Chapter 170: The Laughter

　　The ‘Singing Puppet’ that was given by Second Mother to Wen Leyang was not sealed with some incisive Art of Witchcraft. Once it was tossed into the vital fire, it erupted in a cheerful and loud laughter, almost similar to little Chi Maojiu’s. It was a little celebratory trick used in the celebration of a joyous occasion for the disciples of Miao Bujiao.

　　The moment the Singing Puppet entered the Heart-linking Lock’s vital fire, it immediately gave out the sound of chuckling, slightly ghastly yet extremely cheerful. Its laughter was filled with innocent childishness and heartfelt delights.

　　Every disciple of Miao Bujiao smiled, the scorching yet surging vital fire also became soft and graceful along with the sound of laughter. The vital fire flickered lightly towards that gleam of rising sun that had just penetrated in the sky, accompanied by some laziness.

　　The Singing Puppet’s cheerful laughter and the disciples of Miao Bujiao’s cheerful laughter made Wen Leyang followed along naturally and laughed cheerfully. His expression appeared relaxed and satisfied. His heart was feeling surprised by this miracle. Once the Singing Puppet’s Art of Witchcraft was launched, he could completely sense the transformation of the Heart-linking Lock’s vital fire, as if the Art of Witchcraft that was launching right now had already become a part of his emotion, his sensation, and his body.

　　Wen Leyang was laughing when his diffused telegnosis ability trembled lightly once. A ball of blurred shadow that could not even be identified clearly by the telegnosis ability that stripped him away from the surrounding was dashing into the dense forest at an extremely fast speed. Soon after that a series of whistling sound that was hoarse and more oppressed similar to an owl’s hoot echoed from the depth of the dense forest rapidly into the Miao stockade village!

　　Second Mother, little Chi Maojiu, and a few elders’ expressions were first astonished. Violent rage followed. The Miao stockade village had its back against the Seven Maidens Mountain, the humid and dense forest that was constant throughout the year in front provided a natural defense for the stockade village. The continuous sound of whistling that was heard right now was a warning signal used by their clansmen that were lying in ambush in the forest, signaling that the enemy was about to dash past the forest.

　　Second Mother’s Art of Witchcraft was damaged excessively but her martial art skill was still rather strong. She shuffled her footsteps and glided in front of Wen Leyang as she urged him repeatedly, “Don’t move! The Singing Puppet has triggered the Heart-linking Lock. Before the Art of Witchcraft is completed, it cannot be interrupted, otherwise, the vital fire will countercharge on you!”

　　If the Art of Witchcraft spell was cut off midway through its launching, the violent witchcraft power would immediately countercharge against the person who cast the spell.

　　Similarly, when the Heart-linking Lock’s spell was launched, the disciples of Miao Bujiao could not retrieve back their witchcraft power that was accumulated in the vital fire.

　　In the entire stretch of dense forest, all kinds of bitter yet sticky evil noises echoed from all directions. The prohibition spells and traps that were laid down in ambush, by the disciples of Miao Bujiao in the dense forest was simultaneously triggered!

　　Wen Leyang felt slightly at ease in his heart. He persevered his effort for a while, awaiting the time when the Heart-linking Lock’s vital fire had completed launched the Art of Witchcraft before he could make time to reinforce them. As long as the approaching enemy was not the top master cultivators like Tian Shu or Chang Li, he had the confidence that he could deal with the enemy.

　　He had personally experienced the witchcraft spell’s trap of the Miao clansmen. Perhaps its power was slightly weaker but it triumphed by its ghastliness and incredulousness. No matter how brutal and tyrannical was the enemy, or how fully prepared the enemy was, if he was unfamiliar with the Art of Witchcraft spell, he would be thrown into confusion once he dashed into the dense forest rashly.

　　Perhaps the witchcraft prohibition spells in the dense forest were not powerful enough to harm the enemy, but it should not be a problem to resist the enemy for a while.

　　However, the waves of raging yet bitter agonizing screams echoed continuously almost without a stop, all the way from far to near! The person who dashed into the dense forest could surprisingly avoid the obstruction of the Qing Miao killers and dashed towards the Miao stockade village at an extremely fast speed.

　　When Second Mother was advising Wen Leyang, little Chi Maojiu had already shouted in a clear voice, “The person who is trespassing the Seven Maidens Mountain without permission, report your name!”

　　The two Qing Miao elders summoned their vital fires and led dozens of people into the dense forest in a soundless yet swift manner to help their clansmen. In a flash, the sound of witchcraft spell surged exceedingly, layers upon layers of vital fire’s sparks shot into the sky.

