Unedited. Kept 'nu yuan chan' for the hairy female grudge demon spirit. 'Ghoul' just didn't sound quite right to me.
***
Nu yuan chan was able to move by water and by land. After sucking the three people dry underwater, it couldn't wait to climb ashore to look for new targets. Luo Binghe wasn't so easy to handle however, his appearance towering and piercingly cold. He snapped his fingers and fire appeared at his fingertips, his spiritual power acting as the catalyst. He threw it at the sneaky monster. Once it came in contact with the hair, the flames quickly grew and fanned into a huge blaze, forcing the black strands of hair to quickly retreat back into the water, afraid to go ashore.
The entire set of moves was carried through smoothly and successfully in one go at full power, without room for hesitation.
In his heart, Shen Qingqiu was satisfied and he raised a placard: Luo Binghe, 10 Points!
Luo Binghe picked up Qin Wanyue's Night Pearl that had fallen to the ground and raised it high, as though it were a beacon. It awakened those who had frozen in place. He shouted: "Martial brothers and sisters, don't wander and get lost. Gather in one place and move together!" Afterwards, he pulled out the standard Immortal Alliance Conference item that everyone received, the emergency firework [1], and launched it towards the sky.
The emergency fireworks were given to the disciples to use in case they came across monsters they had no way to confront. Generally, the Immortal Alliance Conference wouldn't release monsters that were too dangerous. Using it three times also resulted in an automatic waive. It was therefore used as a last resort during the Immortal Alliance Conference; hardly anyone would use it. But at this moment, many bright fireworks bloomed over the entire sky of Jue Di Gorge, one after another. In the original work, this was a very beautiful scene. But now, these fireworks were not only far from being splendid. Instead, they made people feel as though their livers and gallbladders were being torn apart in grief and horror.
Because every firework rising into bloom represented a disciple who was confronted with an extremely terrible monster, his or her life in danger!
"The crystal screens! Quickly look at the crystal screens!"
Tragic screaming and shouting broadcasted from the crystal screens without end. Some disciples had already died on the scene across rows of the crystal screens. Some disciples were still bathed in blood from fighting in close quarters, their eyes full of fear and dread: "Why? Why does this place have… it shouldn't be like this!"
"People, come and help! Poison Dragon Python [2]! Shifu, save me! Elder Martial Brother, save…"
Suddenly, from within a crystal screen came a hoarse cry, the spirit eagles calling sadly and shrilly, then the surface turned entirely black.
Everyone said: "What's going on?"
Shen Qingqiu felt his scalp turning numb, his tips of his fingertips ice-cold.
That hoarse cry must be the Demon Realm's Bone Eagle [3]! It was a type of fierce and bloodthirsty flying monster.
He was afraid that these spirit eagles had been torn apart by them and thrown onto the ground, likewise shattering the crystal screens on them into pieces.
Swimming in the water, walking on land, or flying in the air; all were invaded by these frightening demonic creatures!
Facing this kind of grand and chaotic scene, he truly didn't have a way to act as he originally planned and treat it as a realistic play □□, remaining calm.
And outside Jue Di Gorge, atop the high tower, it was as though a pot had exploded. The Daoists [4] of Tian Yi Overlook snapped: "What's going on? The approved monsters for the Immortal Alliance Conference have all been chosen according to the strictest standards. How could a purely demonic thing like nu yuan chan get mixed in!"
Several Huan Hua Palace disciples had already died. The old Palace head suddenly got up and in a trembling voice said word by word: "Open the enchantment!"
The great enchantment encompassing Jue Di Gorge was supported by several hundreds of Zhao Hua Temple monks. The Zhao Hua Temple abbot was quickly about to use the Thousand Li Transmitter to notify the monks to remove the enchantment. Who knew that Yue Qingyuan would suddenly say: "It cannot be opened!"
The old Palace head was stunned: "Sect Head Yue, what is the meaning of this?"
In Jue Di Gorge, there were many hundreds of Cang Qiong sect disciples who participated in the Immortal Alliance Conference, yet Yue Qingyuan stopped them from opening the enchantment and letting the disciples trapped inside escape with their lives. Naturally, he had very important reasons for this.
Shen Qingqiu said: "Once the enchantment is opened, it's true that the disciples can escape. But the monsters originally trapped inside will also immediately flee. Within some li of distance, you can see smoke from human villages in this place. At that time, the situation would be even more grave. Our sect disciples have at least some ability to confront monsters. As for those normal, common people who don't have spiritual power flowing through their meridians?"
This remark made every one of the famous sect heads on the high platform unable to say nothing in reply and made them all silent.
At a time like this, no matter how much of a great Core Formation or Nascent Soul cultivator you were, you were still helpless against this kind of uncontrollable situation.
