Chapter 1382: Rescue Method

Zu'an hadn't expected the Demon Emperor to be so lacking in integrity. As one of the world's most formidable figures, shouldn't he have felt a thrill at finding such a powerful adversary? "Damn it," he cursed silently, "the novels from my previous life completely misled me."

As the Taotie beast drew closer, everyone felt their life force draining away, their minds growing hazy as if the creature's dense resentment had already seeped into their brains.

Yun Jianyue attempted to control her Crescent Wheel, preparing to attack, but it wobbled uncontrollably in the air before finally dropping to the ground.

Yan Xuehen had barely lifted her Flying Snow Sword before her arm fell limply to her side.

Yu Yanluo was slightly better off, but as the one with the lowest cultivation, she knew her strength was nowhere near enough to stop the massive creature. She considered activating her Medusa's Gaze, but the beast possessed the power of an Earth Immortal, far surpassing her own. Furthermore, the pervasive, thick resentment surrounding them meant her gaze might not even be able to slightly petrify its hide.

Zu'an swallowed hard. "Big Brother Taotie," he called out, "the one who just killed most of your descendants is over there, not us." As he spoke, he pointed the Nine Cauldrons in the direction of the Demon Emperor.

"Idiot," the Golden Crow Prince almost chuckled aloud. "This fellow is trying to reason with a monster like that, even attempting to divert its aggression towards us." He usually seemed quite clever, but now he looked utterly foolish. There was no way this Taotie would listen to him.

Upon seeing Zu'an's gesture, the Taotie let out a thunderous roar, as if half-enraged, and leaped directly at him.

Zu'an's heart sank, but he frantically channeled his vital energy, unleashing the Star-Shattering Mystic Seal. At the same time, he drew his "Poisoned Dagger," preparing for a desperate struggle. He knew, however, that the "Poisoned Dagger" typically only affected living beings. This Taotie showed no signs of life, so the dagger might prove ineffective against it.

Just as the Taotie was about to pounce, its eyes suddenly fixated on the Nine Cauldrons in Zu'an's hand, and an inexplicable glint flashed within them. Immediately afterward, it twisted its massive body and pounced directly towards the Demon Emperor and his companions.

The Golden Crow Prince's smile abruptly vanished. "..."

"Was there something wrong with this beast? It actually listened to Zu'an."

As the Earth Immortal-level beast charged, the immense pressure made it difficult for him to breathe. He instinctively cowered behind his father. Wu Liang had already curled into a trembling ball, looking as if he believed taller individuals would bear the brunt if the sky collapsed.

The Demon Emperor also hadn't anticipated the Taotie suddenly rushing him. With no time to consider, he swiftly raised his hand to counterattack, and the two were instantly embroiled in a fierce battle. The terrifying shockwaves from their battle caused the two individuals nearby to vomit blood instantly. Fortunately, the Demon Emperor, concerned for his son's safety, managed to divert a wisp of energy to push the Golden Crow Prince back several hundred feet. Wu Liang, meanwhile, rolled into a ball and, like a tumbleweed, tumbled a considerable distance back along their original path.

The Demon Emperor was somewhat surprised by the fat man's tactic, but at the moment, he had no time to concern himself with such a minor figure. Although the colossal beast before him was slightly weaker, there was no significant qualitative difference in their power, so he dared not be complacent.

On the other side, Zu'an was equally stunned. He had only spoken on a whim, never imagining the Taotie would actually go for the Demon Emperor. Snapping back to reality, he quickly grabbed the women's hands. "Let's go!" he urged.

The other women dared not delay. With the Demon Emperor and the monster locked in a fierce battle, there was no better time to escape. The Demon Emperor witnessed this scene and wanted to intervene, but the Taotie was too formidable, and he truly couldn't afford to be distracted at such a critical point in their battle. He reasoned that since Zu'an was under his puppet curse, and the other women clearly had an unusual connection to him, it wouldn't be too late to seek them out later.

The group ran uphill. Along the way, there were significantly fewer black monsters, clearly startled by the battle between the Demon Emperor and the Taotie, instinctively keeping their distance. Still, even with fewer monsters, their current state made progression quite troublesome. Fortunately, Yu Yanluo still retained some combat strength, constantly employing her Thousand-Mile Mountains and Rivers Map and even her Medusa abilities. Combined with Zu'an's occasional use of White Lotus True Flame, they barely managed to keep their path clear.

