Yang Shan Jun was a tiger demon who had cultivated for a thousand years. A millennium ago, it had already occupied a mountain, preying on passing civilians and devouring countless living people.
Later, Yang Shan Jun encountered a very powerful demon refiner who took it into the Demon Refining Pot. In the blink of an eye, several hundred years had passed.
Over those several hundred years, the Demon Refining Pot had changed hands many times, and for more than a hundred years, no one had awakened it.
This caused Yang Shan Jun's beastly nature to run wild. Within the Demon Refining Pot, it slaughtered all the other demons, absorbing their spirits to strengthen itself.
Then, after several more centuries, the Demon Refining Pot was obtained by the ancestor of the Left Guardian's lineage. Yang Shan Jun became the absolute overlord within this Demon Refining Pot, its status even completely surpassing that of the demon refiner!
The mighty Yang Shan Jun controlled the Demon Refining Pot. Whether the Left Guardian needed to summon or add new demons, it required Yang Shan Jun's consent.
Rather than the demon refiner being the master of the Demon Refining Pot, it was Yang Shan Jun that truly controlled it.
Yang Shan Jun rarely acted, but when it did, it would always demand benefits from the demon refiner. If the demon refiner failed to satisfy it, the consequences… would be dire.
At this moment, Yang Shan Jun set its sights on the vital energy and blood within Zhao Yi Yao's body, and its displeasure at being summoned vanished like smoke.
Before the Left Guardian could speak, Yang Shan Jun brandished its massive tiger claws and swiped at Zhao Yi Yao!
Zhao Yi Yao first exhaled, then, relying on her agility, dodged left and right.
Seeing this, Yang Shan Jun opened its cavernous mouth and spewed out countless human souls!
There were over a hundred of them!
Over a hundred souls intertwined and entangled, wailing in agony as they flew towards Zhao Yi Yao. Countless hands reached out to grasp her, and chaotic voices echoed in her ears, seemingly urging her to give up, to willingly become Yang Shan Jun's meal!
These were伥鬼 (chānguǐ)!
In ancient times, if commoners died at the mouth of a tiger with lingering resentment, they would transform into 伥鬼.
伥鬼 roamed the forests, encountering living people traveling at midnight. They would transform into human form, converse with them, and lure them into the tiger's territory, causing them to also perish by the tiger's maw and become 伥鬼 to keep them company.
Yang Shan Jun, having devoured countless living people, let out a breath that carried over a hundred 伥鬼.
These 伥鬼 interfered with Zhao Yi Yao's movements and affected her consciousness, making it difficult for her to advance. It felt as if countless hands were dragging her body while simultaneously impairing her mind, making her reactions incredibly sluggish!
"Alas, this is bad!"
Zhuge Lian sighed. She could clearly sense that Zhao Yi Yao was no match for Yang Shan Jun.
It all depended on when the experts from the Folklore Research Association would reveal themselves. Otherwise, Zhao Yi Yao might very well die at Yang Shan Jun's hands.
Tian Jue'er watched this scene, her hands clenched into fists, her palms slick with sweat. Her eyes were fixed intently on Zhao Yi Yao.
Zhao Yi Yao had spoken up for her earlier, and Tian Jue'er remembered this small favor. Thus, she did not wish for Zhao Yi Yao to be harmed.
"Will Zhao Yi Yao die?" Tian Jue'er asked.
Zhuge Ji adjusted his glasses. "That depends on the strength of the experts from the Folklore Research Association."
"I don't want her to die!" Tian Jue'er frowned.
"Wait patiently. The Folklore Research Association isn't that incompetent," Zhuge Lian comforted her.
On the stage, Zhao Yi Yao felt as if she were wading through mud, each step taken with great difficulty.
She was completely bogged down by the 伥鬼.
Seeing this, Yang Shan Jun wasted no more words and directly raised its tiger claws, swatting at Zhao Yi Yao.
Zhao Yi Yao had no way to dodge and could only summon all her strength, using both hands to receive the massive tiger claw!
