White Bone Demon Trail

Chapter 78 Under the Pine and Snow Needle

Ning Jue laughed, his youthful voice carrying a hint of arrogance that echoed through the wind and snow. "Master, rest assured, my Xuanmen lineage has never lacked fine treasures."

The monk didn't take his sarcasm to heart, but simply looked up at the surrounded Bai Wuxiang and asked, "This demon doesn't seem to be like an ordinary demon."

"This demon is not a demon, but a demon god in disguise. Senior, you should step back and not get involved with this fiend. He seems to have some connection with your Buddhist scriptures," Qinghe explained.

"It's alright, I'll stay here and keep you company." The monk was very good-natured and didn't show any displeasure to the younger generation.

Seeing this, Xiao Qianli said to the others, "I ask the three of you to hold off this demon while I unleash my magical treasures and powers!"

"As it should be!"

The three agreed, and as soon as they finished speaking, thirty-six dazzling pearls flew out from Qinghe's sleeves, surrounding her.

Seeing that all his escape routes were blocked, Bai Wuxiang's eyes flashed. He realized that his demon god body did not have the ability to unleash those two Yuanzhen Great Techniques.

The others were one thing, but the strength of this monk at the Yuanzhen realm and the demonized Xiao Qianli were beyond his ability to defeat.

Amidst the wind and snow, a golden sword flashed, a precious pearl shone brightly, and an earthen-yellow seal fell from the sky, suppressing Bai Wuxiang.

Bai Wuxiang's figure flashed, transforming into countless skulls that flew through the air. Specks of black light turned into falling feathers, which then extended claws and wings, transforming into black crows.

The cawing of thousands of black crows was deafening, but Bai Wuxiang stood high in the sky, ignoring them.

These people are only at the Transformation Realm. Even without their physical forms, they are no match for him.

Bai Wuxiang stretched out his palm, and the Wuxiang Diagram appeared.

He connected his mind to his physical body, a sinister smile appeared on his lips, and he said, "Then let everyone see my Formless Diagram."

All forms return to the mountain, formlessness establishes boundaries! Go!

As soon as he finished speaking, the Yin energy within his body surged forth, and the Formless Diagram erupted with brilliant light, absorbing the three people's supernatural powers and magical artifacts into it.

"What kind of sorcery is this?"

Qinghe was stunned for a moment, then quickly formed hand seals. The lotus flower beneath her slowly bloomed, emitting a pure Xuanmen magic light that struck Bai Wuxiang's body with incredible speed.

Struck by this blow, Bai Wuxiang staggered and fell from the clouds.

Before the three could even rejoice, Bai Wuxiang unfurled his wings and took to the sky once more.

He wiped the smile from the corner of his mouth. "Mystic arts are indeed the supreme methods for exterminating demons and warding off evil, but unfortunately I am neither a demon nor an evil being!"

As he spoke, he stretched out his hand, and countless skeletons on the Formless Diagram roared in unison, and an immense power swallowed all three of them into the diagram.

Seeing this, the yellow-robed monk standing guard nearby couldn't help but twitch his eyelids wildly. "Demon God! Formless Demon God? How can it be so similar to the four attachments in my path? Moreover, it seems that it has already comprehended the third attachment, the attachment of sentient beings!"

"Namo Amitabha Buddha! Namo Infinite Life Buddha! This disciple begs to see our Buddha, the World Honored One, to bestow immeasurable light and solidify the true nature of this demonic being!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he put his hands together, faced west, and bowed, chanting the Buddha's name.

The biting wind and snow suddenly stopped, and the clouds rolled and unrolled in the sky. A huge golden Buddha figure floated on the clouds, and layers of thick Buddha light fell on Bai Wuxiang's body.

The intensely hot sensation turned Bai Wuxiang's body into particles of black dust in the Buddha's light, and the two feathers on his back also dissipated under the Buddha's light.

He screamed and covered his head in the Buddha's light, as if endless Buddhist chants were surrounding him, shaking his mind.

Bai Wuxiang could only flash his figure and transform into three thousand black crows, flying in all directions.

The figures of the three trapped individuals reappeared, and the bronze alms bowl returned to the monk's hands.

Just then, Xiao Qianli, who had been using her supernatural powers in the sky, suddenly opened her eyes. A precious mirror floated between her palms, and with a soft shout, she soared into the sky.

"Through the nine heavens and the ten earths, all that I observe and judge will be guided through the mortal world!"

"Imperial Edict!"

As soon as the words fell, the treasure mirror, suspended in mid-air, instantly transformed into a massive mirror hundreds of feet in size, surrounded by ethereal clouds, its seven-colored light illuminating all directions.

Countless scriptures and incantations appeared on the mirror's surface, eventually transforming into a massive pillar of light that shot into the sky, reaching the heavens above and illuminating the netherworld below, accompanied by countless cries of ghosts and howls of wolves.

