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Chapter 131 Fusion is Power! (Thanks to Ya Shen Ya for being the patron!)

"It's alright, just a scratch!" Liu Shuyue said urgently, "Let me try again!"

Chen Xuan crushed the blood orange and smeared it on her wound. "Do you have that many lives left to use this technique?"

"This time, I only need half... no, thirty or forty years of life will be enough!" She tried to stand up before the wound had completely frosted over.

“Let me go,” Ajiu suddenly said. “I can also wield the first level of the Demon-Slaying True Sword. Besides, I’m still young; even if it costs me fifty years of my life, I can afford it!”

“And then there’s me,” Ahua added. “I can share half of my brother’s burden, and that will only take twenty years!”

“You…” Liu Shuyue paused for a moment, then shook her head and said, “No… Even if you can use the Wind Riding Talisman, you can’t control it skillfully right now. Once the roots catch up with you, let alone casting spells, you’ll have to exert all your strength just to dodge.”

Ajiu remained silent.

That's true. Even a genius like him couldn't possibly master the Wind Riding Technique in just half an hour.

"Oh no, that thing looks like it's about to break!" Xu Xuanling, who was on guard duty nearby, suddenly exclaimed.

Everyone looked over and discovered that the membrane at the bottom of the water droplet had become almost transparent, revealing all the dense blood vessels on it, and the outlines of the shadows inside were clearly visible.

That's not actually the amniotic sac becoming transparent; rather, it's been stretched to its limit, its surface transforming from a thick layer to a paper-thin sheet, like a water-filled balloon. If more water were added, the thinnest part at the bottom would instantly crack.

“I can ignore the roots.” Ajiu seemed to have made up her mind. “Even if it catches me, I will still cast the spell!”

He knelt down and kowtowed to Chen Xuan and Liu Shuyue. "Without the help of the Immortal Master, I might have died long ago. I have survived until now, found my master's whereabouts, and avenged my family. I have no other desires. Now that I have the opportunity to repay the Immortal Master, I do not want to miss it."

Then Ajiu stood up, took out a Wind Riding Talisman that Liu Shuyue had given him before, and prepared to take to the air.

"Wait!" Chen Xuan called out to his disciple, "I might have a way to help you avoid those roots."

He picked up the barcode scanner and pointed it at Liu Shuyue, saying, "If you feel any discomfort, be sure to tell me."

Chen Xuan used a clandestine transaction to infuse Liu Shuyue with the "Curse: Thirst for Flesh and Blood" and "Disintegration and Remelting".

He doesn't need to explain the purpose of these two abilities, because the other party will gain all his experience in using them.

"Do you feel hot all over and crave blood?"

Liu Shuyue blinked. "I didn't notice anything unusual."

It seems the blessed Saint Maiden is still exerting her power; even this ability, clearly marked as a curse, can suppress its side effects!
When Chen Xuan experienced the curse before, he thought that it might be more appropriate to give it to Liu Shuyue rather than to use it himself, since he himself could not equip the Saint Girl's ability.

However, even if you don't feel thirsty, you can't be sure that everything is fine, since this curse not only affects the mind but also alters the body.

Liu Shuyue suddenly understood Chen Xuan's intention. She immediately ran to the edge of the pit and used Fusion on a root that lunged at her!
In an instant, the root plunged into Liu Shuyue's palm!

The sight sent a chill down everyone's spine. Anyone who saw it would think that the enemy had attacked first and she hadn't had time to dodge.

However, something incredible happened. The roots kept burrowing into Liu Shuyue's arm, as if trying to completely burst her apart. But no matter how it burrowed, Liu Shuyue remained unharmed.

It wasn't until the bottom of the root was pulled out, spurting blood and flying into her palm, that everyone realized it wasn't an enemy invading Liu Shuyue, but rather Liu Shuyue absorbing the enemy!

“No problem… I can use it as a new fusion cost!” she said loudly to Chen Xuan.

The others didn't understand what it meant at all, but Chen Xuan understood perfectly. He immediately nodded to Ajiu, "Go! Immortal Master Liu will protect you!"

Ajiu nodded and resolutely took to the sky. His use of the wind was shaky, barely managing to maintain level flight—but even in this respect, it was still better than most people who could only take off from the ground.

Liu Shuyue also flew away from the edge of the pit, keeping a distance of several tens of meters from Ajiu.

The remaining cultivators' siege was clearly showing signs of fatigue, partly due to the continuous depletion of their spiritual energy, and partly due to the seemingly endless supply of intestines and roots. Anyone who threw themselves into this endless battlefield would gradually feel despair; the number of enemies never seemed to decrease, and every moment, someone on their side was injured or even killed.

