Heaven-Collapsing Start [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 30

Chapter 30

The wind blew through the lush leaves, creating a rustling sound, yet on the wide road beneath the tree shade, there was a heavy atmosphere of solemnity. With nerves taut and eyes on high alert, the scene was like facing a formidable enemy, ready to explode at any moment.

Within the dense forest, the silver-haired snake yokai standing beside a massive cedar tree swept his cold, beast-like pupils across the group of warriors. His gaze finally fixed on the carriage protected in the center. His beautiful eyes narrowed slightly; his gaze felt almost substantial, as if it wanted to pierce through the gauze curtain of the window to land on the hazy figure sitting inside the carriage.

A rustling sound suddenly erupted from the surrounding bushes. Under the vigilant eyes of the warriors, countless snakes crawled out. The sight of that dense mass—the largest of which were as thick as an adult’s arm was enough to make anyone’s scalp tingle.

The snakes that had emerged so abruptly flickered their bright red tongues and crawled toward the carriage, winding across the road and leaving behind startling trails.

The warriors were as if facing a great foe, all clutching their swords and blades tightly, prepared for a grand battle. At that moment, from the carriage protected in their midst, a finger as white as jade reached out and soundlessly lifted the curtain.

Ji Liang stepped out of the carriage and tilted his head slightly. Although his eyes could not see, he faced the direction of the silver-haired snake yokai with unerring accuracy.

“Lord!”

Upon seeing him, the surrounding warriors felt as if they had found their pillar of support, instantly calming down.

The swarms of snakes sliding and crawling toward the carriage also seemed to be suddenly brought under control, ceasing their movements one after another. They merely propped up their heads, their vertical pupils identical to those of the silver-haired snake yokai—staring coldly at the warriors, as if they would pounce and open their sharp, venomous fangs in the next second.

“Oh my, what is that saying you humans have? ‘Fate brings people together across a thousand miles,’ hehehe…”

Inside his mind, the demon soul, which had been quiet for barely a few days, could no longer restrain itself and began to stir up trouble again. It had been silenced by Ji Liang countless times, yet it seemed incapable of learning its lesson.

The silver-haired snake yokai in the forest was named She Mengshan. He was the Great Yokai that the original owner had collaborated with to design the murder of the Fifth Elder before Ji Liang’s arrival. At that time, the original owner had been under heavy suspicion, and his last contact with the other party was to have the silver-haired snake yokai clear his name.

Ultimately, the suspicion was cleared, and Ji Liang was able to leave the confinement room. However, for more than a month afterward, Ji Liang had never contacted the other party. Thinking about it now, it seemed not at all surprising to be sought out.

Ji Liang ignored the demon soul’s teasing. Facing the direction of the silver-haired snake yokai, his expression was indifferent, and he didn’t say a word.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the silver-haired snake yokai standing by the cedar tree suddenly curled his lips into a smile. The surrounding still snakes began to slither toward the carriage once more, the sound of their hissing flicking tongues making one’s scalp tighten.

Finally, the snakes approached the perimeter of the carriage. The warriors, who had long been prepared, charged out one after another and engaged in battle with the swarm.

The scent of blood began to permeate the surroundings as sharp blades sliced through snake bodies. Dark red liquid splattered, falling onto the ground and being absorbed by the soil.

Even though the warriors had weapons to fight back, the snakes emerging in a continuous stream seemed as if the snakes from several nearby mountains had all poured out of their nests. This caused the warriors to go from being composed at the start to gradually becoming exhausted. After all, humans get tired; strength is not inexhaustible.

Suddenly, a small red snake took advantage of a gap and bit a warrior on the calf. Even though the red snake was quickly slain, the calf injected with toxin was instantly paralyzed with piercing pain.

The warrior fell to the ground but was protected by teammates who noticed in time, sparing him from the tragedy of being swarmed by countless venomous snakes.

Ji Liang no longer faced the silver-haired snake yokai. He condensed spiritual power at his fingertips and, with a wave of his wide sleeve, a layer of light visible to the naked eye swept toward the snakes fighting the warriors. A circle of venomous snakes instantly stiffened and fell one after another; the pressure on the warriors was suddenly lightened.

Ji Liang jumped down from the carriage and came to the warrior bitten by the venomous snake, crouching down on one knee. By now, the warrior’s face was purple and green. In his blurred vision and fading consciousness, a white figure approached him, radiating an incomparably warm light, as if even his cold, stiff body was gradually beginning to ease…

Of course, after regaining his senses, the warrior realized it was not an illusion.

