Chapter 165 A Close Call

Hearing this, everyone shifted their attention from the gradually deflating pregnant bellies and looked towards the Yuanshi Tianzun under the shade of the tree.

They saw him standing under the tree, panting, his belly bulging, looking as if he had just experienced fetal movement.

Although it was inappropriate, the thought arose simultaneously in the minds of everyone except Yin Ji: *If only I had a phone, I could take a picture of Yuanshi Tianzun pregnant, it would definitely go viral.*

"Cough, cough," Hong Ji-ge stifled the dangerous thought and started with a pointless remark:

"So, Yin corpses can't get pregnant."

Now that he thought about it, the previous batch of Lingjing Xingzhe were extremely unlucky. The function of the Yin-Yang Wheel was to devour life force, but Yin objects were dead things and had no life force of their own. The crying of the infant's head was also ineffective against Yin objects. Dead objects could not conceive life. No wonder they were wiped out. Zhang Yuanqing suddenly felt a little sorry for those guys. "Night Tour Water Deprivation, Forced Pregnancy, there should also be healing boss abilities, just these few," Free Eagle said with a frown.

"Night Tour doesn't matter, there are plenty of ways to counter it. Water deprivation is unsolvable. Pregnancy and healing, how should we develop tactics?"

Xia Shuzhi Lian added:

"In addition to these, the boss's own combat power can be compared to a Level 6 Yin corpse, and because it's a Yin object, it has almost no vital points."

Xiahou Aotian pondered for a moment and said loudly:

"The foolish supporting characters are still worried, while the clever protagonist has already thought of a solution and formulated a plan."

"Why are you facing away from us?" Hong Ji-ge asked.

Xiahou Aotian was sitting cross-legged on the ground, facing away from everyone.

"Those who have seen the protagonist's embarrassing history don't live long. I'm thinking of you," Xiahou Aotian snorted.

"Alright, now is not the time for you two to do a comedy routine," Xia Shuzhi Lian interrupted them and urged, "If you have a solution, just say it."

At times like these, the role of the Scholar became prominent.

Xiahou Aotian said:

"The water deprivation is unsolvable, at least at our level. However, an Earth-attribute monster item of Saint level quality can slow down the loss of water, allowing us to barely survive."

Yin Ji said, "I happen to have one."

*In fact, the Dharmakaya condensed by the Yin-Yang Formation can also restrain water deprivation because it has no physical form, but the Water Formation may fuel the boss's ferocity.* Zhang Yuanqing weighed the pros and cons for a few seconds and gave up the idea of deploying the formation. He said:

"I have three Earth-attribute monster items of Saint level quality."

The Hou Tu Boots, the Mountain God Scepter, and the Unyielding Mirror. Yun Meng wanted to say that she had healing items, but upon second thought, water deprivation was different from ordinary attacks, and healing might not work, so she chose to remain silent.

"Okay, we barely have a way to restrain water deprivation. Next is to deal with that rule-based item," Xiahou Aotian prompted:

"It's actually very simple, use the Yin-Yang Wheel!"

Xia Shuzhi Lian's eyes lit up: "That's right, the Yin-Yang Wheel can plunder life force, which happens to restrain the healing. The boss is not intelligent, it can't answer questions."

Xiahou Aotian nodded:

"That's right. We'll first use Hong Ji-ge's dynamite to severely injure the boss, then Yuanshi Tianzun will offer the Yin-Yang Wheel to restrain the rule-based item. Finally, Yuanshi Tianzun will use that bronze pestle to eliminate it."

"Although this way Yuanshi Tianzun will take the lion's share of the rewards, letting him take advantage is fine compared to completing the level."

It must be said that Xiahou Aotian, talking eloquently and facing away from everyone, indeed had the demeanor of a wise man at this moment. Hearing this, Zhang Yuanqing tapped the tree trunk with his finger:

"A minute and a half has passed. I have to remind you that this plan has a fatal flaw. I can't resist the crying, and the boss, apart from its skills, is a Level 6 Yin corpse."

"Even if the Yin-Yang Wheel can suppress the rule-based item, preventing the boss from resurrecting and healing, do you think I can kill it with a big belly? Even with all of you, it's impossible."

Xiahou Aotian was immediately speechless. "Even the most resourceful strategist has oversights."

A look of worry once again crept onto everyone's faces. Yin Ji suddenly said:

"The Taiyi School has special spirit talismans and formations that can restrain Yin corpses. I can weaken its level, but drawing the formation will take three minutes."

