Chapter 42: Desperate Situation

Chapter 42: Desperate Situation

The mountain was not far.

Therefore, Ning Xuan was very close to the mountain.

He stood in silence beneath an old tree for several breaths.

During these few breaths, he changed with every passing moment.

He cast away all hope, all emotion, all hesitation, all fear, and all thoughts, until only the most cruel and ruthless luster remained in his eyes. Only then did he begin to walk toward the mountain.

At this moment, he was utterly unrecognizable, even to himself.

His eyes held nothing but indifference—indifference toward the lives of others, and indifference toward his own.

Just as he was still a vast distance from the mountain—or rather, after he had walked only a few hundred yards—an unexpected event occurred.

With his next step, he abruptly crossed a boundary and returned to his starting point.

Above him was the lush, drooping canopy of the old tree, casting shadows, with a few leaves dangling precariously.

'I've only walked such a short distance, and I've already hit the boundary?'

Ning Xuan quickly walked to the side.

After a few hundred yards, he returned to his original spot once again.

He continued to test it.

Soon, he confirmed one thing.

This nightmare was very, very small—so small that it was merely a circle with a radius of a few hundred yards.

Aside from some sparse trees, there were no other obstructions within this circular area. The terrain was flat, and the distant mountains, even the ice mountains, loomed on the periphery like a background painting.

The moonlight was bright, illuminating the rugged mountain ranges.

But, he could not go there.

Ning Xuan searched meticulously once more.

Then, he was completely certain: not only was the area small and devoid of cover, but there were not even any extra weapons or treasures.

All he had was the Beast-Slaying Saber in his hand and the deep-blue flying dagger in his bosom.

Having confirmed this, Ning Xuan no longer wasted his energy. He sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes to rest, intending to meet the upcoming demons in his best possible state.

Not long after, dawn arrived.

A pale, harsh sun cast a ghastly light.

An anxious buzzing sound drifted from nearby.

"Where is my weapon? Where did my weapon go?"

Ning Xuan sprang up instantly and looked toward the sound.

He saw a bear demon, about ten feet tall, standing in a distant clearing.

It was a magnificent bear demon; its form was like a high jade pavilion, its presence like a mountain or a surging sea. Its fur was like white willow, its eyes were clear, and its fangs were tucked away. Upon closer inspection, it even possessed a somewhat kind and benevolent appearance.

As Ning Xuan looked at the white bear demon, the demon saw him as well.

The white bear demon abruptly asked, "Have you seen my weapon?"

Ning Xuan's fingers moved slightly, and the deep-blue flying dagger slowly drifted out from his bosom.

"Is it this?" he asked.

The white bear demon said, "No."

Ning Xuan said, "It's hard to see from afar; I'll bring it closer for you to see."

As he spoke, with a thought, the flying dagger drifted slowly toward the white bear demon.

Once it was close, the strength of his flesh and blood erupted instantly. The power of "Yan He" attached itself to the dagger, which suddenly accelerated at extremely close range, causing the air to explode with a roar.

Although he could not currently utilize the "Yan Tide," at such a close distance with such intense explosive power, even the Bodhisattva Golden Body of a Fragrance-Stealing Mouse would be unable to withstand it.

A flash of deep-blue light streaked past, plunging into the space between the white bear demon's eyes.

In the next instant, a piercing screech erupted from the point of contact between the dagger and the demon's brow.

Ning Xuan's pupils constricted.

His flying dagger had not been able to pierce the white bear demon's head; it had been blocked.

The white bear demon squinted, and two patches of scales suddenly appeared between its eyes, clamping the flying dagger in place.

With just a squint, Ning Xuan's full-strength strike at close range had been blocked!!

Immediately after, the white bear demon raised its claw and grabbed the flying dagger.

Its claw was also covered in a layer of scales.

After grasping the magical treasure, the claw applied pressure and rubbed; an excruciatingly ear-splitting sound rang out.

The white bear demon frowned slightly, and scales also covered its arm.

It rubbed again.

The sharp sound of a blade rapidly scraping against iron echoed.

A few breaths later...

The claw opened again, and it tossed the dagger aside casually.

*Crack, crack, crack, crack!*

The flying dagger was completely shattered, breaking into countless tiny shards that fell to the ground.

Having finished this, the white bear demon looked back at Ning Xuan, twisted its neck, and clenched its fists. The scale-like substance began to manifest across its body again, appearing faster and faster.

Ning Xuan should have been afraid; indeed, he was very afraid. But more than fear, he had learned to observe and gather as much information as possible during these moments of absolute despair and hopelessness, so that when there was nowhere left to hide, he could meet a powerful enemy with everything he had.

