Chapter 119: Demon Curse
Zhou was cut down by Xu Meijing's blade. It wasn't that Zhou was too weak; rather, Xu Meijing was simply too powerful at that moment.
Setting aside Zhou's various methods, his power fluctuations alone far surpassed those of a powerful Corpse Ghoul. From this, it was clear that even without resorting to any special techniques, his sheer internal strength was absolutely beyond what a Corpse Ghoul could match.
Initially, Zhou was brimming with confidence. He was no fool, nor was he the arrogant type. Judging from his actions against Yangjiawan and the various ploys he employed after encountering Yang Haoran, he was a deeply cunning individual, showing not the slightest hint of arrogance.
In other words, his confidence stemmed entirely from his own formidable strength. He was thoroughly convinced of his power and methods, so even when Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing appeared together, and he sensed Xu Meijing was slightly stronger than Yang Haoran, he still didn't give it much thought.
Because at that time, he simply never imagined Xu Meijing could Open Soul.
It was precisely because he hadn't foreseen this that he ultimately met his downfall. After Xu Meijing opened her Heaven Soul, her strength multiplied, far exceeding anything he could contend with. Against such an existence, any methods he possessed would have been utterly in vain, completely useless.
No matter how exceptional an ant might be among its own kind, when it faces a human, it still faces only death. A human needs but a light pinch, and the ant will be crushed to powder. After Xu Meijing Opened Soul, while the power disparity between her and Zhou wasn't quite that immense, it was close enough.
Of course, if it hadn't been Xu Meijing who accompanied Yang Haoran today, but merely a Night Watcher slightly stronger than him, then Yang Haoran's side would have been in grave danger. Setting aside Zhou's other methods, just the Lock Yin Talisman targeting Underworld Officials—once struck, one's Spirit Power would be completely sealed. Coupled with the bloody, violent, and highly poisonous Corpse Ghouls, Zhou wouldn't have needed to employ any other methods; he could have easily claimed the heads of Yang Haoran's group.
"I've already killed the person," Xu Meijing said, "but I've left his soul for you. How you deal with him later is up to you."
The ghostly hand became a claw, and a peculiar suction force erupted, enveloping Zhou's severed body below. Wisps of white smoke were forcefully drawn from his corpse, then slowly condensed, forming a Spirit Body.
The Spirit Body floated suspended in the air, its eyes tightly shut. It was indeed Zhou's soul.
After a person dies, it typically takes seven days for their soul to coalesce. Yet, Xu Meijing, relying on her immense strength, had forcibly extracted Zhou's soul from his body.
"My power only allows me to forcibly extract his soul," Xu Meijing said, turning to Yang Haoran. "I can't make his consciousness awaken immediately. You should keep his soul safe for now. In seven days, his consciousness will awaken."
"Thank you," Yang Haoran said, offering his thanks. His gaze fixed on Zhou's still-unconscious soul, and intense resentment erupted in his eyes.
His clan annihilated, his parents murdered—all of this was the doing of this seemingly decent Master Zhou. Towards this man, the hatred in Yang Haoran's heart had grown to an indescribable intensity. Though he was now dead, Yang Haoran had no intention of letting him off the hook.
Zhou had caused his parents to ultimately suffer Soul Transformation; then that very taste, he would certainly make Master Zhou experience it thoroughly.
No, he would make Master Zhou savor that taste twofold.
The Lock Yin Talisman, floating suspended above their heads, transformed into a burst of spiritual light and dissipated. Though this Lock Yin Talisman possessed abnormal power, it also had its drawbacks: a short duration. Once the time was up, the talisman's abnormal power would cease, and the sealed Underworld Officials and ghostly entities would regain their original strength.
Of course, the prerequisite was to survive until the Lock Yin Talisman's power faded. If one couldn't survive before then, death was truly death, and there would be no revival simply because the talisman's power ceased.
Without the Lock Yin Talisman's seal, the Spirit Power within Yang Haoran's body finally became controllable again. Without the slightest hesitation, he manifested the Soul-Gathering Bead towards Zhou's soul, directly drawing it inside.
Seeing Yang Haoran collect Zhou's soul, Xu Meijing originally intended to mock him, perhaps saying something about his weakness or shaming the Underworld Office. But thinking of Yang Haoran's experiences today, she ultimately refrained from speaking those words.
