Lord Shenxiu

"The lecture is completed... now we begin testing the Spirit Root. Come up, one by one."

After the eerie chant stopped, Ju Liuzi declared loudly.

Everyone present seemed bewitched; their expressions were entranced: "Daoist... accept me as your disciple."

"Daoist, please guide me!"

A crowd jostled to come forward, willingly walking into the stranger's trap.

Among them, Sun Chu, being a man of Jianghu with broad shoulders and a strong frame, rushed ahead: "Immortal, I pay my respects to you!"

"Hmm, come here, let me feel your bones and test your Spirit Root."

Ju Liuzi's face twisted into a sinister smile, inviting Sun Chu forward as his hand brushed across his chest.

Squish!

His hand, dry and leathery like old tree bark, had nails that were terrifyingly sharp, slicing open Sun Chu's chest and extracting a bloody heart.

The heart continued to beat, blood oozing out.

With a flash of eerie red light in his eyes, Ju Liuzi stuffed the heart into his mouth, devouring heartily: "Delicious... fresh and fiery it must be taken alive..."

In the hall, hundreds were watching.

Ju Liuzi the Immortal shockingly ripped open his belly for a heart, gulping as blood dripped down his beard.

This ought to have been an incredibly ghastly and terrifying scene, but everyone else appeared blind, smiling gently as they watched the spectacle.

"Roots are mediocre, but the physique is strong, can follow the old Daoist as a servant!"

Ju Liuzi the old Daoist proclaimed loudly as he stuffed a black tumor back in, smoothing over the wound.

"Thank you, Immortal! Thank you, Immortal!"

Sun Chu was overwhelmed with gratitude, bowing repeatedly.

Then, the second was a woman, his sworn sister.

This time, Ju Liuzi did not open her up but spat out something like a vine, which drilled into the female hero's spirit meridian, gurgling as if it was sucking something.

"I... I can feel it, there's a stream of heat inside, it's the Spirit Root, isn't it?"

The woman, with the fanatical desire to whip Qi Yuan earlier, now appeared exceedingly thrilled, seemingly ascending to immortality, but in Zhong Shenxiu's eyes, her limbs were gradually drying, like tinder, as if all moisture was being sucked away.

"Your aptitude is worthy, you may become the old Daoist's disciple..."

Ju Liuzi chuckled.

The female hero was instantly overjoyed: "Disciple greets Master!"

She stood up, casting a scornful glance at her nominal brother as if saying he was just a servant, unqualified to engage with her, exposing the superficial friendship in all its glory.

'So this so-called disciple recruiting assembly is truly a trap...'

'This Ju Liuzi is a wicked creature, luring seekers of the Immortal Dao, only to devour them under the guise of testing Spirit Roots...'

Zhong Shenxiu glanced at the grotesquely transformed Sun Chu and his sworn sister, shaking his head secretly: 'It might even be raising pigs, three meals per person?'

"Next!"

By now, Ju Liuzi had retracted the vine, pointing to the fatty little boy brought by the local landowner.

"Good son, hurry along."

The landowner's face was flushed with excitement, pushing the little fatty forward.

Ju Liuzi licked his lips, seeming on the brink of drooling.

But in the eyes of the landowner and others, he appeared full of Immortal grace, kindly beckoning: "Child... come here!"

"Ha, audacious demon, dare to harm people in public?!"

At this moment, a stern shout abruptly exploded from the crowd.

The voice was like Heavenly Thunder, capable of dispersing mana and repelling evil.

"Ah!"

Beside Zhong Shenxiu, Qi Yuan's eyes were dazed, as if freshly awakened, looking at Ju Liuzi.

She saw a monster with two tumors on its shoulders, blood-soaked beard, and couldn't help but scream earth-shatteringly: "Ah!"

"Ghost!"

"Demon!"

The group of brainless fans, who came seeking Immortality, instantly burst into a large-scale disillusionment scene, scattering like birds and beasts, fleeing the courtyard in embarrassment.

"I..." Sun Chu looked at his own chest, seeing numerous small bugs crawling out.

"Ah!"

Beside him, his sworn sister had already turned into a dry corpse, letting out a sharp scream before collapsing softly.

The landowner was so terrified he stumbled, grabbing his son as he ran out, the little fatty wailing with snot and tears: "Dad, I don't want to cultivate anymore, cultivation is scary! Boohoo..."

Zhong Shenxiu glanced at the young scholar who erupted, realizing he was a young scholar brimming with righteousness: "You vile demon, aren't you afraid the cultivators of Zhengyi and Fang Xian will come for you?"

"Fang Xian Dao?!"

Ju Liuzi let out a mysterious laugh: "Hehehe... I am a Fang Shi of Fang Xian Dao! I have fought on the Heavenly Demon Battlefield for the human race, shed blood, made merit, what's the harm in eating a few people?"

Crunch crunch!

Amidst laughter, roots resembling withered tree vines broke through the ground, coiling like pythons towards the young scholar.

"The infinite heavens, command the Divine Thunder, strike!"

The young scholar gestured, waving a faint arc of electricity.

Crackle!

A vine was struck, its surface charred black, falling to the ground, but more vines continued to sweep in, binding the scholar tightly.

"Just an insignificant newcomer to cultivation, daring to meddle in my affairs?"

Ju Liuzi looked at the fleeing people: "There's no escaping..."

As soon as he spoke, numerous screams echoed within the courtyard.

In the desolate garden, a layer of concealment dissipated, revealing a giant old pagoda tree, its branches spreading downward.

On the trunk, there grew tumor-like formations similar to human heads.

This was a demonic tree!

And now, countless roots and vines extended, tripping and binding those fleeing, hanging them upside down.

"Small cultivators, for every act of cultivation, there must be a price!"

Ju Liuzi, enwrapped by vines, approached the tightly bound scholar, speaking solemnly: "What is the taboo of your cultivation method?"

The scholar initially appeared unwavering, but meeting Ju Liuzi's gaze, his mind became befuddled: "The cultivation method I practice, 'Thunder Sound Command', forbids the consumption of beef and lamb meat; if I break this rule, my consciousness will tremble, thunder backlash, turning me into a madman!"

"Haha, today I shall treat you to a proper meal of beef and lamb!"

Ju Liuzi laughed heartily: "You're but a sideline practitioner, your consequences of transgressing are far worse than mine. I practice the orthodox path of Xuanmen... even if I break the rules once, I'd become this monstrous; your fate would be far more grim."

He glanced around, looking at the remaining Zhong Shenxiu and Qi Yuan: "You two... quickly fetch raw beef and lamb, if you fail, hehe..."

Qi Yuan wished to run but was paralyzed with fear.

At this moment, he nodded vigorously, planning to flee upon exiting.

Ju Liuzi seemed to have anticipated his thoughts, producing a tumor, from which emerged long worms like pinworms.

"Come, each swallow a piece, only then will I trust you to fulfill your task!"

"Woe!" Qi Yuan cried miserably: "Brother Fang, we're doomed this time..."

"I refuse to eat such a repulsive thing."

After watching the spectacle, Zhong Shenxiu calmly emerged, addressing Ju Liuzi: "Speak... how do you wish to die?"