At this moment, he slightly arched his body, assuming the stepping stance of the "Yan Return Step."

The air became deathly silent.

Under the pale sunlight, a single leaf from the old tree drifted down leisurely.

*Thump!!*

The white bear demon took a step forward.

The earth shook violently, as if being struck by a giant's drum.

The white bear demon's figure appeared before Ning Xuan.

Before Ning Xuan could even manage to lean back, the white bear demon was already in front of him.

The Beast-Slaying Saber in Ning Xuan's hand had not yet left its sheath. His plan was to act as he had when dealing with the Mountain-Crashing Bear Demon: use the saber as a fulcrum and use a spiral trajectory to evade the wide, sweeping strikes of a bear-type demon, avoiding its strength to strike its weakness. After dodging the initial impact, he intended to immediately counterattack with his greatest strength.

But the white bear demon was already upon him.

He had no time to make any further moves.

A man and a bear stared at each other face-to-face.

Gritting his teeth, Ning Xuan channeled strength into both hands and gripped the Beast-Slaying Saber tightly. Even with the sheath on, amidst the high-pitched cry of the "Yan Ming," the blade light dragged a piercing whistle as he struck violently from bottom to top against the white bear demon's abdomen, dragging it upward.

*Screech, screech, screech!*

*Zhi, zhi, zhi!*

Wherever the blade passed, a row of scales rapidly appeared on the white bear demon's surface.

Before the blade could even pass halfway, the white bear demon pressed down.

*Boom!*

Ning Xuan felt as if his entire body were being crushed to pieces.

However, he still had a surge of strength left—enough strength to commit suicide, for he had not forgotten the agony of being eaten alive by a bear demon.

But at that moment, the white bear demon's eyes were filled with fury as it looked at him.

"To commit evil is to enter the cauldron of suffering; to cultivate goodness is to ascend to the cool realms. You practice deceit and slaughter; you deserve death!"

With that, the white bear demon raised its claw and slammed it down.

Everything went black before Ning Xuan's eyes...

【9-2】...

Beneath the old tree, Ning Xuan opened his eyes.

He was quite curious.

Did that white bear demon not eat him?

Was he killed by that single blow from the white bear demon?

"To commit evil is to enter the cauldron of suffering; to cultivate goodness is to ascend to the cool realms?" Ning Xuan murmured the words the bear demon had spoken before attacking, pondering, "Does it mean that because I deceived it and ambushed it, I was committing evil, and therefore deserved death?"

A new path appeared before Ning Xuan's eyes.

From that close encounter just now, he had seen clearly that the bear demon's scales were not actually true "scales," but something produced by the compression of muscular strength.

His full-strength strike could not even break through the bear demon's defense.

In other words, even if the bear demon stood still and let him hack at it, he wouldn't be able to make a dent.

Therefore, he felt it was necessary to try another way.

Daylight...

Slowly descended.

The anxious buzzing sound drifted from the distance again.

"Where is my weapon? Where did my weapon go?"

The white bear demon looked left and right, and upon seeing Ning Xuan, it asked again, "Have you seen my weapon?"

Ning Xuan's fingers moved slightly, and the deep-blue flying dagger slowly drifted out from his bosom.

"Is it this?" he asked.

The white bear demon shook its head.

Ning Xuan then took out the Beast-Slaying Saber and asked, "Is it this one?"

The white bear demon still shook its head.

Ning Xuan said, "I'll help you look for it."

The white bear demon nodded, then grinned, saying, "You're quite a good person, aren't you?"

Ning Xuan said, "When traveling, everyone encounters trouble; I'll help if I can."

Immediately after, he and the white bear demon began searching for the "weapon" together.

He asked the white bear demon what kind of weapon it was, but the demon said nothing, only stating, "If it is seen, it will recognize itself."

The man and the demon searched and searched.

This search lasted for more than half a day.

When the harsh sun descended once more and the dark moon rose again, the white bear demon suddenly asked, "Are you hungry?"

Ning Xuan nodded.

The moment he nodded, he felt a sharp pain in his spine.

*Crack...*

His spine snapped.

He fell backward, but was caught steadily in mid-air.

The white bear demon placed him gently on the ground, then sat cross-legged by his feet, muttering some sort of scripture under its breath. Then, with a solemn expression, it said, "To commit evil is to enter the cauldron of suffering; to cultivate goodness is to ascend to the cool realms. Since you are a good person, I shall grant you salvation today. I will let you merge into my body, so that in the future, you may recite scriptures with me, bathe in incense, and attain the Pure Land early. Amituofo."

Having finished speaking, the white bear demon grabbed Ning Xuan's foot and began to feast voraciously.

(End of Chapter)