Chapter 136: Demon Clan Secret Technique Shatters the Mental Shackles

As the vermilion characters on the talisman paper just appeared, Shen Yan’s hand had yet to withdraw, and the entire secret chamber suddenly trembled violently.

A thin crack split open on the ground, a wave of heat rushed toward them, followed by twenty figures charging in from all directions—the imperial palace guards! But their eyes were hollow, with eerie blue-black patterns glowing beneath their skin, as if something had eroded their consciousness from within.

“Don’t come closer!” Shen Yan pulled Pei Yue behind him, and his phone instantly popped up a warning:

【High-intensity mental contamination wave detected】

【Recommend immediately initiating Consciousness Sea protection protocol】

Without time to think, his fingertips swiftly tapped the screen, a segment of “Consciousness Sea firewall” code flashed into existence, Source Code Spiritual Root energy surged through his meridians straight toward his brain region, constructing a layer of data barrier deep within his consciousness.

But at that moment, the leading guard tore open his chest armor, a cluster of dark blue flame exploded violently!

Not just one person—all the guards simultaneously ignited the poison within their bodies, transforming into human-shaped fireballs, lunging toward them!

As the flames soared, a face wearing a half bronze mask appeared in the void.

“Brother, you can’t escape.” Ye Shi’er’s voice carried an electronic-like echo, coldly laughing as it spread through the air, “This body… was originally prepared as a container for me.”

Shen Yan’s pupils contracted, the image before him abruptly distorted: childhood car accident, orphanage iron gate, mother’s blurred silhouette… countless memory fragments were implanted like viruses.

“It’s mental invasion!” He gritted his teeth against the pressure in his Consciousness Sea, shouting to Pei Yue, “Close your eyes! Seal your ear apertures! Don’t look at those flames!”

Pei Yue reacted extremely quickly, silver needles already held between her fingers, swiftly pressing toward three key points behind her ears. Her face was pale, but her hands were astonishingly steady.

“I can hold on.”

Before her words finished, a purple light swept across like a curtain, nine fox tails unfolded in the air, resembling a barrier intercepting the torrent of flames.

Luo Li leaped out from the shadows, the silver bells on her ankle chain lightly chiming, her purple-red hair moving without wind.

“Nightmare Soul-Corrosion Curse?” She stared at the distorted figures within the flames, her gaze suddenly cold, “Using living people as sacrificial offerings, extracting essence to refine puppets… you really dare to play this trick.”

She raised her hand, slicing her fingertip, blood dripped, drawing an ancient demon script in the air—

nightmare

As the character formed, the flames abruptly halted, Ye Shi’er’s phantom began convulsing and distorting.

“This is a variant of soul enslavement technique, it must be broken using blood of closest kin!” Luo Li’s voice tightened, “But these guards aren’t his blood relatives at all… then what is he relying on to drive them?”

No one answered.

But just as her words fell, a drop of demon blood fell into the flames, the flame color abruptly changed, Ye Shi’er’s face began melting—

Replaced by a familiar yet disgusting face.

Xie Wujiu.

“So it’s you.” Shen Yan sneered, “Hiding behind the scenes as a puppet master, quite adept at concealment.”

The phantom within the flames slowly spoke, but the voice wasn’t as sinister as Xie Wujiu’s usual tone, instead exuding a mechanical-like indifference: “You think this is just my scheme? The true master… is awakening.”

Before his words finished, the flames condensed into a dynamic image—

A dim hall, stone pillars stood tall, a cluster of dark shadow floated suspended in the center. Xie Wujiu knelt prostrate on the ground, hands holding a jade bottle, filled with crimson blood.

“The Dragon Qi has gathered seventy percent, only the resonance of the final three meridians remains,” he whispered. “Grant me the power to complete the awakening ritual.”

The Dark Shadow murmured, “Once the Bloodline Key returns to its place, I shall be reborn through this vessel. And you… will gain eternal life.”

The Image abruptly ended, but the lingering spiritual fluctuations continued to assault the Consciousness Sea.

Shen Yan shook his head violently, forcibly cutting off visual input and switching to pure Code parsing mode.

“System, shut down image rendering, activate Binary Stream capture,” he commanded softly.

The Terminal Interface flickered, converting the previous scene into streams of scrolling Data Stream.

【Warning: Detected high-dimensional Encryption Protocol containing cognitive contamination Module】

【Recommend terminating read operation】

“Recommend my ass,” Shen Yan directly severed the security Protocol, manually writing a “Reverse Decompilation · Memory Stripping” Program. “I’m peeling your shell today.”

The Code Run speed skyrocketed, the emotional induction layer was forcibly stripped away, and the raw Data gradually became clear—

Xie Wujiu was not serving willingly. Between his eyebrows was an invisible Contract pattern, constantly releasing Command signals. And that Dark Shadow was unmistakably the Demon Lord’s remnant consciousness!

