Qiu Yunru quickly ducked down, sheathing his sword again. The Shadow Demon Puppet stomped forth with its stubby legs, causing the earth to jump with its every footfall. Qiu Yunru quickly tied his waist to the branch with his belt--it wouldn't do if he fell on his face and died here!
As the puppet drew closer, the air grew thick and heavy, feeling oppressive on one's shoulders. It was like swimming in the hottest humid summer heat. Demonic qi roiled in the air, causing one's vision to blur and warp.
Just how vigorous did Lei Ruolan have to be, to be stabbing so furiously while standing in this aura for so long?!
Shaking off a creeping headache, Qiu Yunru waited until the creature was within a few meters. It seemed that, without the light of his sword, it was struggling to find him. Its small red eyes darted about in confusion, and it tilted its massive head. One could say that it almost looked cute, if not for the stink that emerged whenever it opened its mouth.
As with all creatures that are simple, after being unable to spot the source of that spiritual energy, the puppet quickly grew irritated. It split open revealing its mouth filled with roiling red and purple demonic qi, and filling the air with the stink of rotten eggs as it let out a shriek that shook the trees.
What a horrible smell!
At that moment, Qiu Yunru tossed his entire pouch of Magnetized Qi Dust forward. Then he slumped back, gasping for air and covering his face while trying not to vomit!
The pouch tumbled forward through the air. It flew right into the enormous cavity of the puppet's mouth.
For a few seconds, the puppet continued to roar and shriek, causing the few remaining disciples below to fall to their knees, holding their ears. However, suddenly, the puppet went silent.
Its pupils dilated then shrank. It closed its mouth abruptly with a wet pop.
"AEIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!"
As though being torn apart from the inside, it began to writhe and shake uncontrollably. Its limbs wiggled wildly, tearing at its own huge torso, and its red eyes turned white with fear. It was truly a terrible sight; even though it was made mostly from demonic qi, it was able to somewhat tear at its own temporary physical form, like a person tearing out their own organs.
Some disciples watched with gaping mouths; others ran. Who knew what kind of development this was? Was the creature dying, or was it growing more powerful? Better to not stick around and find out!
Qiu Yunru watched the creature carefully. After ten seconds of it wailing and giving off steaming wisps of black smoke, he drew his sword.
Indeed, it was just as he'd thought. Though he'd used the entire rest of his Magnetized Qi Powder supply, it still wasn't enough to kill this giant puppet. He would have to finish it off!
Quickly untying himself, he stood on the branch and waved his sword. Even in its extreme distress, the creature sensed its spiritual energy, and looked up.
The last thing it saw was a flash of white light. it went completely still, seeming to be no longer afflicted by the powder.
In a cloud of purple smoke, it exploded.
Qiu Yunru had leapt out from the cypress tree and sunk his sword into its solar plexus.
In the cloud of smoke, he fell down from the air, sweating profusely. Notifications popped up on his game menu one after another:
Plain Sword: +1270% DAMAGE!
Plain Sword: +3,500% ACCURACY
CONGRATULATIONS! Monstrous Puppet of the Nine Sects' Cultivation Tournament Slain.Medium Level Quest Complete. +250 Tournament Points!
Qiu Yunru doubled over, grabbing his knees and panting. The air still smelled of rotting eggs, and he covered his nose, feeling on the verge of being sick.
Excuse me? He thought, feeling frustrated. You never notified me that this was a quest in the first place! What's wrong with you?!