Longevity Chronicles-Chapter 64 - 62 Human World Purgatory, Parasite Meat Worm

"As recorded in the history, the Secret Demon Sect was too ferocious in its time, facing several Daoist and Buddhist Major Sects alone, and in the end, it was wiped out completely. I had thought it was a total loss,"

"Now it seems that the Secret Demon Sect was not foolish, for they had hidden many Cultivation Techniques, Divine Skills, and Exotic Skill Techniques among the group of demons in the Outer Realm. With demons being inexhaustible in number, even if the Daoist and Buddhist united, they would not be able to kill them all. Indeed, it's a seamless and clever strategy."

"The only thing to consider is, what was the Secret Demon Sect's purpose in doing this?"

"Was it to allow future generations to smoothly retrieve their inheritance and gain a large number of followers, ready for a comeback?"

"Or was it simply for revenge, to spread the Secret Demon Method through the hands of Outer Realm Heaven Demons, and ultimately create countless new Secret Demon Sects large and small around the world?"

"Or perhaps, it was both."

At this thought, Tao Qian shook his head and gave up pondering.

There was too little information to guess the Secret Demon Sect's plans.

However, Tao Qian quietly resolved to have his Puppet Body gather some information related to the Secret Demon Sect from "Pan Hongniang" in the Cultivation World for further analysis.

As for his real body, he was still a greenhorn at the bottom rung, knowing nothing as of yet.

That was unavoidable; it hadn't been long since he was reincarnated. The fact that he had come this far was already quite an accomplishment.

"The path of cultivation is quite arduous. I really am trying my hardest."

Tao Qian's Primordial Spirit squatted on the spirit platform, holding the Dao Seed in his arms and muttering self-praise.

Then he contemplated the Ten Thousand Transformation Technique and the Immortal Slaying Sword Technique, both of which were top-notch items.

After thinking for a moment, Tao Qian first put away the Bone Fragment engraved with "Secret Demon Transformation Technique," and then pinched the tusk that bore the Immortal Slaying Sword Technique.

Snap!

He clapped his hands sharply and the tusk transformed into a sharp white light that quickly entered Tao Qian's mouth.

The Magic Skills obtained from the Outer Realm Heaven Demons were, after all, embodiments of Demon Thought, somewhere between tangible and intangible, which could be swallowed and refined with ease—such was the convenience of learning them.

After refining the Demon Thought, Tao Qian's Primordial Spirit immediately felt that inside his body there arose a strand of extremely weak Sword Intent of "Immortal Slaying," which currently was probably not even capable of killing predators such as tigers and leopards.

It was very immature, but it also made Tao Qian very pleased.

After all, it was an additional method of defense besides the Nine True Spirit Sound and the Sacrifice Sword Skill.

In the future, if he faced strong people, Tao Qian could first deter them with the Spirit Sound; if the opponent was unharmed, he could then deliver a strike of Immortal Slaying, followed by another strike of Sacrifice Sword. If even that didn't work, he could only resort to using the Nascent Soul Escaping Skill to flee for his life.

However, Tao Qian himself was aware that crushing Loose Cultivators, or young cultivators without any significant backing, was plausible.

But if he faced a disciple of a Major Sect of equivalent rank, he feared he would still be at a disadvantage.

Fortunately, he still had many unlearned Magic Skills, such as the Ten Thousand Transformation Technique and the Exotic Fire Elixir Scroll, among others.

It's not that he didn't want to learn; he was simply biting off more than he could chew.

He was able to exempt himself from the cost, but he didn't have unlimited avatars or unlimited energy.

He had just stabilized his Life Seed, his Spirit Treasure Source Qi was abundant, and his Divine Soul had been nourished to the point of satiation. To refine another Sword technique now was already pushing his limits.

"Three days have passed; perhaps it's time to go back... Hm?"

Thinking this, Tao Qian suddenly felt a premonition—a vague and unsettling sense of unease that something might have happened.

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Tao Qian immediately stood up, his brow furrowed, and moved the giant stone from the entrance of the cave, leaping onto the brook.

No thoughts of admiring the scenic beauty of the mountains crossed his mind as Tao Qian identified his direction and quickly made his way towards the area of Seeking Immortal County.

The closer Tao Qian got to Seeking Immortal County, the more solemn his expression became.

