Chapter 260: Speaking with Nine Truths and One Lie Are All Things I've Already Played With

The other five demonic beasts controlled by Mutian Grass were extraordinary. Although they couldn't compare to a Nine-Headed Infant, they were still considered among the best of late Core Formation stage demonic beasts. Even cultivators of the same level found them extremely troublesome to deal with.

Unfortunately for the beasts, their opponents were disciples of the Dao Inquiring Sect—the most exceptional Foundation Establishment cultivators. In the past, Taoyaoye and Mangu would have struggled against late Core Formation demonic beasts, but constant tempering had long since transformed their strength. In Luyang's words, they were at the "peak of the late Foundation Establishment stage." If Taoyaoye and Mangu were already so strong, then Luyang and Meng Jingzhou, who were even further ahead, were beyond comparison; they could no longer be measured by Foundation Establishment standards. These five late Core Formation demonic beasts posed no threat!

Luyang's opponent was a four-armed black gorilla with pupils as black as night. With a clang of a sword, one of the gorilla's arms was severed. Enraged, it let out a furious roar.

"What are you roaring about? Arhat Fist!" Luyang unleashed the Arhat Fist. Though its offensive power was slightly diminished, its hair-shedding effect remained undiminished. The black gorilla felt a chill on its scalp. It reached up and discovered its head was completely bald. "What did this human do?!"

"What a bald black gorilla! I've never seen such a demonic beast before!" Luyang appeared to face a formidable foe. Cultivators feared the unknown most, and this gorilla, unrecorded by the world, must possess terrifying combat prowess!

"What?! It's the bald black gorilla from ancient legends!" Meng Jingzhou, who was also fighting, noticed Luyang's opponent and his expression changed dramatically. "Legend has it that the cultivation level of a bald black gorilla can be measured by the number of hairs on its head. One hair means the Qi Refinement stage, also known as the 'One-Hair Realm'; two hairs mean the Foundation Establishment stage, the 'Two-Hair Realm'; and three hairs mean the Core Formation stage, the 'Three-Hair Realm'!"

"What stage is this gorilla at?!" Luyang's expression was grim. "The 'Not-a-Single-Hair-Left' Realm!"

Song Hua interjected, "You two, can we please not put on a show while fighting? It's very distracting."

"Oh, my apologies, it's just habit," Luyang replied.

Song Hua was speechless.

Fortunately, the members of the Meng family and the Dao Inquiring Sect were exceptional fighters, daring to joke and get distracted even during battles against higher-level opponents. Anyone else would have long been dead.

"Fellow Daoist Luyang, save me!" Song Wuguo, who was in the supporting position, was targeted by a demonic beast. The beast's tail swept across him, breaking half of his ribs. Knowing it was no match for Luyang, the beast roared and, seizing the opportunity, continued its attack on Song Wuguo.

"Hold on!" Luyang pushed off forcefully, hurtling towards the beast with a whoosh and blocking Song Wuguo. His Azure Edge Sword was held horizontally across his chest, and no matter how much force the beast exerted, he wouldn't budge an inch.

Just as Luyang put away his playful attitude, preparing to finish off the demonic beast with a single move, a sharp dagger pierced his chest. Luyang slowly turned his head, looking at Song Wuguo in disbelief. "Why..."

Witnessing this, Meng Jingzhou's eyes bulged with rage, instantly bloodshot. "Luyang!" He wanted to rush to Luyang's aid, but the demonic beasts attacked him as if insane, leaving Meng Jingzhou unable to break free. "Song Wuguo, you're dead!" The others were similarly blocked by the demonic beasts.

Song Wuguo's timid expression vanished, replaced by a shake of his head. "The dagger is poisoned. Even a Nascent Soul cultivator would die from it. There's no harm in telling you before you die. You are nourishment. You are the strongest among these people. Once you are controlled, the others pose no threat."

Song Wuguo flipped his palm, revealing a seed. He pressed it towards Luyang's Dantian. "This is a Mutian Grass seed. Relax, you'll soon become the Master's servant." His expression then changed. "No, why isn't the Mutian Grass seed entering your body?!"

