On the Path to the Great Dao Chapter 235: Biting the Socks

Saintess Xuan broke out in a cold sweat on her forehead.

Chen Shi's words contained a hidden trap. A mont of carelessness could lead to a false reply, and if this place truly was the Tongue-Pulling Hell, her tongue might genuinely disappear without a trace!

She couldn't be certain if this was truly the Tongue-Pulling Hell, but it was better to err on the side of caution.

However, could this really be the Tongue-Pulling Hell?

"You're not speaking. Does your stomach hurt again?" Chen Shi asked with concern.

Saintess Xuan grunted, feeling another wave of excruciating cramps in her abdon.

"It hurts…"

The pain twisted her body, forcing her to curl into a ball.

This ti, Chen Shi had likely tested the limits of her physical endurance. His strike was perfectly asured, leaving her completely immobilized yet still clinging to life, trapped in a state of unbearable agony.

Chen Shi carried the Mysterious chanism Hundred Transformations Furnace over to her side and blew a puff of air onto it.

Even without being activated, this furnace was enormous, standing seven feet tall and nine feet wide. Once activated, it would swell to four or five zhang in height and five or six zhang in width.

The internal structure of the furnace was extrely complex, consisting of thousands of mirror-like plates slanted and inserted into the furnace walls. The insides of these mirrors were densely inscribed with talisman seals. When activated, the clarity mirrors would refract the talisman light bursting forth from different mirror surfaces, instantly amplifying the power of these talismans to their maximum potential, imprinting them in the air and transforming them into powerful talisman-weapons that would fly out of the furnace!

When all the mirror plates within the great furnace began rotating around its central axis, spinning faster and faster, more and more talisman-weapons would fly out, leaving opponents utterly defenseless, unable to block or withstand them, eting a swift and decisive death!

The talisman seals inscribed within the furnace's mirrors showcased the Hundred Refinents Hall's peerless treasure-forging skills. Its complex construction and ingenious design were truly breathtaking.

But it was too big.

Chen Shi exhaled a mouthful of true energy, attempting to transform the Mysterious chanism Hundred Transformations Furnace into sothing like a bird to ambush Baili Mu. However, after expelling that breath, his face flushed red with exertion, yet he still couldn't transform it into the desired form.

"Boom!"

Chen Shi nearly blew himself breathless, but the Mysterious chanism Hundred Transformations Furnace finally changed, transforming into a large toad about seven to eight feet tall and roughly nine feet wide.

The large toad hopped once, facing Saintess Xuan directly, and croaked, "Guagua!"

Saintess Xuan convulsed in pain, but her mind remained exceptionally clear. She felt this thing was inauspicious.

"Guagua!" The large toad hopped right in front of her, croaking at her.

Saintess Xuan wanted to crawl away, to distance herself from this ominous toad, but her stomach hurt too much, leaving her unable to move.

"Boom!"

The large toad burst through its own surface, reverting to its original form, once again becoming the Mysterious chanism Hundred Transformations Furnace.

Chen Shi frowned. Seeing his worried expression, Saintess Xuan felt a surge of malicious satisfaction, and her injuries even seed to hurt a little less.

"Chen Shi, are you trying to ambush Sect Leader Baili?"

She said softly, "Sect Leader Baili is at the Divine Descent realm. The gap between your cultivation levels is too vast; you are far from being his match. Why struggle so bitterly? If you are willing to pledge allegiance to the Young Master, this humble one is willing to act as a diator to resolve the conflict between you and Sect Leader Baili."

She had never referred to herself as 'this humble one' before. After all, as a Buddhist practitioner, her heart held nothing but the Buddha. Even when facing the Young Master, she had never stooped to such a subservient tone.

But Chen Shi was truly a talent, far surpassing the many experts under the Young Master's command. Therefore, she was willing to lower her posture and refer to herself as 'this humble one' to persuade Chen Shi to surrender.

Chen Shi stared at the Mysterious chanism Hundred Transformations Furnace, troubled.

At that mont, Baili Mu's voice echoed again, still calling for Chen Shi to co out and face him in a duel. However, his voice sounded farther away now; he must have gone in the wrong direction.