*Even weakening its level would definitely be stronger than me, but I can't possibly let you use the Yin-Yang Wheel. However, I can use the Hou Tu Boots and the Mountain God Scepter to refine this area, drawing a continuous stream of earth power. As the power ebbs and flows, I can try it.* Zhang Yuanqing deduced in his mind for a moment and said:

"Time is of the essence, let's act quickly."

At this time, everyone's abdomen was becoming flatter and would be completely restored in a moment.

Yin Ji took out various Yin-attribute materials rich in spirituality from her item bar and said quickly, "Yuanshi Tianzun, come and help."

The only one who could help was Yuanshi Tianzun, who was also a Star Official.

"Help me prepare the ink."

"Ink" was the "jargon" of the Night Wanderer profession, referring to the pigment for drawing talismans.

Star sand, Yin soil, soul stones, hair, Nether grass… Zhang Yuanqing understood what she was going to prepare at a glance.

Spirit talismans mainly had two functions: spirit (魂) and body (魄). Spirit referred to the spiritual body, and body referred to the physical body.

A proper formation refined spirits and corpses, while an inverse formation extinguished spirits and sealed corpses. This was not difficult for him.

With the two of them working together tacitly, the ink was prepared. Yin Ji used a bowl made of a cat's skull to hold the thick, black-red liquid. She held the skull in both hands and chanted.

Zhang Yuanqing noticed that the liquid in the skull was more spiritual.

*I didn't understand her previous operation at the bottom of the sea, and I don't understand the current operation either. I've already learned all the Night Wanderer's skills, so why can't I chant spells?* He suddenly realized that Jianghu vagabonds and fairies from famous sects were indeed different.

Although the history of modern Lingjing Xingzhe was still short, it had been over a hundred years. The master of the Taiyi School was definitely one of the first Lingjing Xingzhe. The Taiyi School already possessed the rudiments of inheritance.

Members of the sect could learn many spells that the Lingjing wouldn't "teach" and that scattered cultivators couldn't learn.

After reciting the incantation, Yin Ji splashed the thick, syrup-like liquid from the skull.

The materials rich in spirituality did not fall immediately but solidified in mid-air. Then, as if endowed with life, they took the initiative to move in the air, outlining twisted and complex but Dao-filled patterns.

*Eh, this kind of spirit talisman is like a corpse-suppressing talisman but also adds many astrological elements. Is it a combination of formations and spirit talismans developed from astrology?*

*I understand the means by which she outlines the formation diagram. There's no skill, it's purely relying on powerful mental power to manipulate it. When I reach Level 6, I can also…*

Zhang Yuanqing opened his eyes wide and memorized the entire complex formation diagram.

He didn't need to deliberately memorize it because this was not something that ordinary Lingjing Xingzhe could remember unless they were Scholars.

But Zhang Yuanqing's brain had a disease, and he could recall anything he had seen by having an attack.

Just now, he recorded the types of materials and the proportions of the mixing. Given enough time, he could replicate the exact same formation, which meant he had successfully learned it by stealing.

At this moment, Zhang Yuanqing's expression became anxious, and he urged:

"Hurry up, my Yin corpse can't hold on anymore. It's coming back soon, there are still five hundred meters."

Yin Ji's expression became serious, and the speed of outlining the formation diagram was obviously accelerated.

"Three hundred meters!" "Two hundred meters!"

"One hundred meters, it's coming!" Zhang Yuanqing shouted.

Hong Ji-ge and the others, with tense faces, looked up. They saw the bushes in front of them shaking, and a Yuanshi Tianzun dashed out of the dense forest and ran wildly towards them.

Immediately afterward, a dark green figure descended from the sky and attacked. Just as "Yuanshi Tianzun" was about to suffer misfortune, he nimbly avoided the Little Emperor's pounce with a sliding shovel.

He bounced up, took long strides, and ran towards the crowd.

"Wah! Wah! Wah!"

The clear crying of an infant entered their ears, and everyone's just flattened bellies visibly swelled again.

"Damn it, Yuanshi Tianzun, the item is for you!"

Hong Ji-ge threw out his backpack, then held his belly and ran away while cursing angrily.

Xiahou Aotian and the other three also fled into the distance, avoiding it like a venomous snake.

Yin Ji's belly also bulged high, two months pregnant, three months, four months. She frowned in pain, sweat flowing down her cheeks, but she endured and continued to outline the formation diagram.

Just as Blood Rose and the Little Emperor were about to reach them, Yin Ji pressed down with both hands, and the talisman that was condensing in the air struck the ground, and then vanished.

