Chapter Thirty-Four: The Tiger-Faced Immortal Falls into a Trap

Wuyun wept and exclaimed angrily, "That wretch is too cunning! I had hoped to trick him into going back on his word so I wouldn’t have to make the trip to the First Immortal Realm, but who would have thought that old dog wouldn't take the bait!"

Long Yi and the others secretly admired him, but before they could voice their praise, the ruined flesh once again revealed Juelang's face. This was Juelang's truest form—a wolf proud enough to challenge the heavens. After bowing to Wuyun, he vanished completely.

Not only the flesh, not only the bones—everything disappeared without a trace. Only a single wisdom tooth, a wolf's fang, hovered in the passage. The resentment and karma of those unseen, those who died unjustly by his hand, all surged into the cauldron. Then, the bracelet shattered, the immortal script dissolved into nothingness.

"Old dog, are you truly dead, or just playing dead?" Wuyun asked, feeling uneasy as he fiddled with the jade-white wolf fang. He muttered several times that he would break his oath and refuse to go to the First Immortal Realm, but there was no response.

"Senior, what are you afraid of?" Old Bear Third, weak to the extreme, managed a smile, just as he was about to flatter Wuyun. But Wuyun plopped down, panting, and said, "If I really had the means to subdue him, would I have needed to trick him like this? That man was a hero of his time, ruthless and decisive. Only with these open schemes, mixing truth with falsehood, could I muddle through. It was close—if he'd shouted out his unwillingness and desire for revenge, we'd all be doomed!"

Everyone broke out in a cold sweat. The Battle King tearfully asked, "Senior Wuyun, apart from where we are, what is at the heart of this cauldron? I feel chills just thinking about it!"

"Never go out there," Wuyun replied calmly, "everything you see is the sins Juelang wrought through slaughter. Those unresolved karmas and resentments, if they don't find a host, will become vengeful spirits—far more terrifying than Asuras. Let me catch my breath, then I'll send them all to Tiger Mask Immortal."

As Wuyun spoke with deceptive tranquility, Long Yi, Old Bear Third, and the others remained on high alert. Such mastery—clouds turning with a flip of the hand, rain with a twist—could only be achieved by an old monster like Wuyun.

Everyone secretly resolved never to cross Wuyun. No matter how weak his power seemed now, his mind was far too sharp...

Outside, Tiger Mask Immortal was in a foul mood. He sensed the overwhelming pressure ahead vanish; a gust of gloomy wind swept through the small opening, then all was calm.

A cauldron quietly concealed itself, moving stealthily like a gecko stalking prey. It clung to the wall, trying to slip past before Tiger Mask Immortal’s eyes. But as the bell at his side flashed, three colors—red, yellow, and blue—shone forth. With a shake, three whirlwinds appeared, and as the colors overlapped, they formed a blank, massive vortex, enveloping the cauldron.

Cautious, suspecting a trick, Tiger Mask Immortal trapped it first to investigate. Unexpectedly, the vortex’s force spun the cauldron as if it were but a thin sheet of paper. With a crack, the cauldron shattered into four pieces.

As he scrutinized, a chill wind blew into his body. He shivered, focused for a long moment, but found nothing amiss.

It wasn't just him—even Juelang, who had slaughtered so many, could not break the bonds of karma.

Puzzled, he waited for the turbulence inside to subside, intending to check if the soldiers he’d sent satisfied the wolf’s appetite. But in a flash, an enormous suction force appeared. The spatial rift that had trapped their heads was now empty.

In the next moment, he darted inside, immediately spotting the hundreds of soldiers cowering on the spirit ship. Wuyun and the others had vanished without a trace.

With a wave of his hand, a soldier was summoned, his soul probed. It was clear that the soldiers had remained on the ship, oblivious to the outside world due to the overwhelming pressure.

"A bunch of ants—worthless!" Tiger Mask Immortal roared, unleashing his power in an attempt to restore the previous scene. Yet his spells felt less nimble than in the Immortal Realm. Could it be that immortal arts weaken in the mortal world?

