Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

Samael watched the figures of the man and the beast speeding through the air and murmured silently.

"Qiongqi..."

The Classic of Mountains and Seas, Book Two, Chapter Four, states: "On Mount Gui, there is a beast that resembles a tiger, has wings, and hedgehog-like fur, named Qiongqi. Its cry is like that of a howling dog."

This is one of the Four Fiends in ancient Chinese mythology. It is a descendant of Shaohao, the Western Heavenly Emperor. Because of his betrayal of faith and loyalty and his embellishment of evil words, he was exiled by Shun and moved to the four border regions to ward off evil spirits. He is known as one of the Four Fiends of ancient times, along with Chaos, Taotie, and Taowu.

Meanwhile, according to the descriptions in "Huainanzi" and "Records of the Grand Historian", Qiongqi was born from the wind of Guangmo and is a descendant of the wind god.

Using it for transportation, it has to be said, would definitely make a splash and perfectly match the flamboyant style of the First Emperor.

Recalling the bamboo slip that summoned Qiongqi, Samael's expression became even more depressed.

If I'm not mistaken, that should be the original "Classic of Mountains and Seas," which contains the true spirits of mythical beasts, and whose owners have the privilege of controlling them.

Of course, it should be used in conjunction with the [Emperor Shun's Seal], which originated from the Five Emperors.

The Book of Rites of the Elder Dai records: "The Yellow Emperor was the son of Shaodian, and his name was Xuanyuan. He was born with divine spirits and could speak when he was young. He taught bears, brown bears, pi, xiu, leopards, and tigers to fight against the Red Emperor in the fields of Banquan. After three battles, he was able to fulfill his will."

Clearly, in ancient times, commanding all beasts to fight was the privilege of human kings.

The ancient serpent gazed at the mobile treasure trove that was being ridden by Qiongqi and disappeared into the rosy light of Kunlun, and felt envy, jealousy and hatred in its heart.

I really wanted to strip that strutting moth naked, to show it what "cruelty" truly meant...

Chapter Thirteen: I want to see rivers of blood!

"Boom!"

The fierce lightning raged and surged through the sky, forming pale, branching arcs of light that shattered the illusory sea of ​​clouds and rainbows around them, interspersed with the sounds of unrestrained laughter and the roar of a giant tiger.

Sensing the turbulent torrent of ether constantly gushing outwards from above, Samael was jolted awake from his inner turmoil, his face showing astonishment.

Damn, we've only been inside for a short time, and they're already fighting?

Immediately, looking at the Kunlun Heavenly Gate in the sea of ​​clouds, which was shaking violently and beginning to flicker, Samael picked up the little Yang Yuhuan behind him and made a quick decision.

"The Heavenly Gate is closing, I'll clear the way, hurry up!"

With a concise reminder, the twelve serpentine wings unfurled and vibrated violently.

The dark figure transformed into a shadowy stream of light, piercing straight through the surging etheric storm in the sky and rushing towards the ever-transparent Kunlun Heavenly Gate.

Akuta Hinako, realizing what was happening, immediately focused her expression, her fingers forming hand seals, and her lips moving as she murmured something.

"Cursed Blood Corpse Dissolution, Transformation into Feathers and Ascension to Immortality!"

Instantly, that alluring figure disintegrated into countless dark red petals, which followed Samael's footsteps, rising straight up against the wind and drifting towards the Kunlun Heavenly Gate.

The cunning Tamamo-no-Mae deliberately lagged behind, creating distance between them.

Only after the figures of the three pioneers had completely disappeared into that fairyland of clouds did she spread her six luminous fox tails and murmur softly.

"Thunder sky and sunshine, misfortune sounds and stars falling..."

Moments later, a crimson, ominous star, laden with calamity and radiating an ominous aura, trailed a long, red-black flame, pierced through the sea of ​​clouds, and plummeted toward the open gate of the Kunlun Immortal Realm.

As the body seemed to penetrate a film of water, it successfully broke through the Heavenly Gate.

Enveloped in the flames, Tamamo-no-Mae slowly opened her eyes, looked at the somewhat familiar yet unfamiliar scenery beneath her feet, and couldn't help but let out a slight sigh of relief.

This initial landing point, located east of Kunlun, was originally the location of the Heavenly Ladder connecting heaven and earth, and therefore naturally also the original "Heavenly Gate".

However, looking around, the lush, overgrown forest and the undulating mountain range that stretched like a giant dragon, as well as the abandoned ruins hidden under the withered branches and fallen leaves, appeared somewhat desolate and cold, making Tamamo-no-Mae, the celestial maiden who had returned to Kunlun, feel a sense of loss and regret.

In ancient times, there was a large group of shamans in the area inside and outside the Heavenly Gate who hoped to climb the Heavenly Ladder in order to communicate with the gods and humans.

For example, there are Wu Peng, Wu Di, Wu Yang, Wu Lü, Wu Fan, Wu Xiang, and so on. They are all entwined together, each holding an elixir of immortality, hoping to resist the death of mortals and pray for resurrection.

