Inner Destroyer

　Suddenly, a distorted noise erupted from the main house's door. As the edge of the flames swayed slightly, a figure slowly emerged from behind the smoke.

　It was an extremely terrifying body, which still retained the outline of a human figure, but appeared thin and elongated.

　The limbs were bent unnaturally, and the skin had lost its human-like color, instead taking on the texture of a gray-green insect shell.

　His back was noticeably bulging, like the shape of some insect pupa about to break out of its cocoon, and countless tiny worms seemed to be slowly wriggling beneath his muscles and skin.

　But his eyes were surprisingly clear.

　"Ten Medicines Sect..."

　A Yin-Yang student exclaimed in a low voice, his face suddenly changing.

　The head of the Shiyao family grinned.

　"Welcome, distinguished guest."

　The sound echoed like the chirping of insects, reverberating in the flames and rain.

　Heavy footsteps could be heard one after another from behind the surrounding eaves, courtyards, corner towers and walls.

　One by one, the members of the Shiyao family stepped out of the darkness and revealed their figures.

　Their appearance was even more terrifying than that of the patriarch.

　Some had horns on their heads, tentacles wriggling from their foreheads; some had twisted limbs, their knees knuckled like spiders; some had insect wings sprouting from their backs, and some had faces covered in wrinkles and eye spots, blurring even the features of a human being...

　So scary! They're all insect monsters!

　"You think you can surround and defeat us like this?"

　A cold smile appeared on Gojo Masamichi's face.

　"Everyone, form the formation!"

　He waved his fan and suddenly gave orders.

　The exorcists immediately took up combat formation, activated the shikigami and released spells according to the pre-rehearsed techniques, and were ready for battle.

　"A dozen or so insect masters who only know rural magic will not be a match for the official demon exorcists."

　His tone was cold, but his eyes hinted at a chilling power.

　"If you surrender, you might be able to retain some dignity."

　However, the old man did not respond, but just shook his head slightly and looked at the black worms crawling out of his fingertips.

　"You don't understand." He said slowly, "Court Eagle Claw, you don't understand why we are fighting at all—stop talking nonsense, you youngsters are not strong enough to defeat me."

　The insect demons, attracted by the smell of living people, are stirring, their murmurs difficult to discern as joyful or whimpering, and there are also sticky noises like chewing.

　If they lose to them, they will probably not spare any orifice on the exorcists' bodies. This doesn't even matter their gender.

　But Gojo Masamichi never felt that he would lose.

　The number of magical instruments, the distribution of spiritual power, and the techniques

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　All the conditions were quickly calculated in his mind.

　The so-called magic battle focuses on strategy, while the so-called Yin-Yang battle is the precise calculation and arrangement of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements.

　"Like a moth to a flame—how could an insect manipulator possibly defeat the flame?"

　Gojo Masamichi tapped his fan lightly with his fingers. Instantly, the wind swirling around him gained strength, taking on a fiery hue. The oppressive flames gradually spread.

　A fiery dragon, composed of crimson lotus flames, had already swirled out from behind the Five Elegant Daos. Its body was entwined with dense fiery patterns, its eyes like copper bells, its claws like knives. It tore through the rain, engulfed in blazing flames, its might unfathomable!

　At this moment, the flames even burned the forest as bright as day!

　The intelligence was confirmed, the attributes were restrained, and the power was almost overwhelming. How could he possibly lose? There was no reason for him to not win!

　-

　Ten minutes later, Qi Xing, who was far away in Xinxiang, finally received a call and flew over to help.

　"A Fire-type can lose against a Bug-type? Are you kidding me? Even butter wouldn't dare to design a battle like that."

　Qi Xing had seen many times what happened to the exorcists in this world when they lost to insect-type enemies, and he really couldn't bear to look at the scene before him.

　After the hot spring incident the night before, Qi Xing had been waiting in the hotel for a day and a half, practicing and thinking about problems - to be honest, he still had a lot of things he hadn't figured out.

　But no matter what, leaving the exorcist to be █ ...

　However, even though Qi Xing flew over at lightning speed to put out the fire, he was still a little puzzled.

　Because the civil service exams are so competitive, the skills of these exorcists are generally quite good. Compared to civilian practitioners, their quality is generally quite high. Furthermore, the Onmyoji Bureau has an intelligence advantage, so they shouldn't lose just because of their attributes.

　Could it be that something has changed?

　090: Really high and mighty

　At the main gate of the Shiyao family's residence, Qi Xing was accompanied by thunderbolts, striking down from the sky like the god of thunder. Arcs of electricity exploded the air, instantly clearing all mosquitoes, flies, and miasma within a five-meter radius around him.

　The situation at the scene is extremely inappropriate for children. It is inconvenient to say it directly, but it is unbearable to watch.