Despite it being a blazing sunny day, Tao Qian's vistas were shrouded in a gloom that felt like a mournful purgatory of wailing ghosts and howling gods.

The surrounding villages and hamlets outside of Seeking Immortal County always bore serene and peaceful scenery, but now they were as quiet as ghost towns. No one toiled in the fields, no one rested by the roadside. Chilling winds howled intermittently, mixed with the croaking of crows and the howling of stray dogs. Encountering people, whether old, young, or in their prime, all wore ashen faces, looking like disaster-stricken ghosts.

Occasionally, one could see white lanterns hanging and coffins laid out inside village houses, while faint, lethargic cries of mourning drifted out.

More horrifyingly, at the roadside and beneath trees, there were gradually decaying corpses and skeletons.

Tao Qian stopped suddenly as he passed a mass burial mound.

His eyes swept over the area, and he saw that the stone mortars and dirt pits were stuffed with numerous new corpses, at different stages of decomposition: fresh deaths, bodies bloating with gas, bodies smeared with blood, bodies disfigured—there were all sorts.

But most prevalent were the devoured remains.

Wild black crows, red-eyed stray dogs, and wolves from the hills all gathered there, voraciously tearing at each corpse. Some impatient wolves and dogs even burrowed into the bodies to eat the rotten, bloated intestines ready to burst from the bellies.

Startled by Tao Qian's sudden appearance, these savage beasts all turned their heads to look his way and, smelling the scent of fresh human flesh, madly lunged at him.

"Hmph."

Tao Qian didn't use his Spirit Sound; with just one low grunt infused with Source Qi, he shattered the viscera of these ferocious creatures.

Without paying further attention, Tao Qian, with a somber expression, continued towards Seeking Immortal County.

On this half journey, it was as if he had traversed a stretch of hellish road.

Only when he approached Seeking Immortal County did the human atmosphere once again become vibrant.

Yet his expression remained darkened, for the county bore no trace of its usual hustle and bustle.

What remained were ruin and an unsettling aura of twilight.

The city gates were inexplicably subject to strict checkpoints, and oddly enough, entry was permitted, but no one was allowed to leave.

After entering the city, Tao Qian soon learned the reason:

There seemed to be some kind of plague or other disaster within the city, afflicting numerous inhabitants.

Whether it was the common folk or the officials and constables, a large half of them exhibited physical anomalies.

They were hunchbacked and emaciated, their skin pale and bloodless, with hair sparse enough to reveal their scalps.

If only this much were the case, it would have been bearable, but Tao Qian also caught a glimpse of their necks bulging with a fist-sized tumor, with blue veins standing out and, bizarrely, a vague human face was connected to it, even showing expressions of pain or sinister smiles.

Outsiders who chanced upon this scene would have likely been paralyzed with fear on the spot.

Yet, the people of the city seemed to have grown accustomed to it.

Or rather, they had become numb to it.

What Tao Qian found even more incredible was not the once bustling Seeking Immortal County turning desolate and forlorn, but amidst the air of decay, an unexpected lively new area had emerged.

This area, located to the west of Vegetable Market Street, appeared to be a newly established marketplace.

However, the marketplace did not sell groceries or oil but… people, living, breathing human beings.

At this moment, Tao Qian didn't need to guess; during the three days of his cultivation retreat, something terribly frightening must have happened in Seeking Immortal County and its surroundings.

Just as he wished to find someone to ask about the situation, a sudden clap of thunder resonated from the heavens above.

Immediately afterward, Tao Qian sensed a strong, nauseating vibration.

He looked up sharply, only to see a vast expanse of dark clouds drifting over from the direction of Iron Buddha Mountain.

Boom!

Everyone in Seeking Immortal County fell into panic.

Regardless of who they were, all began to desperately flee, seeking places to hide.

The extreme fear on their faces was evidently not just about "avoiding rain," was it?

While Tao Qian pondered, he suddenly heard two familiar shouts nearby, and then he saw his neighbors, Li Sanyu and Jia Qiang, hastily making their way toward him, dragging him to the back of the drugstore that opened up to Jia Qiang's home, with the front as the shop and the back as the courtyard.

Tao Qian did not resist and allowed the two men to pull him into the courtyard.

Soon after, he saw the families of the two shop owners gathered there, each one displaying looks of unease and fear, utterly worn out.

As soon as they entered the door, both men began to rant.

"Tao Scholar, do you no longer cherish your life?"