They had no idea how long they ran, but their speed steadily decreased, and their bodies grew increasingly weak. Even their minds had descended into a hazy, disoriented state. Clearly, the Taotie's close proximity meant its dense resentment had severely eroded their bodies.

Zu'an's body was relatively robust, yet black scales had already spread to his neck. Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue were in a worse state, with a considerable number of scales already covering their faces. These scales had no physical substance but emitted an eerie, subtle shimmer. Both Yan and Yun were by now completely limp, having fallen into a semi-conscious state. They were essentially relying on Zu'an and Yu Yanluo, each supporting one of them, to keep from collapsing.

Zu'an initially tried to summon Dafeng, hoping to use its teleportation to speed up, but for some unknown reason, summoning it here yielded no response. He wondered if Dafeng feared the Taotie or was simply affected by the pervasive resentment of the area. In desperation, he thought of taking out his Wind-Fire Wheels to carry them to the summit as quickly as possible. However, the environment seemed to suppress flight, preventing the Wind-Fire Wheels from ascending too high. Furthermore, even flying at low altitude, the black monsters swarmed out from all directions like an explosion, ceaselessly attacking them. This led to them being even more severely affected by the resentment, so after a few attempts, the group had no choice but to continue on foot.

By this point, both Yan and Yun could no longer hold on.

Zu'an quietly asked Mi Li, "Empress Master, is there any solution?"

"'No,' Mi Li's cold voice replied. 'Given your physique, if you abandon them, there's a slight chance you could reach the summit before the resentment fully overwhelms your body.'"

Zu'an said grimly, "I am not the kind of person who fears death and abandons their companions."

"'You speak so righteously,' Mi Li scoffed, 'but isn't it just because they're beautiful?'"

Zu'an retorted seriously, "If they are my companions, then I will not abandon them, regardless of their beauty."

"'And if they weren't beautiful, would they even be your companions?' Mi Li sneered."

Zu'an was speechless.

He had no time to debate the point and quickly interjected, "Doesn't the Primordial Chaos Scripture counteract malevolent energy? Why did it have little effect when I used it just now?"

"'To be precise, the Primordial Chaos Scripture is primarily effective against death energy,' Mi Li explained. 'What's affecting you now is resentment—overwhelming, monstrous resentment. I can't imagine what kind of injustice could generate such terrifying levels. Resentment is different from death qi, so it's unrealistic to try and save them with Primordial Chaos Qi.'"

"'However, you should be grateful,' Mi Li huffed. 'The Primordial Chaos True Qi does have some suppressive effect on this resentment, otherwise, you wouldn't still be conscious. You'd likely be in the same state as those two women already.'"

Zu'an's heart stirred. "Since you still have the leisure to joke with me," he observed, "it must mean you have a solution, doesn't it?"

Mi Li was silent.

This brat was simply too cunning.

"'Haven't you noticed that Medusa isn't in as much trouble?' Mi Li finally relented, seeing that Yan and Yun were on the verge of being completely consumed by the resentment. 'It's likely due to the Marquis Sui's Pearl she acquired earlier. If you share it, you should be able to endure until you reach the mountain.'"

Zu'an was overjoyed and was about to tell Yu Yanluo, but he saw that she had already realized this herself. She pressed her lips directly against Yun Jianyue's. Her tongue gently parted Yun Jianyue's lips, and then a sparkling pearl flew from her mouth into Yun Jianyue's.

The moment the Marquis Sui's Pearl entered, the black scales on Yun Jianyue's face visibly receded. Conversely, the few black scales Yu Yanluo previously had on her wrists now began to grow rapidly before their eyes.

Yun Jianyue slowly stirred awake, vaguely sensing someone kissing her. Startled and enraged, she was about to raise a hand to push them away when she clearly saw the other person's face and froze in surprise. Feeling the strange sensation in her mouth and the continuous influx of refreshing coolness, her experience immediately told her what was happening. Despite her usual overbearing demeanor, two patches of red couldn't help but blossom on her cheeks, making her already beautiful face even more vibrant and captivating.