The Plantain Demon had lived for over a thousand years and had encountered all kinds of capable people and strange practitioners.
There were monks with profound attainments in the Dao, and demon catchers who slayed evil and eliminated spirits, but this was the very first time that, when facing the green youth before it, waves of chill surged up from the bottom of its heart.
It couldn't help but recall when the youth presented his gift not long ago. The youth offered up the Scarlet Blood Silkworm raised within his body. It was precisely after swallowing that Scarlet Blood Silkworm that its human form became difficult to maintain, especially revealing its true form when encountering fire. In its panic, it could only flee back to its main body to hide.
Outsiders rarely knew that the only true way to kill a tree demon was to destroy its main body.
It wasn't until this moment, when the youth proposed his conditions, that the Plantain Demon suddenly realized.
So he had been taking steps methodically, deliberately forcing out the location of its main body to threaten it, just to ask a single question.
What an insidious and calculating boy!
"You... what did you put in that Scarlet Blood Silkworm?" The Plantain Demon's voice trembled. The Scarlet Blood Silkworm was supposed to be an extremely nourishing item, so how could it backlash against demonic nature?
"Nothing special, just raised it with my blood for a period of time." Wu Li suddenly looked up. His eyes curved slightly, smiling handsomely, but the light in his eyes was fierce and icy, making one shudder.
He leaned forward slightly, his tone gentle:
"How is it? Is the flavor of a Scarlet Blood Silkworm raised with the purest blood delicious?"
The Plantain Demon's pupils shrank, still in shock, as its insides suddenly churned violently.
Wu Li had already turned and glided to the second-floor railing, sitting down leisurely.
He tilted his head and rested his chin on his hand, his black nails lightly tapping on the wooden railing every so often, taking his time to watch the Plantain Demon downstairs twitching and vomiting wretchedly.
The Plantain Demon crawled on the ground in a bizarre posture. With the violent vomiting, its mouth opened wider and wider, and the human skin of "Qi Lao" on its face was stretched almost to the point of tearing, faintly revealing the rough, dark brown tree bark underneath.
Filth poured out like a opened floodgate, endlessly. First was a still-squirming Scarlet Blood Silkworm, followed by ghastly white bones mixed with rotting flesh and blood. Corpse water flowed everywhere, and a foul stench permeated the air, almost soaking every floorboard on the first floor.
Wu Li's gaze inadvertently swept over the pillar Chai Xiaomi was leaning against.
The young girl was sleeping soundly, her breathing even and long. Her long braided pigtails hung loosely over her shoulders. When she closed her eyes, she lacked her usual liveliness, but gained a bit of tranquility, making her look even softer and more delicate.
Seeing that the foul slime was about to reach her feet.
Wu Li frowned fiercely, suddenly remembering that she had just said she hated dirt the most.
If she woke up and found herself lying in such a mess, she would definitely chatter endlessly. That would be fine, but she might cry non-stop like before, rubbing all her tears and snot on his clothes.
Tsk, troublesome.
With a dark face, he flew down and scooped up the girl's slender waist.
He originally wanted to carry her in his arms, but felt it was in the way. He wanted to carry her on his back, but also felt it was inconvenient. Finally, he neatly hoisted her over his shoulder and immediately sat back on the second-floor railing.
In the past, it was common for him to carry heavy sacks or wild beasts on his back in the village, but this was the first time he carried someone so light.
As soft and light as a cloud hanging on his shoulder.
She was wearing Miao clothing, a top and a skirt. This hanging posture caused the hem of her clothes to lift slightly, revealing a small section of her waist, her skin clear as jade and tinged with a faint pink.
Wu Li's breath caught, and he suddenly turned his face away. For a moment, he didn't know where to rest his gaze. After wandering for a moment, he finally fixed it back on the Plantain Demon.
By this time, it had almost finished vomiting. The human skin on its body had completely split open, leaving only a human-shaped tree trunk. The virgin bodies it had swallowed in the past were all vomited out, and its demonic power was greatly reduced.
The Plantain Demon vomited while pleading pitifully, "I beg you, Young Master... please be merciful! It is a hundred times harder for our tree demon clan to cultivate a human form than other clans... Whatever you want to know, I, I will tell you everything truthfully!"