Some people from Huan Hua Palace seemed to have taken leave of their six senses and were at a loss: "If the enchantment can't be opened to let them out, then...then what should be done?"
Shen Qingqiu said: "If exiting is impossible, then there can only be entering."
Among Cang Qiong Mountain sect members, many people met gazes in silent agreement. Yue Qingyuan said in a clear voice: "All fellow Daoists, today's events must be the intentional move of someone intending to borrow Demon Realm hands to eliminate our young cultivators and future pillars in one fell swoop. Because of their stratagem, we can only let the enchantment continue. Are there fellow Daoists who are willing to come along with my Cang Qiong Mountain sect to enter the gorge to exterminate monsters and save the participating disciples?"
To kill a bloody path and clean up all the monsters required not only strength, but great courage.
Huan Hua Palace's old head was the first to respond: "Huan Hua Palace is duty-bound to assist."
In the Immortal Alliance Conference this time, Huan Hua Palace had the most participants and invested the most. They were the party most unable to bear it. With someone taking the lead, other people immediately followed closely behind and volunteered for the dangerous task. Even if there were those in the minority who were originally timid, they were now shocked awake as well: Their own talented baby disciples were in there, after all!
Shen Qingqiu took one step forward and was just about to enter the queue of supporters when Liu Qingge blocked his path with his scabbard.
Shen Qingqiu's expression didn't change as he used two fingers to push aside the scabbard: "What's the meaning of this?"
Liu Qingge concisely and comprehensively said: "Your poison."
Yue Qingyuan also used a voice only they could hear [5] to say: "Correct. Qingqiu. You shouldn't forget, the remainder of the 'Without A Cure' poison still hasn't been cleaned from your body. Give the safety of the Qing Jing Peak disciples to us to handle." There was one more sentence he hadn't spoken: what if after he entered Jue Di Gorge, he encountered an outbreak of the poison and his spiritual power was obstructed? Surrounded by many monsters, that would truly be like shouting every day without even an echo to answer for it.
Shen Qingqiu shook his head and said: "With disciples who have encountered difficulties, how can the shifu hide on the high platform and relax? Since when is there this kind of reasoning? If I'm unable to protect my own disciples, then I don't need to be the Peak Lord of my Qing Jing Peak anymore."
Also, he was an important person for triggering the key scene. If he doesn't arrive at the scene, there's no way for things to proceed.
Ding dong, the system alerted: [Through establishing a positive image early, making the villain a three-dimensional character, B points +30! ]
In his heart, Shen Qingqiu rolled his eyes: 'This counts as giving me sugar or morphine before stabbing me with a knife.'
Yue Qingyuan's advice for him not to go had no effect, so he could only reluctantly say: "Then you have to be careful. In the case you can't confront something, immediately contact us through the auditory technique so we can support you."
Shen Qingqiu wasn't as pessimistic about his own ability to deal with monsters as they were. Other than his confidence in his cultivation level and spiritual power, he also had one other additional bonus.
Towards the monsters in "Proud Immortal Demon Way," Shen Qingqiu had a far greater interest in them than the different kinds of sisters.
He might not be able to remember that female protagonist encountering a small grievance and going with Luo Binghe to watch stars somewhere, that female protagonist's special 'flavor' when doing the pa pa pa, or would sometimes even forget to match the name with the person, but he definitely remembered the properties and weaknesses of every monster absolutely clearly!
If you really had to find something on him to hold up as a 'golden finger'...then there was only this point!
In Jue Di Gorge, Luo Binghe was settling and calming down martial sisters and brothers whose souls seemed to have left their bodies and scattered, holding their ground. At a time like this, they absolutely couldn't scurry around in case a new monster emerged or people got lost again. It would only make the situation even worse.
The night wind blew strongly. On four sides and from eight directions came the ghostly, indeterminable sounds of humans or demonic creatures crying. Those who were less brave were already hugging their heads and weeping bitterly. Qin Wanyue's face was pale, but upon seeing Luo Binghe leaning against a tree with his Zheng Yang sword propped up in his lap, vigilant and calm as he helped block the invasion of the dark for those by him, she couldn't help feeling warm honeyed sweetness threading into her heart.
If Shen Qingqiu were here, he would be very excited: Sister, you've fallen in love with him! Gossiper's soul is burning!
At this moment, a xi xi suo suo sound poured from the woods. Luo Binghe's gaze turned cold. Spiritual power gathered in the middle of his palm, ready to be used.
From the underbrush, louder and louder, came the sound of something moving. As it came closer, people's hearts came up to their throats. Perhaps it was because they were already terrified to the limit, but no one cried out.
Suddenly, there was a booming dong sound, like someone fell to the ground. Then, a round rolling thing rolled its way out of the underbrush.