Suspicion is the greatest enemy. In an instant, Tiger Mask Immortal realized he’d fallen into a trap, though he knew not what it was. With his vast experience as a demon emperor—though not Juelang’s equal, still a regional overlord—he quickly deduced: it was either a curse, a spell of fate, or karma at work!

Furious, he shook his bell. The hundred soldiers Wuyun had saved were immediately reduced to ash by the tremor. He had intended to use his powers to search, but karma blocked his way, sending him into a blind rage.

Again he shuddered and poured in more power.

With a thud, a narrow passage appeared, its entrance cleared. Without a second thought, he grabbed his bell and collar and gave chase, using his powers to open the way. The entire Magnetic Star trembled with muffled echoes.

"Those soldiers you saved are dead," Long Yi reported to Wuyun, feeling the spell he had cast dissolve. Wuyun showed no expression, his face unreadable.

This emotionless Wuyun was the most terrifying Wuyun of all.

"Where are we?" Liu Ruyan sounded delighted. The entire passage was lined with all manner of tiny, immaculate buildings, each unique in shape.

At the sight, Wuyun smiled faintly. "Fortunately, it isn't one of the other two places. Come, I'll show you around!"

Countless buildings stretched on endlessly, forming a city. When they reached the end, at the wall, before Wuyun could speak, Little Bug, draped in Buddhist light, dove in first.

Though the wall was pocked with thousands of tiny holes, only Long Yi noticed something odd. He touched one, and was instantly sucked inside.

Wuyun followed, pulling Jiao Ying, Old Bear Third, and the others along with him.

The scene shifted. Suddenly, they were in a bustling mortal city—vendors selling pastries and buns, children peddling all sorts of toys, shops for clothing, inns, magistrates’ offices, mansions, all manner of general stores...

Looking into the distance, they could see another, entirely different city dozens of kilometers away.

With a thud, Little Bug plummeted from the sky, landing on the ground. As the crowd stared in confusion and began to shout, he transformed into human form and hid behind Long Yi. Liu Ruyan and the others followed suit.

To the mortals, Long Yi, the Battle King, and Old Bear Third appeared monstrous, their faces dreadful, like demons. Wuyun, however, was quietly pulled aside by an old man who whispered, "Scholar, you have a fine, honest face—don’t associate with those villains. Look at that bear-faced one—surely a demon who’s eaten many people. Don’t worry, we have experts here who banish demons and evil spirits. They’ll be back soon!"

Wuyun said nothing. Old Bear Third, growing impatient and eager to test reality, used a silken treasure to probe. The nearest vendor, holding a fork, was instantly stained with blood.

Entrails, stomach, heart, liver, spleen, and organs splattered across the clean street. A piercing scream followed: "A demon has killed someone!"

In an instant, the lively street turned cold and deserted. Doors slammed shut, people hid within, peeking out to monitor the group's every move. As blood pooled, Liu Ruyan scolded, just as Old Bear Third rummaged through the corpse’s organs.

He hadn't even tried to kill—merely to open a small wound and check if the man was real. But a gentle prod and the body fell apart, and now he was being blamed. It was all too unfair.

"Wait, something’s not right!" Old Bear Third exclaimed. Little Bug, murmuring prayers for the dead, nodded. "Not right? But these are living people—their souls have already passed on thanks to me."

Old Bear Third ignored Little Bug, pointing at the bloodied intestines. "Look—there isn’t a scrap of food in his gut. How could this be a real person?"

Long Yi nodded inwardly. With his strength, he couldn’t tell if what he saw was real or not, but he felt sure it was no illusion, and that the corpse was not quite false.

Besides this, Little Eagle noted another oddity: the organs were too fresh. Even after falling to the ground, they remained bright red. If Long Yun and the others weren’t around, he’d already have revealed his nature and eaten them.

As the group discussed, Wuyun spoke up. "The vendor is over forty, yet his hair is jet black, without a single grey strand, while his hands are weathered as if he’s done hard labor for many years—such contrast is unusual indeed!"

As he pointed this out, shadows began to gather in the sky. Long Yi, noticing, shielded himself with his scales, while the Battle King tried to leap into the air. Yet, though his power remained, he found himself falling back to the ground as if some unseen force dragged him down.