Chapter 10

After taking the pill, Tang Xiaojiu felt a cool sensation all over his body, and the intense pain from his torn flesh was greatly alleviated. He couldn't help but hum in comfort, but he had no idea that Lu Zheng's foot had already been dragged away by the ghost of impermanence. This monk was so extraordinary; surely Lu Zheng would wake up soon. Lying on the ground, he felt as if he were in a dream, and the events of the night were truly unbelievable. He sighed, "Master, your pill is truly a divine medicine, it's so effective, it really cures the disease! How is that brat Lu Zheng?"

Before the monk could answer, he immediately touched his chest. The young man's heart was beating steadily and powerfully, though a bit slow. Compared to his facial expressions and limbs, his heart was beating very strongly, as if a gentle and pure force was protecting it from the yin poison. At this moment, a faint light began to seep through the gaps in the young man's clothes.

The monk lifted his shirt, and under the clear night sky, a white jade pendant lay quietly on the young man's chest, emitting a soft silver light. The light was so gentle and pure, like moonlight. The light continuously spread out, gathering at his chest, forming a dense cluster of bright silver points. The points touched his skin like snow melting into the earth, seeping into his body.

"Protective talisman? How could it be on this young beggar?" The monk, who was usually calm, couldn't help but feel surprised. He never expected such a powerful talisman on a young beggar, and it seemed that this jade pendant was protecting Lu Zheng. The monk, still surprised, had another question: "If the talisman is protecting him, why is the yin poison still so severe? This means the yin poison is even more powerful than I thought. What's strange is how could a newly transformed snake demon spit out such a powerful poison?"

As he thought this, the monk felt a sudden jolt in his heart, realizing it was too late. He heard a sharp, eerie laugh, followed by Tang Xiaojiu's scream. Turning around, he saw the snake demon standing on the roof of the Puguang Zen room, his eyes glowing with a sinister green light. In his hand was a black knife, and Tang Xiaojiu was clamped under his arm, apparently unconscious.

This situation was completely unexpected by the monk. A snake demon that had lost its inner pearl and was sealed by him could still counterattack, which was truly incomprehensible. But he had no time to think, and immediately stepped forward, raising his fist to strike. However, a dense yin energy forced him to pause, making him shudder. He then realized that the yin energy was coming from the black knife in the demon's hand.

"Such strong yin energy, it seems this black knife is a weapon of evil." The monk stopped, frowned, and said angrily, "Wicked beast, you dare to commit evil deeds!" He stomped his foot, causing the ground to shake, dispelling the yin energy. He then threw two punches, but the demon shouted, "Stop! If you dare to move, I'll crush this child!"

The monk's eyes showed frustration, "I didn't expect you to hide your strength. It seems you pretended to be injured to gain my sympathy. Now that I've destroyed your demon pearl, you managed to break my seal in such a short time. Could it be because of this black knife?" With the monk's keen eyes, he could see that the knife was not ordinary, and the yin energy it emitted was enough to affect him.

The demon sneered, not answering, his eyes flashing with green light. He didn't explain how he broke the seal, and the monk was even more puzzled. The demon was clearly severely injured, and the monk's Golden Diamond Seal had never failed. Even a more powerful demon couldn't break free after its inner pearl was destroyed, so how could this demon be unaffected? The black knife seemed to have some strange power, and the demon's voice also sounded different, no longer hoarse, which was very puzzling.

Thinking about this, the monk's brows furrowed, and he said sternly, "Wicked beast, committing evil deeds, do you not fear divine retribution? Quickly put down the knife and release the child."

Each word the monk spoke was clear, like a powerful warning. But as the monk said the first word "wicked," the demon's ears buzzed, and his heart skipped a beat. When the monk said "beast," the demon's heart skipped another beat, and his calm mind was disturbed. As each word was spoken, the demon's heart skipped a beat, as if the monk's voice was a drumstick and his heart a drum, each beat making his heart vibrate. The feeling of confusion grew heavier, and his vision seemed to be filled with a white mist.

By the time the monk said "committing evil deeds," the demon felt as if his chest was filled with dirty water, feeling extremely uncomfortable. His breath became hot and stuffy, and he felt as if he were in a dream, unable to wake up. He knew something was wrong but couldn't detect it, his thoughts wavering between clarity and confusion, but his grip on Tang Xiaojiu didn't loosen.

When the monk said "put down the knife," his voice became more intense, each word like a thunderclap, resonating in the demon's ears and stirring his heart. The demon looked dazed, as if he were hearing an irresistible command to release the child. This thought brought a moment of clarity, and one of his fingers holding Tang Xiaojiu twitched involuntarily.

The monk paid close attention to the demon's movements, knowing that success was near. He remained focused, ready to act at any moment. The demon, swaying on the roof with a scattered gaze, was on the verge of losing his mind and almost released Tang Xiaojiu. But suddenly, the black knife emitted a wailing sound, like a ghost crying in the night, and a black mist spread from the knife into the demon's seven orifices. The demon shuddered, his eyes flashing with green light, and he regained his clarity.