Her entire body was not as large as Yang Shan Jun's tiger claw. Thus, bearing Yang Shan Jun's attack was like carrying a mountain!
"This King shall see how long you can hold out!" Yang Shan Jun said playfully.
It only used seven-tenths of its strength, not rushing to unleash its full power. In such a certain victory, Yang Shan Jun enjoyed the pleasure of toying with its prey.
It was like a cat catching a mouse; sometimes it wouldn't kill it immediately but would let it go only to catch it again.
"Hold… hold on…"
Zhao Yi Yao gritted her teeth, struggling to withstand Yang Shan Jun's claw. But as Yang Shan Jun gradually increased its force, Zhao Yi Yao's meridians began to crack!
Blood seeped from her body, accompanied by the constant cracking sound of bones shattering. Zhao Yi Yao's mouth even began to bleed.
"Admit defeat!"
Wang Ji Wang, with a cold expression, leaped onto the stage, ready to stop Yang Shan Jun.
The rule that there would be no killing on the stage had been set beforehand. Moreover, Zhao Yi Yao was not the protagonist, and there was no need for her to fight to the death!
However, the Left Guardian had gained the upper hand and had no intention of stopping.
Not only did he not impede Yang Shan Jun, but he even incited it, saying, "Kill her! Kill her!"
Yang Shan Jun glanced at Wang Ji Wang and swiped its claw at him!
Wang Ji Wang's eyes sharpened, and two pig-slaughtering knives instantly appeared in his hands. He swung both knives at Yang Shan Jun!
Yang Shan Jun had not expected this fellow to possess some strength. Its tiger claw was immediately cut by two bloody wounds!
The pain from the wounds directly enraged Yang Shan Jun!
It spat out more 伥鬼 again to entangle Wang Ji Wang, then, using its full strength, it intended to crush Zhao Yi Yao into a bloody pulp first!
"Once Yang Shan Jun attacks, no one can stop it!" Wu Tian Feng sneered. "That poor Northeastern woman is about to become Yang Shan Jun's next meal."
The members of the Scarlet Flower Society, holding the advantage, laughed heartily, mocking the absence of anyone from the Folklore Research Association, as Yan Shou Yi had yet to appear!
The audience buzzed with discussion, constantly looking towards the direction of the Folklore Research Association members, hoping someone would step forward to stop Yang Shan Jun.
The live stream's bullet comments were incredibly tense. Even though Zhao Yi Yao had transformed from a cat girl into a female Hulk, everyone still didn't want to see a shaman who could perform "Shen Nei Dao Lin" die so easily at the hands of a demon king.
[Beast: Why hasn't Yan Shou Yi appeared yet! The cat girl is about to die!]
[Pork Rolls and Unstable Immortals: If the cat girl dies at Yang Shan Jun's hands, I'll have no good impression of the Folklore Research Association at all. If they can't even protect their own members, how can they protect us!]
[Lin Xiaojie: Yan Shou Yi, hurry up and come out!!]
Even Long Fei Cheng, at this moment, forgot to commentate and looked back with gritted teeth.
The Dog Daoist and the Wonderful Enlightenment Monk stood there, with Wei Chang Qing not far away, yet none of the three had made a move.
Why haven't they moved yet? Why haven't they moved!
Must they wait until Zhao Yi Yao dies before acting?
Long Fei Cheng could not believe that these elders would be so heartless!
Suddenly, Long Fei Cheng noticed that the gazes of the three elders were not fixed on the stage.
Instead… they were looking at the surface of West Lake?
What were they looking at?
Long Fei Cheng looked towards the lake surface in surprise, only to see that in the heavy rain, a small boat was slowly approaching the shore!
Through the hazy rain, three figures could be vaguely discerned on the boat.
Tao Hua Ying, standing with an umbrella.
Lin Zi Tong, seated and playing the zither.
And Yan Shou Yi, standing proudly at the bow of the boat!
Yan Shou Yi had emerged from seclusion!