526: Remove the poison

“Bodhisattva, that water well is in this western courtyard! I have inspected it before; the talisman paper sealing the mouth of this well is not actually a talisman at all, but a disguise formed by the blood and Qi of the Demon Race!”

Xuanji Zi brought Holy Heart Guanyin into the western courtyard and was startled to see an octagonal well against the base of the wall. The windlass at the well's mouth had long since dried and cracked, suggesting it had not been used for a very long time; even the water bucket was discarded to the side, its rope rotted away.

“The Gu source is in this well, but...”

Xuanji Zi said in a deep voice, “But I have no idea what the Gu source actually looks like, or how to destroy it. According to ancient records, the Gu source can be cultivated using the human body as a vessel, but no one has ever actually seen how it is cultivated!”

“No matter!”

Guanyin had now returned to her original appearance, and the Jade Purification Vase suddenly appeared in her left hand. The willow branch trembled slightly, and a drop of dew hung on its leaves, appearing as if it might fall at any moment.

“The Immortal Dew of Tribulation Defense within this Jade Purification Vase can eliminate all kinds of evil karma. It was one of the trump cards the Buddha used to deal with the Demon Race army back then, and it is the perfect nemesis for the aura of the Demon Race... Hmph, remove the well cover, but remember to be careful. You can leave the rest to me!”

Guanyin said in a deep voice.

Xuanji Zi nodded, then immediately drew the precious sword from his back... This sword looked unremarkable, basically no different from an ordinary piece of iron, but this weapon was actually several times more powerful than his Shu Mountain Purple and Azure Twin Swords—it was the South Bright Separation Fire Sword... It was a peerless weapon that the previous Sect Head, Baimei, had sacrificed himself to obtain from beyond the heavens. Currently, on Shu Mountain, he was the only one capable of wielding this treasure.

Swoosh!

A beam of azure Sword Qi was released almost without hesitation. The well mouth was nothing special; in the blink of an eye, it was slashed diagonally into two halves. The well mouth instantly tilted to the side, and a thick, black Qi surged out from the opening, mixed with a putrid stench, enveloping the direction of Xuanji Zi and Guanyin.

However, Xuanji Zi immediately discovered that it was not black mist, but a swarm of insects so small they were difficult for the naked eye to discern.

“So that's it; this is the reason why all the citizens in the city are suffering from the epidemic... Heh, insects much smaller than mosquitoes are truly rare!”

Xuanji Zi sneered. The simple long sword in his hand suddenly turned into a beam of azure firelight. He pinched a sword mantra and waved it gently, and a tornado-like Sword Qi swept toward the black mist. The South Bright Separation Fire specifically countered these evil spirits; these tiny insects were scorched by the flames and turned into ashes, disappearing without a trace in mere fractions of a second. The insects were like ignited gasoline, burned clean in the blink of an eye.

But immediately after, Xuanji Zi suddenly felt a chill behind him, and he heard Guanyin shout in his ear: “Watch out behind you!”

Too late to turn around, he swung his long sword backward violently, but it seemed to strike something hard, emitting a crisp 'clang'.

Hearing the thing that had approached from behind retreat rapidly, he finally had time to turn around and look, only to see an Old Monk wearing tattered kasaya, his face greenish-black, staring at him with ghastly white eyes.

If Tang Ku were here, he would surely recognize that this was the original abbot of Huichang Temple, Abbot Guangming.

“This is a Gu Puppet!”

Guanyin said in a deep voice, “This thing is refined from a living person, with Gu techniques planted into their heart. It is like a zombie, impervious to blades and spears, and its entire body is filled with toxins fed by Devilish Qi. Any ordinary person who touches even a little bit will be infected and gradually turn into the same kind of ‘zombie’!”

“Then those citizens in the city...”

Xuanji Zi saw that the opponent did not continue to attack, so he could not help but stand beside Guanyin and ask in a low voice.

“If we do not destroy the thing before us, I fear they will suffer the same fate!”

Guanyin said in a deep voice, “This is what you mentioned, that Gu source!”

Xuanji Zi said: “Then how should we destroy this thing?”

Guanyin said: “Stand behind me; I have my own way...”

Xuanji Zi knew that now was not the time to show off. The South Bright Separation Fire Sword in his hand was a true Magic Treasure of the immortals, yet it could not even break the skin of this Old Monk. And while the Guanyin before him was not skilled in combat, she was, after all, a powerhouse who had attained the Bodhisattva fruit position, and was truly far stronger than him.

Therefore, he naturally retreated behind Guanyin, only to see a wisp of green Qi emerge from the Old Monk's mouth, and two fangs actually grew out just like that, making the Old Monk appear even more terrifying.

Roar!

The Old Monk rushed over like a hungry tiger. His movements were quite methodical; it was actually a common set of Arhat Fist.

That's right, Abbot Guangming was not only proficient in Buddha Dharma but also a martial arts master. Although he could not compare to those warriors who fought on the battlefield, he rarely had any rivals among ordinary Martial Masters. According to his own words, practicing martial arts was for strengthening the body, allowing him to have a clear mind when contemplating Buddha Dharma.

“Oh, a zombie that knows martial arts?”

Guanyin's Buddha Power was profound. Although she had no research into fisticuffs, she waved her palm, and it was as if an invisible wall of Qi had been erected in front of her, blocking all of the opponent's attacks outside the Qi wall.

Immediately, she pulled the willow branch out from the vase, and with a gentle sweep toward the Old Monk, the Old Monk's body was sent flying as if he had been hit by a train.

Guanyin took a slight step, her figure appearing beside the Old Monk like a ghost. Just as the guy flipped himself up to stand, Guanyin directly inserted the willow branch upside down into his forehead. Droplets of dew seeped directly along the willow branch into the Old Monk's skin, instantly giving his greenish skin a hint of blood color.

But this was not enough. The Old Monk was currently pinned to the spot as if by a steel nail, completely losing his ability to move. Guanyin tilted the vase in her hand and poured it directly from the top of his head.

One must know that the space within this Jade Purification Vase was vast enough to hold the waters of the four seas. In the blink of an eye, the Old Monk was drenched thoroughly; the water flow seemed to have a life of its own, surrounding the Old Monk and wrapping him entirely within it.

Guanyin immediately withdrew the vase. Almost instantly, black water began to continuously seep out of the Old Monk's pores—no, to be precise, it was those same tiny black insects from before. However, upon entering the water flow, they were instantly affected by the powerful Buddha Power and vitality, drowning within it. It wasn't until all the water had turned completely black, then gradually faded and became transparent again, that the Old Monk finally collapsed onto the ground.

The vase water seemed to have spirituality; it condensed once more and returned to the Jade Purification Vase. The Old Monk opened his eyes, sized up the person before him, suddenly appeared to have a realization, clasped his hands together, silently recited a Buddha name, and then passed away...