The Demon Lord Is Carrying My Child - Chapter 38

Before Cun Ming’s eyes was a solid, clear path. At the time, he had been hacking away as he moved forward, believing he was forging a trail. In reality, the vegetation grew so rapidly that it had long since sealed the way behind him. Consequently, he had been separated from Chen Li and Mei Wuhen, falling into the encirclement of the Phantom Vines.

If Chen Li and the others had taken a different route, then his current surroundings should have been dense with vegetation, tangled and obstructing both the way he came and the way ahead.

Ji Shutao and her group had only just arrived, so this path pointed to only one possibility: Chen Li and Mei Wuhen had fought their way out through this very route.

What kind of situation had they encountered to fight with such ferocity? Cun Ming couldn’t help but look at the shredded leaves on the ground. Perhaps when they fought their way out, they had passed right by him, but he had been so obscured by the weeds that they hadn’t noticed anything.

“Then where exactly did they go?” Cun Ming was at a loss.

“This road hasn’t reached its end yet. Perhaps we’ll know once we walk to the finish,” Zhuang Yi pointed ahead. The path didn’t look very long, but for some reason, the end was not in sight.

These plants could attack people and grow at lightning speed, yet now they remained dormant. Regardless, they were a hidden danger. They had to leave this place as quickly as possible, and they only had one choice: follow this path to the end. Forging a new path was too dangerous, and… the end of the road might be the terminus of everything.

The four were of one mind and walked forward for a distance. They had clearly been walking on the same path from start to finish, but when they looked back, things had changed. The strange plants Qian Feng hadn’t even recognized before now looked like ordinary vegetation when they turned around. The same was true for the path ahead.

Ji Shutao felt as if the entire Devouring Demon Mountain was a massive, ever-changing labyrinth; one wrong move and you’d have no idea which path you were on.

Thus, she held Zhuang Yi’s hand firmly while keeping a death stare on Cun Ming and Qian Feng in front of her, not daring to relax for fear they would vanish as they walked.

The road seemed to have an end, but in truth, it felt endless. The four felt as if they were walking in a closed loop, yet they never returned to their starting point. Everything they encountered along the way was “fresh,” and they saw none of the marks they had left behind. The plants appeared in rotation one moment bizarre, the next unremarkable leaving them completely without a clue.

Zhuang Yi suddenly called for a halt. On both sides stood strange, grotesque plants. “Stop walking. This road is very strange. We might think we are walking on one path, but we’ve likely strayed from the original route long ago. We are being toyed with by Devouring Demon Mountain.”

Such a grand design, with no traces of human interference, suggested the plants themselves were behind the trickery.

Qian Feng had a short temper and loathed being manipulated. “I’ll just slaughter everything clean, then there won’t be any more of this nonsense.”

She turned her gaze to Zhuang Yi, seeking her opinion.

“Fight,” Zhuang Yi said.

As things stood, their only hope for a way out was to strike at these plants.

With that, Qian Feng showed no mercy, treating the encounter as a warm-up exercise.

Ji Shutao watched the sky full of falling leaves in stunned silence, thinking that the path they saw earlier looked exactly like something Qian Feng would have carved out.

Though she had been with Qian Feng for some time, this was the first time she had seen her strike so decisively. Her cultivation was likely above Zhuang Yi’s, and even her Master might not be her match. No wonder she had been able to catch her Master’s palm strike so easily back then.

“Qian Feng has always been the Right Elder of the Demon Realm; her strength is formidable. Xi Xiao is no less than her. I can only barely fight them if I am holding the Qingyi Sword.” Seeing the spark in Ji Shutao’s eyes, Zhuang Yi knew she was shocked by Qian Feng’s power.

“She’s that powerful?” Although she had suspected it, Ji Shutao was still surprised to hear it confirmed.

“The Left and Right Elders have existed for a long time; they are far beyond what we can compare to.” Cun Ming twisted his wrist, preparing to go up and assist Qian Feng.

The Phantom Vines had tried to crush his psyche with endless horrifying visions, but Cun Ming had managed to adjust himself in just a short moment.

Ji Shutao felt her hands itching to join in. Zhuang Yi said, “Go on.”

Weeds, leaves, and branches flew through the air all victims of the three’s swords. The trio moved like they were clearing wasteland, sweeping through everything in their path. With the three of them combined, their speed was extraordinary. If these plants didn’t act soon, the three of them would likely strip the entire Devouring Demon Mountain bare.

Zhuang Yi felt something whistling through the wind, heading straight for her. She shifted slightly, dodging a vine’s sneak attack. The vine didn’t give up, swerving back toward her. Though Zhuang Yi had no cultivation, her martial arts were still decent. She didn’t fear such vines; she performed a crisp somersault, leading the vine on a winding chase until it tangled itself around a tree.

Zhuang Yi didn’t dare relax. Immediately, countless vines surged toward her. She retreated again and again, her expression cold. These things actually knew to pick on the “softest” target first.

She leaned against a tree, panting slightly. Qian Feng hacked her way through, and Zhuang Yi fell into Ji Shutao’s arms.

“Why didn’t you call us over?”

If Ji Shutao and Qian Feng hadn’t been keeping a close eye on her, they wouldn’t have known what might have happened. Ji Shutao was both startled and angry.

“You guys were already watching. Besides, they were just some small vines; I can handle them.”

