Eldritch Horror Theatre

What Ji Ping had activated at this very moment was no longer that cobbled-together illusion.

Fu Qian was absolutely certain that he was standing inside a genuine Ash Descent.

The gap between this iteration and the versions used by Ji Xun and the others wasn’t even that large. It faintly carried a trace of divinity.

Ji Xun was right. The sight before them was indeed more valuable than a Demigod.

Through simple limb grafting, a clan member devoid of innate talent could skyrocket in a single bound, reaching a level that brushed against divinity.

For the already sparsely populated Ji Clan, this could truly be called a gospel. If one dared to dream, the mass production of Demigods wasn’t completely out of the question.

With such temptation laid bare, it was hard to resist taking a bite, even knowing the potential risks.

Not to mention, everything seemed perfectly fine for now.

However, the one who understood you best was always your opponent.

Fu Qian had always been highly confident in the Origin Council’s technical expertise. He was over eighty percent certain that his target was right here, just not easily observable.In that case, it was time for a little stress test.

”Elder Lu, how do you feel?”

Also enveloped in the Ash Descent, Ji Xun and the others had their attention locked entirely on Fu Qian. They couldn’t resist asking.

”We have repeatedly confirmed that this is a genuine Ash Descent. Even I couldn’t reach this level at his age.”

Cooperating with the Origin Council was out of the question; the danger factor was off the charts.

Ji Xun clearly hoped the Rebirth Club would accept the newly repentant Ji Ping. Ideally, they could use him as a living specimen to continue their work, resulting in a happy ending for everyone.

”Indeed, heroes emerge from youths!”

Facing his question, Fu Qian nodded with earnest sincerity, sighing as if marveling at a formidable youth.

Yet, before the onlookers could breathe a sigh of relief, his voice abruptly soared.

”Just watching this makes even my old blood boil—”

With a sharp tearing sound, his second outfit of the day was ruined.

’Fuck, you’re practically a fossil. Are you really this impulsive?’

Watching Old Man Lu summon the Tyrant to descend in the span of a single second, Ji Xun was left completely speechless.

Although Ji Ping was extraordinary, the terrifying oppressive might of the Tyrant was still far too intense for his Ash Descent, which hadn’t yet reached the Demigod Level.

The black, white, and gray hues teetered on the brink of collapse almost instantly.

”Elder Lu...”

However, Ji Ping seemed to treat this as a personal test. Even though his voice trembled and his mind looked ready to short-circuit at any second, he gritted his teeth and held on with every last ounce of strength.

’Found you!’

Although the young man had fundamentally misunderstood the situation, fortunately, Fu Qian didn’t force him to endure for much longer.

At a certain moment, the Tyrant’s figure suddenly Blinked, forcefully ripping open a patch of the void overhead.

Startled, the crowd watched in bewilderment as something slowly surfaced from within it.

It was a human-sized, spindle-shaped Cocoon. A long thread extended upwards from its peak, stretching until it vanished into the void.

This thing was seemingly familiar!

Fu Qian immediately found it familiar.

Unlike the one Ji Yicheng had inside the Angel Dungeon, this Cocoon was covered in glittering, bizarrely shaped traces of golden flame.

The structure itself was translucent. Judging by its silhouette, the faintly squirming mass inside was entirely beyond the scope of humanity.

Was this his target, the parasite?

The title was actually rather fitting.

By leveraging the immense pressure the Tyrant exerted on the Ash Descent, Fu Qian had thrown his senses wide open, finally catching a trace of this subtle anomaly.

Obliterating it would likely complete the mission.

Yet, as he scrutinized his discovery, Fu Qian was in no rush to strike.

”Elder Lu, what is this?”

Ji Xun had immediately noticed the anomaly. He instantly stepped in to help stabilize the Ash Descent while rushing over to investigate.

The entity before them exuded an indescribably wicked frenzy, and its method of concealment was undeniably eerie.

How had such a presence gone completely unnoticed until now?

”Probably a parasite.”

Facing his shock, Fu Qian replied casually.

”Elder Lu, I really didn’t know... this thing...”

Looking utterly dumbfounded, Ji Ping muttered to himself as he instinctively shuffled closer.

”Cut the crap and quietly maintain the domain! Let’s deal with this thing first!”

Ji Xun barked sharply, denying him any chance to speak further.

”Okay—”

Seemingly aware that he had caused a massive disaster, Ji Ping recoiled in fright at the shout.

However, the very moment he opened his mouth to agree, a mass of something erupted from his mouth, rocketing toward Fu Qian at an inconceivable speed.

Because of his previous backward step, not only was he now closer to Fu Qian, but he was also perfectly positioned in a blind spot, maximizing the concealment of this sudden mutation.

Smack!

Yet, this virtually undodgeable strike was instantly sent flying with a ruthless backhand slap.

And Demigod Lu, who delivered the slap, hadn’t even bothered to turn his head.

...

The blasted entity stiffened and rapidly swelled in midair, swiftly flattening out into the shape of a theatrical mask.

Around its edges, countless fine threads extended outward, resembling the cilia of a paramecium.

Even though it was mangled beyond recognition, one could still identify it as A Gui, the wretch who falsely claimed to be one of the Lu Family Members.

”Ah...”

Only then did gasps of alarm begin to echo continuously from the surroundings.

”A Gui—”

Fu Qian ignored them. He stared at the face suspended in the air and gave a cold scoff.

”Didn’t I tell you to get lost ages ago? Yet you actually have the gall to shamelessly crawl back? You don’t know your place! Even the dandruff of my Lu Family Members isn’t something trash like you gets to lick.”

...

Though his facial features were twisted, it was obvious that Brother A Gui was thoroughly infuriated.

But the opponent’s insult wasn’t exactly easy to refute, seeing as he had just literally hurled a disembodied face directly at the man’s head.

”Bastard...”

Having failed his sneak attack, A Gui decisively abandoned any attempt to defend himself.

Accompanied by a furious curse, his remnant skin turned into a streak of light, actually slamming headlong into the Cocoon.

The latter finally seemed to have been disturbed. In the next moment, the suspending thread at its peak rapidly stretched, and as if tearing through space, it forcefully hauled A Gui away along with it.

”Were you about to say that you also had no idea that thing was hiding inside your stomach the entire time?”

Quietly watching his mission target vanish, Fu Qian turned his head to look at Ji Ping, who was genuinely stupefied this time.

”How could you...”

The latter still looked utterly incredulous that the sneak attack had failed.

’Like wielding an axe before Lu Ban’s gate!’

Seeing this, Fu Qian sneered coldly in his heart.

His acting was decent enough, but Lu Mou had wandered the jianghu for many years. Even if someone sliced open their own belly to prove their innocence, he would first suspect they had a second stomach. How could he ever fall for such a cheap sob story?

As for how he was able to accurately smack A Gui out of the air with a single slap, the reason was exceedingly simple.

The Thread of Attachment he had left on that bastard earlier had been pointing precisely at Ji Ping’s stomach from the exact moment he walked through the door.

Just as it was pointing outside right now.