Yellow Skinned Taoist Master

Chapter 178: Huangpi Cracks

In the early morning hours, the morning sun had just begun to rise.

By the riverbank, a skeleton over eight feet tall struggled and trudged its way out from the water, carrying a roughly thirteen or fourteen-year-old youth wearing Daoist robes upon its shoulder.

The youth's eyes were tightly shut, his face so utterly pale there lacked even the slightest hint of blood.

His belly was swollen and bulging like a leather ball.

This youth, naturally, was the drowned Chen Huangpi.

"Motherf*cker!"

The Brass Oil Lamp cursed profusely, saying: "Chen Huangpi already possesses this level of cultivation, yet he can actually still drown!? A Gui, why didn't you stop him!?"

Chen Huangpi's cultivation base was indeed incredibly powerful.

But without the black smoke and Evil Eye, he basically couldn't even achieve flight/escape art; it was merely that his two legs running on the ground were faster than a person flying, that was all.

Merely, this drowning matter was truly somewhat absurd and outrageous.If those cultivators killed by Chen Huangpi knew of this, wouldn't every single one of them be so incredibly infuriated they would come back to life!?

"I wished to stop him, but the Contract Master drank far too quickly."

The Life-reaping Ghost stated exceedingly helplessly: "I swallowed him into my mouth, but couldn't withstand that river water's bizarre nature; it managed to seep in even through the exceptionally minute gaps connecting my bones. Moreover, I kept feeling as if that river water was specifically targeting the Contract Master."

Previously, when that bizarre and eerie transformation occurred upon the River of Weak Water.

The Life-reaping Ghost had instantaneously, at the very first moment, swallowed Chen Huangpi into its mouth.

Merely, a tremendously massive whirlpool appeared at the bottom of the water. No matter how much it struggled, ultimately it could only be swept into this world reflected within the water.

Casting its gaze to observe their surroundings again.

The Life-reaping Ghost and the Brass Oil Lamp instantly exchanged glances, choked speechless.

Verdant hills and limpid waters, the morning sun rising from the east. Looking toward even further distances, there was even curling smoke from kitchen chimneys.

"The aura of this damnable place..."

The Brass Oil Lamp's expression underwent a slight, minute change: "A Gui, did you feel it!?"

"It's Spiritual Qi (灵气)..."

The Life-reaping Ghost spoke in incredible disbelief: "After the Heaven and Earth Mutation, spiritual qi ceased and vanished. Why is there actually still spiritual qi existing in this place!? Could it be this place truly is just as that Crosser of Torments stated, a Cave Heaven and Blessed Land opened by some almighty existence!?"

After the Heaven and Earth Mutation, spiritual qi was swept utterly, devastatingly clean without a single trace remaining.

Therefore, the cultivation methods relying upon human qi arose.

Even the Hundred Thousand Mountains lacked a single speck of spiritual qi. The sole tiny wisp of spiritual qi was steamed out last time when Chen Huangpi stewed Master in the iron wok, and even that tiny wisp had been completely swallowed clean by the Fox Mountain God.

Whereas within this underwater world, although the spiritual qi was thin, it indeed unequivocally existed, and furthermore in quite a considerable amount.

This completely, thoroughly violated the Life-reaping Ghost's cognition.

The Brass Oil Lamp spoke with deep dread: "Before we were swept in, night had just fallen outside. Yet here, it is early morning. The cyclic operation of the sun and moon in this damnable place actually follows the laws and patterns predating the Heaven and Earth Mutation! Sinister/evil; truly, genuinely too sinister and evil."

"First get Chen Huangpi awake. Once he wakes up, we'll figure out a method to leave."

The Brass Oil Lamp's insight had always been incredibly vicious and acute.

There were very few things it was incapable of seeing through or comprehending.

Yet the feeling this underwater world bestowed upon it was exceptionally uneasy.

It instinctually desired to swiftly/urgently depart this place and return into the Hundred Thousand Mountains.

Hearing these words, the Life-reaping Ghost's heart tightened.

Its relationship with the Brass Oil Lamp had always been not bad, and the two could be considered to understand each other's roots and bottoms.

For even the Brass Oil Lamp to speak as such, then this place was absolutely, definitely no good destination to visit.

Thinking of this, the Life-reaping Ghost promptly laid Chen Huangpi flat upon the ground, preparing to administer first-aid to save him.

Then, the two of them just stood there, their large eyes staring into small eyes (staring blankly at each other).

"A Gui, why are you staring at me!?"

"Didn't you tell me to save the Contract Master!? If you don't say how to save him, what else am I supposed to look at besides you!?"

