Killing Dao Fruit
Chapter 205 - 202: Searching for Him Through Thousands of People, Suddenly Turning Back

Chapter 205: Chapter 202: Searching for Him Through Thousands of People, Suddenly Turning Back

"Dead? Such a wealthy man with abundant family resources really couldn’t withstand a strike!

He was nothing but a straw bag born into good fortune, pah!"

Looking at Wang Yuan, who had fallen to the ground dead from a sword striking a vital point.

Shen Jiantong opened his mouth and swallowed back down the three-inch flying sword that was sharp enough to chill the bones.

But suddenly, he clutched his chest and coughed violently several times, with silver-colored blood even spilling from the corners of his mouth.

Hastily chewing on a few silver ooins, he gradually suppressed the faint pain in his chest.

This sword cultivator from "Worry-Free Cave" practiced the very niche "Abdominal Sword" from among various flying sword methods, and his battle style was also very much "honeyed words with a sword in the belly."

A facade on the surface, and another scheme in the dark.

He specialized in a pair of "Golden Jade Twin Swords," the male sword named "Golden Boy," of the metal element; the female sword named "Jade Maiden," of the earth element.

To forge the twin swords, a total of twelve pairs of dragon-phoenix twins from the same mother needed to be sacrificed.

Having been together day and night within the womb, never leaving each other’s side, even a mortal holding one sword could remotely control the other.

In the hands of a sword cultivator, the combined attack of the twin swords was unparalleled.

The physical form of the flying swords was only three inches long, usually hidden within Shen Jiantong’s abdomen using the "Sword Swallowing Technique," ready to slay a hundred people in an instant when opened his mouth at a critical moment!

If it came to a head-on clash with other flying swords, perhaps he might not be an opponent, but if used for a sudden sneak attack at close quarters, it was an invincible weapon of great slaughter.

Both in terms of the speed and the power of his attacks, they surpassed Wang Yuan’s "Geng Metal Divine Wind."

However, looking at his constant coughing and the blood spilling from his mouth, it was clear that his current state seemed somewhat abnormal.

Mortals might think that a "Sword Immortal" incorporating golden qi into their body, even having a blood of silver, is quite normal.

In fact, this was not a sign of Shen Jiantong’s powerful Daoist skills, but rather that his body had begun to mutate.

Because he had violated the precepts, his internal balance of golden qi was disrupted, damaging his lung meridian, which was also the main reason for his defection to the "No-Life Dao."

If he did not drink "Immortality Wine" soon or steal a "Killing Dao Fruit," he would truly become a "Deceit Object" that had completely lost his self.

Step, step, step...

Shen Jiantong and Father Zhong, one holding a long knife and the other carrying a box on his back, walked unhurriedly toward Zhou Jinhuan and his party, who wanted to retreat but found their bodies becoming less and less obedient.

The puppet that closely resembled Xiao Zhong, holding the "Luban Ruler," continued to emit rigid and terrifying childlike tones:

"One, two, three, stand like a tree..."

By this time, Wang Yuan, who lay "dead" on the ground with eyes wide open, after eavesdropping on the taboo of the "Deceit Object·Luban Ruler" through the "Heart Communication Conch,"

no longer considered this phrase just an ordinary child’s rhyme.

Shen Jiantong defected from his faction to save his life, whereas the Zhong father and son did so for vast wealth!

They had stolen the "Heart Communication Conch," originally the material used by their master to refine the "Taoist Inheritance Artifact·Desire Umbrella," from "Colorful Play Tower."

Ability: After setting up the puppet tether, based on different distances, fulfilling various conditions, they could transform living people and newly dead individuals into "Living Puppets."

One, within the extreme range of one li but outside a thirty-foot radius, should the puppet repeat "One, two, three, stand like a tree" three times, and the opponent stays put without moving, they would be captured.

From foot to head, it would take no more than the time of a 30-minute incense stick to completely transform them thanks to the puppet tether entering the brain.