　The courtyard in front of the door is now filled with a strong stench, a strong fishy smell like a mixture of domestic garbage and rotten water.

　Even more unusual is the current appearance of the courtyard itself.

　Something clinging to the wall was constantly wriggling, and countless eggs lay on the ground. Eggs were everywhere, thousands and thousands of them beating like a heart, and countless things resembling frog eggs were accumulating in the sewage. Just looking at this scene would make someone with trypophobia faint, and even ordinary people's hair stand on end.

　“Help, help!? Raipujinren!! Save me—”

　In one corner of the wall, several disgusting lumps of flesh lay bound to the four or five public servants, screaming in agony. The sticky lumps of flesh and insect poison were constantly wriggling their way into places they shouldn't be.

　There were still a dozen hybrid insect people from the Shiyao family in the courtyard, as well as the family head Shiyao Zongyuan. Qi Xing took a look around but didn't see any corpses or injured people.

　The other side didn't suffer any casualties? How could the battle be so one-sided?

　At this moment, in the center of the courtyard, only Juyaku Sogen himself was swallowing the young Onmyoji of the Gojo family, who led the team, into his mouth—snapping it all in with a crunch. His jaw gaped, bones falling like snakes, and the swallowing sound was particularly harsh in the silent rain.

　Qi Xing didn't come here to watch such heavy-tasting drama.

　In a flash of lightning, he appeared beside Shiyao Zongyuan. With a flash of lightning, he yanked at the stinking upper jaw!

　“Crack!”

　With a teeth-grinding sound of bone cracking, Qi Xing had already ripped off the deformed arm that was pushing the man into his throat! At the same time, with his other hand, he grabbed the collar of the Onmyoji's wet hunting clothes and ruthlessly pulled the man out of the bloody mouth!

　With a step of the toes, he flew across the air with the Onmyoji, and the two of them landed steadily on the stone platform of the dry well at the edge of the courtyard, completely widening the distance between themselves and the insect swarm.

　The young pride of the Gojo family's Onmyoji was now covered in insect eggs and mucus, his face was pale, blood was oozing from the corners of his mouth, and he looked extremely miserable.

　But to Qi Xing's surprise, his spirit was remarkably strong. As soon as he landed, he gritted his teeth, opened his eyes, and immediately warned Qi Xing, "Master Lei Pu, don't be careless! They all possess super-regenerative abilities!"

　Before he could finish, Qi Xing saw the ripped arm of the Shiyao Patriarch. Dense black and red tendons were rapidly sprouting from the broken part. Blood, flesh, and bone, all tangled like vines, growing wildly. Muscles, joints, and claws were rebuilding one by one, and in the blink of an eye, a complete new arm had been regenerated!

　Super regeneration isn't a technical term, but rather a jargon used in the demon-exorcism industry. Ordinary "regeneration" is nothing—almost all demons possess regenerative abilities, so even injured demons who escape don't need to go to the hospital. Unlike humans, with sufficient nutrition and energy, they can slowly heal on their own.

　The speed is so fast that it can make attacks almost ineffective, which is worthy of being called "super regeneration" ability.

　Almost at the same time when the Onmyoji of the Gojo family finished speaking, more than ten half-human, half-insect warriors of the Juyao family rushed towards Qi Xing and attacked him in the same way!

　Some of them leaped and pounced like crickets, some slid along the ground like centipedes, some turned their legs into multi-legged insect abdomens and rushed forward in a wriggling manner; some of them turned their arms into bony claws, and some of them had their entire faces collapsed, leaving only a

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　He opened his huge mouth and roared madly.

　These hybrid insect people—

　Qi Xing didn't even look at them.

　"Thunderfire Sword."

　There was no weapon in sight, only a crescent-shaped sword energy with arcs of electricity slashing out from Qi Xing's fingertips, accompanied by a thunderous sound, cutting the dozen or so insect people who were rushing towards him in half on the spot!

　Blood and flesh splattered, screams were piercing, and the lightning and thunder even burned through the mud and insect eggs on the ground, leaving a whole area of ​​charred marks!

　However, the next second, those insect people with broken limbs and arms, those hybrids that should have been burned to death instantly, were rolling and squirming on the ground, and their torsos that were broken into two pieces wailed while regenerating rapidly.

　Not only the hands and feet, but even the lower half of the body can grow back immediately after being chopped off!

　Not only can it be cut in half, even if the head is chopped off, it can regenerate!

　In just a breath, those insect men that had been cut into two pieces suddenly grew back their missing parts, became whole again, and rushed towards Qi Xing with a roar again!

　"No wonder."

　Qi Xing finally understood why the team of retired magicians from public service was wiped out so quickly.

