Killing Dao Fruit
Chapter 257 - 254: Going Against Convention!

Chapter 257: Chapter 254: Going Against Convention!

Wang Yuan and Huang Wu were protected along their journey by the blessings of "Namo Great Compassionate Gatling Bodhisattva".

The demons and ghosts that lurked in the historical crevices of Dengzhou Prefecture were all easily annihilated by the demon extermination Buddha light emitted from depleted uranium bullets.

They even slaughtered all the Sect disciples they happened to encounter on the road.

The two flew swiftly through layers of huge cities without touching the ground, and in no time, they made their way to the era before Dengzhou’s establishment, during the Eastern Barbarian Era.

Arriving there, the splendid city had completely vanished, replaced by low thatched cottages, crude stone tools, and sturdy barbarian people clothed in animal hides...

However.

This crude land known as the Nine Barbarian Countries, inhabited mainly by the Quanyi, Yuyi, Fangyi, Yellow Yi, White Yi, Chiyi, Xuanyi, Wind Yi, and Yangyi,

represented one of the most important ancestral sources of the Yan Han people in history, a source of bloodline and culture, marking the very beginning of Dengzhou Prefecture’s cultural history.

The "Weird" causing the anomaly in Dengzhou Prefecture’s public dream was most likely hiding here!

Just as the two of them jumped out of a clay pot and landed in a dilapidated thatched cottage, they unexpectedly heard a cry of surprise from outside.

"Junior Brother Jin, what are you doing?!"

Although the voice was filled with panic, it sounded as pleasant as a flowing spring.

Wang Yuan and Huang Wu both had a deep impression of this voice; it seemed to be that of... the White Lotus Holy Daughter Su Guyun?

What followed in their ears was a series of continuous, immense roars.

The two looked at each other and peeked quietly through the gaps in the thatched leaves towards the outside.

Before this small village-like settlement was a clear stream, and on the opposite bank, a man and a woman were locked in fierce battle.

Weren’t they the two No-Life Dao Yin God Realm Mages they had just seen—Jin Changhao and Su Guyun?

"How strange, why are these demons fighting each other?"

Wang Yuan and Huang Wu were pleased to watch the drama unfold, and instead of revealing themselves, they hid even deeper.

At this moment, from the golden lotus above Jin Changhao’s head, fiery golden balls were continuously ejected, pouncing towards Su Guyun across.

And exploding into a shower of sparks upon the glistening water light given off by the blooming white lotus.

Normally, the Good Water White Lotus Skill should be able to overpower the Pill Fire Golden Lotus Skill at the same realm.

Just by seeing one with merely fourteen golden lotuses and the other with a full twenty-one white lotuses, the gap in their Taoist ability was evident.

Under normal circumstances, Jin Changhao had no chance of defeating Su Guyun.

Yet, the "impossible" was now unfolding before their very eyes.

For some reason, Su Guyun’s strength seemed to be rapidly weakening, and she was even forced to retreat under Jin Changhao’s relentless attacks.

Facing the Holy Daughter’s question, Jin Changhao laughed coldly in response,

"What am I doing? I merely wish to claim the throne of the Little Ming King for myself.

Regrettably, my dear senior sister, you have always been evasive and dismissive towards me, and my last shred of patience has worn thin.

If you won’t give it to me, then I’ll take it by force!"

Worn down, Su Guyun looked both sorrowful and furious,

"Have you gone mad? If you act in this dream, and it messes up Uncle’s grand plan, can you bear the consequences?"

She watched as a drop of ink appeared amidst the pure whiteness of her body, and as time progressed, it swiftly spread as if to dye her whole being black.

Jin Changhao laughed heartily,

"Ha, once I become the Little Ming King, even if our mission fails, or if you all die here, what of it?

I expended much of my fortune to obtain this Confusing Heart Poison and nurtured this poison that resides between reality and illusion with my heart blood. Before entering the dream, I used it on you.

