Upon hearing Yun Qing Zhenren speak, our eyes widened as we stared at the green corpse pool. The corpse energy continuously receded, sinking back into the water. The pool water seemed to boil, bubbling incessantly.
"Senior Yun Qing, allow me to destroy this corpse pool," Old Mo said, looking at the corpse cats guarding the pool, ready to act.
Yun Qing Zhenren narrowed his eyes slightly. "Let's not rush. This corpse pool is rather peculiar. Let this humble Taoist investigate it first."
As Yun Qing Zhenren spoke, he raised his hand and waved. Suddenly, a strong wind howled. A surge of qi violently struck towards the corpse pool. The corpse cats blocking the way let out low growls of "Meow, meow" and were directly blown away. Two of them even fell into the corpse pool. The corpse cats struggled fiercely, trying to climb out of the pool, but in the next second, a terrifying scene unfolded. A giant claw suddenly rose from the corpse pool. The claw, resembling a human hand, grabbed a struggling corpse cat as if it were a chick and dragged it beneath the water. The pool water churned, and the giant claw was no longer visible.
Witnessing this, all of us were shocked, our expressions filled with astonishment. The claw we just saw was large enough to grip a corpse cat half the size of a dog in one grasp. If its entire body were to be revealed, how enormous would it be?
"Was that... was that not an illusion just now?" Old Mo asked in surprise.
Xia Qiu Xi furrowed her delicate brows. "We saw it clearly, that claw was enormous!"
Xiao Mei let out a low growl, remaining silent. Yun Xia Gu also gasped. I, too, wore a grim expression.
Daoist Yun Qing also showed a hint of solemnity. "The final corpse form of these corpse cats is actually this colossal."
As soon as he finished speaking, a low growl echoed from the corpse pool. "Wuwuwu..." With this growl, the more than twenty corpse demons surrounding us all meowed and once again lunged towards us. However, these minor corpse cats were merely small fiends. Facing us, they were merely sending themselves to their deaths. Before Yun Qing Zhenren could even make a move, we all surged forward. The twenty-odd corpse demons were quickly cut down by more than half. The remaining few, terrified, retreated. They moved towards the rocks near the corpse pool. With a "swish, swish," two tongues shot out from the corpse pool. They pierced the bodies of the last few corpse cats, then coiled around them, dragging them into the pool. Only the churning water remained, obscuring the scene below.
Yun Qing Zhenren had already drawn out a yellow talisman. With his hands forming a gesture, he threw it forward. The talisman directly vanished into the corpse pool. Immediately after, Yun Qing Zhenren chanted in a low voice: "Ascending to ask the Three Pure Ones, descending to the netherworld. Bestowing the spiritual mantra to relentlessly sever evil. Haste as the law commands, Decree!"
Yun Qing Zhenren's incantation was rapid yet his articulation was clear. Upon uttering the decree, the talisman exploded within the corpse pool with a "buzz." "Wuuu..." a fierce roar sounded from the pool water. The corpse pool water began to boil even more violently, splashing everywhere with a "huala la" sound. The splashed water hissed and sizzled upon contact with the ground, corroding it into black foam.
"The pool water is highly toxic!" Yun Xia Gu quickly warned. We all retreated a few steps, distancing ourselves from the splashing corpse water. But it was not over yet. Following the talisman, a giant claw suddenly extended from the pool water. The giant claw gripped the edge of the corpse pool. It was at least two meters long, hairless on its surface, and crisscrossed with green veins. Seeing this giant claw, we all retreated another two steps. In the next second, another claw emerged from the pool water, gripping the edge. The corpse pool water splashed everywhere with a "huala la" sound, emitting billowing black smoke...
We were all stunned. This thing was just too enormous! What kind of corpse form had this Nine-Life Corpse Cat created for itself? Amidst our fear, the corpse demon finally revealed its head. With a "huala la," the corpse pool water churned, and a massive, hairless cat head emerged from the water. It had cat eyes, a cat nose, and cat ears; the only difference was its immense size and lack of fur. Its skin was a yellowish-brown, with bulging green veins beneath. It looked utterly terrifying.
Previously, we had already felt the Nine-Life Corpse Cat's monstrous form was immense and intimidating. But now, our understanding was once again shattered. Its head alone was as large as a millstone. After emerging, the giant corpse cat stared at us fiercely, revealing its sharp fangs, its two tongues flicking in its mouth. It looked at us and uttered a deep, hoarse voice, entirely different from the old woman the Nine-Life Corpse Cat had transformed into earlier: "You have thoroughly angered me. I will make you turn to dust."
As it spoke, corpse energy billowed. A single puff of its foul breath was enough to make one nauseous. Yun Qing Zhenren shielded us, gesturing for us to continue retreating. Then, we watched as the corpse cat climbed directly out of the corpse pool. Its size was so great it was horrifying. This creature looked about the size of a small truck, but less rounded and more lithe. Yet, even so, its colossal body sent shivers down our spines. Not just ordinary people, but even us, the professionals, were struck with awe, marveling at how bizarre and wondrous this world was.
"Amitabha, this, this is just too, too big?" Old Mo exclaimed in terror, his eyes wide. He even began to stutter. I took a sharp breath, trying to maintain my composure. Xia Qiu Xi's face had also turned pale with fright; she had never seen such a colossal fiend. Even Xiao Mei seemed disheartened now. Facing such a massive body and the terrifying resonance of its corpse energy, she too felt uneasy. Only Yun Xia Gu and Yun Qing Zhenren, who had weathered greater storms, could still remain calm. They stood at the forefront, facing the final corpse form of the Nine-Life Corpse Cat...