It couldn't understand no matter what. A thousand years of cultivation was so vulnerable in front of this youth. He clearly hadn't done anything, yet he had cast some unknown witchcraft or voodoo, leaving it powerless to resist, forcing it to vomit out all those hard-earned cultivation supplements.
Finally, under its repeated pleas, the churning force in its body suddenly ceased.
The Plantain Demon slumped to the ground, slowly raising its head to look up at the two figures on the railing.
It saw the youth carrying the sleeping girl on his shoulder, one hand steadily gripping her legs. He lazily lifted his eyelids, his tone flat, yet revealing a calm and unhurried malice:
"Just a small question. Where can the Three-Life Spider Lily be found?"
The Plantain Demon's expression changed.
Just for this one question, it had been tormented to this extent.
Although the question was simple, if asked of ordinary demons or evil spirits, they might not really know. The Plantain Demon had lived a long time and was closely connected with the earth and vegetation. No one knew the growing places of strange flowers and exotic plants in this world better than it did, especially a rare spiritual plant like the "Three-Life Spider Lily".
However, apart from its bizarre and gorgeous appearance and being for appreciation, this flower seemed to have no other use.
Unless... it was used to detoxify Gu.
Rumor had it that this flower could cure a hundred Gu in the world.
A youth skilled in planting Gu was looking for this method of detoxifying Gu. The Plantain Demon couldn't help but form some speculations in its heart.
Those who planted Gu usually knew the art of detoxifying Gu themselves, unless the Gu he planted was the extremely evil Five Poison Gu. A Gu refined with five poisons was exceptionally fierce and malevolent, and ordinary detoxification methods were completely powerless to save the situation.
"There is a Youquan Town in Liangya Prefecture. At the bottom of a spring in the town lies a Three-Life Stone, and beside the stone grows the Three-Life Spider Lily." The Plantain Demon's voice was weak, but it still forced itself to speak. "It's just that it's rumored that the bottom of that spring leads straight to the underworld, and those who pick the flower... often never return."
It managed to pull the corners of its mouth and asked tentatively, "Could it be that the Gu the Young Master wants to detoxify is a Gu refined from the five poisons?"
"So what if it is." Wu Li's tone was flat.
"I'm not boasting, but I've eaten more salt at my age than the Young Master has eaten rice. Young Master, why don't you tell me what kind of Gu you want to detoxify? I don't know about other Gu, but if it's a Love Gu—"
The Plantain Demon dragged out its words and lowered its voice: "I have heard people mention another method of detoxification. It only requires the person who was planted with the Gu to swallow the blood of the person who planted the Gu while they are having sexual intercourse, and the Gu can be removed."
After finishing speaking, it added another sentence: "Naturally, this is just hearsay and may not be true..."
Before it could finish speaking, the youth coldly called out: "Hongjiao."
The snake's head suddenly burrowed into the tree roots under the ground, slithering among the twisted and intertwined root system.
The Plantain Demon stared in shock with wide eyes: "What are you going to do?"
Its demon core was hidden in the root system!
"Naturally, burning the bridge after crossing it. I've asked everything I needed to ask..."
The corners of Wu Li's lips curled up slightly, and his voice carried an almost innocent cruelty, as soft as if he were talking to himself.
"Then, you are useless. A thousand years should be enough for you to enjoy. Old thing, obediently go to your death."
The night wind blew through the broken window lattices, lifting the fine black hair on his forehead, revealing the heterochromatic eyes underneath that held a smile but were empty and lonely.
The silver ornaments in his hair were caught by the wind, ringing crisply, like a bell urging death.
"Brother! Little Brother—"
"Are you alright? Are you still inside?"
A shout pierced the air from outside. A sword aura, as cold and sharp as frost, shattered the window lattice and slashed through the wind!
Where the sword's light struck, several thick vines were severed instantly, sending debris flying in all directions. The Plantain Demon let out a shrill, agonizing howl as thick sap gushed from its severed limbs.
In the night outside the building, Jiang Zhiyu's voice rang out with urgency.
He and Song Yueyao had used the Phantom Color Stone to escape the illusion. Knowing full well that this demon was no easy opponent, they had rushed back to retrieve the Lingyu Sword.