　　The fighting and killing in the dense forest became even more intense and violent now.

　　Little Chi Maojiu and Second Mother gazed into the eyes of one another. Little Chi Maojiu inhaled in a deep breath, before he asked loudly once again, “Your gracious with the impressive skills, what is the reason you are trespassing the Miao stockade village without permission?”

　　In the Miao stockade village, the Singing Puppet’s laughter remained lively but it had since lost its cheerful intention. With the layers of agonizing screams in the dense forest, its laughter became gloomy.

　　The person who was trespassing finally spoke, he laughed as he answered, “The disciples of Miao Bujiao are exceedingly extraordinary. They have comprehended the approach of the witchcraft power’s circulation.”

　　When Wen Leyang heard the opposing party’s voice, his expression was filled with astonishment. He could not help but frowned.

　　Chi Maojiu was green with rage as he sneered, “You are here for the Heart-linking Lock on your own?”

　　Second Mother knitted her brows lightly. The opposing party’s attack was launched at the perfect crucial moment. Now that the Heart-linking Lock was launched, there was utterly no way for Wen Leyang, who was not skilled in the Art of Witchcraft Spell, to stop the process in order to avoid countercharge. However, how could this form of witchcraft power be so easily seized? Even if the Big Dragon’s Root was reborn, without consulting the mysticism skill that was comprehended by Second Mother, he could never seize away the Heart-linking Lock.

　　An elder that was casting witchcraft spell in the dense forest shouted abuse in his inarticulate Mandarin, “Do you think you are worthy of coveting the Heart-linking Lock? Without our witchcraft spell, no one is allowed to acquire the Heart-linking Lock’s vital fire…” Before he could finish his sentence, his voice abruptly turned into a long and agonizing scream!

　　The intruder’s voice remained relaxed and at ease as ever. His voice was penetrating with a gush of unspeakable coquettish, “All of you are willing to lend your very own witchcraft power, to gather up into such a huge puff of vital fire, I am already indebted forever. I will not be troubling everyone with the effort of taking it away!” Suddenly a Miao Bujiao’s disciple that was guarding next to Chi Maojiu gave out an alarming cry, his gaze was rigid as he stared at the sky above the dense forest! A puff of crimson-colored thick cloud had appeared on top of the dense forest. Layers upon layers of crimson flames as red as blood churned faintly in the thick cloud.

　　Little Chi Maojiu’s expression changed abruptly. He clenched his teeth in bitter hatred as he shouted in rage, “That is the blood cloud vital fire! You are a sorcerer too!”

　　The blood cloud vital fire did not carry along even a whiff of liveness. It surged into the boundless dense forest quietly. Almost simultaneously, every sound that was rippling because of the process of casting witchcraft spells was akin to a rooster that was crowing when its neck was suddenly snapped. Every sound was abruptly cut off the moment the blood cloud appeared! After a short moment, layers of sharp and hoarse agonizing screams pulverized the momentary silence.

　　Second Mother did not even have the time to speak. Within the sound of her raging cry, she raised her hand and flicked a piece of iron whistle pellet into midair, the iron whistle fluttered in the wind and gave out a sharp howl. The disciples of Miao Bujiao who were hiding in the dense forest were urged by the sound of the whistle to gradually return to Miao stockade village with their wounded companions.

　　The wounded disciples appeared weak and dispirited. There were remnant blood stains on the corners of their mouths, but at least they were alive.

　　The Qing Miao disciples in the stockade village also rushed out like a swarm of bees. At the same time, they reinforced their companions as they guarded Wen Leyang and the Heart-linking Lock that could not be moved.

　　The intruder’s laughter carried along a gush of innate coquettish yet friendliness, “If you know about the blood cloud vital fire, don’t send the children out to die anymore.”

　　Wen Leyang who had not spoken all along suddenly felt the urge to curse in rage, “Leyang Wen, what the hell are you doing!” Within the few words, he could already confirm as clear as day that the person who forced his way into the Miao stockade village in order to seize the vital fire was Lord Leyang Wen from the Painting Town.

　　At the muffled sound of a bang, the blood cloud vital fire that had just surged into the dense forest suddenly burst apart. The blood-colored fire snakes flowed and dashed in all directions. The entire stretch of dense forest turned into burning sea of flames! Some of the disciples of Miao Bujiao were astonished while some were dispirited, but their gaze was still filled with savageness and violence. They stared firmly akin to poisonous snakes at the short man Leyang Wen who was immersed in the sound of his laughter and jumped out of the sea of flames.