"Since we're already here," Xu Meijing muttered, "I'll go see what kind of ghostly thing is behind that stone door. It's all very mysterious."
As Xu Meijing spoke, she walked towards the colossal stone door, one hand in her pocket, the other dragging her blade. The tip of her blade scraped across the ground, letting out a grating sound.
Yang Haoran waved his hand, and the Soul-Gathering Bead automatically shrunk, re-embedding itself into his ring. He then also walked towards the closed stone door.
It was just that he was different from Xu Meijing. She was driven by curiosity, purely heading for the stone door. He, on the other hand, was heading for the pool of grayish-white liquid in front of the stone door.
Much of the grayish liquid in front of the stone door had already seeped into the ground, leaving only a portion still visible. They emanated a foul Corpse Qi, but Yang Haoran seemed not to notice the stench, his gaze fixed blankly on the grayish-white liquid.
This grayish-white liquid was all that remained of his clan members' bodies. His parents were among them. But at this moment, he lacked the ability to distinguish which drop was his father and which was his mother.
He just stood there, staring blankly. At this moment, in his eyes, besides the pool of grayish-white liquid before him, there was nothing else.
Xu Meijing arrived in front of the stone door. Seeing that Yang Haoran hadn't followed, a hint of confusion appeared on her face. She turned to look and saw Yang Haoran standing blankly in place, motionless, staring at the foul-smelling grayish-white liquid on the ground.
The confusion in her heart dissipated. Xu Meijing sighed softly and shook her head. She did not disturb Yang Haoran, thinking that perhaps allowing him a moment of solitude at this time was also a good thing.
Turning back, Xu Meijing once again fixed her gaze on the stone door before her and began to examine it carefully.
In order to open this stone door, Zhou had meticulously plotted and schemed, turning everyone in Yangjiawan, including their livestock, into Corpse Puppets. He had committed such an insane and inhumane act, solely to open this stone door that had remained closed.
What exactly lay beyond this stone door that made it worth such actions?
Xu Meijing was clearly intrigued by this stone door. Otherwise, she wouldn't have shifted her attention to it.
Standing before the stone door, Xu Meijing looked at the runic inscription that still held a remnant of power, and her brows couldn't help but furrow slightly.
When Zhou was still alive, she had also seen this colossal runic inscription on the stone door. However, she hadn't observed it at such a close distance as she was now, so she hadn't made any particular discovery.
But now, after a close and thorough examination, she had actually made a discovery.
"This inscription. . . it looks like a Demon Curse," Xu Meijing muttered to herself, her brows furrowed as she examined the markings on the stone door. But her tone carried a hint of uncertainty.
The so-called Demon Curse referred to various spells or incantations with magical powers used by demon races. This was essentially the same as the magic spells in the human world.
This world was inherently a mystical one. Since there were ghosts and zombies, it was hardly surprising for there to be demons as well.
Xu Meijing didn't know much about Demon Curses. This was why she was uncertain whether the inscription on the stone door was truly a Demon Curse.
However, she didn't dwell on this question. Compared to whether the inscription on the stone door was a Demon Curse, she was more concerned with what truly lay beyond.
The power of the inscription had already been mostly consumed by Zhou. While this residual power might have been troublesome for Zhou, for Xu Meijing at this moment, it was merely a trifle.
Without further study of the stone door or the inscription, Xu Meijing stepped back a few paces, then swung Life Ender in her hand towards the stone door before her.
A black light flashed. The colossal stone door before her, along with the inscription upon it, was split cleanly in two by her single blade strike.
The inscription, which had originally emanated spiritual light, immediately lost all its spiritual radiance. The residual power also vanished like smoke as the spiritual light disappeared.
If Zhou were still alive at this moment and witnessed this scene with his own eyes, his expression would surely be fascinating. This stone door, which he had painstakingly tried to open, Xu Meijing had resolved with a single strike.
Of course, the fact that Xu Meijing could so easily split the stone door and the inscription in two with a single strike was partly due to her formidable strength, and equally due to the inscription's power on the stone door having been mostly depleted.
The stone door, split in two, collapsed with a crash. The cave trembled in response. What truly lay behind the stone door was now revealed to Xu Meijing's sight.
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