Song Wuguo's face changed. Realizing something was wrong, he pulled back, attempting to escape, only to see a strange, bone-chilling smile spread across Luyang's lips. A small Luyang climbed out from Luyang's embrace. The small Luyang grew with the wind, quickly reaching his original size. He took the Azure Edge Sword and, with one strike, cut down the demonic beast that was still preparing to attack. Simultaneously, the poisoned Luyang fell backward, merging with the ground.

"A clone?!" Song Wuguo's eyes widened in disbelief.

For the past half-month, Luyang had been shrinking himself and hiding in his embrace, controlling his clone to fight. This allowed him to train his spiritual sense and improve his proficiency in using his clone.

"I've been waiting for you all this time; you finally decided to make a move," Luyang chuckled.

"How did you discover me?!" Song Wuguo was astonished. They had only been in contact for a short while, and he was confident he had acted perfectly, leaving no flaws. How could he have been found out?

"Song Wuguo, what on earth is going on with you?!" Song Hua was even more shocked than Song Wuguo upon seeing this. "You've been parasitized! When?!"

Seeing that Luyang was unharmed, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. With renewed vigor, they swiftly dealt with the remaining four demonic beasts. Then, filled with anger, they surrounded Song Wuguo.

Luyang scoffed, not bothering to hide how childish Song Wuguo's actions were. "When you introduced Mutian Grass, you said it controls demonic beasts and uses them as nourishment, implying all the beasts we encountered were under its control."

"So, the question arises: If Mutian Grass uses demonic beasts as nourishment, why would it make them kill people?"

"The answer is simple: Because humans are also nourishment for Mutian Grass."

"Since humans are its nourishment, is it possible for Mutian Grass to control humans? The answer is yes."

"Given this, why didn't you explain it clearly? Was the Integration stage alchemy grandmaster's mind addled, leaving out parts when writing the book? Or were you deliberately vague because you feared we would consider this possibility?"

Luyang kicked Song Wuguo to the ground. "Nine truths and one lie—these are old tricks I've long since moved past. To try them on me? You clearly underestimate me!"

"The only reason I didn't expose you sooner was to have you lead us to the Mutian Grass." The deep forest was vast, and without a guide, finding the Mutian Grass would be exceedingly difficult. Song Wuguo had intended to trick Luyang and the others into going there, but Luyang and Meng Jingzhou decided to use his own plan against him.

Only after Luyang's explanation did Taoyaoye understand what had felt off earlier. Meng Jingzhou, however, was not surprised; his two shouts just now had both been part of the act.

"Song Wuguo has already been parasitized and controlled by Mutian Grass," Luyang stated coldly. "The rest of you are also under suspicion, so please cooperate and return to Demon Subduing Pass for inspection." With a traitor emerging from their Song family, Song Hua and the others knew they were in the wrong and could only comply, returning for inspection to prove their innocence.

"Heh, heh, heh," Song Wuguo chuckled dryly, his voice not sounding human. "So what if you found me out? Do you think you can still leave now that you're here?" As he spoke, the marsh bubbled continuously like boiling water. Muddy figures began to emerge from beneath the swamp—both demonic creatures and humans. Judging by their auras, they were all at the Core Formation stage, no fewer than fifty or sixty of them!

Luyang suddenly recalled the merchant guild attendant's warning when they first met: "People go missing in the dense forest every day, especially recently, with even more disappearances." He wondered, "Could this be the reason for the recent surge in missing cultivators?"

"Wait, didn't you say Mutian Grass can only control a maximum of ten living beings?" He thought, "Not to mention all these humans and demonic creatures emerging from the swamp now, just moments ago, there were ten demonic beasts and one Song Wuguo. That's already eleven!"

"Fairy, what's going on?" The Immortal Fairy frowned. "Song Wuguo didn't lie to you. Ordinary Mutian Grass can indeed control a maximum of ten living beings."

"However, what you are facing is not ordinary Mutian Grass, or rather, not an ordinary spiritual plant."

"It has developed sentience, just like the Time Immortal. It's a spiritual plant that has achieved sentience."