The enormous impact shook the snow-capped mountains within a radius of more than ten miles, causing avalanches and dust storms.

The evil energy within the pillar of light transformed into numerous human figures, but all were shattered by the divine light of the treasure mirror, ultimately transforming into a skeleton and being absorbed into the treasure mirror.

As Xiao Qianli retrieved the treasure mirror, she finally breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the skull in the mirror with a light smile, saying, "I have finally fulfilled my master's mission and captured this demon god."

Many thanks to all fellow cultivators for their assistance, and many thanks to the senior for his help!

The three of them, Qinghe and the others, looked a little embarrassed, as they hadn't been able to help much.

The monk in his robes put his hands together and said, "Amitabha, it is our Buddhist sect's duty to capture this demon."

"This humble monk still needs to report this matter to the World-Honored One, so I will proceed as follows!"

After saying that, he turned and disappeared into the wind and snow.

"Now that Fellow Daoist Xiao has fulfilled his master's mission, we should all return to our respective sects."

"We'll talk and laugh again when the various sects hold their Dharma assembly the next day." Qinghe bowed and then took her leave.

Ning Jue and Hua Yi also got up to say goodbye and left.

Xiao Qianli put away the treasure mirror and stood in the wind and snow, laughing: "I originally thought I would need to use my demonic thoughts to unseal it again, but unexpectedly, thanks to the light of Buddhism, it has become much easier."

After saying that, she transformed into a streak of sword light and flew away.

The snowstorm in the mountains intensified, and the dim snow fog obscured the view, forming snow curtains that caused all living things to disappear.

Fifteen minutes later, a hand covered in blue veins suddenly emerged from a snowdrift—it was the very corpse that had been controlled by Bai Wuxiang.

Ren Dayun, who should have been dead, crawled out of the snow. He stiffly twisted his head, which had been hit and turned to the side, and a strange smile appeared on his lips.

"It seems that those high-ranking cultivators are unwilling to get involved with me, this demon god, and have only sent a few juniors."

Since they dared to attack me, they must be fearless of death.

"Hehe, you've all made your moves, now it's my turn."

"Whoo~"

In the midst of the blizzard that darkened the sky, the cold wind howled like a ferocious beast, spreading into the distance.

……

At night, in a deep forest, the Fairy Qinghe sat cross-legged on a branch of a tall ancient pine tree, closing her eyes to regulate her breathing.

On the snow-covered forest path, a small white fox leaped through the snow, searching for food. "Woof woof~"

The little white fox arrived under the ancient pine tree, weakly howling in its hunger and cold.

The fairy Qinghe on the tree was attracted by the fox's cry. She glanced down but ignored it. Wild beasts have their own destinies. Although she was a cultivator, rashly altering the destinies of other living beings would only deepen the tribulations on her own body.

But seeing that the little white fox's fur was snow-white and shimmered faintly in the moonlight, she still swept her sleeve, and a few pine cones fell from the pine tree.

The pine cone fell into the snow, startling the little white fox. It cautiously approached, sniffed the snow, then lowered its guard, scratched at the snow with its paws, and bit down on the pine cone.

The white fox struggled to finish gnawing on a pine cone, then curiously looked up at the human figure in the tree.

Its round, big eyes were filled with joy, and its amber eyes reflected the delight of a creature finding food.

Qinghe looked down and saw the little white fox's eyes, and couldn't help but smile slightly.

But as soon as she smiled, her reflection in the fox's eyes also smiled, though there was a strange quality to it, and her eyes were filled with indifference.

Qinghe was startled and pointed her finger. In an instant, a green light pierced through the white fox's head, and warm beast blood stained the snow red.

"This……"

She paused for a moment, then withdrew her hand. It seemed she had been too cautious and had accidentally injured such a creature.

With a sigh, Qinghe leaped down from the tree and then, with a flick of her sleeve, buried it in the snow.

"Da~"

Another pine cone fell from the tree, and Qinghe caught it casually. For cultivators, the five senses and six perceptions make their agility and reaction speed far exceed those of ordinary people.

She looked up at the pine tree, its lush ancient trunk draped in white, its gnarled trunk having endured countless years to reach its current size.

The more Qinghe looked at the ancient pine, the more she felt that it had a spiritual quality. It was no ordinary tree that could preserve its pine cones in the midst of heavy snow and cold weather.

Thinking of this, she glanced at the dozen or so pine cones on the tree, then waved her hand and gathered them all in front of her.

She was most skilled at alchemy and medicine making, and she couldn't help but subconsciously collect any medicinal herbs that seemed to possess a spirit.

But when she examined the pine cones in her hand closely, she realized they were all ordinary fruits. She couldn't help but sigh, "What am I thinking? Spiritual trees and fruits aren't so easy to come by."
I've actually started to have thoughts about these ordinary fruits.

As she spoke, she was about to throw away the fruit.