However, ever since Emperor Zhuanxu severed the connection between heaven and earth, this land of seeking immortality has gradually fallen into disrepair due to the depletion of spiritual energy and its difficulty in being found.

Times have changed. Now, let alone the sorcerers, cultivators, and nobles who seek immortality, even the once rampant monsters from the mountains and seas can hardly be seen in the vicinity.

Its dilapidated state is even more exaggerated than a zoo that has been abandoned for decades.

"Roar! You villain, prepare to die!"

Just as Tamamo-no-Mae was feeling sentimental, a thunderous roar from a tiger stirred up a fierce gale, and a tiger claw, tens of meters in diameter, slammed down on the fox spirit in mid-air with a sharp, tearing sound.

"boom!"

As light and shadow collided, dust billowed, and Tamamo-no-Mae staggered back a hundred meters before finally stopping. She lowered her slightly sore arms and looked at the imposing figure in front of her—a human head, a tiger's body, and nine tails. A black line appeared on her forehead, and she felt a sharp pain in her teeth.

"Lu Wu, why aren't you watching your door properly? Why are you staring at me like this?"

The Classic of Mountains and Seas, Western Mountains Classic, records: "Four hundred li to the southwest is the Hill of Kunlun, which is the capital of the Emperor, and is overseen by the god Lu Wu. The god has the body of a tiger with nine tails, a human face and tiger claws; this god is in charge of the nine departments of the heavens and the Emperor's garden."

Simply put, this is a divine beast in Kunlun Ruins that guards the Heavenly Gate, governs the Nine Departments of Heaven, and supervises the seasons and solar terms of the Heavenly Emperor's Garden and Hanging Garden, similar to the position of Grand Steward.

Because it served under the Queen Mother of the West and possessed the ability to see through all things, it was also known as the "Enlightened Beast".

The celestial maidens who frequently travel between the upper and lower realms are basically subject to his inspection.

But all of that is ancient history.

The current Tamamo-no-Mae has long since been elevated to a combination of a god and a beast, and is no longer intimidated by this former chief eunuch.

She just hated getting into trouble, especially from a stubborn person who had been stuck here for thousands of years.

Looking at the menacing humanoid tiger, Tamamo-no-Mae grumbled in frustration.

"There are a lot of ruthless thugs ahead, why don't you go and cause trouble for them first?"

"Hmph, those who commit multiple crimes should be punished, especially the ringleader. You, who have willingly fallen into depravity, dare to come back. You have utterly disgraced the Qingqiu clan!"

Although Lu Wu was simple-minded, as an "enlightened beast," he was not stupid and naturally knew who the culprit was in opening the Heavenly Gate and letting outsiders cross the boundary.

"Such blatant evil deeds, yet no remorse, and even going so far as to coerce outsiders into trespassing in Kunlun, their crimes deserve to be punished by death!"

Having said that, the tiger-bodied, human-headed deity coldly roared, accompanied by turbulent wind and thunder, and his two tiger claws, as large as small mountains, slammed towards Tamamo-no-Mae opposite him with lightning speed.

fast!

It arrived almost instantly!

The tiger's claws, covered with yellowish-brown, needle-like bristles, rapidly magnified before Tamamo-no-Mae's eyes.

The saying goes that clouds follow dragons and tigers follow wind; mythical beasts and monsters associated with tigers mostly possess the power to control strong winds.

Lu Wu, being an enlightened beast, is among the best of them all.

"puff!"

With a single sweep of its claws, the graceful figure in mid-air was torn in two at the waist.

However, the intense sense of emptiness in his hand and the woman before him vanishing into specks of light caused Lu Wu's pupils to contract sharply.

phantom?

"So, do you like this cat toy?"

A hundred meters away, Tamamo-no-Mae stretched lazily and spoke playfully. Behind her, the Yata no Kagami's light patterns flickered, like a small sun rising slowly, casting a hazy and dreamlike light.

No matter how fast the wind blows, it can't keep up with the speed of light.

Lu Wu's face flushed with anger. He immediately raised his arm and swung it down, his nine tails thrashing as he solemnly chanted.

"Born with enlightenment, endowed with the essence of heaven, I patrol Kunlun, my might awes all spirits—clouds come, light vanishes!"

Instantly, dark clouds gathered from all directions, covering an area of ​​hundreds of miles and obscuring the light of the sun, moon, and stars.

The Yata no Kagami, faintly radiating light and heat, illuminated Tamamo-no-Mae like a torch lit in the night.

"Kunlun is my home turf, let's see how you hide your true colors!"

Lu Wu's eyes shone like lightning. In the howling wind, his body swelled up to the size of ninety-nine tigers, and the nine tiger tails behind him lashed out like steel whips.

"You're angry so quickly? Fine, I'm not playing with you anymore."

Seeing this, Tamamo-no-Mae, true to her nature of bullying the weak and fearing the strong, decisively turned and ran away, transforming into a red and black demonic star, and fled into the sky.

"stop!"

Lu Wu roared and stamped his feet, his massive body enveloped in a fierce wind, relentlessly pursuing this scoundrel from Kunlun who had led outsiders into the mountains.

However, the honest and straightforward god underestimated the cunning of a certain fox spirit.

