It seemed to cover the village like the cries of animals, low and silent. It felt almost like the melody of a harbinger of death. As someone who had learned the art of concealment, I thought this flute sound itself was a kind of magic.
I concentrated my mind to find the source of this infrasound.
No matter how low and deep the sound was, as long as it was a sound, it must have an origin. I tracked the direction where the sound grew stronger while simultaneously observing the pedestrians on the rooftops. The closer I got to the source, the more people seemed to be suffering.
' This way.'
Whoosh!
While leaping between rooftops, I seemed to jump at least six tiles at a time. My lightness kung fu was so advanced that it almost felt like flying. Ordinary martial artists would soon be exhausted and collapse if they used this level of lightness kung fu, but I had an almost infinite amount of internal energy. I could continue running for hours. Moreover, thanks to the precise training and guidance in lightness kung fu I received at the Qinglong Martial Hall, I had considerable confidence in my skills.
However, my mind was complicated.
It was due to the overwhelming power of the flute sound.
' Can a mere spell have such a range and destructive power? This is a force that transcends the laws!'
The art of concealment may seem like a universal means at first glance, but it is far from that. Even Wangliang, who could be considered a master of concealment, could only use basic spells like transformation or black cloud spells if he lacked supernatural power. Even if he had supernatural power, he could not freely summon wind and rain as people might think; it would take considerable time and effort, and he would have to pay a sufficient price to finally gain its power.
To suddenly spread a powerful brainwashing wave over a radius of several dozen li without any warning was clearly against the common sense of spells. I could easily nullify this brainwashing wave due to my overwhelming internal energy, but for ordinary people with less than three years of internal energy, they would lose consciousness and be infected by the infrasound in less than an hour. I had never heard of anyone using a mere flute to cast such a powerful spell so freely.
What kind of creature is this grand sorcerer?
I soon arrived at the source of the spell. The source was right in the center of the village, and as soon as I landed, my eyes widened.
"......!!"
A scene from hell!
Thud
The humans around the flute monster were either tearing their throats with their own hands until their blood vessels burst, or suddenly attacking each other with axes in a fierce struggle. Some were lying on the ground, laughing like they had gone mad, while others were raping women for no apparent reason. There was even someone preparing to disembowel themselves as if performing a show. A cannibal was tearing into a child's corpse.
Blood flowed down the streets.
It was a cruel scene, as if their pain didn't matter. But more shockingly, there were people who seemed to have lost their ability to feel pain, writhing in ecstasy. In other places, people had only fainted, but here, the center, the effects were terrifying.
"... Ugh."
I felt a slight dizziness and was taken aback. I had let my guard down for a moment, and the infrasound had penetrated my resistance, causing a headache. I realized that if I stayed here too long, an unimaginable wave would manifest.
' Hmph, fine. I'll take my time with you.'
I remained on the roof, subtly gathering strength in my feet. The grand sorcerer continued to play the flute, either aware or unaware of my presence. I smiled coldly and kicked two tiles off the roof.
Crack
"......!!"
One tile hit the monster's shoulder, and the other hit its thigh. Struck by tiles imbued with internal energy, the flute monster staggered and knelt. Although it didn't drop the flute, the mad tune was momentarily interrupted.
Immediately, the madness surrounding it seemed to wash away. The villagers, who had been brainwashed, were returning to their senses and were horrified by the atrocities they had committed.
"Aaaaaah!"
"Kraaaaaah!!"
Unthinkable acts of terror, beyond human ethics, had been committed by their own hands. The villagers, who had realized this, were already mentally exhausted. Just a brief performance of the spell had devoured human lives. I had no time to tend to them, so I quickly went down to the flute monster.
The monster was the same as before. It wore tattered brown clothes that covered its entire body, making it impossible to determine its gender, and it clutched a black flute in one hand. I approached the kneeling monster and asked,
"What's your name?"
The monster remained silent. I felt angry and suddenly pulled off the yellow cloth covering its face. I was startled.
"Ah..."
This was not just grotesque.
It was a real monster!
Its head was flat with protruding blood vessels, and its eyes, the size of grains of rice, were filled with white without any pupils. Moreover, it had no ears. Where its nose and mouth should have been, unknown tentacles extended, moving as if alive, and a small, oval mouth for consuming food was twitching at the base of the tentacles. I noticed that its fingers had a strange webbing, like a frog's.
It was really a stretch to call this a human. It could only be seen as a monstrous creature of a different form. It wasn't for nothing that Liu Tianhao was shocked and called it a monstrosity.
But that's one thing, and this is another.
