Chapter 267 “Disarming Pool, Terrifying Staircase”

An Ming Xia, ??who has been overtaken by her desire for vengeance, could never understand the consequences of swallowing a beast core.

As soon as the object rolled into her belly, a raging fire instantly ignited inside. Like countless blades, the chaotic energy begins to shred her organs from the inside out.

Plopping on all four, her luxurious robe began to shred as her skin roughens up while her muscles expanded. Then like a monster right out of a horror movie, a third eye suddenly grew out of her forehead.

“I… what’s going on with me?”

Gradually, the consciousness belonging to her as a human were being consumed. Bits and pieces of memory entered her mind and the truth was finally revealed here today for the first time in a thousand years.

Her surroundings began change in her mind, going back to a time that’s long disappeared into the annals of history.

The man responsible for this so called “Beast Devour” technique didn’t want to be confined to this room until his death. He wanted to leave no matter what because he knew his greatest creation will never see the light of day all because of the sect leader’s oppression.

Those people are obviously envious of my ingenuity.

He himself is the strongest of the Tai Yi School.

With these crazy ideas circulating in his twisted mind, the core belonging to one of the stone beasts finally activated itself inside the elder’s body. Through this surge of chaotic energy, his body didn’t only transform, he truly became a Jade Eyed Stone Beast.

Ignoring the penalty placed on him, he rushed out of the room chamber. Like an out-of-control wild animal, he killed any who resisted his rule. As for those who refused his demand, he would forcefully feed the disciples of the sect one of the beast cores, thus turning them into a stone beast like himself. Like a plague, this horrific onslaught and enslavement continued for a full day and full night. What used to be a place of learning and laughter was now a gathering place of horrors and nightmares.

Knowing it’s far too late to save those that’s already turned, the sect leader of the Tai Yi School at the time can only reluctantly activate the great barrier of the sect. Through this last ditch effort to secure the world from this horror of their own making, everything inside the mountain was forever thus sealed behind the barrier.

Well, that was until the map pieces were gathered again anyways…

These memories are all from that stone beast An Ming Xia killed with the Thunder Seed, which was also the memories of that elder who ruined his own sect. They are one and the same.

That’s the real truth behind this “Beast Devour” technique. Although it will let the user acquire tremendous power by consuming the beast core, but the cost would be their very humanity.

“Father… Feng Shen…”

It’s too late for regret now. Kneeling on all four, her human form had completely disappeared by now, turning her into a true Jade Eyed Stone Beast.

Hatred, hatred, endless amount of hatred for mankind and those who dare trespass in the Tai Yi School.

From those spooky green eyes, a layer of red overtook it. Then in a loud angry roar, large numbers of stone beasts began to charge towards the school gate like a tidal wave at its beck and call.

Those invaders will die!

——————————————————————–

Back over at Ling Yue and Bo Qing’s side, the two didn’t get very far before Fire Granny and the He Lao brothers caught up to them.

Together again at last, the group went ahead and made camp for the night before heading out the next morning. It’s been a rough day after the attack so resting was imperative.

Sadly, good things never last because Ling Yue and her allies soon ended up encountering the other party again along the road.

After searching for the entire night with no result, Marquis An knew it’s likely too late and misfortune had fallen on his daughter. Now that he’s seeing the people responsible for Ming Xia’s death again, his eyes quickly became like that of a snake, poisonous and vicious.

Gradually, the greenery of the forest disappeared around them and what came into view was a gate leading to a stairway with over a thousand steps upward. At the base, a pool as well as a stone tablet stood there. Its name: Disarming Pool.

As a powerful sect during ancient times, all foreigners must disarm themselves when visiting. This pool was the place where those people must leave their possessions until they leave the mountain.

Seeing this, Chen Tuo (son) from the Kai Jiang Manor only snorted at the name. To him, it’s completely laudable so he went ahead without bothering to consult his peers.

As royalty, Xia Hou Hong would of course not lose out to his counterpart. Without disarming himself, he too went ahead to mount the stairs.

This sort of behavior had been expected actually. Even if the Tai Yi School didn’t fall into ruin to this day, they, as royalty would never yield to a faction that holds no authority over them.

After all, they’ve already encountered those stone beasts before. If they do disarm here, who knows what sort of danger they will face ahead. That’s the same as committing suicide.

“Master?” Playing their part, the disciples from the Flame Wielder Sect turns to Fire Granny for instruction.

“Be careful.” Shooting a glance at the pool and its name, her expression became very serious.

Now that leaves He Lao Dai and He Lao San here. Exchanging a look with each other, the two brothers didn’t want to take the risk. Besides, they are cautious people and held a good amount of admiration for this once glorious school. Removing their weapons and armor, they tossed it into the pool without hesitation.

As for Bo Qing, this girl didn’t even need to think about it. Never once did she bother to read the name on the stone tablet so why would she bother to disarm? Skipping along like a playful child, she starts climbing the stairs too.

With everyone moving ahead, Ling Yue on the other hand had to think twice before continuing. She only had her Twinkling Star Dagger as her weapon. If she removes it here, she will lose her last form of protection. That sort of danger was beyond her wiliness to risk.

Not bothering to care about the boy in the back that’s hesitating to move along, all of them had no trouble climbing the stairs at the beginning. It’s in fact very relaxing and comfortable, that was until they reached a hundred steps or so.

Something’s wrong!

Their movement became slower and their weapons literally doubled in weight the next second.

Then with each following step they took, the weight only got worse. From the initial few pounds, it quickly became a hundred, a thousand, and some even ten thousand pounds!

It’s like a mountain was hanging over their bodies right now.

“Ah! Brother, I can’t anymore.”

Chen Xuan (girl) from the Kai Jiang Manor suddenly took to the floor after losing her strength. The two swords strapped to her waist promptly snapped and her landing knees made a bone crunching sound like something just cracked.

Based on that sound, her bones definitely broke there when making contact with the marbled staircase.

“Quickly everyone, remove your weapons and armor!” Elder Yue from the Kai Jiang Manor shouts this out, his face a little green.

In one panic-stricken move, these arrogant martialists who didn’t heed the warning at the base were all scrambling to remove their possessions. No more than a few seconds later, their armor and weapons were stripped and discarded to their side.

Good thing they did so too because as soon as they did, the weight hanging over their bodies were removed at once. And due to the fact that they literally stripped themselves down to their undergarments, all of these fools looked absolutely hilarious right now.