"You are of the Yellow Spring Nether Race; innately possessing the water attribute. Shouldn't saving a drowned person be something as easy as reaching out your hand to grab it!?"

Hearing these words.

The Life-reaping Ghost stated faintly: "Huang Er, is there possibly such a possibility... that the Yellow Spring Nether Race does not drown..."

Heaven knows, if it weren't for Chen Huangpi drowning.

The Life-reaping Ghost fundamentally couldn't even conceive that drowning was actually a 'thing'.

Moreover, several of its past Contract Masters were evil spirits.

Some didn't even possess a physical body, so the matter of drowning even further did not exist.

"Huang Er, you understand much. Why don't you do it!?"

"Ah? Me?"

The Brass Oil Lamp was utterly flabbergasted, biting the bullet as it said: "Fine, if I must then I must. Merely, it's also my first time encountering a human drowning. I perhaps, might, probably know how to save him."

Saying so, it carefully and cautiously walked to the front of Chen Huangpi.

Right now, Chen Huangpi's skin was soaked thoroughly white, looking exactly like a dead fish.

His breathing was also growing weaker and weaker.

The Brass Oil Lamp pressed its ear against Chen Huangpi's heart; even the heartbeat was almost imperceptible to the ear.

This scene caused the Brass Oil Lamp to feel bizarre to the absolute extremes.

The River of Weak Water was incredibly terrifying during the day, the river water even possessing peerless, extreme toxicity.

However, when night fell, it distinctly became significantly more normal.

The Brass Oil Lamp itself had drunk several large mouthfuls of river water, yet suffered absolutely zero detrimental effects.

But solely reaching Chen Huangpi, it truly was exactly the same as an ordinary mortal, seemingly as if water innately was the object most anathema and suppressive to him.

"Original Family, I'm sorry!"

The Brass Oil Lamp hardened its heart, rubbing its fists and wiping its palms as it stood upon Chen Huangpi's highly bulging belly, before fiercely leaping upwards to the height of a whole person.

Bang...

The Brass Oil Lamp smashed solidly downward into the center.

Puchi...

A massive mouthful of turbid, cloudy river water spewed out from the unconscious Chen Huangpi's mouth.

That heartbeat also ceased to be weak.

"It actually truly worked!"

The Brass Oil Lamp was overjoyed beyond expectations, hurriedly and continuously delivering heavy blows to Chen Huangpi's belly.

Following mouthful after mouthful of river water spewing out from Chen Huangpi's mouth. The Life-reaping Ghost's expression grew increasingly subtle/peculiar: "Huang Er, the force behind your strikes is a bit too heavy. You're using public duty to exact private revenge, aren't you!?"

"A Gui, is this how you view me!?"

The Brass Oil Lamp spoke, seemingly heartbroken and utterly distressed: "My relationship with Chen Huangpi is like that of hand and foot (brothers). Previously he tricked me into becoming a dog, we exchanged curses and beat each other up, and he even used the Dog Rearing Scripture to force me, preventing me from reporting him behind his back... these matters I have long since entirely forgotten! I am saving his life!"

"Since this is so, how about switching to me to save him then?"

The Life-reaping Ghost stated: "Anyway, your method is simple. I learned it with just a single glance."

"That's no good, I haven't beaten..."

The Brass Oil Lamp almost let something slip, speaking with a guilty conscience: "I haven't beaten the bad water out of his stomach entirely yet. You don't need to be impatient. Watch carefully, learn properly. In the future, there might perhaps be a time when it comes in handy."

Saying so, the Brass Oil Lamp continued repeatedly compressing and squeezing Chen Huangpi's belly.

Merely, this time, the force it deployed became significantly gentler.

...

Chen Huangpi's consciousness was completely muddled and chaotic.

He felt as if he were about to die.

That whirlpool that sucked him into the water wrapped around him, spinning ceaselessly.

Chen Huangpi was spun until he was dizzy and disoriented.

He lacked even the strength to open his eyes.

Biasly, there was river water desperately pouring and gulping down his mouth, bloating his stomach until it ached painfully.

Furthermore, without knowing what exactly was going on, it hurt worse and worse.

It felt as if there were a pair of iron fists, ruthlessly, fiercely delivering heavy blows directly upon his stomach.

Chen Huangpi originally wished to just close his eyes and fall asleep here.

Once he woke up from sleep, he would definitely be fine.

But that pain grew more and more intense.

He truly couldn't sleep any longer.

Hence, he fiercely snapped open his eyes, and then beheld the Life-reaping Ghost and the Brass Oil Lamp standing to his left and right, currently looking at him with faces brimming with excitement.