"You go quickly!" Zhang Yuanqing urged.

Yin Ji looked at him and said softly, "Be careful."

In the lingering echo, her beautiful figure with the bulging belly disintegrated into starlight and disappeared.

After everyone left, Zhang Yuanqing took out the Yin-Yang Wheel, put on the Lucky Charm Necklace, and dialed the pointer.

Instantly, a formation covering a radius of forty meters took shape, like an inverted bowl, enveloping Zhang Yuanqing, Blood Rose, and the Little Emperor.

With the blessing of luck, the pointer unexpectedly stopped in the black area.

Above the Yin-Yang Wheel, a dialogue box appeared that only Lingjing Xingzhe could see:

\[Pointer: Black]

\[Note 1: Answer the wheel's question. Answering correctly allows you to re-spin the pointer. Accumulating three white results can lift the seal.]

\[Note 2: Wrong answers result in death!]

The dialogue box solidified for ten seconds, then disappeared. A new dialogue box popped up and hung above the wheel.

\[Question: A customer comes to a brothel.

Others see him arrive and laugh, saying: Oh, our five centimeters is here. The customer, hearing this, is furious, saying: Every girl who has served me has been so comfortable that she's softened all over. I don't know how happy they are.]

\[Note: Please describe the above content with an idiom. Answer within thirty seconds. Countdown: 00:29:45]

A question with no difficulty. Zhang Yuanqing glanced at it, then threw the wheel aside.

Then, he took out two packs of explosives from his backpack and casually threw them at his feet. While the fetus hadn't taken too much power, he used Star Teleportation to escape.

He appeared at the entrance of the palace and looked back, just in time to see Blood Rose leap over the explosives and run towards him.

After entering the formation set up by Yin Ji, the speed at which the Little Emperor's quality declined obviously slowed down, so he didn't catch up with Blood Rose and arrived at the location of the explosives two seconds later.

Without hesitation, he pressed the detonator. "Boom!"

The earth shook violently, and thick smoke and flames surged up, engulfing the Little Emperor's dark green body. The violent air waves uprooted the surrounding trees.

The thick smoke cleared, revealing a charred humanoid figure. A large area of the scales on the Little Emperor's body had been blown off, his left hand was blown off, a hole was blown in his abdomen, and both of his calves were blown off, revealing the bones.

After the level decreased, its body and physique also decreased.

The explosion caused extremely considerable damage. "Wah! Wah! Wah!"

The crying became more and more intense.

The Little Emperor's body, covered in burns, quickly healed, and the scales grew back.

Just at this moment, the 30 seconds were up, and the wheel next to it shot out a thick black light, shining directly on the Little Emperor.

The rapidly healing and growing wounds and scales came to an abrupt halt.

The infant was still crying, but it could no longer heal its host. The life force it released was greedily plundered by another force.

It worked. The Yin-Yang Wheel was working. Zhang Yuanqing shook open the Yin-Yang Dharma Robe and draped it over his shoulders. He put on the Unyielding Mirror and grabbed the Mountain God Scepter and the Hou Tu Boots.

The Hou Tu Boots continuously drew earth power for him, and his slightly sore limbs were instantly filled with power. At the same time, because his stamina was improved, his tolerance for abdominal pain was greatly enhanced.

The Mountain God Scepter's passive strength allowed his body to function beyond the peak of his best condition.

Feeling his body stronger than ever before, Zhang Yuanqing grabbed the scepter in one hand and the Demon Subduing Pestle in the other and charged towards the Little Emperor.

Fifty meters away, the teammates with pregnant bellies seemed to have forgotten the pain and watched Yuanshi Tianzun's figure charging towards the boss with anticipation and tension.

"Roar!"

The Little Emperor roared in a low voice and staggered towards the enemy.

With a swipe of its sharp right claw, it easily tore the enemy apart.

But this was just an illusion created by Star Illusion. The real Yuanshi Tianzun appeared behind the Little Emperor and stabbed the Demon Subduing Pestle into its torn and battered back.

The Little Emperor suddenly spun around and swung its right claw quickly and urgently.

Its height was just at Zhang Yuanqing's waist, and its dark and sharp claws swept across his waist.

A yellow light flashed, and the claw attack was blocked.

Zhang Yuanqing swung the Mountain God Scepter and slammed it hard on the Little Emperor's head, knocking scales flying.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

He circled around the Little Emperor, constantly striking it with the scepter and suppressing the boss with his own good fighting skills.

