Little Alpaca – Chapter 188
by Little PandaVolume 5: Tribulation of All Beings
Formation.
As the Spell to Attract Yin formed between heaven and earth, Yi Qiu could no longer find the words to describe the scene before her.
The blood-soaked Fusang1 branch, heavily shrouded in Yin Qi,2 stretched upward, little by little, slowly growing into a twisted, blood-red sapling.
The Resentful Qi3 from hundreds of li around all converged on this spot. With the Fusang branch at its center, it formed a massive vortex of spiritual power. In that instant, the entire surrounding landscape took on a distorted, bloody hue, as if it would completely devour everything, creating a chilling and oppressive atmosphere.
Countless Wronged Souls4 wailed in the blood-red night sky. They hovered at the edge of the vortex, seemingly wanting to escape, but were utterly unable to break through the terrifying spell barrier.
It was so noisy… The oppressive feeling wasn’t just from the bloody red color; her ears were about to burst from the shrieks of these Resentful Spirits.
Just then, You Yan took a slow half-step back and closed her eyes, seemingly chanting an incomprehensible incantation.
The next second, she began to Gather Spiritual Energy in her palms. The spiritual power whipped up a whirlwind, causing her long hair and sleeves to flutter wildly in the spiritual light.
The light before them grew brighter, and Yi Qiu couldn’t help but take two steps back under Jiang Yuyao’s protection.
Then, she heard a heaven-shaking roar. A gale carrying a powerful wave of spiritual energy swept out in all directions from where You Yan stood.
Everyone instantly formed hand seals to defend themselves. Yi Qiu stood dumbfounded behind Jiang Yuyao, feeling an immense Spiritual Pressure5 blanketing the sky and covering the earth as it swept toward them.
For a moment, it was as if innumerable Resentful Spirits were wailing and cursing hoarsely in her ears, letting out particularly horrifying screams, as if their souls were about to be torn to shreds in the next second.
This Spiritual Pressure was too powerful!
Even huddled behind the Spiritual Power Shield erected by the others, the oppressive force still made Yi Qiu feel a suffocating stuffiness, forcing her to circulate the spiritual power in her body to alleviate the sensation.
Fortunately, this pressure didn’t last long.
The moment You Yan retracted the spiritual power in her hands, everything around them fell silent.
The blood-red vortex slowly calmed down. Everything was as if it had never happened, leaving only a Fusang tree with dark red branches and leaves. It stood quietly in the Corpse Pit, carrying a bone-chilling, bloody spiritual power and the aura of death.
And in that instant, all those Resentful Spirits had vanished without a trace, as if they had never existed in this world.
Between the dim heaven and earth, only a hazy, blood-red mist remained. Peering out through the mist, even the distant moonlight seemed to be stained with blood, casting a dim, crimson glow.
“Is that it?” Yue Zhuo couldn’t help but ask.
“From now on, all the ghostly spirits and Resentful Qi in the vicinity will gather here,” You Yan said faintly, turning to look at Jiang Yuyao. “But this is far from enough.”
Jiang Yuyao frowned, seeming to have already understood You Yan’s plan. “Doing this is too risky. If it fails…”
You Yan cut her off without a second thought. “You can refuse, if you have a better way.”
After a brief silence, Jiang Yuyao shook her head. “You’re right. I don’t have a better way.”
Because there was no better way, she couldn’t refuse You Yan’s method.
“There’s something I need to make clear to you all beforehand,” You Yan said coolly, slowly walking back to Yi Qiu’s side. “Since we’re making a gamble, there will be a winner and a loser. If we lose, none of us will be able to escape the consequences.”
“If we lose, I will not run,” Jiang Yuyao said with a determined expression, her gaze unconsciously shifting to Luo Mingyuan beside her.
“I am the same as my shijie,” Luo Mingyuan replied with equal resolve.
“Think it over carefully before you answer. You are now about to cooperate with a heinously evil6 female demon lord,” You Yan reminded them once more.
She had, after all, left them room to choose. But after a short silence, the answer she received didn’t change in the slightest.