“Just as I thought,” Shen Yan’s eyes sharpened. “You’re the mastermind behind this. Xie Wujiu is just a brainwashed execution Port.”

He quickly locked onto the key frame, generating “Truth Projection Code” and injecting it into the Formation Patterns on the ground.

Instantly, the entire floor of the Secret Chamber lit up with intricate talisman paths. The entire process of Xie Wujiu’s transaction with the Demon Lord reappeared like a holographic projection.

Pei Yue watched the scene, her fingers trembling slightly. “They… plan to use the royal family’s Dragon Qi as a catalyst to awaken the Demon Lord?”

“More than that,” Shen Yan stared at the final segment of Data. “They also need a ‘Key’—pure Devil Blood capable of unlocking the Bloodline Seal.”

He paused, his voice lowering. “Yu Xiaotang’s blood.”

Luo Li frowned. “So when she left the Talisman Paper warning ‘don’t trust the third ingredient in the prescription,’ she was alerting us that someone was using medicinal substitutions to secretly collect her Bloodline information?”

“Correct,” Shen Yan nodded. “The ‘poria’ in the calming soup is a decoy. What truly works is the ‘Heart-devouring Gu Catalyst’ mixed in—that thing specifically absorbs the aura of a particular Bloodline and then feeds it back to the controller through the consumer.”

“No wonder so many royal family members have fallen ill recently,” Pei Yue gritted her teeth. “They’re not sick; they’re being used as Signal Relay Stations.”

The three fell silent for a moment, the air so heavy it felt oppressive.

Just then, Luo Li suddenly groaned, dropping to one knee. A burn on her arm was oozing blood.

“Are you alright?” Shen Yan supported her.

“I’m fine,” she shook her head. “Just a bit drained from using Demon Clan secret arts. But…” She looked up at Shen Yan, her cat-like pupils narrowing. “Did you notice? The target of that earlier mental attack wasn’t actually us.”

“Who was it?”

“You,” she said, word by word. “Ye Shi’er’s phantom called you ‘brother,’ and Xie Wujiu’s illusion kept mentioning ‘Container’ and ‘Bloodline Key.’ The one they truly want to control has always been you.”

Shen Yan said nothing.

But he knew well that the Source Code Spiritual Root within him, which did not belong to this world, had long become the core target of contention for all parties.

“So what do we do now?” Pei Yue asked. “Continue investigating? Or try to contact Ye Zhao and the others first?”

“Investigate.” Shen Yan stuffed his phone back into his pocket, his gaze resolute. “The communication is cut off, which means the enemy fears we’ll coordinate. The more they do this, the more we must not stop.”

He crouched down, his fingertip tracing the residual Formation Patterns on the ground, and said softly, “Since they need Yu Xiaotang’s blood as the Key, it means she’s still alive. As long as she’s alive, I have a way to find her.”

Luo Li looked at him and suddenly smiled. “You really are… stubborn.”

“Used to it,” Shen Yan also smiled. “After all, the Code I write never allows itself to crash.”

Pei Yue sighed softly, taking a Pill from her Medicine Pouch and handing it to him. “At least replenish your state first. Don’t end up self-destructing from a Bug later.”

Shen Yan took the Pill and swallowed it. Just as he was about to thank her, he suddenly sensed another disturbance from the ground.

From deep within the fissure came an extremely faint sound—

Like the crackling of Talisman Paper burning.

He turned sharply, looking toward the pile of ashes left by the guards’ self-immolation.

Amid the embers, a charred Talisman Paper was slowly curling up, its edges emitting a familiar strawberry sweetness.

“Is this… Yu Xiaotang’s marker talisman?” Pei Yue exclaimed.

Shen Yan stepped forward, reaching out to grab it.

The moment his fingertip touched the Talisman Paper, the entire sheet suddenly ignited, transforming into a blood-red Rune that shot straight toward his forehead!

He instinctively Initiated the defense Program, but the Rune ignored the Firewall and directly pierced into his Consciousness Sea!

A sentence exploded in his mind:

“Don’t let them get the third ingredient—that’s my life!“

The voice abruptly cut off.

Shen Yan froze in place, cold sweat streaming down his forehead.

“What’s wrong with you?” Luo Li grabbed his wrist.

He took a deep breath, slowly raising his head, his gaze sharper than ever before.

“I know where they are,” he said quietly. “The core of the underground blood curse Formation is beneath the eastern warm chamber of the imperial kitchen. They plan to mix Yu Xiaotang’s blood into the final ingredient to activate the entire System.”

He tightened his grip on his phone, the Interface continuously refreshing the still-unresolved blood curse Code.

“They want to use Yu Xiaotang’s Bloodline as the Key…”

His finger slammed down heavily on the Enter Key.

“I won’t let them succeed.”

Deep within the secret passage, the crackling sound of Talisman Paper burning grew denser, as if some Formation was quietly closing in.

A drop of blood slowly fell from the ceiling, landing on Shen Yan’s shoulder and blooming into a dark red stain.

(End of Chapter)