The flesh tower, which had suffered severe injuries, had recovered about half of its previous damage. The lacerations were still there, but the bleeding was no longer as rampant as before. With the amniotic sac above its head teetering on the brink of collapse, the people fighting the battle couldn't help but think the same thing—regardless of whether they won or lost, it was almost over.

Genxu quickly spotted the two approaching figures.

They swarmed in from all directions, trying to shoot the two down.

Liu Shuyue immediately activated the Disintegration and Refusion, incorporating all these enemies into it—an incredible scene appeared: thousands upon thousands of roots extending from the bottom of the pit all converged on Liu Shuyue alone, as if those lines were rays of light emanating from her!
The area in front of the Tower of Flesh and Blood has never been so clean.

Chen Xuan was also closely monitoring her situation.

Currently, this forbidden ability is indeed quite powerful, possessing a kind of "left foot stepping on right foot" aesthetic. Initially, only a small piece of one's own flesh is needed as the price to initiate the first fusion. Afterward, one can gain amplification through the effect of flesh hunger, using the fused body as the subsequent price, thus continuing the cycle indefinitely.

After multiple fusions, the human aspect of an ordinary person is diluted, making them indistinguishable from a demon. However, the Holy Maiden's immunity to curses can suppress this tissue mutation, allowing her to maintain her human form. At the same time, the spiritual energy and flesh she fused with will not disappear and will still exist within Liu Shuyue's body.

The continued presence of these foreign entities will undoubtedly have adverse effects, much like uncontrolled cancer cells. However, by finding a target and using them all as a sacrifice, the harm of the curse can be eliminated.

Ahua clenched his fists tightly, his eyes fixed on the figure in mid-air, not daring to look away for a moment.

Xu Xuanling cheered for Liu Shuyue, "Go, Master!"

Chen Xuan tilted his head slightly and discovered that it wasn't just his own disciples; cultivators from other sects were also cheering for the two of them.

"Go!... teach them a lesson they won't forget!"

"We can hold on a little longer!"

"Long live the Immortal Alliance!"

Ajiu finally reached the edge of the curtain formed by intestines—this was clearly the best time for him to make his move. Behind him, Liu Shuyue suddenly showed a pained expression, her body swayed twice, and she plummeted from a height.

"Master's appearance... seems off!" Xu Xuanling couldn't help but exclaim.

Chen Xuan also saw it. She pressed her hands tightly against her head, seemingly enduring intense discomfort. Even the roots that had been absorbed into her body began to mutate at this moment, with terrifying fleshy earthworms rising up on her arms and shoulders.

Could it be that the curse has taken effect?

Wait a minute... According to the ability description, Saint Maiden is completely immune to curses, so there's no situation where she can tolerate inhaling a small amount but would lose control if she inhaled too much.

Amplification of spiritual energy... the flesh and blood of demons...

Right, Chen Xuan suddenly realized that this was the consciousness pollution that Liu Shuyue had mentioned before. If cultivators absorb the power of demons to strengthen their spiritual energy, they will eventually develop inner demons. Although these roots look like the bodies of some kind of creature, they are essentially demons. Although the effects of blood and flesh hunger and the cultivator's voluntary absorption are different, they still have something in common: both involve plundering others to strengthen themselves, which is to say, different paths lead to the same destination.

Therefore, Liu Shuyue's situation has nothing to do with the curse. It is simply because she absorbed too much demonic power in a short period of time, which affected her self-awareness.
Gotta think of a way!
Chen Xuan quickly searched through the inventory, his gaze immediately landing on one ability.

"Apathetic" LV1.

This is a green ability, originally traded to him by Liu Shuyue. Its origin lies in the battle of Jiufeng City in Yunzhou, where she forcibly seized it from a rogue cultivator.

It may not sound very appealing, but it is a kind of mental ability that can help people build strong mental walls and reduce the impact of external factors.

Since this ability had already been stored in inventory and could not be retrieved after another transaction, it would remain with Liu Shuyue. However, Chen Xuan couldn't care less about that now. He pointed the barcode scanner at the swaying Liu Shuyue in the sky and pressed the button for the covert transaction.

The results were almost immediately apparent.

Liu Shuyue immediately controlled her descent, returning to the same height as Ajiu, and continued to merge more roots that had turned back to save the master into her body.

At that moment, Ajiu also threw out the longsword in her hand!

(End of this chapter)