Jiang Yuyao took half a step forward and said earnestly, “I don’t see any heinously evil female demon lord. I only see two very good friends. We have been through life and death together, and we can surely protect this world together.”
Hearing this, You Yan couldn’t help but look away, as if she didn’t know how to face such a response.
After a long while, she said softly, “I have set up a Yin-Attracting Formation here using your branches and leaves. As long as you are alive, even if the Fusang branches and leaves are scattered to the ends of the earth, they will all be able to sense each other. In the coming days, we just need to scatter the branches and leaves throughout the Mortal Realm, and the Resentful Qi will naturally be drawn here.”
Just as Yi Qiu had expected, You Yan really did intend to use the Fusang as a medium to draw the Yin Qi and Resentful Qi from all over to this place.
“Before that, I will set up a formation here to interfere with that Ferocious Beast’s spiritual power.” You Yan then turned to look at Jian Li and Yue Zhuo. “You two stay here and set up a Killing Formation yourselves. No matter when, if this Ferocious Beast revives, you must kill it on the spot.”
“Demon Lord, please rest assured. Yue Zhuo and I will guard this place day and night and will never let down our guard,” Jian Li said, bowing deeply.
When Yue Zhuo saw this, she quickly copied her. “Demon Lord, please rest assured! I don’t care what that thing is, if it dares to show its head here, I’ll burn it until its soul is annihilated!”7
“Divine Blood8 has some suppressive and purifying effects on Resentful Qi.” You Yan’s gaze swept coolly over Jiang Yuyao and Luo Mingyuan. “To complete the barrier, who wants to bleed a little?”
“I’ll do it,” Luo Mingyuan stepped forward without hesitation.
You Yan’s speed was astonishing. Before Jiang Yuyao could even react, she had gathered spiritual power into a blade and, without another word, slashed a long, deep gash on Luo Mingyuan’s left arm.
The sound of flesh being torn made Yi Qiu flinch. She subconsciously shrank back two steps behind You Yan. When she opened her eyes again, she saw You Yan’s fingertips using spiritual power to continuously draw out the blood flowing from the wound, suspending it in a heavy mass in the air.
You Yan had said “bleed a little,” but looking at the size of the wound and the amount of blood being drawn, it was more like she was trying to drain him dry.
In just a few seconds, a perfectly fine person had turned pale, his forehead covered in cold sweat.
“Miss You! You…” Jiang Yuyao wanted to step forward, but Luo Mingyuan held her back.
“That’s… that’s way too much!” Yi Qiu couldn’t help but grab You Yan’s sleeve, tugging it gently. “Is that much necessary?” she whispered. “If you really need that much, you could… you could draw it over a few days.”
“He won’t die,” You Yan said, finally stopping. A sizable “blood sphere” now hovered in mid-air.
She turned around, pushed the blood-red mass into the air, and once again focused on forming the barrier.
The moment the suction was released, Luo Mingyuan gritted his teeth and staggered back two steps. Jiang Yuyao steadied him. Before she could say anything, he shook his head, tore off his blood-soaked sleeve with one hand, and ignited a Spiritual Flame at his fingertips. Clenching his jaw, he endured the pain and cauterized the long wound from end to end.
What a deadly way to stop bleeding. You could even smell the scent of scorched flesh. The timid little alpaca couldn’t bear to watch such a scene…
Yi Qiu couldn’t help but suck in a cold breath. “Little Pig Trotter… you, you, was that necessary?”
“It was,” Yue Zhuo said seriously. “The Resentful Qi here is too strong. If a wound on your body isn’t treated in time, it will quickly fester.”
“…” Yi Qiu was silent for a moment, then asked worriedly, “Then, then… are you okay?”
“It’s nothing,” Luo Mingyuan said, looking up at the sky.
