Chapter 132: The Mountain Turns to Dust, the Path Empties into Nothingness

After watching the puppets finally turn to dust, the two of them and the bird left the place, uncertain whether more such puppets awaited and whether they could again narrowly escape disaster.

When Bai Qi lifted the fabric of his pants, revealing the wound on his thigh, Xietu beside him widened her eyes and covered her mouth in shock.

At first, Bai Qi thought the medicinal salve had somewhat eased the injury, but upon unveiling the wound, his heart twisted painfully. The gash writhed like squirming worms, inching along the edges, devouring the flesh on the outer thigh bit by bit. Even more terrifying was that these writhing worms grew larger as they consumed the flesh, their appetite increasing alongside the worsening deterioration of the wound.

Seeing this, Bai Qi murmured an incantation and unleashed the sealing technique known as the Brahma Scripture. A three-inch pillar of spiritual energy formed on the tip of his right index finger, directly sealing the area around his wound.

At the same time, he withdrew a sharp knife from his pouch. After a long moment of hesitation, gritting his teeth and paling lips, he pressed the blade fiercely around the wound, cutting away the necrotic flesh.

This brutal act made the crow and Xietu beside him shudder in fear; they had not expected Bai Qi to be so ruthless.

In truth, Bai Qi understood that the puppets’ attacks held little power, but the slow, insidious control they exerted—embedding corrosive energy into the flesh and consuming it bit by bit—inflicted unbearable agony. Even Bai Qi, as an alchemist familiar with the deadly force at work, could not endure it. Moreover, his own “Scatter” technique bore some resemblance to this devouring energy. Naturally, he knew it was like maggots attached to bone—impossible to remove without drastic measures. So before the corruption could spread further, he sealed off the rotten flesh and decisively amputated it, enduring the pain without hesitation.

The crow couldn’t help but mutter in admiration, thinking, “This kid is truly a ruthless one.”

Meanwhile, crouching nearby, Xietu looked upon Bai Qi’s “cruelty” with a different gaze from the crow’s detached observation. She hurriedly asked, “Why are you doing this? Aren’t you an alchemist? You should be able to easily neutralize this poison. Why harm yourself?”

This barrage of questions piqued the crow’s curiosity. The cold and ruthless woman seemed genuinely concerned—were these two more than mere acquaintances? No, no, the crow mused, unable to decipher the true nature of Bai Qi and Xietu’s relationship.

As for Bai Qi, seeing Xietu’s earnest concern warmed his heart. The pain radiating through his nerves softened slightly under the comfort of her presence, and he found himself gazing at her with a dazed expression.

Xietu, observing his wound after the amputation and the simple bandaging of his thigh, still administered some healing medicine. Yet, even so, she did not notice that her care for him had grown deeper than before.

This subtle, intangible feeling and her actions escaped Xietu’s notice, for her emotions had transformed drastically since the incident with the Demon Sky Wolf. Her attitude and thoughts toward Bai Qi had undergone a profound upheaval, contrasting starkly with her previous cold and heartless demeanor. This change was a force beyond her usual emotional control—an instinctive, spontaneous affection that had quietly taken root within her.