Chapter 549 - The Scum Is Degenerate

"Why go back later?" A voice asked from behind them. "I am here." He said.

They all turned and saw Cheng Sheng who walked out of the Shapeshifting Blanket.

"Ah Sheng!" Chen Han cried in pleasant surprise.

"Xiao Sheng!" Xie Lan and Fan Wen spoke.

"Cheng-shidi!" Li Tian, Feng Mo and Lei Qing called.

"Cheng-shixiong!" You Rou smiled. "You are fine now?" she asked when she saw Cheng Sheng's flushed cheeks and bright eyes.

"Ah, no." Cheng Sheng shyly smiled. "My body's recovery is still undergoing but remaining conscious is now permissible." He explained. As well as other activities. He added in his heart and turned to Fei Yin who walked out of the Shapeshifting Blanket after him.

Chen Han was about to flare up when he saw Fei Yin but recalled his promise to Cheng Sheng so he didn't speak and just remained silent.

Sun Yi who is standing beside Wu Yuan suddenly smiled as he looked at Cheng Sheng and Fei Yin with a thoughtful gaze. "These two…" he muttered.

"Yiyi." Wu Yuan called, obviously knows what is his beloved thinking.

Sun Yi chuckled. Everyone looked at him. "Junior Cheng looks lively today. It seems that he is recovering faster?" he said and grinned at Cheng Sheng who pursed his lips.

Fei Yin expression didn't change and he nodded at Sun Yi, indicating that he knows that Sun Yi found them out. But, the others didn't notice and was filled with joy.

"Little uncle!" Chen Wu, Chen Su and Chen Yu called to Cheng Sheng.

Cheng Sheng inwardly sighed in relief and silently thanked these three who shifted everyone's attention from him. "Congratulations for your victory in your match!" he told them.

"Thank you, little uncle!" Chen Wu smiled and Chen Su and Chen Yu grinned, feeling proud.

"Since brother has prepared a feast, let's go. The other sects must be waiting for us anda re already starving." Cheng Sheng spoke. "Brother, where's father and uncle Wu?" he asked as they walked towards the dining hall.

Chen Han is overjoyed today. His nephews won while Cheng Sheng is becoming healthier. "They are on their way." He answered. Then, he turned and held Li Tian's hand tight.

Li Tian felt Chen Han held his hand and he turned, puzzled, only to see Chen Han's dazzling smile. Warmth filled his heart and he held Chen Han's hand back. He is happy for his lover.

…

In the afternoon, the disciples left to play or train because tomorrow will be the start of the third stage of the Intersect Competition. Those who played wanted to relax while the ones continued to train wanted to devise new tactics. They wanted to seek Fei Yin again to train but remembered that Fei Yin told them that he has nothing to teach them anymore after he had forcibly made their meridians become wider for smoother flow of their blood and qi in their bodies.

Then, they remembered Cheng Sheng. Cheng Sheng has woken up before the banquet and they wanted to ask some advice from him in making tactics after they remembered Wen Wen's, Cui Xiang's, Cui Xiao's and Sun Ri's group, or the quartet mages, their match and this quartet made a feint before they made the defensive Cui Xiang a bait to sweep their opponents in one go. Their match was really brilliant and they heard that the tactic was learned from Cheng Sheng.

But, it seems that Cheng Sheng is busy once again so they have to give up. In truth, Cheng Sheng is indeed busy, since enemies actually made a move once again and wanted to kidnap a disciple. However, this time, everyone is prepared and they have moved closer to the Yunxiao Inn, and that Cheng Sheng has made his defense array bigger and fixed some holes before he fell into a coma.

Thus, the enemy failed and was caught by Fei Lin and Xi Ling. What they caught is a spirit servant that has that 'mask' again. Now that Ho Yue is here, they learned that this mask is called 'Degenerate Mask', or the 'mask of corruption', and the parasite which is its 'true' form is called 'Corrupt Parasites'. He said that spirit servants can become corrupted and a parasite was born as a manifest of their corruption. Then, the parasite would slowly but surely eat the spirit servant until none of it was left, including its spirt.