But even if the Little Emperor's quality was lowered, its strength and speed were still stronger than a Level 4 Star Official.

Although it was at a disadvantage and was constantly being beaten, and its short stature was already covered in wounds, as long as Zhang Yuanqing tried to thrust out the Demon Subduing Pestle at close range, it would counterattack frantically.

"Wah! Wah!"

The infant's crying became more and more intense, and a crying sound echoed from Zhang Yuanqing's belly.

His abdomen shook violently, and a sharp pain shot through him. The face of an infant was printed on his belly.

The Little Emperor took the opportunity to swing its only remaining right claw and heavily swept it across the enemy's waist.

Zhang Yuanqing flew out like a kite with a broken string.

In the rolling landing, he heard the metal buckle of his belt "snap." This high-quality, branded waist pack finally broke under the heavy burden.

At this time, his belly had bulged to an extremely exaggerated level, like a pregnant woman about to give birth.

And his only way to give birth was to burst out of his belly.

Time was of the essence. Zhang Yuanqing didn't have time to worry about the Cat King's speaker. This item could not be put into the item bar, and the buckle of the waist pack was broken. Forcing himself to pick it up would only be a burden. He couldn't possibly fight with it in his hand.

*My condition is getting worse and worse. If I can't solve it within twenty seconds, I can only use the Cat King's speaker.* Zhang Yuanqing's mind raced, assessing his skills and items.

The fetus in his belly was taking his strength and skills every moment. In a state of constant "bleeding," means that could boost himself were especially valuable.

The Cat King's speaker's suona sound still had a certain boost to him.

If it really came to a matter of life and death, he would have to use it even if it exposed his identity as the Demon Lord's successor. After all, if he returned to the Lingjing, everything would be in vain.

Soon, he thought of a solution. "Thump!"

He plunged the Mountain God Scepter into the ground. Half of the scepter's body disappeared into the soft soil, and the emerald at the top emitted a glow.

The surrounding vegetation mutated, and tree branches emerged from the ground, trying to entangle the Little Emperor.

The dark green Little Emperor opened its dark mouth and sucked hard, and the remaining scales on its body opened, frantically plundering the surrounding moisture.

Zhang Yuanqing's moisture quickly drained away, his skin became dry and wrinkled, and his condition became worse and worse.

The only thing he was glad about was that the Unyielding Mirror slightly slowed down the loss of moisture, and the stamina and earth power provided by the Hou Tu Boots supported his exhausted body.

Zhang Yuanqing grabbed an item that was almost forgotten—

Blood Rouge!

He opened the silver rouge box, picked up a touch of scarlet rouge with his fingertip, and smeared it on the Demon Subduing Pestle.

Then, he lightly exhaled a breath of Taiyin power and summoned the beautiful red figure wearing a wedding dress and holding a lovely baby.

Then, he used Spiritual Body Projection to separate his spirit and rush towards the Little Emperor with the Ghost Bride.

Master and servant crashed into the Little Emperor's body at the same time. "Roar!"

The Little Emperor opened its dark mouth and let out an angry roar. Its body trembled violently, and its limbs spasmed as it fought with the two Saint-level spiritual bodies inside its body for control of its body.

On the other side, a wisp of ghostly soul appeared and attached itself to the Demon Subduing Pestle, which was stained with blood rouge, and roared as it shot towards the Little Emperor.

"Puff!"

The Demon Subduing Pestle pierced the Little Emperor's chest, and it suddenly froze.

Zhang Yuanqing then retrieved Bai Lan into his spirit before the Demon Subduing Pestle arrived.

The next second, the golden Great Sun erupted, and golden light spewed out from the Little Emperor's mouth, eyes, and nostrils, burning its body into charcoal.

The shadow attached to the Demon Subduing Pestle also disappeared in the Sun God's power.

This time, the Little Emperor was unable to revive because the black light of the Yin-Yang Wheel enveloped the baby's head on its shoulder.

After solving it, Zhang Yuanqing picked up the Demon Subduing Pestle, stepped on the charred corpse's chest, held the baby's head, and pulled it off.

The Little Emperor's body completely dissipated.

*I've taken the rule-based item component.* Zhang Yuanqing put the baby's head into his item bar, returned to the place where the Cat King's speaker had fallen, picked up the waist pack, and then picked up the Yin-Yang Wheel again and sent this item back into his item bar.

The restriction dissipated.

After doing all this, he heard hurried footsteps and saw Yin Ji returning with her teammates, their faces full of excitement.