Unexpectedly, a spotted spider crawled out of one of the fruits and bit her bare arm.

Qinghe immediately channeled her magic power, instantly shattering the pine cones and spiders in front of her.

But as she withdrew her arm, she noticed a red, swollen bump on her fair wrist, like a flaw on an exquisite piece of jade.

She was quite displeased and used her magic to repair the small bumps on her wrist.

But in the snowdrift beneath her feet, the carcass of the fox, which should have been dead long ago, suddenly thrashed about, its claws slicing across her ankles, leaving three bloody scars.

Qinghe's expression turned angry. She lifted one foot and stomped it hard on the ground, instantly sending up a wave of air in the snow.

Snowflakes fell heavily on the ancient pine tree above her head, shaking all the pine needles and leaves off the tree.

"You beast, how dare you hurt me!"

She lowered her head, glanced at the fox whose corpse was shattered beyond repair, and said coldly.

The emerald green pine needles fell, and the thick snow, like white silk, was separated by her magic, leaving not a trace of snow or fallen leaves on her body.

But just as she was about to channel her energy again, many tiny, almost imperceptible pine needles from among the fallen needles quietly fell vertically, piercing through her magical barrier.

And it pierces into the skin in an instant, like thousands of needles piercing the body at the same time.

Despite her strong will, Qinghe couldn't help but scream after this unexpected turn of events. Her eyes blazed with anger, and she channeled her magical power, causing lotus flowers to bloom beneath her feet in an attempt to protect herself.

But the countless pine needles inside her body were like living insects; she could clearly feel them moving back and forth in her blood and meridians, as if countless insects had burrowed into her body.

Qinghe screamed in terror. She tried to take out the protective magic treasure bestowed upon her by her master, but unexpectedly, two pine needles suddenly pierced her eyes, and blood flowed from her eye sockets.

She collapsed to the ground in agony, her magical power severed by the pine needles. Beneath her fair and delicate skin, countless things were crawling, causing her skin to be covered with slightly raised bumps.

Her body lay on the snow, a drop of blood still clinging to the corner of her eye, her eyes filled with terror, yet she remained motionless.

The cold moon shone on the bare pine branches, and the shadows of the withered branches fell to the ground like black snakes coiled together. A figure emerged from the shadows of the branches.

Bai Wuxiang looked at the corpse on the ground. He stretched out his palm, which turned into a skeleton as it approached her body and entered her jade-like body that was untouched by the mortal world.

Then a slit was torn open at her neck, and Bai Wuxiang's figure turned into a cloud of mist and entered her body.

A few breaths later, the corpse's fingers twitched slightly, and then "she" twisted her waist and skull, suddenly standing up under the tree.

She lowered her head, her long hair falling loosely in front of her face, like a walking corpse.

Not long after, "Qinghe" finally raised her head. Her pupils disappeared, leaving only white eye sockets.

Then she opened her mouth and spat out countless green pine needles, which flew out and hung again on the bare old pine tree.

At its feet, the snow was thrown away, and a little white fox ran away in panic.

Bai Wuxiang's demonic thoughts chuckled as he raised his hand to examine it. "Not bad, not bad. As expected of a body cultivated using immortal techniques, even this human skin feels incredibly light."

When he sensed the pursuers behind him, he secretly left behind that mortal body and hid the demonic divine thought within it.

Then, when he used the Formless Diagram to capture Qinghe and the other two, he also left the Formless Thought Guide, which is the demonic thought of the demon god, in their bodies.

His illusionary murders weren't sudden illusions, but rather meticulously orchestrated from the most subtle nuances of the real world, each element linked to the next. Every fluctuation in his mind's emotions became an opportunity for him to insert an illusion.

Layer upon layer of illusion, layer upon layer of thought, using truth to transform falsehood, using falsehood to destroy truth. The distinction between illusion and reality vanishes before his formlessness.

As long as these Xuanmen disciples are dragged into the illusion, they will have little chance of retrieving the treasures bestowed upon them by their sect.

Bai Wuxiang smiled and glanced at the ancient pine tree that had regained its vitality, and said softly, "Fairy Qinghe, you can sleep here for a while."

He didn't destroy the other's primordial spirit, because if he did, the other's sect would definitely notice and might even descend upon him personally. Carrying it on his person would also make it easy for it to compete for control of his body, so Bai Wuxiang hid Qinghe's primordial spirit in this pine tree.

Bai Wuxiang flicked his sleeve, and a gentle, melodious woman's voice rang out:
"A hundred-year-old pine, snow in the long night, how heavy is the sorrow of parting?"

A thousand needles, the moon's radiance, cultivating supernatural powers is all in vain.

The snow fell, the wind stopped, and the moonlight shone as the Green Lotus Fairy departed. Her shadow swayed uncertainly under the moonlight and disappeared into the cold forest.

(End of this chapter)