That was a human head.
Both eyes in the head were closed, the face covered with blood, the hair as messy as a chicken's nest. This picture in the original novel was very frightening. But at a time like this, a dead person's head without any killing power was still better than a man-eating monster. Many people were relieved and let out their breaths.
Qin Wanyue quaveringly said: "...This...this martial brother, does anyone know what sect he comes from?"
Every disciple present drew close to identify the head, and all let out a breath in relief: "He isn't one of ours." "Have never seen him before."
Luo Binghe looked towards the dark, black forest. In his mind, he thought: The head's here and the body must be nearby. I should go see his clothes and figure out which sect's disciple he is. He increased the spiritual power in his palm and walked towards the darkness.
As expected, a stiff corpse lay behind the dark woods, wearing watery blue robes. It must be a Tian Yi Overlook disciple. Luo Binghe only saw the bottom hem of his robes [6] before he sighed. This kind of disciple must have entered the Immortal Alliance Conference to gain experience, only he wouldn't have thought he'd encounter an unexpected accident and give up his life.
He continued looking upwards and was stricken with terror.
Above this corpse's neck, there was still a perfectly good head attached!
Then the head from earlier, where did it come from?
Luo Binghe rapidly returned, Zheng Yang exiting its scabbard, white light like a flood as he shouted: "Get away from that head!"
Those words had just been spoken when the head that had been peacefully lying crooked on the ground suddenly opened its eyes!
Its angry eyes were round and beheld the many people. From somewhere below the neck, eight long, thin, articulated and barbed spider legs emerged. It jumped up!
It was too late for the closest person to avoid it, and it jumped onto his head. He yelled crazily and pulled out his sword and swung it wildly, as other people busily tried to avoid it. Luo Binghe didn't dare to use his sword without a thought, in case he pierced not the creature but that person's head. The consequences would be disastrous. With such a frightening thing crawling all over his head, almost suffocating him, he was desperate and swung the sword around his own head, stabbing.
But he hadn't even raised his hand when those eight slim and narrow spider legs found their positions, inserting straight into his temples!
That person's body immediately turned rigid. Even his tongue seemed to be tied into a knot, making him unable to shout a word. Under the human head, beneath the neck, the spider legs were inserted in deeper and deeper, causing the whole body to twitch.
After a while, the eight spider legs pulled out, leaving behind only two empty holes at that person's temples. Inside the cranial cavity, everything had been sucked away cleanly, absolutely empty.
This scene was appalling. Even Luo Binghe wasn't able to recover himself for a moment. That human headed-spider [7]creature, seeming to have sucked its fill of brain fluids, climbed up and down the body while emitting a shrill whistle, like a baby crying.
Just at this moment, a light arrow condensed from spiritual power flew over, piercing through the mouth that was letting out long wails, beating this child that had forgotten itself in joy through to the correct answer! [8]
In the abrupt silence and dazed shock of the people, Shen Qingqiu rubbed the ears that faintly hurt from all its shouting, adjusting his sleeves and appeared at the scene, low-key.
Spreading his paper fan with a shake and holding it so that it covered his half his face, Shen Qingqiu said with mild dislike: "How noisy!"
—End Chapter 24—
[1] Emergency firework: Original translation would have been literally something like 'help/call for help' firework. I thought about calling it 'emergency flare' but that's not accurate because they don't have flare guns lol.
[2] Poison Dragon Python (毒龍蟒): Translated this monster name literally. I think I got it right.
[3] Bone Eagle (骨鷹): Gu ying in pinyin. Translated this literally.
[4] Daoist: In case you don't know, 'daoist' is another way to call or address someone who's a cultivator.
[5] Voice only they could hear: High-level cultivators can speak telepathically, to an extent. I call this the 'auditory technique' later. It's literally a technique (傳音之法). LOL.
[6] Bottom hem of his robes…: In case you don't know, sects (especially for disciples) have distinctive coloring/styles for robes. They're like uniforms that double as company and job ID. And in this case, we can assume that disciple ranks (like outer vs. inner) can be determined by the color of the robe lining. If you've read History's Number One Senior Brother, it's like the system set up in Yan Zhaoge's sect.
[7] Human-headed spider (人頭蜘蛛): Guessing this is species name. Pinyin is ren tou zhizhu. I'll leave it as 'human-headed spider.'
[8] Beating this child that had forgotten itself in joy…: Referring to the baby spider. Yes, it's a baby spider. I think I translated this right but this line gave me stitches. Original Chinese: 就在這時,一道靈流凝成的光箭飛來,穿過它正在發出長號的嘴,把這個玩意兒打了個對穿!
TN: PFFFT HOW IS THAT LOW-KEY, SHEN QINGQIU?!?! *smacks desk while laughing like a loon*