novelsite Chapter 9 Blue-Eyed Fox Corpse
Chapter 9 Blue-Eyed Fox Corpse
Qin Yuan felt a sudden tightening around his waist and arms, an irresistible force coming at him, and his feet instantly left the ground! The vines of the Nine-Headed Cypress were like living giant pythons, their binding force astonishing, causing his bones to creak and making it difficult for him to breathe.
The scenery rushed past their eyes, and all they could hear were the terrified shouts of Fatty and Wuxie, and the teeth-grinding rustling sound of vines wriggling.
He was hoisted upside down and quickly pulled toward the enormous and eerie nine-headed cypress in the center of the cave. The closer he got to the trunk, the denser the vines became, like a giant nest made of tentacles, and a strong stench mixed with the stench of rotting corpses assaulted his senses.
"Little Blackie!" the fat man shouted anxiously from below, trying to rush over to save him, but was forced to retreat by several other waving vines.
Wu Xie also wanted to step forward, but he had to protect Pan Zi, who was almost unable to move, so he was simply unable to do so.
Qin Yuan was hoisted high, suspended among crisscrossing vines. He struggled desperately, but the vines were extremely resilient, and the more he struggled, the tighter they entangled him.
He tried to mobilize the corrosive blood in his body, but he could only control too little blood. The vine's surface seemed to have a special viscous substance that greatly slowed down the corrosion of his blood. He could only emit wisps of blue smoke and could not break free immediately.
"Damn it, this thing has really thick skin!" Qin Yuan cursed inwardly.
Just then, another gasp came from below.
Several vines, like precise predators, seized the moment when the fat man was distracted and focused on Qin Yuan, and suddenly wrapped around his ankles and waist, lifting him upside down as well!
"Fat man, I'll fuck your ancestors!" The fat man was both shocked and furious. He swung his dagger wildly, but the dagger only left shallow white marks on the vines, with little effect.
Almost simultaneously, another vine silently wrapped around Wu Xie, who was trying to drag Pan Zi to the rock wall! Caught off guard, Wu Xie was also pulled off the ground. Pan Zi weakly reached out, but grabbed nothing, and could only watch helplessly as Wu Xie was taken away.
In just a few breaths, apart from Pan Zi, who was leaning against the corner of the rock wall and seemed to be ignored by the cypress due to his serious injuries, Qin Yuan, Fatty, and Wu Xie were all captured and hung among the dense branches of the cypress like lambs to the slaughter.
Hanging high above, Qin Yuan had a relatively wide view. He suppressed his discomfort and looked down. Below the massive trunk of the snake cypress, he saw not only rock, but also a clearly man-made platform. On the platform were two stone beds, or perhaps jade platforms would be a more accurate description.
On the jade platform to the left lay a corpse clad in tattered ancient armor. The armor, of an ancient style, covered most of the body, and the face was obscured by a grotesque bronze mask-helmet, resembling a fox but not quite. Yet, simply by lying there, it exuded an aura of sinister malevolence.
On the jade platform to the right lay a female corpse. The state of her preservation was astonishing! She wore a magnificent brocade palace dress, though the colors had faded somewhat, her former exquisite beauty was still evident. Her skin was fair and delicate, her face beautiful and lifelike, as if she were merely asleep. She stood out starkly against the eerie surroundings, exuding an indescribable eeriness.
"The blue-eyed fox corpse and that female corpse..." Qin Yuan's heart skipped a beat, knowing that this was the key. According to the plot he remembered, the blue-eyed fox corpse possessed Qilin's Blood, which was a great treasure!
We have to get down!
Without hesitation, he squeezed his injured finger, which he had wounded while killing the blood zombies, and blood flowed again from the wound, which had mostly healed after clotting. This time, he no longer pursued widespread corrosion, but concentrated his corrosive power on a single point!
"Hiss—hiss—"
Efficiency has indeed improved! The main vine wrapped around his right arm, after holding on for more than ten seconds, finally had a small hole eroded through it! The vine seemed to shudder violently in pain, and the binding force loosened slightly!
It's now!
Qin Yuan suddenly exerted force with his waist, twisting his body like an eel, and taking advantage of the moment when the vines loosened, he forcefully pulled his right arm out! Immediately afterwards, he brought his right hand together, his fingertips gathering intense corrosive energy, and fiercely plunged it into the vines wrapped around his waist!
"puff!"
This time, it pierced through almost without resistance! A terrifying corrosive force erupted instantly, and the vines around the waist melted and broke at a speed visible to the naked eye!
With a soft "crack!", the main load-bearing vine snapped, and Qin Yuan plummeted from mid-air!
He adjusted his posture in mid-air, his sharp gaze locking onto the blue-eyed fox corpse on the jade platform to his left. As he fell, he extended his right hand, which he had just freed, and with perfect precision grabbed the belt of the fox corpse's armor at its waist, where, according to his memory, a piece of Qilin blood should be embedded.