However, if they experience a harsh external force during the transformation process, they could revert to normal.

Once the key point is known, even a commoner, as long as they immediately flee upon hearing "One, two, three, stand like a tree," would not be harmed at all.

Two, within a thirty-foot radius, its power was the strongest.

Within this range, regardless of whether the opponent is moving, as long as they are looking at themselves, then allowing themselves to say "One, two, three, stand like a tree,"

even "Yin God" realm cultivators would have difficulty escaping and transformation would begin from the feet immediately.

Within one day of being completely transformed into a "Living Puppet," the consciousness remains clear, but one completely lacks autonomous control.

Provided the owner of "Luban Ruler" wishes it, they can be returned to normal.

However, once more than a day passes, even the soul has become a puppet’s, and it can no longer be reversed.

Taboo: The ability of "Luban Ruler" is extremely weird; the user will instantly become a puppet upon touching it,

becoming a puppet between a living and a dead thing, losing all ability to move completely.

Unless an external force separates the two, the holder will completely fall under the control of "Luban Ruler" as a slaughtering tool within merely a quarter of an hour.

Therefore, it must be used by two people at the same time, and if not someone with absolute trust, one’s life should not be entrusted.]

The Zhong father and son could only jointly control this "Deceit Object" by working together; the small puppet on Father Zhong’s shoulder was actually Xiao Zhong himself.

This was similar to the reason why tomb raiding was often done by father and son pairs, with the son entering the tomb and the father above to pull on the rope,

to avoid those outside the tomb being tempted by the treasures and sealing the entrance after obtaining the burial objects, thereby killing the one who undertook the greatest risk by entering the tomb.

Of course, it can be seen from the Luoyang King, Zhou Wenye, and Emperor Jianming, Zhou Wenrui, that familial relationships in this world may not be as solid as expected, but they are still much stronger than those with outsiders.

With such a treasure at their side, it’s no wonder that they were so arrogant.

"Tycoon" Wang Yuan had become, in their eyes, a dead body incapable of movement, just waiting for the time of a 30-minute incense stick to become a fine puppet.

One could only say that Wang Yuan’s skill in feigning death now was incomparable to that during his time in the "Owl God Tomb."

Even two "True Qi" realm Mages, as well as the "Luban Ruler," which was between a "Monster" and a "Deceit Object," failed to notice the slightest anomaly.

All of this was thanks to the "Daoist Skill·Fake Death" (Chapter 119).

The body rigid in death, wounds not worsening, a spark of consciousness alone alive, choosing to return to life at any moment (up to three days at latest), detectable by no one.

Unless the corpse was completely destroyed, death was assuredly not certain.

To say nothing of them, Wang Yuan would even dare to confidently claim, even if King Yan himself were here, I’m just as dead as can be!

The so-called master in the shadows is always there; where others are immortals clashing, the magicians of this world are battling with Yin Coins.

The shadier one is, the better the chances to have the last laugh.

Having learned about the Luban Ruler’s significant flaw, Wang Yuan now just needed to wait for a chance to "return to life and counter-kill" without any injury.

"Gulp!"

Seeing Shen Jiantong, who had just unexpectedly slain the "honored guest," finally turning his icy gaze upon himself, Zheng Bangjie, whose chest had started to feel numb, couldn’t help but swallow hard.

He had deeply realized the brutality of these two men.

His mind was also filled with immense regret; after his Heart Communication Conch secretly listened to the heart of the Trial Stone the previous night, it wouldn’t be able to be used again for at least two days.

He was now completely unaware of the taboos surrounding that Deceit Object.

Feeling as if his legs had turned into wooden sticks, he tentatively spoke out:

"Wait, dear Taoist fellows, I can be of use, don’t kill me! Don’t you covet the treasures on this ship at all? I have a brilliant plan to make a fortune..."

Then he quickly relayed the "Prohibition Six" of the Great Yan Treasure Ship to them.