Perhaps in a state of unwavering focus, you could suppress the Confusing Heart Poison and then slowly eliminate it, but now you no longer have that chance.

In a moment, you will turn into a lowly female slave who obeys my every word!

Weren’t you pure and lofty? Didn’t you always look down on someone like me from a small state compared to your mighty Great Yan?

In the future, I’ll do whatever I want to you! Hahahaha..."

As he laughed wildly, he lifted his hand and drew a hazy strand from his head, casting it into the air, turning into a majestic Sunlight Bodhisattva.

This Bodhisattva was entirely red, seated upon a red lotus, holding a red lotus in the left hand, while the right hand, halfway raised, sealed inward, atop the lotus a sun wheel sat.

The moment it appeared, it joined with the golden lotus above his head.

In an instant, with the enhancement of imagination, the Pill Fire Golden Lotus Skill became more than ten times stronger.

It bore the might to burn the heavens and boil the seas.

With the upper hand, he couldn’t help but reveal his innermost thoughts,

"Once I become the Little Ming King, I can use the power of the Three Yang Sect in the north to return to Tanhuan, break the Bone Grade System, and ascend to the throne as king.

Then, I will turn against Great Yan and take over the entire world! No one will be able to stop me then!"

The ruling system of the Mountain Country Tanhuan is known as the Bone Grade System.

Bone grades are inherited and unchanging, defining one’s social status from the moment of birth.

One needs a bone grade to hold office, to marry, and even the size of one’s house must strictly adhere to their bone grade.

The three families of Pu, Jin, and Xi are the biggest nobles within Tanhuan’s ruling faction, not only hereditary kings but also monopolizing the entire bureaucratic system with supreme authority.

These three royal families are thus known as "Holy Bones" (First Bone), with other nobility ranking as "True Bones" (or Second Bone), six-skull grade, five-skull grade, four-skull grade, and so on.

Only the "Holy Bones" royal family can inherit the throne. Each bone grade is self-contained, not intermarrying with others.

Unfortunately, Jin Changhao’s "Jin" is merely a six-skull grade "Third Bone", not one of the ruling Holy Bones "Jin".

The throne remains and always will be out of reach from a "True Bone".

Had he not been surnamed "Jin", he might not have entertained such wild ambitions.

It was precisely because of their different fates under the same "gold" that he had been filled with a longing for supreme power since childhood, a yearning that had nearly become a demon in his heart over the years.

It goes without saying.

When he arrived in a country like Great Yan where "princes and generals have a kindred spirit?", and joined the rebellious "No-Life Dao," he was ecstatic!

Seeing a chance for him to advance further, how could he possibly give it up easily?

He hesitated not at all to employ the most despicable means to achieve his goal.

In the Ghost Market, he found a secretive seller and purchased a precious "Confusing Heart Poison."

He was determined to make his esteemed senior sister, Su Guyun, fall from grace and become a stepping stone for him to ascend to the throne!

However.

After a long while, the thin-looking gleam of water that struggled painfully in the fierce flames not only didn’t evaporate completely,

but it was Jin Changhao himself, who was attacking with all his might, who suddenly felt a tightness in his chest, a blackening before his eyes, and then violently spat out a mouthful of golden blood.

In that blood, there seemed to be countless tiny transparent worms wriggling.

Seeing this, Jin Changhao’s face changed drastically:

"Is this the other kind sold by that seller... the ’Heart-Devouring Poison’? How is this possible?"

The "Confusing Heart Poison" could create servants who obeyed one’s every command, while the "Heart-Devouring Poison" could kill without a sound!

It was at this moment that the water light on Su Guyun’s body surged, as if the Heavenly River was inverting, washing away all the firelight.

The water-colored light curtain retracted, revealing the unblemished, pure white figure of Su Guyun, no trace of filth from a poison worm to be seen.

The panic and fear on her face were swept away, and she spoke in a light tone:

"The ’Confusing Heart Poison’ you bought is fake, while my ’Heart-Devouring Poison’ is real!

