipher them, they appeared to convey a message. He was on the verge of touching it when a loud voice echoed in his mind.
"XIAO'ER, WHAT'CHA DOING?! DON'T TOUCH THOSE LETTERS, ARE YA STUPID?!" it was his grandpa.
Liu Xiao shook his head at the effect of the ringing sound and replied, "Old fart, what's this?"
"YOU!!-HA... THAT'S A PADLOCK! YOU DARE TO TOUCH IT WHEN YOU YOURSELF IS NOT A KEY!"
"These letters are padlocks?!" Liu Xiao said in shock. "Then who's the key?" Liu Xiao then asked.
"THAT YOUNG'UN BESIDE YOU."
Liu Xiao cast a glance at Wu Qingge, who was nearing the gate of the underworld. Beside him, the black lotus flower morphed into a dagger, and Wu Qingge sliced his palms open, allowing his blood to drip onto the ancient inscriptions. The gate to the underworld shuddered, and the inscriptions emitted a whisper-like cry. The red luminescence began to fade, and the viscous, glowing red portal slowly vanished.
As the gate to the underworld sealed shut, Liu Xiao moved towards Wu Qingge and seized his palms, only to observe the self-inflicted wound healing on its own while a dark, purplish smoke emanated from the wound's edges. Liu Xiao exhaled in disbelief, realizing he had been foolish all along.
How could I forget about the power of the Black Lotus Cultivation? Of course, it can heal the wounds by itself! No wonder Wu Qingge always came back to him unwounded, and his skin was always smooth and didn't have a scar. *sigh* I'm distracted by many things to the point that I forgot about them.
Wu Qingge cast a glance at Liu Xiao, who bore a sullen expression while examining his palms. We edged closer to him and inquired, "Gege, would you like me to treat me? I can undo the healing if you want."
Liu Xiao's brow furrowed as he gently pushed us away, asserting, "No! I was merely inspecting! Don't entertain such thoughts; I would flee!"
"Understood," responded Wu Qingge, his smile unwavering.
— • —
YOU ARE READING
His Meihua Swan | 他的大天鵝 (BL)
Historical Fiction[ AN ORIGINAL BL NOVEL FROM RUNNOX ] Feng Xi, who was just an ordinary guy, loves to read cultivation novels, and there was his recent favorite novel entitled "The Black Book.". When he was about to reach the ending of the novel, he fell asleep and...
C H A P T E R 3 3
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