This Little Pig Trotter truly lived up to his reputation of being beaten up since childhood. His damage resistance was maxed out. After being slashed like that by You Yan, he didn’t even let out half a fart…
And You Yan was really something else, always so heavy-handed. Back when they weren’t on friendly terms, breaking someone’s leg was one thing, but now that they were all in the same boat, she was still so ruthless… It was only because the protagonist was thick-skinned and tough-fleshed enough for her to torment. And after being tormented, he still had to run errands everywhere. If it were anyone else, they’d be bedridden for at least half a month, right?
As Yi Qiu lamented, her gaze also drifted up to the sky. She saw the ball of blood, manipulated by spiritual light, gradually disperse and condense into a giant formation Spell Mark, floating in the night sky above the Fusang tree.
After an unknown amount of time, the Spell Mark suddenly dissipated in mid-air, eventually vanishing from everyone’s sight.
You Yan flicked her wrist, recalling her spiritual power into her body, and let out a long, deep breath.
The next second, her brow furrowed. With a clench of her fist, a barrier of golden-red spiritual light rose up around them.
And the cold earth beneath their feet began to warm up.
Yi Qiu didn’t know if it was her imagination, but she suddenly felt a tightness in her chest. It was as if her Spiritual Veins9 were blocked, and she couldn’t muster an ounce of strength.
“Within this formation, all evil demons, spirits, Yin Qi, and Resentful Qi will have their spiritual power greatly weakened. Only those with Divine Blood in their bodies will be unaffected,” You Yan said faintly. She took Yi Qiu’s somewhat cold little hand, transferring spiritual power to ease her discomfort. Turning back, she said, “No need to linger here. Let’s go back to Moshui to treat his wound.”
“…Alright,” Jiang Yuyao responded in a low voice.
Yue Zhuo took two steps forward and asked, “Do Jian Li and I have to stay here?”
You Yan replied, “Not for a while. It won’t be too late to come back and stand guard after spring.”
Hearing this, Yue Zhuo turned to look at Jian Li.
Jian Li was silent for a moment, then said, “Then let’s leave together for now? If there are any other plans, we can listen in and maybe help out.”
“Yeah!” Yue Zhuo nodded eagerly.
You Yan didn’t say much more, simply unfurling her wings and carrying Yi Qiu into the sky.
Once they were far away from the formation behind them, Yi Qiu instantly felt much better. She couldn’t help but let out a long sigh of relief.
Back there, she was probably the only one who felt uncomfortable…
The formation that interfered with spiritual power was, after all, forged from Divine Blood. Jiang Yuyao and Luo Mingyuan would certainly be unaffected. Jian Li and Yue Zhuo had signed a Blood Contract10 with Jiang Yuyao and had Divine Blood flowing in their veins, so they wouldn’t be disturbed either.
Since You Yan was the one who created the formation, she naturally wouldn’t be afraid of it.
In the end, she, the small, weak, pitiful, and helpless little alpaca demon, was the only one who couldn’t withstand that kind of power. How utterly humiliating…
Footnotes
- In Chinese mythology, the Fusang is a divine tree, sometimes interpreted as a mulberry tree, located in the east where the suns rise.
- In Chinese metaphysics, Yin Qi is a form of energy associated with darkness, cold, and death.
- Resentful Qi is a type of negative energy generated from strong feelings of grievance, hatred, or injustice, often left behind by those who died wrongful deaths.
- A ghost or spirit that lingers due to having died unjustly or with unresolved grievances.
- A term often used in cultivation and fantasy genres to describe the overwhelming aura or force exerted by a powerful being’s spiritual energy.
- A Chinese idiom, ‘shi e bu she,’ literally ‘ten evils, unpardonable,’ referring to someone who has committed unforgivable crimes.
- A Chinese idiom, ‘hun fei po san,’ meaning ‘soul flies and scatters,’ describing the complete and utter destruction of a soul, leaving no chance for reincarnation.
- The blood of a god or a being with divine lineage, possessing special properties such as purification or immense power.
- Channels within a cultivator’s body through which spiritual energy flows, similar to meridians in traditional Chinese medicine.
- A magical pact sealed with blood, creating a powerful and often unbreakable bond between the parties involved.
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