"Snapped!"
The tentacles had a strange texture, a blend of hardness and flexibility. He felt his fingers pry open something, but before he could examine it closely, he rolled over to dissipate the force of his fall and landed steadily next to the jade platform on his left.
He opened his palm, revealing a lump the size of a pigeon egg, dark red to almost black in color, with natural cloud patterns on its surface and a warm, smooth texture—it was Qilin Blood!
Without hesitation, he stuffed the Qilin Blood into his inner pocket. It might be useless to him, but it could save his life in a critical moment, or he could sell it to Wu Sanxing.
Just as Qin Yuan landed and obtained the Qilin Blood, Fatty and Wu Xie were also struggling to save themselves.
Despite his bulky size, the fat man was surprisingly agile in a critical moment. Seeing Qin Yuan free, he became ruthless and, imitating Qin Yuan, desperately tried to cut the vines binding him with his dagger. He possessed immense strength; although he couldn't corrode them like Qin Yuan, he managed to saw a cut in the vines using sheer brute force and the sharpness of his dagger. With a sudden struggle, he managed to fall, his obese body rolling several times on the ground before coming to a stop, completely disoriented.
Wu Xie's situation was far more perilous. Lacking strength, his dagger's cutting effect was minimal. Just as he was about to suffocate, the vines binding him seemed to hesitate due to the presence of the female corpse below, or perhaps disturbed by some aura, their grip loosening slightly. Seizing the opportunity, Wu Xie used all his strength to push off, miraculously breaking free of his restraints and plummeting straight down!
"Thump!"
He landed squarely on the lifelike female corpse on the jade platform to his right! His face was almost touching the corpse's cold and exquisite features!
"Ah!" Wu Xie was terrified and frantically tried to get up from the female corpse. However, in his panic, he pushed himself up and seemed to press on something soft, which made him jump back as if he had been electrocuted. He fell down on his buttocks under the jade platform, his face ashen and his heart pounding wildly.
The fat man had just gotten up when he saw Wu Xie fall onto the female corpse and bounce off. He was about to make a sarcastic remark, "This young comrade is quite lucky with women," when he accidentally kicked the jade platform on the left.
With a loud "clang!", the hideous bronze helmet worn by the blue-eyed fox corpse was kicked off and rolled off the jade platform with a dull thud.
The helmet fell off, revealing the true face of the corpse inside: a fox-like face with a pointed chin and an eerie bluish-gray hue. Most horrifying of all were its eyes! They weren't decaying, empty holes, but perfectly formed, radiating a ghostly bluish light like some kind of gemstone! That bluish light was deep and eerie, like two swirling vortexes that could suck in one's soul!
Blue-eyed fox corpse!
The fat man's gaze instinctively met those blue eyes.
In an instant, the fat man felt a "buzz" in his head, and the scene before him instantly twisted and changed! He seemed to no longer be in the ancient tomb, but in a battlefield filled with mist, surrounded by shouts of killing. And standing in front of him was no longer the handsome and innocent Wuxie, but a vicious thug dressed in enemy clothes, with a ferocious face, who was raising a knife to slash at him!
"Damn it! You dare to scheme against me!" The fat man roared, his eyes instantly turning bloodshot. He lost his mind and pounced on the culprit in his eyes like a bull—Wu Xie, who had just gotten up and was still in shock!
Wu Xie had just recovered from the shock of the female corpse and hadn't figured out what was going on when he saw the fat man rushing towards him like a mad tiger, shouting incomprehensible words.
He subconsciously looked up, wanting to ask the fat man what was wrong, but his gaze inadvertently swept over the blue eyes of the blue-eyed fox corpse on the jade platform!
The same feeling washed over him! Wu Xie felt his consciousness blur, and the fat man in front of him suddenly became distorted and evil, as if he had turned into a ruthless tyrant from a story who wanted to steal his most important thing!
"Fatty! What are you doing!" Wu Xie was both shocked and angry. Seeing the "bully" Fatty rushing towards him, his survival instinct made him forget his fear and affection. He screamed and rushed forward, wrestling with Fatty!
The two men, as if possessed, rolled, tore, punched, and kicked on the ground, showing no mercy, hurling accusations that the other couldn't understand—accusations stemming from hallucinations. The fat man, being stronger, quickly pinned Wu Xie to the ground and grabbed his neck. Wu Xie struggled desperately, his face turning bright red.
Qin Yuan, standing to the side, was not affected because his back was to the jade platform and his attention was focused on collecting the Qilin's Blood. He did not look directly into the eyes of the blue-eyed fox corpse. Seeing the fat man and Wu Xie suddenly fighting amongst themselves and acting ruthlessly, he immediately understood what had happened.
"Damn it! It's an illusion from the Blue-Eyed Fox Corpse!"
He frowned deeply; he had to stop them immediately! Otherwise, before the cypress or anything else could even make a move, they would all perish together!