Chapter 1437: Qingqiu Marsh

The three women watched in stunned silence, completely unprepared for such a turn of events. They had never imagined that the terrifying beast could be tormented so severely by Zu An using the Hun Tian Ling.

However, as skilled practitioners, they wasted no time. Seizing the opportunity while the Nine Infants was weakened, they launched their attacks simultaneously.

The Nine Infants was clearly both startled and enraged. Its nine heads roared furiously at them, but its overall demeanor was noticeably weaker than before.

It couldn't defeat them earlier, and now it was even less of a match. Soon, it began to retreat, losing ground, and one by one, its heads exploded.

Blood splattered from its severed necks, which no longer regrew.

Seeing its precarious state, Zu An instantly teleported to its side, holding his poisoned dagger, ready to deliver a fatal blow.

Just as he was about to thrust the dagger, a warning image suddenly appeared in his mind from the Record Book.

Remembering the previous ambush by the Demon Emperor, he didn't hesitate for a second. He swiftly changed his move mid-action, teleporting about ten feet away.

Almost instantly, a grotesque head emerged from the Nine Infants' lower abdomen. It was much smaller than the other nine snake heads, but its hideousness surpassed them all combined.

This sudden extension was lightning-fast and incredibly insidious, almost guaranteeing a hit.

The Nine Infants was utterly astonished that Zu An seemed to have known in advance and evaded the attack!

Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue secretly wiped cold sweat from their brows. They hadn't realized the Nine Infants was so treacherous and cunning, having just played weak to lure them into attacking.

Even with their cultivation levels, such a sneak attack could have resulted in significant harm, potentially reversing the tide of the battle.

Indeed, seeing its ploy fail, the Nine Infants regrew its nine snake heads. Along with the grotesque head on its abdomen, it glared at them menacingly, seemingly trying to intimidate them into retreating.

"It seems the head on its abdomen is its true brain," Yu Yanluo quickly observed. As a member of the serpent race herself, she possessed a natural intuition for such matters.

The others suddenly understood. No wonder they had crushed its nine heads at least once each, yet failed to inflict any fatal wounds.

Its true head was hidden in its lower abdomen.

This secret was likely unknown to anyone before, and those who discovered it were probably already victims of its ambush. It was fortunate that Zu An reacted quickly, exposing the Nine Infants. With a clear target, they all directed their attacks toward the head in its abdomen.

The Nine Infants desperately used its nine snake heads to protect its abdomen. Unfortunately for it, its opponents were formidable, and their coordination had grown increasingly seamless. Soon, Zu An found an opening. Leveraging the long reach of his Fire-tipped Spear, he delivered a soul-piercing strike!

The grotesque head was impaled in its own abdomen. As it burst, the nine previously flailing heads instantly drooped, and its massive body crashed to the ground.

"This monster should be dead, right?" Yu Yanluo asked, still a bit worried, as the creature had deliberately tricked them once before.

"It's dead. There's not a trace of life left in it," Yun Jianyue stated confidently. With her sharp senses, she couldn't be mistaken.

The group finally relaxed, but just as they were about to speak, they suddenly noticed the Nine Infants' corpse begin to writhe.

Yun Jianyue was startled. Had she just been proven wrong right after declaring it dead?

Where would the esteemed leader of the Demonic Sect put her face now?

They quickly retreated to the side, fearing any further mutation or counterattack from the creature.

However, the Nine Infants did not revive. Instead, its entire body began to melt, its colossal form gradually shrinking until it became a fist-sized lump of flesh, slowly writhing as if alive.

Yan Xuehen commented, "The Nine Infants could regrow severed limbs in a short time. Perhaps this lump of flesh is responsible for that ability."

Zu An walked over and picked up the flesh. While it appeared lifeless, it seemed to possess a strange vitality.

"In that case, let's each take a bite. Even if it doesn't grant immortality, it might at least enhance our healing abilities. Do you prefer it steamed, braised, or perhaps grilled?"

Yu Yanluo's face contorted in disgust. "Ugh, that's vile! I'm certainly not eating it."

Yan Xuehen also stated coldly, "I don't want any either."

"I have no desire to become a monster like the Nine Infants," Yun Jianyue said, her brows furrowed. "Little An, don't say I didn't warn you. If you eat it and become demonic, don't expect us to associate with you anymore."

Zu An chuckled awkwardly. "Don't worry, my recovery abilities are already strong; I don't need to eat this."

Still, he couldn't bring himself to discard it. He had a feeling it might be a valuable medicinal ingredient in the future, or perhaps something a female Valkyrie might need for a breakthrough. So, he stored it in his Glazed Pearl.

With the Nine Infants vanquished, the turbulent waters before them significantly calmed.

The group crossed the ominous waters, and Yu Yanluo curiously asked, "What's next?"

Zu An's expression was peculiar. "The Great Wind!"

His reaction was due to "Great Wind" being the very first ability he learned from the 'Phoenix Nirvana Sutra'. This teleportation skill had saved his life countless times, making "Great Wind" the ability he felt most deeply connected to among all the techniques in the Sutra.

Yet, now their target was precisely this Great Wind!

Although he didn't know the connection between the Great Wind they were about to face and the skill from the 'Phoenix Nirvana Sutra', he felt a heavy weight in his heart.

At this moment, Yun Jianyue looked at Yan Xuehen. "Ice Woman, do you remember how Shun described the Great Wind earlier?"

Yan Xuehen, clearly accustomed to the nickname and too lazy to retort, replied directly, "It has the form of a dog with a human face, laughs upon seeing people, and moves like the wind. Its appearance signals a great wind disaster. Yi slew the Great Wind in the Marshes of Qingqiu."

Zu An's heart stirred, and only then did he realize the discrepancy. The description of the Great Wind's appearance seemed quite different from the "Great Wind" he knew.

However, Yun Jianyue's focus was on something else. "Hmm, the Marshes of Qingqiu... could they be related to that woman, Tu Shan Yu?"

Zu An's mind wandered, and he involuntarily recalled Tu Shan Yu's enchanting allure from that night. Right, he had even tied her up with the Hun Tian Ling then...

His gaze inadvertently fell upon Yan Xuehen's waistband.

Yan Xuehen's heart skipped a beat. This guy was becoming increasingly brazen. If others really noticed something, how would they ever face anyone again?

Yu Yanluo, unaware of the internal turmoil between the two, pondered aloud, "Qingqiu... could this place be connected to Sister Tu Shan's Qingqiu Kingdom? Is it perhaps the ancient Fox Clan's kingdom?"

This question was soon answered. As the group continued forward, they gradually encountered various foxes in the wild. These foxes showed no fear of humans, even stopping to observe them, much like when they first entered Tu Shan Yu's Qingqiu Kingdom.

Observing the foxes that had stopped by the roadside to watch them, Yun Jianyue suddenly mused, "'Has the form of a dog with a human face, laughs upon seeing people'... isn't that a description of a fox?"