But, Ho Yue said that in fact, these Corrupt Parasites actually weren't born from the degeneration of the spirit servants but in fact born elsewhere, and that the Corrupt Parasites appear and parasitize the spirit servants is because they are attracted to the spirit servants' corruption. Where corruption is where these Corrupt Parasites would appear, including in humans.

Everyone shuddered in horror when they imagined themselves 'wearing' the Degenerate Mask. Tang Teng who had a weak stomach vomited on the spot, making Tang Zhe, Tang Yun and the rest of the Huakai Sect feel helpless. Li Nanzi comforted his friend.

Continuing Ho Yue's explanation, the reason why He Shun was mentally and spiritually attacked by the Corrupt Parasite is because it is its modus before it would possess its target and parasitize it later. But, He Shun fortunately survived being possessed and parasitized after by the Corrupt parasite because He Shun doesn't have a heart demon. This made He Run clutched his chest and almost had a heart attack because he was scared when he imagined the horrifying scene in his mind of his son wearing the Degenerate Mask. But, at the same time, he felt proud of his son.

"Let me speak of my first conjecture." Cheng Sheng said.

"Please do." Everyone said.

"Since the Corrupt Parasite can eat the spirit servants, and the spirit servants, although corrupted but should still possess some power due to their spirit, then wouldn't the spirit servants' power consumed by the Corrupt Parasite aside from the spirit servants' bodies serves as a nourishment for these Corrupt Parasites, increasing the Corrupt Parasite's power?" Cheng Sheng asked. "Also, the Corrupt Parasites feed on the corruption of the spirit servants they ate. Then, wouldn't the spirit servants' power they consume double the Corrupt parasites' power?" he added.

Everyone's eyes widened in shock.

"You have a point." Jing Rui spoke after he carefully analyzed it.

"These Corrupt Parasites are really horrifying, appearance-wise and power-wise." Hui Qiu can't help but say with disgust on her beautiful face.

Tang Teng nodded in agreement with a pale face.

"Not to mention that after they eat a degenerate spirit servant, they can target another spirit servant, am I right, elder Ho?" Cheng Sheng asked as he turned to Ho Yue.

"Yes." Ho Yue answered. "The more the spirit servants the Corrupt Parasites devour, the stronger they will be. Naturally, their attacks as well." He explained.

Everyone sighed with emotion. It was really more convenient now that Ho Yue was here. Not only he possess knowledge about spirit servants and the enemies, he also is smart thus adding one more brain to their team.

"Since the Corrupt Parasites' power would be doubled, then we have to double our preparations, too." Zheng Fu Gong spoke.

"Elder Zheng is right!" the sect leaders said with a nod and noted down that they will train their disciples later with the Three Harmonious Forms Manual.

"The ones the Corrupt Parasites attack are those that have a heart demon… everyone should be careful when cultivating, too." Wu Yuan added.

"Yes! Thank you for the reminder!" they sect leaders and elders said.

"No wonder the Corrupt Parasite I refined earlier seemed to be fatter." Cheng Sheng muttered.

Tang Teng's face turned green and he turned to the side to vomit.

"'fatter'?" the other sect leaders were already used to Tang Teng's disgust towards worms. Li Nanzi helplessly patted Tang Teng's shoulder to comfort him.

"It can actually also grow…?" Ho Yue was shocked.

Everyone turned to him.

"I have only small Corrupt Parasites. I didn't think they can also grow…" Ho Yue frowned.

Cheng Sheng wryly smiled. "Fortunately, we caught another one this time." he said and played with the medicine bottle where he placed the magic pills he refined from the Corrupt Parasite that they caught this time. "But, for the enemies to release these degenerate spirit servants…" he muttered.

Everyone's expressions changed when they understood it. "That's right. If a spirit servant becomes a degenerate, shouldn't it have lost its mind already?" they asked when they remembered that the spirit servants' degeneration is similar to qi deviation for cultivators.

"Yes." Ho Yue nodded. "The degenerate spirit servants should still have gone insane and would only rely on their instincts…" he said when his voice trailed off when he thought of something. He looked at Cheng Sheng and Cheng Sheng also looked at him.

The degenerate spirit servants becoming insane and only had their instincts to rely on are like feral beasts. What can feral beasts do? Attack, then devour.

"They plan to wreak havoc in Zhongyang this time!" they exclaimed in realization.