Chapter 61: Countdown

Although meager, compared to demon power, spiritual energy can play a greater role when used by Jiu Baiyun.

Demon power and spiritual energy are fundamentally very different.

Besides being completely opposed in attributes, they are also diametrically opposite in many functions.

Anyway, compared to demon power, Jiu Baiyun still finds spiritual energy more handy.

Even just a little bit can do a lot!

“Hmph, you can feel it?”

The Yao Fox Demon Venerable’s voice carried a gritted-teeth endurance.

Clearly, the stimulation and pain from Jiu Baiyun’s self-harm, along with the sensitivity of her tail, also made her share this torment.

“Bear with it! The conversion is slow, but for now it should be enough for you to use!”

Jiu Baiyun nodded lightly, not denying the Yao Fox Demon Venerable.

After all, what she said was about right.

With this little bit of spiritual energy, they could also widen the gap between themselves and the mountain sparrows.

Thinking that, Jiu Baiyun didn’t hesitate any longer.

Golden spiritual energy slowly flowed out from his body, and under his guidance, gradually covered Su Zhiyun, A Ran, and Xiao Mu’s entire bodies.

Almost the instant the golden spiritual energy climbed onto their bodies, Su Zhiyun and the other two clearly felt their bodies suddenly become lighter, and their pace immediately quickened considerably.

Without needing to think, they knew this was Jiu Baiyun’s power.

This delighted Su Zhiyun.

She immediately asked Jiu Baiyun, “Can you move?”

Jiu Baiyun tried moving twice, then rolled his eyes at Su Zhiyun.

“Obviously, still can’t move. I can only provide a little help.”

There was still a little time until half a ke.

Hearing Jiu Baiyun’s words, Su Zhiyun was a bit disappointed, but not too disappointed.

That Jiu Baiyun still couldn’t move was within expectations, and this spiritual energy was an unexpected bonus.

At least they could finally widen the distance from the mountain sparrows.

This also gave Su Zhiyun a bit more patience.

After all, when life is in danger, no one can help but feel anxious.

But while Su Zhiyun wasn’t so anxious anymore, Jiu Baiyun still was.

If these mountain sparrows couldn’t be shaken off quickly, he suspected they would be surrounded and blocked…

That would be bad.

Thinking of this, Jiu Baiyun asked the Yao Fox Demon Venerable in his mind again.

“Yao Hu! How much longer until half a ke?!”

However, the expected response from the Yao Fox Demon Venerable, tinged with impatience or sarcasm, did not come.

‘Could it be that in such a short time, the Yao Fox Demon Venerable had blocked herself off again?’

Jiu Baiyun frowned slightly.

Just as he was about to continue asking Yao Hu, the next second, the Yao Fox Demon Venerable’s clear and cold voice slowly rang out.

“Ten…”

“Nine…”

‘!? What does that mean!?’

Although it was good that the Yao Fox Demon Venerable started speaking again, he didn’t immediately react to what the Yao Fox Demon Venerable meant by these numbers.

But regardless of whether Jiu Baiyun understood, the Yao Fox Demon Venerable continued counting down.

“Eight…”

“Seven…”

“Six…”

Now, Jiu Baiyun understood that the Yao Fox Demon Venerable was counting down.

Even though the Yao Fox Demon Venerable didn’t say it, Jiu Baiyun also knew that the side effects from using “Qi Stillness” were about to disappear.

The moment he understood, Jiu Baiyun was already prepared, just waiting for the Yao Fox Demon Venerable to finish the final countdown.

“Five…”

The Yao Fox Demon Venerable’s cold countdown echoed in his sea of consciousness.

Each beat of Jiu Baiyun’s heart seemed to pound heavily against his eardrums.

He could clearly feel the subtle changes occurring deep within his body.

The heavy shackles were loosening, and a needle-pricking pain came to the ends of his numb limbs.

That was a signal of returning sensation!

“Four…”

But those mountain sparrows, after Su Zhiyun had widened the distance a bit more, became even more ferocious.

The scalp-splitting chirp sounds surged over again.

And Su Zhiyun at this moment felt as if her lungs were about to explode.

Sweat flowed into her eyes, bringing waves of stinging pain, but she did not dare to blink or slow down.

Even with the spiritual energy Jiu Baiyun had transferred, because the amount was small, and also because the sparrows accelerated and they accelerated too, they were still so tired they kept gasping for breath, several times feeling like they couldn’t catch their breath.

“Three…”

“Two…”

The second-hand reading of the Yao Fox Demon Venerable’s countdown grew closer.

At this moment, Jiu Baiyun grew more tense, ready at any moment to spring up from the stretcher.

The mountain sparrows in the front rank already had their scarlet compound eyes clearly reflecting Su Zhiyun’s flying hair ends!

The sharp bird beaks glinting with black light were only an inch away from her back.

“One!”

And at this moment, the instant the Yao Fox Demon Venerable’s cold “one” exploded like thunder in Jiu Baiyun’s sea of consciousness,

BOOM!

Jiu Baiyun’s entire body’s blood immediately flowed smoothly, and a tingling numbness instantly spread.

The rate of demon power converting to spiritual energy also suddenly increased.

The layer of light golden spiritual energy halo covering Su Zhiyun and the other two abruptly brightened several times!

Almost at the same instant he regained his ability to move, Jiu Baiyun’s waist and abdomen suddenly exerted force.

His body, like a taut bow released, sprang up from the bumpy stretcher at an incredible angle.

“Su Zhiyun! Duck!”

Hearing Jiu Baiyun’s words, Su Zhiyun, not even having time to think, her body instinctively followed the command and bent down sharply.

The next moment, Jiu Baiyun’s figure shot out over Su Zhiyun’s head, and then several golden sword energy streaks also cut through the air over Su Zhiyun’s head.

Squelch! Squelch! Squelch—

The dull sounds of flesh being instantly pierced and torn rang out densely!

The few mountain sparrows that were in the very front, almost about to peck Su Zhiyun’s back with their beaks, immediately had their scarlet compound eyes freeze and dim.

Before they could even let out a mournful cry, they were precisely pierced and shredded by those few golden sword energy streaks, turning into several clouds of filthy blood mist mixed with black feathers, which suddenly exploded behind Su Zhiyun.

A stench immediately filled the air.

This sudden counterattack, like cold water thrown into boiling oil, caused an extremely brief pause in the surging mountain sparrow flock behind.

The unison chirp screech was interrupted once again, revealing a trace of chaos and instinctive fear.

Jiu Baiyun’s figure traced a slightly stumbling arc through the air, landing heavily on the ground, barely stabilizing himself on one knee.

Gasping for breath, his silver-white hair stuck to his sweaty forehead.

His pair of fox ears, which had just recovered a bit of strength, stood up alertly, turning slightly to capture the sounds around them.

The snow-white fox tail at his tailbone was now listlessly dragging in the dust behind him due to the intense pain and exhaustion.

That one burst of exertion had almost drained the pitiful amount of spiritual energy that the Yao Fox Demon Venerable had just converted inside him.

But the effect was also obvious.

That guy controlling the mountain sparrows had once again fallen into a stall, as if assessing whether he could take them down.

This also gave Jiu Baiyun a chance to catch his breath.

And Su Zhiyun, after receiving a look of indication from Jiu Baiyun, had no intention of hesitating or resting.

She immediately dropped the stretcher, grabbed A Ran and Xiao Mu, and continued running forward.