Villain Simulator, Ch 349-350

[At that moment, hurried footsteps suddenly echoed from outside the cave.]

[Though you couldn't lift your head to see, you could sense a familiar presence—the unmistakable yang energy of an exorcist from a renowned demon-hunting family. Sure enough, several figures dressed in clan robes had appeared at the entrance.]

[Entering Immersive Mode][Mission: Survive]

Lucas slightly turned his face, finally getting a clear look at the newcomers.

Five exorcists, each with respectable cultivation. As members of the main clan, even those with mediocre talent would have access to decent training resources.

Of course, even if their abilities were merely average, in his current state, he was nothing more than a lamb awaiting slaughter.

"You… who are you?" Qiqi seemed entirely unaware of the looming danger, her voice flat and unhurried. "This place… does not welcome guests."

"Tsk, tsk, what a surprise," the leading white-robed exorcist sneered. A deep scar ran across his face, twisting into a wicked grin. "We only came to snatch this little zombie for refinement, but it turns out there's an unexpected bonus. Senior Brother Lucas, you have no idea how long we've been searching for you."

Lucas's eyes flickered with realization—the man before him was a fellow disciple from his past, one of the few who had survived his blood-soaked descent into madness.

"If it's revenge you want, then come at me," Lucas said in a low voice. "Qiqi, run!"

"Qiqi… will not leave." She positioned herself in front of him. "They are… bad people. Must drive them away."

"Bad people? Did you hear that? She actually called me a bad person!" The scarred exorcist's smile widened, his grotesque wound distorting further. "You damn butcher! The branch family raised you out of kindness, yet you repaid them with slaughter. Every time I think of that night, the pain on my face flares up again!"

"So, this cripple is the infamous killer?" Another exorcist stepped forward, unsheathing his sword. He smirked. "Bringing him back alive would be a great achievement. Seems like today is our lucky day."

Without further hesitation, he lunged, sword flashing. Clearly, to him, a frail zombie girl and a crippled man posed no threat.

However, Qiqi still showed no intention of retreating. Slowly, a long sword materialized in her hand.

"Oh? You actually want to resist?" The exorcist scoffed, then took a closer look at her delicate features. "Well, now that I see you up close… you're quite the beauty. Before refining you, why don't we—"

"Hey now, Brother Ju," the scarred man chuckled darkly. "Even zombies aren't safe from you? What if she's stiff as a board? You afraid you'll snap in half?"

"Hah, just a little corpse powder will fix that," Ju licked his lips. "The taste is a bit off, sure, but it's no different from the real thing—though she might, y'know… shed a little."

Before he could finish, a cold light streaked past.

His face stiffened.

A sudden chill swept over his ear.

A severed piece of flesh tumbled to the ground.

Qiqi had struck with terrifying speed, slicing off his ear before he even realized what had happened.

It seemed she hadn't been exaggerating when she said she was strong.

"My… my ear!" Ju clutched his wound, howling in pain. "You little wretch, I'll kill you!"

"Brother Ju, don't be reckless!" The scarred leader's expression darkened. "We can't afford mistakes this time. Formation!"

At his command, the five exorcists spread out, forming a pentagram-like stance. Chanting in unison, glowing pillars of light erupted beneath them, connecting to form a shimmering array.

"The Five Elements Demon-Suppressing Formation…" Lucas gritted his teeth. "Qiqi, run! Now!"

Even Qiqi could feel her strength rapidly waning within the barrier. With her last bit of energy, she grabbed Lucas and leaped into the jade coffin, slamming the lid shut.

Darkness enveloped them.

Faint ghostly flames flickered to life, casting eerie blue light over their faces.

"Idiot," Lucas chuckled bitterly. "You could have escaped."

"But Qiqi… does not want to leave you." She shook her head. "If you die first, Qiqi will be sad. If Qiqi dies first, you will be sad. But if we die together… no one will be sad."

Die together, so no one would be sad.

Hearing those words, Lucas felt a strange sense of relief. Perhaps, rather than struggling to survive in torment, it would be better to end it all—at least, he wouldn't be alone on the road to the afterlife.

This jade coffin was unique. Once sealed from the inside, it couldn't be easily opened from the outside. Even the Five Elements Formation wouldn't be able to affect Qiqi within it.

As Lucas held her close, something suddenly caught his eye.

Under the flickering phosphorescent glow, ancient text appeared along the inner walls of the coffin.

He had slept within it all this time, yet had never noticed these inscriptions before. It seemed they could only be revealed in this specific light.

"Well, well… this is straight out of The Legend of the Condor Heroes, isn't it?" Lucas muttered. "Qiqi, is this coffin from the Ancient Tomb Sect?"

Of course, it didn't contain Nine Yin Manual or any legendary martial arts techniques.

Instead, the inscriptions described something entirely different.

The Extreme Yin Dual Cultivation Method.

"This technique requires two individuals with pure yin constitutions. By merging their energies, they can achieve the ultimate yin body, gaining unparalleled power over all forms of yin energy."

"My yin cultivation is complete, yet the so-called righteous sects deemed it heretical. They joined forces to seal me within this coffin. Thus, I carve this technique here, awaiting a fated successor to master it—so that they may slay these hypocrites and avenge me!"

The script was jagged, as if etched with fingernails. Each stroke carried an overwhelming hatred.

"These words… Qiqi understands," Qiqi murmured, furrowing her brows. "But together… Qiqi does not understand."

"Qiqi…" Lucas clenched his fists. "This is a cultivation technique. It requires… us to train together. If we succeed, we might be able to defeat those people outside. What do you think? Will you help me?"

