Chapter 193 - 115: Zombie Queen
The Fog Demon?
The moment those words were spoken, the faces of every Demon Slayer Envoy present changed.
Even Jiang Mu was startled.
On the very first day he transmigrated, it was this Fog Demon that had breached the walls of Hu State.
That was a terrifying Great Demon, at least Tier Ten or higher, which had forced even a Twelfth Realm Garrison Envoy into a bitter fight!
It could crush all of them with a flick of its finger.
How could a Great Demon of this caliber appear here?
Jiang Mu’s expression turned grim.
’Didn’t that old bastard Tian Wenjing swear up and down that the strongest demons here would be Tier Five at most?’
’So how did a Great Demon like this show up?’
’Could that old fool be trying to get revenge for my earlier defiance, intentionally setting a trap to have me killed?’
Although the thought crossed his mind, his reason told him this had to be a complete accident.
’After all, the Demon Slayer Envoys from Yunzhou City are here too.’
’It seems this is just a case of outrageously bad luck.’
"Quick! Everyone, back into the cave!"
Tang Guixin reacted instantly, shouting sharply.
As if waking from a dream, the group scrambled over each other as they flooded into the demon’s cave.
Tang Guixin saw Jiang Mu still standing in place, staring blankly at the approaching blood mist. She grabbed his arm and urged anxiously,
"Lord Jiang, don’t just stand there! Get inside with me, quickly!"
Jiang Mu snapped back to his senses, glanced at her, and nodded. He led his horse and followed the others, rushing into the cave.
As he passed the entrance, he glimpsed a folding fan on the ground out of the corner of his eye.
It was the Magical Treasure Yang Tianci had dropped when Jiang Mu had sent him flying earlier.
Jiang Mu casually scooped it up, stuffed the fan into his robes, and then stepped into the cave.
Once everyone was inside, Ming Cuicui took a headcount and suddenly asked in surprise, "That’s odd. Why aren’t the people from the Sixth Hall here?"
The Sixth Hall was Yang Tianci’s group.
Tang Guixin was startled and went to peer out of the cave entrance, only to see the crimson blood mist surging up to the opening like a tide.
"Damn it! It’s too late!"
She gritted her teeth, quickly pulling two jade Talismans from her robes and slapping one on each side of the cave’s stone entrance.
Immediately after, she took out a black Crystal Stone, placed it in the center of the entrance, and crushed it with her foot.
"VMMM—"
A translucent, pale-blue protective barrier rose up, sealing the cave entrance shut.
The surging blood mist slammed into the barrier, making a corrosive SIZZLING sound, but was ultimately kept at bay.
Seeing the blood mist successfully blocked, Tang Guixin finally let out a long sigh of relief.
’Watching this fluid series of actions,’ Jiang Mu praised her inwardly.
’As expected of a veteran Hall Master. When faced with a sudden, desperate situation, she’s indeed calmer and more experienced than a young man like me who only knows how to fight with brute force. She has far more tricks up her sleeve.’
"That bastard, Yang Tianci..."
Tang Guixin’s expression was grim as she spoke through gritted teeth, "It seems he was pretending to be unconscious. While we were entering the cave, he had his subordinates carry him away!"
"He ran?"
Zhu Chang looked incredulous. "But it’s the Fog Demon out there! Isn’t he afraid of dying?"
Tang Guixin said coldly, "As the only son of the Inner Guard’s Deputy Commander, he’s bound to have other life-saving trump cards."
"Sister Tang, what do we do now?"
Ming Cuicui’s voice trembled as she looked at the swirling blood mist outside the cave. "This protective barrier can only last for four hours at most."
The others also fell into despair.
Faced with a Great Demon on the level of the Fog Demon, they had no way to fight back unless an expert of Shangguan Guardian Envoy’s caliber arrived in person.
Tang Guixin stared at the blood mist beyond the barrier without a word, her brow furrowed in thought.
After a moment, she shook her head and said in a low voice, "No, this can’t be the real Fog Demon."
Everyone froze, turning to look at her.
Tang Guixin explained,
"According to intelligence from the General Office, after being severely wounded by General Shangguan, the Fog Demon fled deep into the Southern Border to recuperate. Its very essence was damaged, so there’s no way it could reappear so soon. Besides... look at the speed and concentration of this blood mist. It’s far inferior to the real Fog Demon’s."
"Then what is this...?" Ming Cuicui asked, looking confused.
"I don’t know."
Tang Guixin’s expression was grave. "This blood mist is identical to the Fog Demon’s Divine Abilities. Perhaps... it’s a Divine Ability cast by a demon that was close to the Fog Demon, or one that received part of its legacy."
She paused for a moment before continuing,
"Even if it’s not the real one, judging by the area of effect and the oppressive aura, this demon’s power is still terrifying. It must be at least Tier Eight.
However, the moment demonic energy fluctuations of this magnitude appear, the Demon-slaying Bureau’s patrol teams are sure to detect them immediately.
Luckily, the Water Director isn’t far from us. If she can get here in time... we might still have a fighting chance."
Tier Eight...
The sliver of hope that had just been kindled in the group was extinguished again.
A Tier Eight demon was an overlord in its own right. Crushing them would still be as easy as crushing an ant.
Jiang Mu asked,
"Master Tang, since this blood mist has appeared here, does that mean the demon’s main body is nearby?"
𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢
Tang Guixin shook her head.
"Not necessarily. The blood mist is a domain-type Divine Ability with an extremely wide range.
Back then, the Fog Demon could cover the entirety of Hu State. Even if this demon is slightly weaker, covering a single mountain like White Deer Peak is more than easy enough for it."
Jiang Mu understood. "So this demon might be near us, on the mountainside, or even at the summit, but it’s definitely somewhere on White Deer Peak."
"Correct."
Tang Guixin nodded, her expression grave. "Judging by the current situation, it has sealed off the entire mountain. It wants to kill every Cultivator on White Deer Peak."
Jiang Mu’s heart sank.
’Xu Fu and Zhang Daxie are still out searching on the mountain.’
’Can those guys handle this?’
Jiang Mu asked, "What if the Water Director can’t get here in time?"