Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao-Chapter 676 - 339: Face to Face

Chenxiang gently sniffed the air, filled with a stench that emanated from the Taoist. Thus, he had a suspicion, and looking at the woman's smiling face, Chenxiang only felt a wave of nausea.

There was nothing he desired in this Taoist Temple. What he saw was not the pursuit of the Great Dao but an endless amplification of desires. Staying in such a place any longer was aggravating.

However, he had not yet figured out the opponent's details, so he decided to wait for Cui Heming to be ready before making a move.

Lady Hu looked at Chenxiang with surprise; she almost thought the boy opposite her was a eunuch, for he had no reaction to her seduction. Little did she know that her coquettish gestures seemed no different from rotten meat in Chenxiang's eyes.

At nightfall, the Taoist pushed open the door and entered. Chenxiang greeted him respectfully. The Taoist slightly nodded and said, "The pigs in the sty are fat enough, let's slaughter them in a couple of days!"

Chenxiang replied, "Honored Master, I have been timid since childhood, can neither stand the sight of blood nor eat meat, I hope you can understand."

The Taoist looked deeply at Chenxiang and simply said, "If that's the case, you will have no part in this delicacy. Are you willing?"

Little did they know, what they considered a delicacy appeared to Chenxiang as dung, so he quickly nodded and said, "Disciple is willing wholeheartedly."

"Such a foolish boy, not knowing the value of this thing, just making it cheaper for us," Lady Hu covered her mouth and chuckled softly, her voice carrying a hint of tenderness.

The Taoist seemed to turn a deaf ear, merely saying lightly, "That's actually better. Cheng Zhiya, that waste, has been harvested by you too many times, and its efficacy has greatly diminished. If one more person shares, the effect might not be sufficient. Let's feast heartily after we capture that Cui Heming in a few days."

"That boy is still in these mountains?" the woman asked in surprise, thinking he had already fled.

"Of course, he's still here. I've placed Gu Insects on him; if he leaves these mountains, he will bleed from every orifice and die. I haven't sensed the Gu Insects activating, so naturally, he must still be hiding in the mountains. After we eat this fellow, I'll track his traces properly," the Taoist replied.

The two broke into proud smiles, creating an especially eerie scene in the dim room.

The next day, Chenxiang pretended to not bear to witness the cruelty and went to the mountains. In reality, he was going to find Cui Heming to inquire about the situation. As soon as he entered the cave, he saw the ragged Cui Heming, who had been carving text into the cave walls without rest or sleep.

His face was haggard, with deep dark circles under his eyes, likely from not sleeping all night. When he heard a noise, he was initially startled, but upon seeing it was Chenxiang, he relaxed and excitedly said, "Chenxiang, I did it, the Taoist's Techniques are in this book. No wonder he was so eager to turn me into a pig."

Looking at the pleased Cui Heming, Chenxiang smiled, looked up, and carefully read the content he had written.

In a short while, Chenxiang had finished reading the contents of the book. What followed was a wave of disappointment; the book documented various evil techniques, with no Cultivation Techniques, but rather, various methods of harming others.

The only things of wonder were the Illusion Technique to turn people into pigs and the terrifying cannibalistic technique. However, the technique did not necessarily involve eating humans; other animals were also possible, but the effect would be significantly less.

"This is truly horrifying. Such malevolent things exist in the world," Chenxiang remarked in surprise. The book was virtually a compendium of techniques for harming others, documenting various malicious methods.

"Indeed, who could have written such a terrifying book? Throughout the ages, who knows how many people have died because of it," Cui Heming said, equally astonished.

After saying this, he picked up a rock and began to destroy the text he had written, speaking as he worked, "Such harmful things must not be preserved."

Cheng Zhiya nodded profoundly in agreement. The book indeed should not be circulated any further, lest more people like Taoists bring catastrophe to the world.

However, at this moment, Cheng Zhiya was not afraid of the Taoist at all. He had thought the opponent was a cultivator with some skills but had not expected him to be merely a demon who knew only Evil Techniques. If not for the cannibalistic technique he used to cling to life, he might have already died.

Confident in his current strength to deal with any ordinary person, he said to Cui Heming, "I have decided to kill that demon tomorrow."

Just as his words fell, they heard the Taoist's voice from outside the cave, "It really was you, boy, who let the fat pig escape. I said I had set up a formation around the pigsty; how could it have been destroyed without reason?"

Upon hearing this voice, Cui Heming instantly panicked, looking toward the cave entrance in alarm. In his mind, the Taoist was an almost invincible force; even knowing the Taoist's methods did not alleviate his fear.

Cheng Zhiya stepped in front of Cui Heming to protect him, his gaze firm and filled with a fighting spirit as he stared at the cave entrance.

The Taoist walked leisurely into the small cave, smiling sinisterly at the two inside and said, "It's a pity, with Cheng Zhiya dead, I have lost both of my capable disciples. Had you not gone against my wishes, I might have kept you around longer. As it stands, you can only join Cui Heming as a delicacy on my dining table."

Cheng Zhiya smiled slightly and said, "It remains to be seen whose prey will perish, are you really that confident you can kill us?"

"I know you, boy, possess some bizarre abilities, unlike ordinary people. But the biggest mistake you made was eating my meals. Did you think the precious ingredients were given to you for free? Every dish was laced with the Gu toxins I planted. With just a thought from me, you would die bleeding from every orifice," the Taoist boasted proudly.

Upon hearing this, Cui Heming's face went pale. He hadn't realized such a terrifying thing was still lurking in his body and couldn't help but point at the Taoist and curse, "Evil demon, you will not die a good death and will definitely be damned to Hell."

But the Taoist merely sneered and said dismissively, "As long as I have enough food, I can live long and prosper. As for going to Hell, that's not your concern. You will certainly die before me anyway."

"Oh! Is that so?" Cheng Zhiya said with a smile.

The Taoist sensed something was amiss, as the boy opposite him was far too calm, showing no signs of fear. He then secretly tried to activate the Gu insects, but found his intention sank like a stone in the sea, stirring not even the slightest ripple.

By this time, the Taoist's expression began to turn grave; he didn't understand what method Cheng Zhiya had used to eliminate the Gu insects, a situation he had never encountered before.

Cheng Zhiya then smiled slightly, looking at the Taoist and said, "You have made your move, now it's my turn."

As soon as his words fell, Cheng Zhiya moved as fast as lightning. In a flash, he was beside the Taoist, swinging a punch, and the intense force of the punch swept through the small cave.