The monk sighed, knowing he had failed, and was also surprised by the strange power of the black knife. It seemed to have a spirit of its own, not just being a weapon of evil.

Sure enough, the demon quickly regained his senses, realizing he had almost been tricked by the monk. His green eyes flashed with a strange light, and he gritted his teeth, "The Golden Diamond Mantra, well done! Monk, watch this!" He grabbed Tang Xiaojiu's arm and snapped it, and Tang Xiaojiu, waking up from the pain, let out a blood-curdling scream.

Tang Xiaojiu had been worried about Lu Zheng when the monk said he couldn't be saved. He was about to ask more when the demon suddenly appeared in front of him, and he was knocked unconscious. The pain from his broken arm made him roar in anger, "You damn monk, you said he was fine! You baldhead, you've misled me!"

The monk, shocked and angry, stepped forward, "Stop!"

The demon ignored him, grabbed Tang Xiaojiu's other arm, and snapped it, causing another scream. Tang Xiaojiu fainted from the pain. The demon then laughed maniacally, "Monk, you're powerful, but I can't match you. If you take another step, I'll break his neck. Even if you kill me, this child will die first. Let's see who acts faster! Ha ha ha."

The demon's laughter echoed, and Tang Xiaojiu, waking up from the pain, was pale and trembling, unable to call for help. He knew his situation and realized that even if he called for help, the monk might not be able to save him immediately, and it might provoke the demon to break his legs. He gritted his teeth, "Damn, when I get out of this, I'll make you pay, not just by breaking your arms and legs, but much worse. Ouch, it hurts so much!"

The demon, with a sinister smile, said, "What do you think, monk? Aren't you supposed to be compassionate? You have a chance to save this child. I'll leave, but I won't be careless. If you take another step, this child will lose more than just his arms. It will be on your conscience. Think about it." He then grabbed Tang Xiaojiu's neck, ready to snap it if the monk said no.

The monk's face turned black with anger, knowing the demon was cunning and decisive. He wouldn't abandon the child's life, and the demon was using this to pressure him. The monk hesitated, and the demon, fearing a change, grabbed Tang Xiaojiu's left foot, ready to break it. The monk quickly said, "Don't move! I'll let you go." He then added, "If you harm this child in any way, I will personally go to the Buddha Mountain Punishment Tower, and within the nine heavens and nine earths, you will be sealed in the Absolute Prison!"

The demon, hearing "Buddha Mountain Punishment Tower" and "Absolute Prison," felt a chill, his eyes dimming. But he quickly changed his expression, showing a strange look, as if recalling something. He then laughed, "Monk, let's see what this knife can do!" He swung the black knife at the monk, carried Tang Xiaojiu to another roof, and disappeared into the night, his laughter filled with satisfaction.

Tang Xiaojiu, held under the demon's arm, glanced at Lu Zheng, who was still lying motionless on the ground. Remembering the monk's words, he knew Lu Zheng was likely beyond saving, and tears streamed down his face, unseen by anyone.

The demon's movement triggered the monk's instinct to chase, but he paused as a powerful yin energy swept towards him. The demon had swung the knife before leaving, and a black arc of light, filled with yin energy, flew towards the monk. The monk, sensing the power of the knife, quickly dodged and struck a Flame Heart Diamond Fist. The golden flames met the black arc, but were quickly swallowed, and the black arc continued. The monk quickly retreated, throwing ten Diamond Fists, the golden light blazing, and finally managed to disperse the black arc.

The monk was astonished by the power of the demon's casual strike. If the demon had used the black knife from the beginning, it would have been much harder to defeat him. But why did the demon only use the black knife after his inner pearl was destroyed? The monk stepped forward, but was surprised again. The black arc had left a strange vacuum, where all the energy had disappeared.

This knife had the power to cut off all the demon's energy, eliminating all visible, audible, smellable, touchable, and perceivable energy! The monk wondered if this was a divine weapon. How could the demon have such a powerful talisman? He thought of the lost divine tools of the Buddha Mountain, but dismissed the idea. However, the demon was not simple and must have a great secret. The monk suspected the demon was from the Danci Mountain.

Thinking about this, the monk hesitated whether to track the demon. But he heard Lu Zheng groan and sighed, "Amitabha!" He waved his hand, and the wind rose, dispelling the barrier he had set up to avoid disturbing others. The monk picked up Lu Zheng, carried him on his back, and disappeared into the night.

Before appearing, the monk had set up a barrier to prevent the sounds and movements inside from being detected by the six senses of the ordinary people, so no one in the Qinglong Temple could see, hear, smell, taste, touch, or think about what was happening. Even with such a loud noise, no one came to investigate.