Chapter 102: The Expected Attack

Lin Wan’er rested her chin on her hands, a full smile on her face as she watched Wu Yan finish drinking the new medicine she had just refined.

“How is it? Is it good?”

Wu Yan savored the lingering taste. “Strawberry flavor.”

Upon hearing Wu Yan’s answer, Lin Wan’er nodded in satisfaction. “Mm, not bad.” She turned her gaze to Ji Xuerou beside her. “Saintess Ji, would you like to try?”

“I’ll pass.”

It turned out not everyone was as daring as Wu Yan to try Lin Wan’er’s medicine.

“By the way, are demonic cultivators this patient? It’s already this late, yet they haven’t made a move.”

“No rush.” Wu Yan stood up and poured herself a cup of tea, slowly bringing it to her lips. “They won’t strike so easily, but small tricks are unavoidable.”

Ji Xuerou beside her nodded. “Correct. Based on my experience battling demonic cultivators, they always use a preemptive strike before attacking the target. For example… now.”

The moment Ji Xuerou finished speaking, a dazzling red light instantly emitted from the crystal on the ceiling, enveloping the entire room.

“It’s bad, Eldest Senior Sister, Saintess! Our spirit boat is surrounded by a horde of demon beasts!” The disciple on guard duty burst through the door in panic, shouting with a trembling voice.

“Strange, is it really that accurate?” Lin Wan’er murmured, tapping her chin.

“Let’s go, let’s see.” Wu Yan picked up Wu Nian and walked toward the deck.

Hoarse cries came from all directions of the spirit boat, rising and falling endlessly. The shrill sounds forced the disciples on the deck to cover their ears.

Screech—

A powerful piercing strike hit the spirit boat’s hull. The flying monsters covered in black qi rammed into it, making the boat shake violently. But the monsters were not just one—they were a swarm. Even though they were making no progress, they did not stop.

Although they couldn’t penetrate the spirit boat’s defense array, if allowed to keep harassing like this, the time to send Lin Wan’er back to the valley would definitely be prolonged.

“All personnel, prepare to fire!”

The squad leader in charge waved his hand, his loud voice echoing across the deck. The crew members immediately took their positions upon hearing the order, channeling spiritual power into their designated sections.

A clicking sound rang out. The originally smooth hull began to disassemble. The planks on both sides suddenly rose and split, revealing the equipment inside. Beneath the hull, twelve black cannons were evenly distributed on each side. Below the cannons, there were launchers equipped with dozens of spirit swords.

“Begin loading!”

Multicolored spiritual power lit up from the deck. Ammunition was being loaded, and the muzzles gradually rose. Just as the shells were about to be fired, a blinding gale suddenly blew.

“There’s no need for that trouble.” Wu Yan’s calm voice reached everyone’s ears along with the wind. “Everyone, save these weapons for later.”

The moment Wu Yan finished speaking, the spiritual power in the cannons instantly dissipated. The violent cyan wind current not only lifted the spirit boat upward but also struck the swarm of black mist birds. So fast and wide-ranging was it that even though the flock was on guard, they were caught off guard and hit squarely by the wind.

The black mist on their bodies was swept up the moment it touched the storm, turning into a black stream that surged upward and then disappeared. And the appearance of the black shadows was fully revealed.

They were a group of half-human, half-beast monsters. The upper body was humanoid, with male and female, complete with waist, arms, and head. But on their bodies grew a pair of wings made of flesh and blood. Each flap sent bits of flesh falling downward. Their lower bodies were like tiger beasts—powerful limbs, developed muscles, and two pairs of sharp claws were terrifying.

They were likely the “masterpieces” of demonic cultivators’ human experiments.

As if sensing that their protective demonic qi had been blown away, the monsters’ eyes went dull, and they opened their mouths in unison.

—!

Demonic sound entered everyone’s ears at an eerie frequency, stirring up restlessness in their hearts. Their hands trembled slightly, as if wanting to destroy something.

“Demon Sound Fills the Ears.” Wu Yan had heard of this technique—it was a move of the Desirous Sound Sect. It was said that the demonic cultivators of that sect loved to use this technique to slaughter mortal villages or prisoners, watching them kill each other after being affected.

Wu Yan (Inner) behind her poked Wu Yan’s black hair and said nonchalantly, “They’re all petty tricks, not fit for the stage. They can only bully mortals and some weak-willed trash. This seat doesn’t even deign to lay a hand on these guys!”

Wu Yan noticed something off in Wu Yan (Inner)’s words, but the situation was urgent, so she didn’t have time to question it. “Xuerou!”

“Coming!”

An indifferent voice disrupted the frequency of the demonic sound. Ji Xuerou leaped from beside Wu Yan, flew into the air above the deck, and drew Bixiao. The dazzling golden light even surpassed the sun overhead, illuminating the area completely!

Under the golden light, the monsters fearfully reached out to cover their eyes, but the domineering light sprayed like magma onto their flesh-and-blood wings. Just a touch, and the wings began to dissolve and boil.

Miserable sounds came from the monsters’ mouths. They instinctively reached out to touch their wings, but the blinding light forced them to cover their eyes again. In this logically contradictory struggle, the monsters’ flesh melted away, leaving only bones.

Seeing this, Wu Yan immediately swept the bones back onto the spirit boat. As products of demonic cultivators’ human experiments, these bones might contain a way to treat such horrifying fusions. Taking advantage of the trip to Medicine King Valley, she could ask the divine doctors there to study them, to prevent more innocents from being harmed in the future.

‘I’m sorry. May you rest in peace. I hope you forgive my decision.’ As she put the bones into a cloth bag, Wu Yan silently apologized in her heart.

Lin Wan’er had watched the collaboration between Wu Yan and Ji Xuerou from start to finish—Wu Yan’s wind dispelled the monsters’ protection, then Ji Xuerou’s light dealt the fatal blow. “Has anyone ever told you two that you’re like a peerless pair? Your cooperation is simply perfect.”

“Maybe.” Ji Xuerou sheathed her sword and calmly walked back into the hall.

Wu Yan didn’t have much to say either. She only left a “I want to rest for a while” and departed. Lin Wan’er was left alone to mutter, “Ah, how boring~”

—

“You’ve never slaughtered mortals?” As soon as she returned to the room, Wu Yan asked Wu Yan (Inner) directly.

“Of course. You can check this seat’s memories. This seat has never actively laid a hand on mortals—those guys aren’t even worthy! In the past, the blood pills this seat received and such, this seat disdained to use them! What good can come from something refined from the blood of a bunch of mortals?”

Wu Yan (Inner) waved her hand dismissively, but then changed her tone. “But the Blood Pearl is different. That thing is no ordinary demonic object. It’s said that the best material for it is mortals of different ages. Even this seat never saw the real thing in the previous life. In this life, I finally saw it, and you, you dead log, handed it up!”

Wu Yan (Inner) had never attacked mortals?

Wu Yan remained silent. She had seen Wu Yan (Inner)’s memories more than once. Not only were there hazy places that couldn’t be clearly seen, but now there were even more discrepancies in other areas.

No. Wu Yan had noticed long ago that Wu Yan (Inner)’s memories of the previous life were not trustworthy. Especially now, after encountering the strange Ouroboros, this feeling grew stronger and stronger.

Wu Yan (Inner)’s rebirth and even her own transmigration were probably not as simple as she thought. There must be an invisible hand behind it all, secretly plotting everything.