Saintess Xuan continued, "The Young Master is lenient and tolerant towards others. No matter who they are, even those from the three religions and nine schools or those considered beneath notice, he treats them all with courtesy and respect. The Mountain-Moving Clan deals with tomb raiding and grave digging, an unsavory trade, yet the Young Master still treats Sect Leader Baili with courtesy. The Dragon-Shaking Scripture Sect Leader Baili cultivates is incomplete, so the Young Master gifted him the complete Dragon-Shaking Scripture, and also bestowed upon him the Burial thod Inverted Staff and the Doubtful Dragon Scripture. If he treats Sect Leader Baili this way, how much more would he treat you, sir?"

Chen Shi circled the Mysterious chanism Hundred Transformations Furnace a few tis and laughed, "Saintess Xuan, Baili Mu can pledge allegiance to the Young Master and not only survive but even receive cultivation techniques as gifts because Baili Mu is foolish enough. But if an outstanding man like were to pledge allegiance to the Young Master, the Young Master would not be able to tolerate . Because I am stronger, smarter, and more capable than the Young Master. Keeping around would be like having two suns in the sky; he would fear being overshadowed by ."

Saintess Xuan stamred, "You're spouting… nonsense! The Young Master is not that kind of intolerant person!"

Chen Shi stopped walking and said with a half-smile, "Think carefully about the Young Master's character. Are you certain that if I pledged allegiance to him, he wouldn't kill ? This is the Tongue-Pulling Hell. Say it again!"

Saintess Xuan opened her mouth but dared not continue.

Beads of sweat ford on her forehead. A voice in her heart said, "If he pledged allegiance to the Young Master, it's possible… it's possible the Young Master really would kill him!"

Thinking this, she felt a chill run down her spine.

Unintentionally, she had already begun to regard Chen Shi as soone who could rival the Young Master, perhaps even surpass him. That's why she believed the Young Master couldn't tolerate Chen Shi!

"How could he possibly compare to the Young Master?"

Saintess Xuan thought to herself, "Whether it's background, family lineage, talent and learning, reputation and fa, or connections, he is far inferior to the Young Master. He, he…"

Her expression suddenly changed: "Why, in my heart, can he be compared to the Young Master?"

Chen Shi, a brash young man, insensitive to romance, underhanded in his thods, ruthless and vicious—compared to the elegant, dashing, and charming Young Master, they were truly worlds apart. Yet, which of Chen Shi's actions had moved her, making her feel he could be ntioned in the sa breath as the Young Master?

For a mont, she couldn't figure it out.

"You're saying Baili Mu cultivates the Dragon-Shaking Scripture, the Doubtful Dragon Scripture, and the Burial thod Inverted Staff?"

Chen Shi stood beside her, lost in thought, muttering, "I've seen these three cultivation techniques before. No wonder Baili Mu's magic power is so strong, and his spells are so powerful…"

Saintess Xuan sneered, "Chen Shi, these three techniques are quite obscure, belonging to unorthodox paths. Have you really seen them before?"

She had made up her mind: as soon as Chen Shi gave an affirmative answer, the Tongue-Pulling Hell would pluck out his tongue, serving as a small punishnt for this brat.

"I have seen them."

Chen Shi nodded, recalling what he had seen in the stele forest outside the True King's Tomb. "These three techniques all originate from geographical formations. Their spells tend to be crude and unrefined. They have power to spare but lack agility and flexibility. Breaking his techniques would be quite easy… Saintess, did the Young Master give him the complete versions?"

Saintess Xuan waited for his tongue to fly out, but Chen Shi remained unhard.

"They are not the complete versions."

The mont Saintess Xuan uttered these words, she secretly regretted it. "Why did I tell him the truth? I could have simply not answered! One cannot lie here, but one doesn't have to answer!"

"Crack!"

A crisp snapping sound interrupted her thoughts. She saw Chen Shi manually disassembling the Mysterious chanism Hundred Transformations Furnace, removing its outer wall.