As a scourge who managed to escape the combined attack of the immortals and gods of Kyushu, the Buddha of Mount Ling, and the Onmyodo of Japan, and is still alive and kicking today, her other skills cannot be said to be second to none.

But at least, their experience and methods of escaping are definitely among the best.

Soon, Tamamo-no-Mae demonstrated her exceptional talent for making a runaway to the god Lu Wu.

The fox spirit, who had transformed into a crimson star and sped through the air, deliberately chose to venture into rugged and treacherous areas. Along the way, she would occasionally flick her tail and throw out several spell bullets, which would blast open grass and rocks, break green trees and vines, and dry up black mud pools.

Wherever it went, chaos ensued, and the ground was left in a mess.

A group of mythical beasts called "Tu Lou" that resemble sheep but have four horns, eat meat and man instead of grass, looked at their lunch turned into charcoal and hooves raised their hooves and cried out in sorrow.

A swarm of divine birds, as large as mandarin ducks but stinging like bees, named "Qinyuan," buzzed out of their broken nest, forming a dense black cloud. A single sting from them would kill any bird or beast, and even tall trees would wither.

A group of six-headed dragons, resembling snakes and pythons with six heads, who lived in the mud, roared as they rushed out of their dried-up homeland, spewing venomous saliva.

In addition, a host of other grime-covered victims, such as eagles, vipers, and venomous creatures, also joined the fray, angrily focusing their fire on the sky.

Immediately, Lu Wu, who was chasing behind, was regarded as the culprit who broke into the house and became the target of the Kunlun beasts' venting.

Caught off guard, the deity, who had never seen such despicable tactics before, was successfully outmaneuvered by a certain scoundrel. He was in a flurry of activity, struggling to deal with the group of Kunlun beasts that had been harmed, and could only watch helplessly as Tamamo-no-Mae easily escaped.

You're too green to play with me, little kitty.

Having successfully shaken off her pursuers, the fox spirit leaned against a lush tree, picked a plum-shaped fruit with a purplish-red, glistening skin, and casually popped it into her mouth to moisten her throat.

This fruit is called "Shatang". It is similar to a plum but without a seed. People who eat it can travel across the ocean and walk on water without drowning. It is one of the common plantations in Kunlun and grows mostly in the east of Kunlun.

In addition, to the west of the Kunlun Mountains, there are mythical phoenixes and luan birds, a paradise for birds.

To the north of Kunlun Mountain are miraculous plants such as the Jade Tree, the Pearl Tree, the Jade Tree, the Qi Tree, and the Immortal Tree.

South of the Kunlun Mountains live unique creatures such as the crimson tree, the eagle bird, the belly snake, and the eye-flesh.

In short, the entire Kunlun Wonderland operates as an ecosystem independent of the real world.

Even as time passes and the outside world changes, this place still retains its original appearance under the faithful care of the divine lord Lu Wu.

But today, almost all of the aforementioned rare plants, animals, and exotic species have been ruined by a dead fox that went up the mountain.

There's nothing we can do; he started it.

Tamamo-no-Mae spread her hands, unrepentantly shifting the blame onto that stubborn, enlightened beast.

Just as the fox spirit under the sand pear tree was busy distancing herself from the situation, it seemed even the heavens couldn't stand by and watch.

"Boom!"

Several golden bolts of lightning, as thick as buckets, struck down, instantly turning the slightly undulating highlands into scorched craters. The entire grove of sand pear trees was reduced to just a few tangled, twisted branches.

"Cough cough..."

The fox spirit, its fur standing on end and its whole body emitting black smoke, crawled out of the pit, raised its rather unseemly middle finger, and cursed angrily.

"I only stole a fruit, is it really necessary to strike me with the Five Thunderbolts?!"

"Nine Heavens Mysterious Temple, transform into divine thunder. The majestic might of Heaven judges evil and punishes sin! — By my decree, annihilate!"

The accusation had barely been uttered when an even more violent and chilling roar came from above.

A series of fierce, purplish-red lightning bolts intertwined and converged, and within the sky-covering clouds, it seemed as if countless giant dragons were roaring and darting about. The immense pressure caused Tamamo-no-Mae's eyes to twitch involuntarily.

Holy crap, Nine Heavens Punishment Thunder Technique?

It even got upgraded!

This thing is generally used to bombard demons and fallen immortals who have committed heinous crimes. It is said to be able to kill gods and destroy immortals and belongs to the highest level of thunder magic.

"Its light shines like the sun and moon, and can summon all thunderbolts—Kui Niu, heed my command, and boost our morale!"

At the same time, a deep and solemn chant echoed through the dark clouds, and a bamboo scroll that had been read was tossed into the air.

The flickering runes formed the phantom of a giant, azure-blue mountain and sea beast, resembling an ox with one leg and no horns, which enveloped a figure dressed in a jet-black robe.

"Boom boom boom!"

As bolts of divine thunder roared down from the heavens, the phantom of the colossal mountain and sea beast not only did not vanish, but seemed to be nourished by the thunder, its outline becoming even clearer.

"Moo!"