　　The moment little Chi Maojiu realized that it was Leyang Wen, not only was he shocked, he was even more nervous and furious. He knew that if one day there was only one single person in the world, who was capable of seizing the power of Heart-linking Lock without using the Qing Miao’s mysticism skill, that person would be from the Leyang family!

　　The short man Leyang Wen had a few close encounters with Wen Leyang in the past. He had impressive skills, but his skills were all mostly Painting Town’s supernatural power of painting, absolutely unlike the current witchcraft power that exudes a majestic mannerism. Wen Leyang pondered for a moment and he understood. Leyang Wen inherited the Painting Town’s witchcraft power that was passed down for generations from his deceased brother. Leyang Tian once said that Lue Luo’s witchcraft power could be passed down and inherited from generation to generation. Even though the power continuously deteriorated, Lue Luo’s abilities were exceptionally amazing. Even though the witchcraft power that was inherited now was only ten percent, it was enough to startle the world.

　　Wen Leyang had only understood at this moment that the ‘Heart-linking Lock’ that was comprehended by the disciples of Miao Bujiao now should be of the same principle as Lue Luo’s descendants inheriting the first ancestor’s witchcraft power.

　　The short man dashed out of the dense forest. His plump body did not stop for even a moment. Under the clustering of burning witch’s fire, he pounced ferociously into the direction of Qing Miao clansmen. His eyes were staring straight towards the scorching Heart-linking Lock’s witch’s fire that was soaring and burning high on top of Qing Miao clansmen. His gaze was filled with greed and gluttony!

　　Within the sound of loud howls, every Qing Miao clansman launched his most ferocious attack. However, just as their vital fire had only spread out, the entire stretch of open field jolted ferociously, the sky that was still brightening abruptly turned into the gloomy color of red!

　　The ground underneath every Miao clansman’s feet abruptly cracked into a mottled yet savage-looking wound. Blood that was crimson-colored and thick, filled with the stench of decay flowed out with a gurgling sound. Following, that a fiery red-colored flower stalk grew taller in the wind.

　　It was as if the sound of decay that was clearly heard was sped up by a thousand times. The giant red flower, which looked so magnificent that it appeared terrifying, abruptly bloomed!

　　No matter how ferocious or desperate the Qing Miao clansmen were, they were feeling palpitations from the bottom of their hearts as the red-colored giant flower before them was laughing!

　　It was not because a human face grew out of the flower bud and not because the sound of laughter was shaken out of the flower pistil. The flower was still a flower, other than its huge size and its gorgeousness, it was no different from other flowers. No one could explain it but every Qing Miao clansman who was facing the red flower could clearly felt that the flower was laughing at him!

　　Soon after that, the Miao clansmen who were about to cast all caution to the winds, who were preparing to destroy the red flower before them suddenly realized in shock that, everything was laughing along with the red flower towards himself: the ground underneath his feet was laughing, the sky above his head was laughing, the vital fire in front of him was laughing, the witch’s puppet in his hand was laughing, and even his hands, his feet, his knees, his belly, were all laughing!”

　　“Do not acknowledge that. It is only a magic illusion spell!”

　　“Be careful the enemy might seize the opportunity for a sneak attack!”

　　…

　　The younger disciples of Miao Bujiao reminded their companions loudly. After the initial fright, they calmed themselves with great difficulty. This was only an illusion spell, the Qing Miao clansmen had been fiddling with witchcraft spells for generations, they were experts in using illusions and virtual images to confuse their enemies.

　　However, a few of the elders with profound witchcraft power suddenly gave out long loud howls and directed their vital fires to burn ferociously onto their bodies. They pulled out plump and dark-green colored worms from their witchcraft sacks and hastily stuffed the worms into their mouths to chew loudly. They did not care about the worms’ agonizing screams or the thick worm juice that was spilling out from the corners of their mouth. They reminded the youngsters of the clan simultaneously, “This is not a magic illusion spell, it is the Laughing Face Witchcraft spell! Break it quickly…”

　　At the same time the sound of warning signal echoed, there were already a dozen of Qing Miao clansmen who were screaming in agony, convulsing in pain!

　　The disciples of Miao Bujiao were in a chaotic mess, including Second Mother and little Chi Maojiu. Everything and everywhere they looked they saw laughing faces, they could not detect where the enemy was. The short man Leyang Wen laughed aloud continuously as he weaved through the crowd in extremely agile movements. His ten fingers were akin to hooks as he pounced towards Wen Leyang.