"The rain of insects is upon us, and the scholar doesn't think to hide. Do you wish to end it all yourself?"

"Rain of insects?"

Tao Qian had just let out his confusion when he saw the two men usher the women and children into the inner rooms.

Then, they cooperated and divided tasks; Li Sanyu spread lime all over the courtyard, laying a thick defensive line in front of the main door, while Jia Qiang brought over three sticks, handing one to Tao Qian after dividing them up.

Then, with a face filled with tension, he instructed, "If you see those disgusting insects later, just smash them with force, but never let them get close."

As Jia Qiang spoke, Tao Qian silently pricked up his ears to sense the surroundings and discovered that other courtyards and shops were taking the same measures.

His mind full of questions found answers in the next moment.

As the thunderclap sounded, the day turned suddenly dark.

The dark clouds hung overhead, and then the downpour began.

But what everyone heard was not the pitter-patter of rain but the sudden "thump, thump, thump" of dull thuds.

What fell to the ground was not rainwater.

But egg balls about the size of an infant's head, covered in mucus, that burst upon hitting the ground.

As the egg membranes split, large numbers of thumb-sized, sticky, limply squirming insects with fierce suction cups sprung in all directions.

Then the entire Seeking Immortal County was filled with the hissing of meat worms, and everyone wore pained expressions.

Including Li Sanyu and Jia Qiang by Tao Qian's side, but both of them, enduring their pain, saw lime-covered meat worms that hadn't died fly towards the main house and immediately swung their sticks down on them.

With a squish, fluids splattered everywhere.

Tao Qian's expression turned serious as he watched the meat worms, sensing the demonic Qi emanating from them, and he thought back to the lumps on the necks of those he had seen affected by disasters upon entering the town.

A chill ran through his heart, and he immediately formed a guess.

But more questions lingered, knowing this was not the time to inquire, Tao Qian also swung his stick, inadvertently smashing all of the approaching meat worms to pieces.

After about thirty minutes, a bout of wild laughter emanated from the clouds before they dispersed, bringing the insect rain to an end.

The scorching sun reappeared, but no one in Seeking Immortal County could feel its warmth; they were all chilled to the bone, shaking.

In the courtyard before Tao Qian, the ground was covered with juice and insect carcasses, a stench akin to years-old swill rose with the sunlight.

"What exactly happened? I had been visiting a friend elsewhere these past few days and encountered this as soon as I returned."

"What kind of devilry are these insects? In the face of such a severe disaster, why don't those Immortals come out to stop it, and what about the Demon Suppression Army?"

Tao Qian fired off question after question.

Then, with two clangs, the two weary shop owners, drenched in sweat, dropped their sticks, with Li Sanyu, who looked most haggard, suddenly breaking down in tears.

As he wept, he complained:

"What Immortals, what Demon Suppression Army, none of them are of any use."

"Several days ago, when demons rampaged through the city at night, those Immortals couldn't stop them. Had it not been for a passing hero, Jia Boss, I, and the daughters of our other neighbors, would have been doomed."

"That would have been the end of it, we could just move houses because of the danger."

"But who would have thought, the next day, a dignified female fairy proclaimed that her son, the very fairy child who made a name for himself that day, had been captured by the demons, and she forcibly commanded the Demon Suppression Army to join her in an assault on Iron Buddha Mountain, now a demon cave. Yet before they could truly approach, they were defeated by the demons on the mountain using some kind of Array."

"The demons on the mountain also said they would make our Seeking Immortal County their battlefield, challenging the Immortals to a magical duel."

"Just as they finished speaking, a horde of demons burst forth from Iron Buddha Mountain, slaughtering many in the towns surrounding our county."

"Before the Demon Suppression Army could confront them, the same dark clouds you saw earlier floated over us, then countless strange insects fell from the sky. At first, we had no defenses; many were approached by the strange insects, which then burrowed into their bodies and took up residence, consuming their Essence Blood day by day. Within a few days, those who were parasitized all turned into those ghastly creatures."

"At first, the Immortals would still act to scatter the clouds, but after repeated failures and realizing these insects only parasitize without spreading, they became indifferent, only telling us mortals that we could burn them with lime or smash them with sticks to kill them, that as long as we didn't get parasitized, our lives were not at risk."

"As for those who were parasitized, they could only wait for the production of an antidote."

...