Saintess Xuan felt furious at his wastefulness. "What are you doing? This magic treasure is perfectly fine. Why are you taking it apart? Do you know how much effort the Hundred Refinents Hall put into forging it into a treasure? The skilled craftsn of the Hundred Refinents Hall had to repeatedly engrave and inscribe these talismans every day! Each mirror plate is inscribed with the Hundred Weapons Talisman. A single mirror plate requires twelve craftsn working for a hundred days to complete! Do you know how many mirror plates are inside the Hundred Transformations Furnace?"

While she spoke, Chen Shi had already disassembled the outer wall of the Mysterious chanism Hundred Transformations Furnace. After observing the interior for a mont, he began disassembling the internal mirror plates.

It must be said, the exquisite construction inside the Mysterious chanism Hundred Transformations Furnace left even him in awe.

"The magic treasure Shuji from the Lu Ban Sect still requires coal burning to provide power. If the construction of the Mysterious chanism Hundred Transformations Furnace were applied to Shuji, it could fly by burning coal!"

He started removing these mirror plates.

Saintess Xuan was so angry she shed tears. "How can you be so wasteful? Do you know how long it would take the Hundred Refinents Hall to forge another Hundred Transformations Furnace after you've dismantled this one?"

"What does that have to do with ?" Chen Shi replied without looking up.

He continued the disassembly. After a while, he finally completely dismantled the entire Mysterious chanism Hundred Transformations Furnace. The ground, covering about an acre, was now densely packed with mirror plates and various small components.

Saintess Xuan no longer had the energy to argue with him. She could only watch helplessly as the exquisitely artistic Hundred Transformations Furnace turned into a pile of scrap.

At that mont, rustling sounds could be heard. Saintess Xuan noticed more strange little things peeking out from the shadows, seemingly coveting the objects on the ground.

A small creature from the darkness scurried over, grabbed a mirror plate, and tried to drag it back into the shadows.

Chen Shi raised his foot and stepped on the little creature, retrieving the mirror plate.

The other little creatures all looked up, hissing threateningly at him.

"What are those things?"

Saintess Xuan's curiosity was piqued, and she inquired.

Chen Shi activated a spell and said, "This is the Tongue-Pulling Hell. What is the most abundant thing in the Tongue-Pulling Hell?"

"Ghosts and monsters!"

Chen Shi shook his head. "Tongues."

He blew out a breath. Imdiately, the dismantled mirror plates and various components of the Mysterious chanism Hundred Transformations Furnace on the ground transford into toads, hopping about everywhere.

"Guagua!" They croaked at Saintess Xuan.

There were simply too many objects. Chen Shi couldn't transform all of them into toads at once, so he had to blow on them repeatedly.

After a while, every single component dismantled from the Mysterious chanism Hundred Transformations Furnace had transford into toads of various sizes. The air was filled with the incessant chorus of "guagua, guagua," grating on Saintess Xuan's nerves.

"They are the tongues of liars. The entire Tongue-Pulling Hell is covered with them."

Chen Shi explained, "The owners of these tongues told endless lies in life, and after death, their tongues are pulled out here. Once plucked, their tongues transform into these underworld creatures. You must be careful. What they most desire is to return to a warm mouth. If I weren't here, within monts, they would pry open your mouth."

Saintess Xuan shivered. "And then?"

"And then they would pull out your tongue and yank it off."

Chen Shi pinched her mouth open and smiled. "They would then crawl into your mouth and replace your tongue. Afterward, they would reside in your mouth, spouting endless lies."

Saintess Xuan clamped her mouth shut tightly, refusing to open it.

Chen Shi untied her belt. Saintess Xuan cried out in alarm, "What are you doing?"

Rembering sothing, she quickly shut her mouth again.

Chen Shi tied her two hands behind her back, then tied her two feet behind her as well, securing them together with her hands.

—This particular binding posture was sothing he learned from the bee creatures of the Bee Mansion. He had been tied up exactly like this by the bee creatures.

Saintess Xuan felt both humiliated and furious, struggling but unable to break free. Even the clothes she wore were ticulously forged talisman-weapons that could be activated to beco lethal treasures. However, she had lost all her strength and couldn't snap her own waist sash.

She now felt so regret for forging her sash into a talisman-weapon. If she hadn't, escaping would have been much simpler.