"According to the commerce rules of the Treasure Ship, everything has value; one’s remaining life’s consumption of goods—silk, porcelain, grain, tea... and so on, can be used to offset life span at settlement.

I can transfer all the wealth on this golden token to you, just spare my life, dear Taoist fellows.

With this secret in hand, what wish couldn’t be granted? Even immortality is not out of the question!"

The only thing he left unsaid was: among all those who boarded, only one person could enjoy this treatment at a time.

Zheng Bangjie had already taken this quota, and anyone else who tried to follow suit would just have their life drained by the Great Yan Treasure Ship, potentially dropping dead on the spot if they got a little too greedy.

Even now, this elite assassin was still thinking of using every last condition to make a desperate counter-kill, living up to the name of the Killing Temple.

But he didn’t expect Shen Jiantong to just scoff after hearing him out, giving a thumbs up and pointing behind with his thumb:

"Hah, rich? Do you think you’re richer than him?"

Following the direction of his finger, Zheng Bangjie was taken aback.

"This..."

He saw Wang Yuan’s "corpse," with the glaring sign of opulent gold still shining brightly above his head.

Though the man was dead, the wealth in his Talismanic Treasure Bag was still lying there honestly, just waiting for the victor to harvest.

"What a joke, if I kill you, all the money is mine!"

In the next moment, Zheng Bangjie was also pierced through the heart by the same sword.

In his dying moments, "Do you think you are richer than him?" still reverberated incessantly at the bottom of the Great Sea Merchant’s heart.

For a time, he couldn’t tell if it was the heart that was more painful, or the "heart" that was more painful.

Then his legs kicked out and he breathed no more.

However, not everyone is the same, Zheng Bangjie, who did not practice Heavenly Department Dao Skill·Earth Que Golden Book, was indeed truly dead when he was stabbed through the heart.

In this brief moment.

Zhou Jinhuan and Tang He, who had been hit and did not know how to save themselves, could only move their heads.

About to have their brains invaded by the Puppet Tether, they were even unable to stir up the energy within their bodies to commit suicide.

"Senior Brother Zhong, let’s take these two and make them into puppets to bring back.

Not only can we find out the whereabouts of the Wood Element Green Dragon, but we can also completely take control of Long Water Camp.

Young Master Xue and Taoist Yu Jiezi will surely give us great rewards, and we may even be able to gather all the materials for the Killing Banquet!

If Young Master Xue can achieve great things in the future and take the Yellow Seal Azure Dragon as a wife, our contribution will be immense!"

After being turned into puppets, they naturally couldn’t expect to keep any secrets to themselves any longer.

Their intention was to completely puppeteer Zhou Jinhuan.

Who made this prince leave his fief and the thirty-six camps, just when his dragon energy was at its weakest?

As long as they turned him into their "Living Puppet," they could find out anything they wanted without any effort.

Upon hearing their words, Zhou Jinhuan’s numb body shook violently, and anger burned in his heart:

’They came for my mother? Young Master Xue? The Xue family? He wants to take my mother?’

’You vile thing, how dare you! I will slaughter you!’

After his fury, Zhou Jinhuan’s heart inevitably turned to panic.

’I cannot die yet! My mother has not been rescued, my sister has not been found, and the place in my memory absolutely cannot be known to others!’

At the final moment of his life, he turned his head and stared determinedly at the Heavenly Mechanism Mirror not far from him.

Fate seemed to have played a great joke on him – hope was clearly within sight, yet it seemed as far as the ends of the earth, possibly out of reach for the rest of his life!

However, just as he was completely falling into despair.

Clang——!

A sound resounded through the great hall, like the ringing of golden jade, filled with boundless anger.

Listening to their wild claims, it was not Zhou Jinhuan who was the most enraged, but Zhou Huangwu!

Immediately.

As Zhou Jinhuan watched the fiery red figure burst out from Wang Yuan’s body, his pupils contracted sharply, and he couldn’t help but exclaim:

"Sister?!!"