Have you never wondered, when you wanted to harm someone, why the servant girl in the mansion, who has suffered your abuse, would immediately connect you with the seller of the ’Confusing Heart Poison’?

You, who are petty with your subordinates, also want to be the Little Ming King? Do you really think you are worthy?"

Hiss!

"Truly, looks can be deceiving. Usually disguised as a little sheep, a white lotus, making others lower their guard.

But you had already bribed your own junior brother’s household staff, and when you sensed danger, you immediately took ruthless countermeasures.

This was even against a junior brother who got along well with her on a daily basis; one can only imagine how those who opposed her ended up.

This woman is ruthless, a hundred times stronger than those with ambition beyond their abilities like Xue Donglou!"

Wang Yuan watched helplessly as this White Lotus Holy Daughter suddenly transformed from a pitiable little sheep into a big grey wolf that devoured its prey without spitting out bones.

The dramatic contrast was truly astonishing.

Looking at her more closely, although her appearance had not changed, her demeanor was cold and aloof, with a hint of lofty arrogance that did not lose to princes and generals.

Su Guyun, this "Gu" seems not the loneliness of solitude but the arrogance of pride!

Moreover.

It seemed due to the fluctuations in her mind and thoughts being projected outward, on her fair forehead two dragon-like horns gradually grew, piercing the heavens.

Jin Changhao was arrogant but not foolish, seeing such a Heart Image he immediately understood his senior sister’s thoughts. His face turned ashen, and unbelievingly he said in absurd disbelief:

"I originally thought you intended to support someone else for the throne.

I didn’t expect that you, a woman, actually wanted to be the Little Ming King yourself? Do you also wish to contend for the world with the heroes?"

Su Guyun scoffed disdainfully:

"Why can’t a woman be the Little Ming King? Or even a King? An Emperor?

Do you know that right now in the Volcano Country during this Warring States period, I, as a woman, managed to conquer a territory of five hundred li and command nearly thirty thousand troops within just five years.

I built the Chuyun Country from scratch to become its ruler!

What one wants is not obtained through the charity of a Tao Lineage, but by fighting with one’s own hands, by seizing and snatching!

The world is topsy-turvy, under the great Dao, Heaven is Yin, Earth is Yang, so why can’t women rise up, sit in the Dragon’s chair, and be the King?"

As she declared her ambitions, the sky above her head changed colors instantaneously, as if accompanied by dragon roars and tiger howls.

"You... you..."

Jin Changhao, petrified, twisted his expression. The unruly thoughts within him gradually broke free from their confines, revealing his most true form.

A dirty big macaque, dressed in a crown robe, with a crooked crown atop its head, as if ’crowned ape’ were made just for him.

But to all appearances, he was nothing more than a straw bag that was all glitter on the outside and rot on the inside.

"Chatter chatter chatter... You must be mad, you’re definitely mad!"

This reversal of natural order, with a woman as king, is simply more heretical than breaking Tanhuan’s Bone Grade System.

The whole world couldn’t contain her.

In that moment, Jin Changhao’s Yin God was slowly sucked dry by the "Heart-Devouring Poison," whose essence then nourished the golden lotuses.

Fourteen golden lotuses swelled and withered, turning into pods as large as sea bowls.

"Lotuses arise from the muck without being tainted, washing away the ripples without being a demon, growing out of the body of a loathsome being like you. The lotus seeds could be considered barely palatable."

Su Guyun plucked a total of 224 golden lotus seeds from the fourteen pods.

She casually swallowed one of the golden lotus seeds, and with one breath, another bud grew atop her head.

By the time twenty-four lotuses blossomed on her head, she would have stepped into the realm of a Yellow Seal Mage.

As the energies of water and fire mingled, and her divine thoughts dispersed, Su Guyun’s brows twitched, and she abruptly turned around toward the hiding place of Wang Yuan and the others and shouted sharply:

"Who is there?!"