"Chen Huangpi, you're awake!"

"Huang Er, A Gui..."

Chen Huangpi forced himself to stand up; the Five Viscera Spirit Refining Art within his body circulated automatically, instantly allowing his primary qi (元气/vitality) to recover.

Merely, his head was still somewhat dizzy.

And his stomach hurt exceedingly badly.

"Huang Er, just now you were beating me quite satisfyingly/thrillingly, huh..."

Chen Huangpi grabbed the Brass Oil Lamp by the neck in one fell swoop, grinding his teeth as he said: "I was spun dizzy by that whirlpool and merely wished to sleep for a while. Yet you directed such a toxic hand against me. You went too far!"

"Chen Huangpi, listen to my explanation."

The Brass Oil Lamp rolled its eyes, saying: "I swear, at the beginning I genuinely wished to save you. Merely, sometimes the force is unable to be controlled. Furthermore, right upon waking up you bite me to death as the culprit, why didn't you suspect A Gui at all!?"

"Because I'm not stupid!"

Chen Huangpi said furiously: "A Gui's fists are even larger than you are! Only your fists are that tiny. Taking a beating from them hurts like hell! I feel you've beaten me until I have internal injuries!"

"Impossible!"

The Brass Oil Lamp retorted: "Your body is invulnerable to water and fire, even tougher than the body of my lantern! I didn't even use much strength; how could I possibly beat you into suffering internal injuries!?"

Seeing the Brass Oil Lamp remaining stubborn and unyielding with its mouth.

Chen Huangpi angrily untied his Daoist robes, pointing at his belly utterly covered in fist imprints, silently glaring at the Brass Oil Lamp.

The latter lowered its head with a guilty conscience, completely lacking the courage to cast a glance at him.

Before Chen Huangpi cultivated, his skin was tough and his flesh thick. But after cultivating, his physical body grew increasingly bizarre and extraordinary. Not only could he feel pain now, additionally, he had only been hammered several thousand times by itself, resulting in patches of bruises—purple everywhere, green everywhere.

However, right precisely at this moment.

The Life-reaping Ghost's expression abruptly, vastly changed. Pointing at Chen Huangpi's belly in sheer horror, it said: "Contract Master, your skin has cracked open!!"

"A Gui, you're joking again, how could I crac..."

Chen Huangpi lowered his head for a look.

Merely to behold upon his belly, at some unknown point in time, a network of densely packed, exceedingly fine lines and patterns had actually appeared.

Those patterns were both shallow and exceedingly fine; without looking closely/paying strict attention, one fundamentally couldn't even discover them.

He reached out to touch it, his face instantaneously turning incredibly deathly pale.

"I truly cracked."

"Huang Er, this is entirely your fault!!"

Chen Huangpi said angrily: "You must have definitely harbored a grudge against me in your heart, striking with a toxic hand, abruptly and forcefully beating my physical body until it cracked! Fortunately I woke up early; otherwise wouldn't I have been beaten into fine powder by you!?"

"Your crimes/sins are heinous and unforgivable!"

"No, what relation does this have with me!?"

The Brass Oil Lamp cried grievance: "If I possessed such capability, would I still be speaking to you with such warm temper and soft words!?"

"Seems so."

Chen Huangpi unwillingly released the Brass Oil Lamp.

And this caused the confusion/doubt within his heart to grow even deeper.

Looking at the cracking patterns upon his upper body, the more Chen Huangpi looked, the more unnatural and uncomfortable he felt.

He wasn't pinched/molded out of mud.

If coming into contact with water, how could cracking patterns appear!?

Could it be he drank too much Weak Water, bursting/stretching himself until he broke!?

The Brass Oil Lamp also stared ceaselessly at Chen Huangpi as if it had seen a ghost. It seemed to have recalled something, hurriedly urging: "Original Family, take off all your clothes! Strip completely bare, do not leave half a speck of clothing to conceal anything!"

"Why?"

"Because I heavily suspect right now your entire body is covered everywhere in cracking patterns!"

"Then am I about to shed my skin/molt?"

Chen Huangpi stated in panic and fluster: "Even though I hatched from an egg, I at least possess a human appearance! If even my skin sheds completely, wouldn't I transform into a monster!?"

"Hard to say, truly hard to say."

The Brass Oil Lamp replied: "Anyway, strip bare and let me and A Gui take a look. We might perhaps be able to see through some underlying secrets to this; it's hard to say."

"Right, there's also Golden Horn! Release it from the Soul-Hooking Manual! Let it also take a look!"