After absorbing the Primordial Spirit, the Nine Capturing Demon Scroll did not stop. It flipped over and landed on Xiao Mousui’s physical body, shuttling back and forth several times until every last drop of Essence Blood was drained. With a clear and resounding cry, it transformed into a dazzling beam of light and sought out the shattered Nascent Soul on Dragon Country’s Ship, devouring it as well.
This round of turmoil caused by the scroll was akin to consuming an entire Nascent Soul cultivator. Swirling around several more times without finding anything else to absorb, the scroll gave a tremor, emitting a sound like the ringing of a gong. Clear Qi spiraled through its entirety, radiating brilliant light.
When Zhang Yan returned to the Dragon Boat, the scroll did not wait for a summon. It let out a joyful chime and directly drilled itself into the space between his brows.
Zhang Yan’s eyes gleamed with curiosity. Normally, this Jade Scroll seemed obedient but was, in truth, untamed. Avoiding it was fine, but the moment it was touched, its violent and bloodthirsty tendencies would surge forth, trying to affect his mind. Regardless of his will, it would spew back Essence Qi incessantly. Yet today, it was unusually docile as compared to its usual behavior.
He directed his heart and spirit inward to inspect the acupoint, finding the Demon Scroll calmly suspended there, showing no signs of unrest. It seemed to have lost some of its ferocity and gained a trace of spiritual nature, appearing increasingly like an Immortal Treasure.
Inwardly, he pondered that the Essence Qi absorbed this time should suffice to elevate his God Contract to the next realm. However, now was not the time to quietly focus on cultivation.
A soft sigh reached his ears. Turning his head, he saw Lu Mei Niang gradually awakening. Her eyes opened, and the first sight she beheld was Zhang Yan. She immediately propped herself up, surveyed her surroundings, and when her initially tense expression relaxed, she asked, "Daoist Zhang, has Xiao Mousui left?"
The Female Demon Queen’s almond-shaped eyes carried a trace of fear. With disheveled robes, black hair cascading like a waterfall over her shoulders, and porcelain-white skin, her slightly bitten silver lips and hand pressed lightly against her chest naturally emanated a reserved allure, living up to the name "Mei Niang."
Zhang Yan seemed oblivious to the fleeting charm she exuded. He smiled faintly and said, "Rest assured, Lu Demon King. With the help of a senior master in my sect, this person will not trouble us again."
Lu Mei Niang was first stunned, but after pondering the implications of Zhang Yan’s words, her beautiful eyes lit up as she nodded. She let out a breath of relief and did not broach the subject again.
She didn’t doubt his statement much. In her view, a True Disciple like Zhang Yan, commanding such prominence in one region, would surely have sect seniors protecting him, much like Xiao Han.
As for why this person hadn’t assisted Lu Junbai and others earlier, she didn’t find it surprising. High-ranking cultivators from the Mingcang Sect often abstain from intervening unless the life of one of their sect disciples is endangered. They surely wouldn’t care about mere Demon Cultivators like them.
Zhang Yan retrieved two talismans, each about a finger’s thickness, from his sleeve bag and said, "These two items contain Daoist Lu and Demon King Jing. With my limited cultivation, I couldn’t devise any solutions. Given Lu Demon King’s profound mana, you might be able to dispel the prohibitions."
Before boarding the Dragon Boat, he had already taken Xiao Mousui’s sleeve bag from his corpse.
After a cursory examination, he found a scattering of items within, many of which he dared not touch at his current cultivation level, not knowing if any powerful prohibitions had been placed upon them. Since they were already in his possession, it was better to deal with them later.
Apart from that, he had also discovered two jade tokens. Each token’s surface depicted the original form of Lu Junbai and Jing Miaojun. A mere glance confirmed that the two of them were confined within these objects.
Lu Mei Niang stood up, raised her hand to receive them, and gently stroked them for a while before heaving a sigh and setting them down. Her brows furrowed with a trace of sorrow as she said, "The jade tokens used by Xiao Mousui seem to be sealing tokens from the Nanhua Sect. I lack the ability to undo them."
Among the Ten Great Profound Sects in the East Splendor Continent, Demon Cultivators fear the Nanhua Sect above all, followed by the Mingcang and Shaoqing sects.
This is because the Nanhua Sect specializes in demon-subduing Dharma techniques designed to suppress Demon Cultivators. Their prohibition methods are not something she can easily counter.
Zhang Yan pondered briefly before saying, "Lu Demon King, do not fret. As for breaking this prohibition, I happen to know someone who might resolve the dilemma."
Lu Mei Niang, upon hearing this, hurriedly bowed and said, "I humbly ask Daoist Zhang for guidance."
Seeing this, Zhang Yan extended his hand to help her up and said, "Lu Demon King, there’s no need for formalities. Do you recall Daoist Guo Lie? He is a disciple under True Master Tao Zhenhong. True Master Tao was originally a cultivator within the Nanhua Sect before breaking away, and his cultivation surpasses Xiao Mousui. There’s a high probability he can undo this prohibition."