Chapter Thirty-One: Psychic Assault

Yuan’s body twisted madly, with snake tails, scorpion stingers, rat heads, and other bizarre appendages lashing out in a frenzy. In an instant, everything around was shattered to pieces. That terrifying brute force, combined with an endless number of repulsive limbs, erupted in full—enough that even a city might not withstand its onslaught.

Both Wang Yue and Li Qingqing struggled to withstand such a dense barrage of attacks. Shen Chang’an, who had previously placed all his faith in dodging the creature’s frontal blows, was caught off guard by a snake tail striking from outside his field of vision and was sent flying.

Fortunately, both of them were wealthy and had no shortage of treasures in hand. For the moment, Yuan could not kill them outright.

Zheng Xin seized the opportunity to rush to Shen Chang’an’s side, quickly feeling for his breath.

He was still alive.

“Taoist, can you still speak?” Zheng Xin asked urgently.

Shen Chang’an lifted his eyelids with effort, struggling to cough. “Still… all right…”

“Enough, save your breath. In your state—”

She was speaking when she suddenly noticed Shen Chang’an’s hand slowly moving across the ground, pressing talismans to the earth as he went. She stared in bewilderment.

Sensing Zheng Xin’s attention, Shen Chang’an gave her a meaningful glance.

She immediately understood. Glancing quickly around, Zheng Xin pulled out some spare mosquito-repelling herbs, lit them, and tossed them around to ward off any prying ants.

Then Zheng Xin straddled Shen Chang’an, pretending to administer emergency aid while actually using her body to block the view from behind.

But this meant she could no longer see what was happening behind her. Should an attack come, both of them would be doomed.

With the obstruction in place, Shen Chang’an’s speed increased. His palm moved swiftly, slapping talismans one after another onto the ground. Just as the formation was about to be completed, a strange ripple suddenly pulsed through the earth.

“Damn—”

Shen Chang’an’s expression changed at once. He abandoned all pretense, sprang up, grabbed Zheng Xin, and leaped away.

The moment he took flight, a massive snake tail shot up from the ground, shredding all the talismans he had just laid.

“Damn it…” Shen Chang’an’s face darkened. The formation he’d been about to complete was now utterly destroyed.

“You didn’t really think I wouldn’t notice your little tricks, did you?” Yuan’s harsh voice sounded, mocking Shen Chang’an’s efforts.

“I am the embodiment of humanity’s evil thoughts. How could I not understand the minds of men? Your little schemes cannot escape me.”

Shen Chang’an took a deep breath, suppressing the distracting thoughts in his mind and calming himself.

“Taoist Shen, come quickly and lend a hand!” Li Qingqing called out as soon as she saw he was unharmed.

But Shen Chang’an did not rush forward at once. Instead, he quickly surveyed Yuan’s body.

“This creature… brute force won’t do much good…”

Yuan’s body was a grotesque patchwork of twisted parts, with few places vulnerable to force. Even if he shattered several parts, it made little difference; Yuan’s body continually spawned new appendages. Even if Shen Chang’an gave his all, the effect would be minimal.

If only he’d been able to unleash the Azure Duckweed Sword’s demon-slaying power—the result would have been entirely different. Its sword energy could easily sweep through the creature’s warped body, perhaps even sever the core and kill it outright. No matter how monstrous Yuan’s form, it would not withstand a single stroke.

“Taoist Shen!” Li Qingqing urged anxiously.

She was genuinely afraid Shen Chang’an would simply turn and leave. She had seen for herself his willingness to sacrifice an entire city. She dared not trust what he might do next.

Shen Chang’an sighed softly, flicked his long staff, and joined the fray.

With Shen Chang’an in the battle, the situation changed at once. The two who had been fleeing now formed up around him, supporting his assault.

Shen Chang’an’s supernatural skills were formidable; brute force might have limited effect, but even so, two swings of his staff could smash one of Yuan’s appendages—an extremely troublesome ability for the monster. Despite its ability to regenerate, it still required time, and Shen Chang’an’s relentless destruction of its twisted limbs bought them precious seconds.

But to truly destroy Yuan, this was still far from enough.

“Li Qingqing, show everything you’ve got…”

Li Qingqing clearly had more up her sleeve if she’d planned to take on Yuan. She must have other means—otherwise, if she hadn’t met Shen Chang’an, she’d be utterly helpless.

“Very well!”

At this critical juncture, Li Qingqing showed not the slightest hesitation. “I do have treasures that can deal with this thing, but I’ll need your help.”

No sooner had she spoken than several enormous snake tails, fused with other grotesque organs, came hurtling toward her in a frenzy.

Yuan was no fool. It possessed considerable intelligence, and with Shen Chang’an and the others discussing their plans right in front of it, it listened to every word.

“Hmph!”

With a cold snort, Li Qingqing’s form suddenly twisted, dodging from the mass of attacks with astonishing agility. Not a single blow, though layered and relentless, could touch her.

“Oh? A ghostly body?” Yuan rasped.

No matter how fierce, its physical attacks could not harm a spectral form. No matter how great their strength, it was useless.

But at that moment, a wave of black energy burst from Yuan’s body, surging outward in a violent shockwave. Before anyone could react, they were struck.

An overwhelming flood of thoughts poured into their minds. Their faces went pale, and they felt a crushing pressure on their spirits, as if struggling to breathe.

“Embodiment of evil thoughts… Damn, how could I forget?” Shen Chang’an cursed inwardly. However grotesque and powerful its physical form, at its core, the creature was a manifestation of malice.

As the incarnation of evil thoughts, how could it not wield attacks on the spirit? In fact, its mental prowess was likely far greater than its physical might.

Caught off guard, they were immediately ensnared. Their minds went blank, their thoughts muddled—they could barely control their own bodies.

And at this perilous moment, several of Yuan’s snake tails came whipping down upon them!