Lately, Zhuang Yi had figured out a whole set of ways to deal with Ji Shutao. If Ji Shutao wasn’t too angry, she would act cute to get away with it. If Ji Shutao was extremely angry, she would give her a kiss. If one kiss didn’t work, she’d give her two.

As it happened, Ji Shutao was a sucker for this. As long as Zhuang Yi acted cute, she lost all her temper and could do nothing but grin like an idiot.

Qian Feng had once called her spineless, but then she reconsidered wasn’t this a symbol of the “unbreakable bond” between the Lord and the Lord’s Consort? She decided to keep her mouth shut and her eyes closed to avoid the unnecessary impact.

After Ji Shutao finished her silly grin, she pulled Zhuang Yi behind her. Before the vines could even get close to the two of them, they were shredded by the combined efforts of Qian Feng and Cun Ming.

Not just the vines, but all the plants were beginning to stir. While fighting, Cun Ming didn’t forget to warn them: “These are also Phantom Vines. If you touch them, they will pull you into the illusions they create. Whatever you do, do not touch them with your hands.”

Qian Feng silently pulled her hand back.

As the plants continued their assault, the four were gradually forced into a tight circle. With Qian Feng and Cun Ming fending off the attacks, Ji Shutao only needed to protect Zhuang Yi.

The tip of the Qingyi Sword touched the ground. Ji Shutao’s intention was simply to have it ready to lift, but then she noticed the ground felt unusual.

She and Zhuang Yi cleared away the mud on the surface. The Qingyi Sword probably wasn’t too happy about it—it was a rare, fine weapon, not a shovel for digging dirt.

Though only a small portion was revealed, Ji Shutao could basically identify it. It was the largest talisman from that secret chamber.

“This is a talisman used to suppress evil. Once this talisman is activated, those who died unnaturally will not turn into vengeful spirits to cause chaos.”

Ji Shutao felt something was odd. Zhuang Yi knew what the talisman was with just a glance. It was the same at Wuming Mountain; she knew about the “Trap Hexagram” and its solution. But as far as Ji Shutao knew, the Demon Realm generally didn’t study talismans.

How did Zhuang Yi know these things?

After thinking for a moment, she asked, “Zhuang Yi, how do you know about these?”

Zhuang Yi froze for a second, clearly realizing the inconsistency as well. “I just… said it instinctively…”

She added, “Maybe I read it in some book.”

But these things felt as if they were etched into her brain.

Ji Shutao nodded, though her doubts remained, just like Zhuang Yi’s.

Ji Shutao continued clearing the dirt, wanting Zhuang Yi to see the full talisman. She poked a spot that happened to be the “head” of the talisman.

Everyone present clearly heard the sound of something turning. Then, the ground beneath their feet gave way. It happened so suddenly that no one was spared; they all fell through.

It felt like a bottomless abyss with no end, leaving one feeling powerless. Qian Feng tried to fly upward, but the abyss seemed to have a massive suction force. No matter how she struggled, she couldn’t break free. In desperation, she had to accept her fate.

“Lord! Lord!” she shouted into the void.

Zhuang Yi’s internal organs felt uncomfortable, but she managed to respond.

Qian Feng grabbed Zhuang Yi with one hand and Ji Shutao with the other. At least they didn’t land head-first.

From such a height, falling to one’s death would have been a certainty.

Cun Ming relied on his own strength and managed to stand firmly. What appeared before them was a hollow prison cell and a scene of carnage behind it.

Wu Huo, Chen Li, and Mei Wuhen three people were fighting a single skeleton, and yet they were struggling.

Sword strikes against it did nothing at all; it was as if it possessed an indestructible golden body.

Cun Ming didn’t even stop to catch his breath before joining the fray.

Qian Feng thought the skeleton looked decent. If she took it back and placed it at the border of the Demon Realm, it would be another layer of defense. So, she quickly drew her sword. The ears of Ji Shutao and Zhuang Yi were filled with the clashing sounds of blades.

Zhuang Yi looked pale; she turned away and vomited. The sudden weightlessness earlier had made her feel thoroughly unwell.

She could only hold her stomach and watch the battle alongside Ji Shutao.

Seeing her looking somewhat regretful, as if she wanted more, Ji Shutao asked, “You still want to fight?”

Zhuang Yi didn’t dare nod. “How could I possibly want to fight?”

Of course, she wanted to fight. Since becoming an ordinary person, she had only just started to stretch her limbs. But the child in her belly was being restless, so Zhuang Yi dismissed the notion.

Ji Shutao kept Zhuang Yi firmly in her embrace. She knew Zhuang Yi well this past month must have bored her to death.

Zhuang Yi used to be the kind of person who could casually storm Northern Morning Mountain. Now… Ji Shutao glanced at her belly. Best to wait until after the child was born.

With the addition of Qian Feng and Cun Ming, the skeleton clearly began to struggle, showing signs of retreat.

Chen Li had originally chopped off one of its arms, but then the skeleton had gotten smart and developed its indestructible body. No matter which direction they stabbed from, they couldn’t wound it. Now, finally, its defeat was certain.

“I surrender,” the skeleton said, clutching its head.

Everyone present: “???”

Cun Ming and Qian Feng, who had just joined and didn’t know the situation: “So you can talk.”

Chen Li and Wu Huo, who had fought several rounds without hearing a peep: “So you can talk.”

Mei Wuhen, who knew it could talk: “…”

Everyone’s focus shifted entirely.

The Skeleton: “…”

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