I immediately pulled the black flute from its hand. The monster, even after having the flute taken, remained silent, only rolling its white eyes and looking at me. I wondered if it understood what I was saying, but I was frustrated that I couldn't understand its language. In a fit of anger, I kicked it again.
Thud! Crack! Thud!
I mixed martial techniques, punching, kneeing, and kicking it. After about ten strikes imbued with a light amount of internal energy, the monster writhed in apparent pain and staggered. I realized that if it were an ordinary person, they would have died from the beating. I thought, 'This creature has an incredibly high endurance. It must have a naturally strong body, even without learning martial arts.'
It had a body that could rival someone who had practiced external kung fu for a considerable amount of time.
In any case, it wouldn't do to linger here too long. I wasn't sure if the point pressure technique would work on this creature, so I delivered a final, powerful kick that would make a human vomit their innards.
Crack!
" @&$*&*@$...."
Only then did the monster emit a pained groan. It was a strange, inhuman sound that sent shivers down my spine. The creature in front of me, though in a human form, was clearly not human. It had committed atrocities that would make thousands of people suffer, and the thought of it made me feel a surge of anger.
I laughed bitterly as I headed to another place.
' What do I do with this? I've gone too far.'
I had originally intended to wait until the monster performed the human sacrifice spell, but I couldn't because I thought of the girl I met in the forest a few days ago. The more innocent people who would be sacrificed, and the larger the atrocities in the village center, the more my blood boiled.
I quickly went down to the monster.
It was the same as before. It wore tattered brown clothes that covered its entire body, making it impossible to determine its gender, and it clutched a black flute in one hand. I approached the kneeling monster and asked,
"What's your name?"
The monster remained silent. I felt angry and suddenly pulled off the yellow cloth covering its face. I was startled.
"Ah..."
This was not just grotesque.
It was a real monster!
Its head was flat with protruding blood vessels, and its eyes, the size of grains of rice, were filled with white without any pupils. Moreover, it had no ears. Where its nose and mouth should have been, unknown tentacles extended, moving as if alive, and a small, oval mouth for consuming food was twitching at the base of the tentacles. I noticed that its fingers had a strange webbing, like a frog's.
It was really a stretch to call this a human. It could only be seen as a monstrous creature of a different form. It wasn't for nothing that Liu Tianhao was shocked and called it a monstrosity.
But that's one thing, and this is another.
I immediately pulled the black flute from its hand. The monster, even after having the flute taken, remained silent, only rolling its white eyes and looking at me. I wondered if it understood what I was saying, but I was frustrated that I couldn't understand its language. In a fit of anger, I kicked it again.
Thud! Crack! Thud!
I mixed martial techniques, punching, kneeing, and kicking it. After about ten strikes imbued with a light amount of internal energy, the monster writhed in apparent pain and staggered. I realized that if it were an ordinary person, they would have died from the beating. I thought, 'This creature has an incredibly high endurance. It must have a naturally strong body, even without learning martial arts.'
It had a body that could rival someone who had practiced external kung fu for a considerable amount of time.
In any case, it wouldn't do to linger here too long. I wasn't sure if the point pressure technique would work on this creature, so I delivered a final, powerful kick that would make a human vomit their innards.
Crack!
" @&$*&*@$...."
Only then did the monster emit a pained groan. It was a strange, inhuman sound that sent shivers down my spine. The creature in front of me, though in a human form, was clearly not human. It had committed atrocities that would make thousands of people suffer, and the thought of it made me feel a surge of anger.
I laughed bitterly as I headed to another place.
I ran for a while, left the village, and headed to a cliff in the northwest. I leaped over the cliff with the monster's neck in my hand, managing it with just two or three jumps. I found a natural cave after passing through a downhill path and searching for a secluded mountain. This place was at least 20 li away, so even the Jinyiwei wouldn't be able to catch up in a short time.
Bang
I threw the monster forcefully onto the cave floor. Even with my lightness kung fu, the impact was strong enough to kill an ordinary human, but the monster only spat out blue blood and writhed its tentacles, showing no major injuries. This creature had an inherently strong body.
I waved the black flute and said,
"Is this your magical tool? It seems you can't do anything without your flute. You haven't learned any martial arts."
[ &@*#%...]
The monster's white eyes seemed to widen slightly in anger. I somehow felt it understood what I was saying, but I was frustrated that I couldn't understand its language. In a fit of anger, I kicked it again.
Thud!
[ *(!(#*%(@#*....!!]
"What? You monster, speak human language."
Thud!
[ ......!!]
I felt good seeing the monster writhing in pain on the cave floor. It had killed thousands of people, and compared to their suffering, this was nothing. If I had the time, I would have taken my time with it, but I didn't, so I looked down at the monster and said,
How long had I been beating it?
