“Zhutao, look at what’s in that bat demon’s claws!” Sensing something amiss, Yun Qingxue urgently called out to Zhutao, who was guarding her cultivation.
Zhutao immediately turned his gaze toward the barrier. Upon seeing the situation, his expression changed drastically, and he shouted, “Master, be careful! That bat demon is about to use a magical artifact!”
Just as Zhutao’s voice fell, the old bat demon, which had been desperately assaulting the barrier, suddenly halted its movements and flew straight toward the bat demon holding a bead in its claws.
The unsteady bat demon handed the object in its claws to the old bat demon before plummeting to the ground.
“Master, be careful!” Zhutao’s eyes bulged as he roared, immediately tackling Yun Qingxue, who was still maintaining the barrier, to the ground.
In the next moment, the barrier shattered like smoke.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye.
Yun Qingxue only saw a blinding white light before her eyes.
When the light faded, she and her companions were surrounded by the remaining bat demons.
In an instant, they had gone from holding the upper hand to becoming prisoners.
“Zhutao!” Yun Qingxue pushed at Zhutao, who was still shielding her with his body. His breath was now extremely weak.
“M-Master…” Zhutao struggled to open his eyes and murmured, “Those two beads are the bat demons’ magical artifacts… You… You must find a way to escape!”
“Hmph! I never thought we’d suffer such a heavy loss today! You lot… You’re really something!”
The old bat demon landed somewhat disheveled not far in front of Yun Qingxue, its voice dripping with malice, cold as a ghost from hell.
“Bah! You ugly monsters killed my kin! You’ll get your retribution sooner or later!”
Zhu Bai jumped forward and spat out the words.
In the next moment, his small body was snatched up by a bat demon’s sharp claws.
“Though just a little runt in the Illusory Form stage, given how badly we’re injured… Hah… We’ll make do with your spiritual energy for now!”
With that, the large bat demon began draining Zhu Bai’s energy.
“Bai’er!” Zhutao cried out in anguish.
“Hahaha!” The old bat demon grinned hideously. “I thought the Green Bamboo Clan had no cultivators beyond the Illusory Form stage! Who knew there were so many in the Spirit Gathering stage!”
“Little ones! After such a heavy blow, let’s replenish ourselves with their energy!”
The old bat demon cackled cruelly.
The severely injured Zhutao was instantly hoisted up by a bat demon.
Meanwhile, Zhu Bai had completely lost consciousness. His ten-year-old body slowly began to show patches of blue—a sign that his energy was no longer enough to sustain his human form.
“Ugly monster, let him go!” Yun Qingxue stood up, blue light flashing at her fingertips as vines shot from the ground, lashing out at the bat demons.
The bat demons, gleefully draining their victims’ energy, swiftly flapped their wings and soared into the sky.
“Hah!” The old bat demon smirked darkly at the sight and immediately lunged at Yun Qingxue without another word.
Their clan had suffered so much at this woman’s hands—today, he would drain her dry of her cultivation to vent his hatred!
And as for these damned bamboo demons… Today, he would wipe out their entire clan!
Seeing the old bat demon charge at her, Yun Qingxue summoned the wind to rise into the air, flicking her wrist to release several wind blades.
“Clang! Clang! Clang!”
With a mere flap of its wings, the old bat demon effortlessly dissipated Yun Qingxue’s attacks.
“Brat! Today, all of you will die!” the old bat demon roared. The two transparent beads in its claws suddenly emitted a blinding light.
“Master, run!” Zhutao shouted with the last of his strength.
But it was already too late.
Countless bright white threads shot out from the beads.
Before Yun Qingxue could even dodge, the threads coiled around her layer upon layer, encasing her like a silkworm’s cocoon.
*Thud.* A faint sound of something hitting the ground.
A’Dai’s black-and-purple, battered body fell to the earth.
“A’Dai!” Yun Qingxue struggled, but the restraints only tightened further.
The old bat demon landed, its sharp claws lifting A’Dai’s small body as it grinned viciously.
“This little snake dared to poison me! Today, I’ll skin it alive and pull out its bones!”
With that, its sharp nails pierced A’Dai’s scales.
“Stop!” Yun Qingxue shouted furiously.
The old bat demon paused, its red eyes filled with endless malice as it stared at her.
“Don’t worry, you’ll be next!”
“Don’t forget—you’re still poisoned by A’Dai! If he dies, so will you!” Yun Qingxue retorted coldly. “Unless I’m mistaken, even your precious artifact can’t cure his venom!”
“Hahahaha!” The old bat demon burst into maniacal laughter, as if hearing the funniest joke.
“If I’m not mistaken, this little snake has cultivation too. If I kill it and consume its core, what poison can’t I cure?”
“You slaughter and steal others’ cultivation—aren’t you afraid of karma?” Yun Qingxue demanded angrily.
“Hah…” The old bat demon sneered. “Only the weak prattle about karma!”
“Tch.” Yun Qingxue scoffed. “Do you really think you can still ascend to immortality after all this?”
“Of course we can!” The old bat demon’s eyes gleamed with cunning. “Since you’re about to die, I might as well tell you—if there’s a way to steal others’ cultivation, then naturally, there’s also a way to steal their virtue!”
“Nonsense! As if a bunch of ugly monsters like you could ever become immortals!”
“Hahahaha…” The old bat demon laughed wildly again, tossing A’Dai’s wounded body aside as its crimson gaze locked onto Yun Qingxue.
“If you don’t believe me… Well, why don’t I start with you?”
It slowly approached the trapped Yun Qingxue, eyes alight with sadistic excitement.
Stopping before her, it didn’t strike immediately but instead mused mockingly, “Do you know how to steal someone’s virtue?”
Yun Qingxue glared. “Stealing what isn’t yours is futile! You think you’re winning now? Mark my words—one day, you’ll die without a grave!”
“Whether I die without a grave or not, you won’t live to see it! But I’ll tell you—the way to steal virtue is to devour the soul of the virtuous!”
“That way, their merit becomes yours… Ten lifetimes of good deeds, a century of kindness… Hah! With soul-devouring arts, their hard-earned virtue is just labor for us!”
“Disgusting!” Yun Qingxue gritted her teeth.
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