Chen Shi took off her shoes. Saintess Xuan panicked, arching her body backward, trying to wriggle forward to escape, yet still speaking in a soft, gentle tone, "Chen Shi, I know you're not this kind of person. You're just being controlled by the demon in your heart, by your desires. Please, co to your senses!"

Chen Shi grabbed her leg and pulled her back.

Saintess Xuan was utterly terrified, but her voice remained gentle. "Think about it. You're still running for your life. Sect Leader Baili is still hunting you! You can't do this! The pleasure of carnal desire is not true happiness! It's an illusion! A fleeting mont of joy! You must achieve the emptiness of the four elents…"

Chen Shi took off her sock, pried open her mouth, and stuffed the sock inside.

Saintess Xuan made muffled sounds, her tongue desperately trying to push the sock out.

Her eyes widened, tears of grievance streaming down her cheeks.

She could already foresee her tragic fate.

This humiliating posture, combined with Chen Shi's impending beastly assault… How would she ever face the Young Master afterward?

"Don't be afraid."

Chen Shi said gently. "Don't struggle. Bite down hard on the sock. Don't let those tongues pull it out. If they pull it out, your own tongue won't be safe."

He took out the Huagai, muttered an incantation, and blew a puff of air onto it. The Huagai transford into a tongue, hopping and hiding among the many toads.

"He wants to ambush Sect Leader Baili!"

Saintess Xuan suddenly realized. "Earlier, I unintentionally told him about the cultivation techniques Sect Leader Baili practices. He must have thought of Sect Leader Baili's weaknesses. He's planning to ambush him!"

Chen Shi crouched down and quietly retreated backward.

Saintess Xuan stared wide-eyed, her pupils darting around, making muffled sounds, desperately trying to produce so noise.

From the distance, Baili Mu's voice ca again, still searching for traces of Chen Shi, moving closer to their location.

Saintess Xuan's heart leaped with joy, but then she was plunged into terror as rustling sounds began to rise all around her, growing nearer and nearer.

Even though she was a disciple of the Buddhist Sect, she was now scared to the point of her scalp tingling—though, of course, her scalp was in great pain. The two spots where Chen Shi had struck her were swollen high, like two small heads growing there.

Her eyes rolled frantically, trying desperately to look around, but lying on her side, she couldn't see what was happening behind her.

All she could see were groups of short figures approaching from the front. They were plucked-out tongues, with thick, forked ends, hopping along, tentatively coming right up to her.

She tried desperately to project her Nascent Soul out of her body, but her Heavenly Aperture was blocked by heavy congealed blood. Her miniature shrine couldn't project either, and her Jade Pillow spot was also tightly sealed by congealed blood.

"Chen Shi, Chen Shi! Co back quickly!"

Tears stread down her face. At that mont, she felt sothing crawling up the back of her head, climbing up her hair and onto her cheek.

Saintess Xuan was terrified. Rembering Chen Shi's instruction, she imdiately bit down hard on the sock!

Sure enough, that fleshy thing was trying to pull the sock out of her mouth!

More tongues ran over, gathering around her lips, all trying to pull the sock from her mouth. Saintess Xuan closed her eyes, not daring to look, biting down on the sock for dear life to prevent them from pulling it out.

If they pulled it out, her own tongue would likely be yanked out by these disgusting things, allowing them to occupy the nest!

"Chen Shi, co back! Co back quickly!"

Tears continuously flowed from the corners of her eyes. She felt the sock in her mouth becoming looser and looser, about to be pulled out by these little creatures.

Just then, Baili Mu's voice rang out: "Chen Shi, didn't you want to fight to the death? Why are you hiding like a coward, scurrying about, not daring to show yourself… Huh? Saintess Xuan, what are you doing here?"

Saintess Xuan's tears poured down like rain. She looked pleadingly towards the source of the voice but couldn't see Baili Mu himself, only a pair of feet standing in the distance.

"Saintess Xuan, were you ambushed by Chen Shi?"

The pair of feet began walking towards her, not quickly, but with steady steps.

"Is Chen Shi hiding nearby? He's waiting to ambush … Saintess Xuan, you have a great figure! Heh heh, the Young Master's woman…"

Saintess Xuan's eyes widened in horror, a chill running down her spine.