Afterward, his surrounding companions all slapped his shoulder enviously, saying your life was hanging by a thread back then if the Lord hadn’t treated you in time, you’d be dead.

However, at this moment, the crisis of being besieged by snakes had not been resolved. The warm light in Ji Liang’s palm dissipated after the warrior’s complexion returned to normal. He stood up, held two fingers upright to his lips, and silently recited an incantation. The plants surrounding them, swaying in the wind, suddenly grew at high speed, enveloping and intertwining with the dense swarms of snakes, restricting their movements. The more they struggled, the tighter the plants bound them, until finally, one could only see knots formed by the mutual entanglement of snakes and plants.

Ji Liang did not strangle these snakes to death. After controlling the situation, he stopped the incantation.

“As expected of the most powerful Master Exorcist.”

The voice of the silver-haired snake yokai drifted through the air, seemingly carrying a sort of cruel amusement. His figure abruptly vanished, leaving behind only one sentence: “I wonder just how long you can resist in my hands.”

“Protect the Lord!!!”

“Lord, be careful!!!”

The warriors, who hadn’t had time to breathe a sigh of relief, immediately tensed their nerves again. In their field of vision, the silver-haired snake yokai had left the forest and was rapidly sweeping toward them!

Ji Liang was not unmoved either. He once again pressed his fingers to his lips, and obscure incantations flowed from his mouth. The stationary plants around them began to grow wildly again, blocking the path between them and the rushing silver-haired snake yokai.

A whip radiating poisonous gas appeared in the silver-haired snake yokai’s hand. As he swung it, all the plants it touched withered and rotted. The distance between the two shortened at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The warriors felt a surge of tension, their eyes staring fixedly at the rapidly approaching silver-haired snake yokai, even prepared to face death at any moment.

However, just as the silver-haired snake yokai was about to break through the plant defenses, a shimmering barrier-net suddenly appeared and trapped him. The poison whip struck the barrier, producing only a sizzling sound of corrosion, but it could not melt the barrier.

It wasn’t until the barrier-net shrank to the size of his body, binding him firmly, that he finally showed a look of alarm. Just as the barrier tightened further, almost cutting into his skin, the silver-haired snake yokai suddenly let out a roar. His demonic power swirled around him like a cyclone, and the barrier-net binding his body finally shattered inch by inch.

Then, before anyone could react, the silver-haired snake yokai vanished into the dense forest with a few quick leaps, leaving only a faint scent of blood drifting in the air.

He… he escaped.

The warriors realized what happened after the fact and cheered once they reacted.

Turning around, they saw the blindfolded young Exorcist still standing quietly in place, looking toward the direction where the silver-haired snake yokai had fled with a thoughtful expression. The warriors immediately fell silent, thinking the Lord was about to do something, but Ji Liang only withdrew his gaze and said calmly to them:

“Rest and reorganize here for a moment.”

A while later, the carriage resumed its journey, and the group gradually moved away.

Behind the massive cedar tree where the silver-haired snake yokai had previously been, a figure gradually revealed itself. Long silver hair, a beautiful and elegant face, and a silver snake tail beneath him. Those golden, cold vertical pupils stared intently at the departing carriage, and a smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.

Come find me soon.

…

The Great Yokai that killed the Fifth Elder had appeared once again, even attacking the Family Head on his return from Jingyue Sanctuary. Once the news came out, everyone was shocked.

However, through this incident, Ji Liang’s suspicion was completely cleared.

But Ji Liang knew that if he did not go to find that yokai soon, he would likely come looking for him personally. Behind this attack, as only the two of them were aware, the yokai had essentially given him a formal notice.

He could no longer continue to remain silent.

“Tsk tsk, I really can’t figure you out now,” the demon soul, who had been disciplined by Ji Liang many times and didn’t dare to be so recklessly arrogant or crazy, said somewhat seriously in Ji Liang’s mind.

“I saw that you used to be quite happy to deal with the yokai side. You even colluded with them to kill the previous Family Head. Tsk tsk, you are truly ruthless. As a human, your heart is even blacker than mine, a yokai. Hehehehehe.”

Ji Liang opened his dark, lifeless eyes and sent a “silence” command to the giggling demon soul in his mind.