Suddenly, the monster extended its webbed hand and waved it. Then, I heard its voice in my head.
[ Stop. This will only lead to your destruction.]
Was it telepathy?
But I didn't think so. I could now use telepathy thanks to my training at the Qinglong Martial Hall, but this was a completely different ability.
Telepathy involves whispering one's will into the wind and making it resonate softly in the ear. But what the monster did was almost like the legendary Huiguang Xinyu, transcending language to make one understand the will directly in the mind. No supreme master could do this.
I chuckled.
"Is this your spell? Why are you performing human sacrifices and summoning monsters?"
[ ......]
"Speak if you can. I just want to kill you quickly."
As I subtly raised my fist, the monster seemed frightened and backed away, pulling its buttocks back. It quickly spoke to me, perhaps thinking it would die if I hit it again.
[ Wait. Human. If I tell you, will you let me go?]
"I'll listen and let you go. You still seem useful."
Of course, it was a lie. I intended to tear it apart and kill it after getting all the information. But to make this monster reveal information, I had to leave it some hope of life. The monster, unable to read my mind, slowly sent its thoughts.
[ I made a contract. In exchange for offering sacrifices to the gods, I help you. I am carrying out your plans as requested, and now, with just two more, the contract will be complete. You are a subordinate of the emperor, so why are you torturing me?]
The monster seemed wronged. It didn't seem to think the Jinyiwei would betray it.
It seemed like a significant story. Moreover, this monster, despite its monstrous appearance, seemed to possess considerable intelligence. It even seemed quite smart. Amidst the confusion, I asked to get more information.
"What is it?"
[ That...]
Cough!
Cough!
The monster suddenly spat out blue blood and couldn't continue. It seemed to have reached its physical limit. It was almost on the brink of death, and I realized I had hit it too hard. I pondered if there was any more information to extract and then thought of a very clear and good question.
' Ah, right!'
I took out the Tianyan Secret Book, which I always carried with me, and showed the first page to the monster.
"Look! Can you interpret this strange language?"
Wangliang had said that the strange language in the Tianyan Secret Book was almost identical to the language in the Wu Ming Zhaishu. If this monster had indeed interpreted the Wu Ming Zhaishu, it should be able to interpret the Tianyan Secret Book as well. The monster, upon seeing the Tianyan Secret Book and recognizing the characters, suddenly stopped its tentacles.
[ ......]
"Why? Can't you interpret it?"
[ This... This is... How can a mere human...?]
The monster seemed very surprised. It had been calm even when I kidnapped it and brought it to the cave, but now it was clearly shaken. I could tell from the tentacles at its mouth stopping and its whole body trembling like a leaf.
"Shut up and answer. What does this contain?"
[ Surely... You have become the owner of that object...]
"What?"
[ I was... I was calling them to feed... And now that they have been called... They have lost their target... Now they will rampage through the world, seeking living sacrifices... It is destruction.]
Boom!
About thirty feet away, a huge explosion sounded, and a hill disappeared. I saw a giant creature emerging from the hill and gulped.
"Monster..."
It was the same monster I had seen before. The only difference was that it had grown much larger, now about ten feet tall. It could easily devour a mountain. The sight of a mass of flesh undulating with hundreds of eyes and tentacles was a nightmare.
Boom!
That wasn't the end. Monsters began to emerge from the ground all over the place. There were dozens of these super-giant monsters, and they had come here to receive human sacrifices.
The monster grinned.
[ Farewell... Both you and I are now dead...]
"Don't be ridiculous. Do you think I'll be scared of those things?"
I was confident I could outmaneuver and escape them quickly. The fact that they were seeking prey meant I wasn't their only target. I tried to leave the cave when I suddenly felt an overwhelming killing intent from all directions.
"......?!"
The eyes of the dozens of monsters scattered across the land were fixed on me.
They were clearly targeting me.
What's going on here?
I heard the monster, lying behind me, chuckling in a defeated tone.
[ They know very well who interfered with the ritual...]
Boom!!
The monsters were rushing towards me at an incredible speed.
I wanted to avoid them, but I had no idea where to go. Even at my maximum lightness kung fu speed, I wasn't sure if I could avoid their direct attacks, especially with dozens of super-giant monsters charging at me like a storm.
"Ah! Ah! Aaaaaah!!"
I screamed and used all my strength to activate my lightness kung fu. I glided over the ground, leaping off the earth. Thanks to this, I managed to avoid the first monster's body slam and could descend from the cliff cave to the ground.
"Phew...!!"
A wall of darkness appeared before my eyes.
Dozens of monsters were charging at me in a continuous, crisscrossing pattern.
Boom
In the next moment, another monster's body slam shattered the ground and passed by me.