　To deal with insects and their regenerative abilities, high temperatures were generally used. If fire proved ineffective, then even ordinary demon exorcists wouldn't be able to defeat them. Even a highly spiritually powerful Onmyoji would find it incredibly difficult and hopeless to face a horde of indestructible, hyper-regenerative enemies.

　"Are you surprised, Rape Master?"

　Shiyao Zongyuan stood in the midst of the insect swarm, looking at Qi Xing, licking the remaining blood and flesh at the corner of his mouth while grinning.

　"Immortality, inexhaustible energy... this is the magical effect of 'Transformation into Water'!"

　"You might be able to kill us ten or a hundred times, and we certainly can't defeat you. But how long can we last against you? A normal official demon exorcist would definitely not be able to defeat us. Even you and Jin Gorin can't be in a dozen different places at the same time."

　"Don't get involved in our war and go back to Europe, 'Rep Master.' What business has this power struggle in Northeast Japan got from you?"

　Qi Xing didn't answer his question, or even pay much attention to him. He just frowned slightly, looked him over carefully, and said, "That's not right."

　As mentioned before, Qi Xing has a basic understanding of Eastern mythology, including that of East and Southeast Asia. While not as academic as Elaine, Qi Xing does know about the "transmutation of water" mentioned in the Manyoshu, which originates from Japanese mythology related to moon worship.

　So, after taking a closer look at the insectoids' super-regeneration, he frowned. "Transformation Water is indeed a divine artifact of immortality, much like the immortal peaches, ginseng fruits, and nectar of immortality. But Transformation Water's immortality is a 'reversal of time,' allowing the body to rewind time and return to its pre-injury state."

　"Your regeneration is clearly biological, relying on new tissue to grow. It can't be turning into water... What the hell are you drinking?"

　Qi Xing had certainly seen monsters and demons with super regenerative abilities before.

　However, for a human body to acquire super-regenerative abilities so quickly, and even to be able to quickly recover from being cut in half or beheaded, is indeed quite rare. Even Qi Xing himself does not have such strong regenerative abilities. If his brain were to be blown up, it would surely be shattered into pieces.

　Qi Xing was beginning to suspect that this "Transfiguration Water" wasn't the authentic mythical version, but rather some fake Sekiro-esque version. After all, the "Transfiguration Water" in Sekiro was just a mountain spring mixed with undead eggs.

　Upon hearing this, Shiyao Zongyuan was slightly stunned.

　On that face that seemed to no longer belong to "human", the eyelids moved, as if revealing a hint of hesitation.

　"I see."

　he murmured.

　"This isn't turning into water, is it? Hahahaha——"

　He suddenly laughed, his voice hoarse and broken, like the dry and cracked echo of an old drum after being stepped on.

　"You're right, 'Rep Master.' I could have guessed that this might not be a true divine object."

　He lowered his head, staring at his newly regenerated hand. It was slightly open, his fingers gently curled, and the faint presence of insects crawled beneath his skin. There was no awe in his gaze, only a cold, numb pragmatism.

　"But...what does it matter?"

　"A genuine artifact? A fake? I don't care."

　"As long as we, the ancient families forgotten in the darkness, can have even just one chance, one chance, to sink our teeth into the flesh and blood of those self-proclaimed righteous court lackeys—that would be enough."

　He raised his head and smiled wildly. The rain slid down his dry and pale cheeks and mixed with the blood at the corners of his lips. It was hard to tell whether it was blood or tears.

　"'Master Lei Pu,' we've also investigated the renowned you. I know you're quite arrogant, believing you can dominate the world solely through righteous cultivation. You look down on those of us who practice unorthodox methods like interbreeding with insect demons, forcing twins to kill each other, and gaining power by burying them alive or sewing up their eyes and flesh..."

　"but,"

　He slowly raised one hand and pointed to the dark-clouded sky in the north, his fingertips trembling, as if expressing anger and sadness.

　"Seven hundred years ago, when our ancestors first settled in this barren land of Northeast China and cultivated the land, where was the righteous path? When the evil gods emerged from the snowy mountains, peeling off the skins of the villagers along the way, where was the righteous path of keeping oneself clean?"

　As he spoke, his hands dropped again, clenched tightly, his knuckles white and his joints protruding.

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　Even the human shape is incomplete.

　"We just threw children into a bug silo and transformed them into powerful warriors capable of fighting demons. At least we actually saved some lives. If we hadn't done that, many more would have died. And yet you degrade us as heretics."

　"Now the times have changed. The evil gods are gone, and there are stronger heroes of righteousness. We no longer need the magic of rural heretics who sacrifice human beings. The imperial court is robbing us openly under the banner of justice... Well, that doesn't matter. History has always been like this."

　"Then let's fight, battle, and kill to see who will have the last laugh! The one who wins in the end is justice!"