Wang Jiaqian's skin crawled as she looked at the "cute cat."
"I... I still can't accept this reality..." she mumbled, keeping her distance from the creature.
The Green Mane Lion pawed at the tuft of fur on its forehead. "This woman also has a familiar scent on her."
Wang Jiaqian didn't dare to look at the great demon, feeling insulted. "What scent do I have? Is it because I haven't had time to bathe?"
She charmingly lowered her head to sniff herself. Her expensive gown was filled with the scent of high-end perfume, which she found pleasant.
The Green Mane Lion let out a strange roar. "It's the scent of demonic energy."
Wang Jiaqian snorted impatiently. "Isn't that obvious? After escaping from the haunted house, of course I reek of demonic energy."
As the Green Mane Lion was about to say more, Qin Yexuan's eyes flickered, and he flicked its forehead with his finger.
The ancient demon, which had cultivated for a thousand years, immediately understood and obediently curled up on its master's shoulder.
Qin Yexuan arrived under the dilapidated sheds in the renovation area.
It was here that Liu Meihong and the other three had gathered not long ago.
Now, Li Tianhang and the others were nervously forming a circle, while Jun Mengyao, in a red dress with her snow-white shoulders exposed, trembled. Her hands were forming a Tai Chi Yin-Yang stance, and she gritted her teeth, suppressing something.
Liu Meihong was trapped in the center, her hands bound with thin wire, yet she struggled. Her mouth had split open, her teeth all turned outwards, and her tongue had transformed into a snake's head, desperately trying to emerge from her body.
Liu Meihong's plump body had shrunk considerably, making her surprisingly attractive.
Her excess fat had all turned into black jelly-like substance, and along with the snake from her mouth, it desperately tried to escape.
It was as if a person was wrapped in black foam. The extracted black snake monster intertwined with Liu Meihong's original form. Liu Meihong's original body's eyes held a mixture of excitement and pleading, as if a sliver of consciousness had returned.
In the scene, only Jun Mengyao, who had inherited the spiritual power of the Turtle Dragon, could suppress this monster.
Li Tianhang and the others, having never practiced Taoist magic, could only watch from the side.
"A'yao, move aside!" Qin Yexuan, seeing the situation, let out a low cry. With the Great Vajra Seal in his left hand and the Treasure Vase Seal in his right, he unleashed both seals simultaneously. Immediately, two golden spectral figures appeared above the renovation area: one resembling a wrathful Vajra, the other a jade-like treasure vase.
The Vajra subdues demons, and the treasure vase seals away evil.
As the two great seals were unleashed, the monster on Liu Meihong's body let out a sharp shriek and desperately retracted into her body.
Liu Meihong's body had shrunk by more than half, revealing her original graceful figure and charming appearance. But the moment her consciousness returned, she screamed desperately, "Help me, save me, ah, help..."
Her voice abruptly stopped. Her stomach swelled unnaturally, and something snake-shaped bulged on her abdomen. Then, Liu Meihong regained her icy demeanor, emitting a strange hissing sound from her mouth: "Who is it? Why are the people of the Taoist sect attacking me? Don't you listen to Xu Chunyang's words?"
Qin Yexuan, holding the Great Vajra Seal, flicked it through the air. The snake monster shrieked and immediately submitted, emitting a pleading sound. "I know, I know! Great Immortal, you are definitely not Xu Chunyang's subordinate. That scoundrel Xu Chunyang doesn't have such great magic power as you. Please spare my life. I was just following orders."
Qin Yexuan stared at "Liu Meihong," observing for a moment before asking, "Who ordered you? What did the four of you eat earlier, and what was your purpose in controlling this banquet?"
The snake demon, controlling Liu Meihong, made the "successful weight-loss" woman's eyes flicker. Its snake-like eyes rolled. "Little demon, I truly don't know. I only know that a certain great demon has taken control of the Shituling Club. More than half of the demons on Lingmeng Mountain now follow him as their leader. His demonic power is too strong. When he appeared before us, he was in human form."
The Green Mane Lion on Qin Yexuan's shoulder let out a strange sound. "You couldn't tell his true form? What a joke. Unless he has already shed his demonic energy and completely transformed into a human form..."
Qin Yexuan's expression turned serious, and he suddenly said in a deep voice, "He's a hybrid!"
Huh?
This time, everyone around didn't understand.
What hybrid?
Sun Qinglu's eyes lit up. "A bloodline born from the union of a human and some kind of demon?"
Qin Yexuan nodded. "This situation is extremely rare. In the past ten thousand years, such hybrids could be counted on one hand."
The Green Mane Lion let out a meow. "That doesn't seem right either."
"Yes, he might also be cultivating both Taoism and demonology, using Taoist magic to suppress his demonic energy, which is why you couldn't discern his true form."
Jun Mengyao looked at the increasingly lively banquet. "Then, their purpose in controlling this banquet is to capture all of Chaoge's rich and powerful in one fell swoop?"
Liu Meihong's tongue darted out again, revealing the snake demon's head. "No, it's more than that. The things we ate earlier were powdered jade from burning, said to be from ancient times. And the venue for the banquet, that Liuyang River Hotel, was also chosen."
"What do you mean?"
Liu Meihong's snake-like eyes blinked, and she spoke in a strange tone, "Great Immortal, don't you know where the Liuyang River Hotel is built?"
"Where?" Qin Yexuan struck with the Great Vajra Seal, asking coldly.
"An ancient battlefield!" Liu Meihong's tone grew stranger, like sandpaper rubbing, or someone speaking with their throat squeezed.
Wang Jiaqian shivered all over, frightened by the bizarre scene.
Sun Qinglu, bravely, asked, "There are many ancient battlefields, which one are you referring to?"
The snake demon let out a hissing laugh. "Of course, the most famous one."
Something's wrong!
Qin Yexuan suddenly understood. "It's stalling for time! The other three demons are carrying out their plan!"
The snake demon revealed its true nature, its tongue cruelly tugging at Liu Meihong's. "Yes, it's too late for you. Our ritual is complete by now. Hiss... The dream of tens of millions of demons on Lingmeng Mountain is something you humans cannot understand, because we are natural enemies!"
*Poof!*
Qin Yexuan struck again with the Great Vajra Seal. This time, the snake demon, confident within Liu Meihong's belly, said, "You can kill me, but this poor woman is doomed too!"
"Really?" Qin Yexuan patted the cat directly. "It's your turn!"
The Green Mane Lion jumped down excitedly and revealed its true form.
Although not as large as it was in the haunted house, the appearance of a large green-maned lion startled the onlookers, causing them to retreat in fear.
The snake monster, however, let out a sound of disbelief. "How is this possible? You, you are the Lion King..."
*Roar!*
The Green Mane Lion skillfully raised its paw, hooking the snake monster out of Liu Meihong, and then swallowed it whole.
It transformed back into its cat form, licking its tongue as if still unsatisfied.
Liu Meihong lay on the ground, retching and expelling.
"Clean her up, and do it quickly. Ling Su, you're in charge. I'll need to question her later!"
Qin Yexuan issued urgent orders. "A'yao, use the drone to keep track of the remaining three!"
"What did it mean by ancient battlefield?" Wang Jiaqian and the others, still shaken, were guessing.
"I already know!" Qin Yexuan's expression was cold. He looked up at the unremarkable Liuyang River Hotel. "There is only one ancient battlefield in Chaoge City!"
"That is... the Muye battlefield where King Wu fought Zhou in ancient times!"