"Qiqi will help," she nodded without hesitation. "But… how do we do it?"

"Just like… how we usually do it," Lucas replied, his voice slightly hoarse. "Except… the final step will be different. It might… hurt a little."

"Qiqi… is not afraid of pain," she shook her head. "Little Sparrow… would never hurt Qiqi."

"Don't underestimate Little Sparrow," Lucas let out a helpless chuckle. "It has the potential to become a mighty eagle."

Meanwhile, outside the jade coffin.

The Five Elements Demon-Suppressing Formation had been completed, yet the five disciples found themselves in a predicament.

"Senior Brother, it won't open," the disciple surnamed Ju released his grip on the coffin's edge, frustration evident in his voice. "Damn it, what's wrong with this thing? It won't budge at all!"

"This coffin is made from exorcist jade," the scarred disciple said coldly. "It was likely used to seal away some kind of powerful evil in the past. The structure is seamless and airtight. They won't last long inside—we just need to wait them out."

"But…" Ju hesitated, scratching his head. "Do zombies… even need to breathe?"

"The zombie doesn't," the scarred disciple sneered, "but that murderer does. The little corpse is of no concern for now, but that butcher—no matter what, I will grind his bones to dust!"

"Are we sure he's really the same killer from back then?" another disciple murmured, still skeptical. "I heard he was Senior Sister Shenhe's—"

"Shut up!" The scarred disciple snapped. "Senior Sister Shenhe is the future of our main family. How could she have anything to do with that monster? Say another word, and you'll lose your head."

The disciple immediately fell silent.

As they continued to wait, the ground beneath them suddenly trembled.

"A… an earthquake?" The more timid disciple yelped.

"Stay calm!" The scarred disciple frowned, his gaze shifting to the jade coffin. "It's not an earthquake… it's coffin tremors?"

Sure enough, the massive jade coffin had begun to shake.

"This thing weighs thousands of pounds…" Ju muttered. "What the hell are they doing in there to make it tremble like that?"

"Yin energy! A powerful surge of yin energy!" The scarred disciple pointed at the edges of the coffin, where dark purple-black mist was seeping out. "What in the world is happening?!"

Creak—

Just then, the coffin lid let out a chilling sound as it was slowly pushed open.

A severed, mangled arm hooked onto the edge of the coffin.

Moments later, Lucas emerged.

His deformed body dangled eerily from the coffin's rim, his entire form exuding a sinister and unsettling aura.

"You… you're just trying to scare us!" The scarred disciple instinctively took a step back but forced himself to remain composed. "No matter how strong your cultivation is, you're still a cripple! You have no means of fighting back!"

"Oh?"

Lucas let out a raspy chuckle, baring his pale, ghastly teeth.

He slowly reached out and peeled away a talisman stuck to the coffin's surface.

It was the charm Qiqi had given him to suppress his dark aura.

But even if he hadn't removed it, with the sheer density of yin energy now emanating from his body, it would have been impossible to conceal from the malevolent creatures drawn to him.

The moment the charm was removed, his yin energy surged outward like a flood.

From the depths of the cave, eerie figures began to emerge—ghoulish creatures, spirits, and monsters, drawn in like fish leaping upriver.

Within moments, the entire cavern was teeming with them.

The five disciples, though seasoned exorcists, had never encountered such a massive gathering of evil entities. Even the most composed among them felt their nerves waver.

Yet, the monsters ignored them.

Their true target was the figure cloaked in boundless yin energy.

To them, Lucas's body was a divine feast.

"Damn it… why are there so many of them?" Even the scarred disciple's expression twisted with alarm. "The plan has changed! We're leaving—immediately!"

"Leaving?"

Lucas grinned, his sharp teeth gleaming.

"That won't do."

"Don't… don't let him intimidate you!" Ju tried to sound confident. "He's just a useless cripple! What can he even do?"

"Hey."

This time, Lucas wasn't addressing the exorcists.

His gaze swept over the countless lurking monsters in the cave.

"You all… want this body, don't you?"

The creatures trembled with anticipation. Yet, despite their overwhelming hunger, they hesitated, sensing the danger that lurked beneath his smile.

Like a pack of hyenas eyeing a lone but wounded lion, they waited for the right moment to pounce.

"Don't hold back. If you want me… come and take me!" Lucas raised his twisted arm, his grin widening. "Devour my body, feast upon my soul… and in return—become a part of me."

The moment those words left his lips, the monsters snapped.

Like a frenzy of wild beasts, they lunged toward him, each desperate to claim their share before another could.

The five disciples were so horrified by the scene that, for a moment, they forgot to act.

Being devoured by spirits and demons was a fate worse than death.

Flesh torn apart. Bones shattered. Blood sprayed across the stone walls.

Yet—

The more they ate, the fewer there seemed to be.

One by one, the creatures merged into Lucas, consumed even as they devoured him.

By the time the feeding frenzy had ended—

A new Lucas was born.

Or rather—what stood there could no longer be called human.

A grotesque, shifting mass of darkness.

No skin. No face. No internal organs.

Just pure, writhing shadows.

Drip…

A damp stain spread across the ground.

The timid disciple had lost control of his bladder.

Terror shattered his sanity.

With a shriek, he turned and ran for the cave entrance, screaming—

"MONSTER! HE'S A MONSTER!"

"Don't run!" The scarred disciple roared. "Stand your ground!"

But his voice came a second too late.

A spear of pure blackness shot forward.

It pierced the fleeing disciple's spine in an instant.

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