At that moment, countless Spectral Corpse Serpents suddenly appeared around the cave, surging toward the pitch-black urn like a raging tide. However, as soon as they neared the edge of Chiyou's Infernal Prison Array, a strange force repelled them, and with a series of booming sounds—"Boom! Boom! Boom!"—they were blasted into wisps of gray-black mist.
Even so, countless Spectral Corpse Serpents continued to rush toward the pitch-black urn, wave after wave. Each time they got close, the Chiyou's Infernal Prison Array would explode their bodies, turning them into wisps of gray-black malevolent essence that slowly rose into the air. Instead of dissipating, this mist thickened and gathered, soon forming a dense cloud that began swirling outside the array.
Sss—sss—sss—
As the mist formed by the Spectral Corpse Serpents swirled and flowed, thin strands of malevolent essence occasionally seeped into the Chiyou's Infernal Prison Array, slipping into the sealed opening of the pitch-black urn.
The two blood-red talismans that crisscrossed to seal the pitch-black urn began to flutter wildly as the surging mist invaded. Soon, under the relentless erosion of the mist, a ripping sound—"Riiip!"—echoed as the seals tore apart. Instantly, the layers of gray-black malevolent essence swirling outside the Chiyou's Infernal Prison Array spun madly, slipping through every gap like quicksilver and were swiftly absorbed by the urn.
The absorption was so frenzied that the malevolent essence at the urn's mouth condensed into a frost-like, tangible layer. The Chiyou's Infernal Prison Array, overwhelmed by the corrosive mist, began to falter—the originally shimmering black talismans quickly dimmed, ceased to flow, and crumbled into mottled fragments that fell away with a soft rustling sound.
With a thunderous boom, the Chiyou's Infernal Prison Array finally gave way under the crushing pressure of the surrounding malevolent essence, bursting apart in a flash of black light and shattering into pieces!
With the array broken, the pitch-black urn became even more frenzied, devouring the surrounding malevolent essence. The Spectral Corpse Serpents pouring in from every direction willingly transformed into wisps of gray-black mist, mingling with the resentment from the Forsaken Earth, all of it sucked into the urn.
Buzz—buzz—buzz—
As more and more malevolent essence poured in, the Hellbound Urn emitted a series of bizarre, mournful wails. Its surface became shrouded in an incredibly thick blood-red mist, swelling rapidly.
With a thunderous boom, the Hellbound Urn, having devoured all the surrounding malevolent essence, suddenly burst open. Amid a cloud of blood-red mist, a grotesque and vicious demon appeared—its body was slightly smaller than the Dreadfang Wraith, but it looked even more savage. Blood-red mist coiled around its form, its limbs flickering in and out of existence. Black, worm-like veins bulged across its skin, muscles twisted as if torn apart, and its eyes glowed a fierce crimson. Its whole body looked charred, and most bizarre of all—when it opened its protruding maw, it revealed razor-sharp fangs and a blood-red, forked tongue covered in foul black slime!
"Whoa—this thing looks kind of familiar!" Shawn Young exclaimed in shock, feeling as though he'd seen this demon somewhere before.
"Heh heh—this demon is the 'Infernal Overlord' I summoned with my artifact—one of the top ten fiends of the Demon Realm! Brat, to die by its hand is quite the honor for you—hahaha!" Master Wuxiang's eerie, twisted laughter echoed through the air once again.
"Roar—roar—I've been asleep so long, it's been ages since I've tasted fresh human flesh. Who would've thought a little Taoist would deliver himself to me as a snack—roar—roar—" As it spoke, the Infernal Overlord let out a series of piercing, monstrous howls, its huge mouth gaping wide and uttering words in a buzzing, inhuman voice. Its vicious, triangular eyes flashed with crimson light, fixed hungrily on Shawn Young, while its long, forked tongue flickered and drooled sticky, glistening saliva, as if Shawn were a gourmet meal served up just for it.
"Uh—this thing can talk?!" Shawn muttered, deeply alarmed. He knew that any demon capable of speaking human language had not only terrifying power, but also an intelligence equal to humans—or even more cunning!
"Heh—you're such an ignorant little Taoist. Human language is nothing to me! Hahaha!" The Infernal Overlord, as if reading Shawn's mind, let out a chilling, bone-rattling laugh.
"Damn—this thing's intense, it can even read minds!" Shawn gasped, feeling the Infernal Overlord's dark red, demonic eyes pulling at his soul like two ghostly lanterns. He quickly focused his mind, centered his qi, and chanted the "Clarity Incantation" to keep his spirit clear. He knew the Infernal Overlord possessed a terrifying Taoist technique similar to soul possession—if he slipped up, his soul would be snatched away and he'd become its puppet!
Seeing Shawn resist its demonic spell, the Infernal Overlord was clearly surprised. It let out another strange laugh, shaking its bizarre head and saying, "Heh heh heh—you really do have some skill, little Taoist. And the qi you've cultivated is pure yang, strong and fierce—impressive, impressive! Waking up to such an interesting opponent is a real treat. How fun! Truly fun!"
"Uh—how do you know what kind of qi I cultivate?!" Shawn blurted out, shocked.
"Heh, that's easy—I'm from the Land of Thunder Marshes, born with the Ninefold Yin Body. My sensitivity to all kinds of energies is unmatched. Back in the day, I followed Lord Chiyou in his conquest of the world, and my job was to sense enemy auras for him. I've seen plenty of top Taoists and great demons, so of course I can tell what kind of qi you have. Your pure yang qi is top-notch—clearly you're a disciple of a prestigious sect!" The Infernal Overlord replied with a cold sneer.