Chapter 147: Cicadas in Summertime

Chapter 147: Cicadas in Summertime

The swarm of cicadas buzzed all around Hui. He backed away slowly, his dagger out in front of him.

One of the smaller ones hurtled at him. He slashed. Black energy traced after the dagger. It slashed into the cicada. The cicada paled and withered. It fell to the ground, color drained from its body, its plump abdomen shriveled and dry. No more than a husk, it bounced over the floor.

Hui flicked his sleeve, drawing the wisp of death qi toward him. He narrowed his eyes at the other cicadas and raised the dagger. With his fiercest voice, he declared, Ill kill you all.

The cicadas shuffled, wings fluttering. Hui turned slowly, taking them all in. His heart raced, and he had to force himself to slow his breath. Its okay. Bai Xue will be here soon. Just bluff them off until Bai Xue gets here!

A terrible boom sounded out behind him. The large cicada let out a cry of pain and rushed away. Hui, hang in there! As soon as I finish this one, Ill be there!

Hui bit his lip. Ah. Help might be too far away.

Trembling, the first cicada began to cry out. One after another, the other cicadas joined their voices, all crying to the heavens. Hui clapped his hands over his ears and stumbled back, furrowing his brows against the cries as they began to sync. Without crystals to line its walls, the smooth walls of the geode reflected the sound back, redoubling it as echoes lined up with the buzz. The sound echoed in Huis bones and bounced in his skull. Even with his hands over his ears, he couldnt stop it. His body began to vibrate in sync with the cicadas cries. Pain broke out over his entire body. Blood rolled down from his eyes, ears, and nose. He threw out a barrier talisman, but the sound rattled through the barrier.

Scowling, he dismissed the barrier. Defending wont work. I have to attack! The source of this content nov(el)bi((n))

He drew a stack of ice talismans and threw them out over the cicadas. They flew out in waves. Propelled by qi, some rushed deep over the cicadas, while others settled close. One hand still clapped over his ear, he gestured. The talismans activated, encasing the cicadas in ice. The cicadas beyond the reach of his talismans still screamed, but the nearest ones fell quiet, unable to move or cry any longer.

The ice cracked almost immediately. Even as he lowered his hand, some of the cicadas struggled in the ice, on the verge of breaking out.

No time to hesitate. Marshalling all his qi, Hui circulated it rapidly, tracing the pattern of the attack Zhu Diyu had granted him. Dammit, too bad I didnt make another talisman. Ive only got one shot at this!

Hissing sounded from his sleeve. Zhubi poked his head out. He yawned cutely, gaping his mouth wide.

He breathed in, drawing in as much qi as he could. A strand coiled into his dantian, supporting him. As he circulated it, he lifted his talismans. At least I can still fight with almost no qi. Come at me, cicadas! This small cultivator will fight until its time to play dead!

Beside him, Zhubi reared up and hissed. The remaining cicadas hesitated, glancing at Zhubi, unwilling to charge the creature that had just killed so many of their own.

Hui threw out his wooden talismans, picturing a cage. A dozen talismans flew toward the cicadas. On guard, they hunkered down. Purple eyes flickered, watching the talismans.

The talismans landed. Wooden pillars grew where they hit the floor, arcing together into a huge, rounded birdcage. Captured inside, the cicadas stared, then lifted off. They slammed into the pillars, but the pillars didnt give. A small cicada slipped through, only for Zhubi to promptly snap it up. One landed on a pillar and began to gnaw. Hui aimed an ice talisman at it, and it fell back, clattering its frozen mouthparts.

One of the cicadas began to buzz. The others stopped what they were doing and began to buzz as well. The buzzing began to sync, and the first waves of the brutal sonic attack rushed out toward the walls of the birdcage. The wooden pillars shuddered. Splinters split off from their surfaces.

Hui scowled. He drew ten fire talismans and threw them into the birdcage. Two fiery tabbies burst to life, growing larger as the talismans combined, then rushed into the cicadas. The cicadas buzzed again. The fiery tabbies shuddered from the attack, but held together. They ran through the cicadas. The cicadas rushed at them, biting at the tabbies. Their mouthpieces burst into flames, but still they persisted. Latching onto the tabbies legs, they held them down. Cicadas fluttered into the air and dove down on the tabbies from above. In seconds, cicadas piled onto the tabbies until the tabbies could no longer be seen.

Hui made a hand sign. Burst!

Flame rushed out from between the cicadas. The cicadas screamed. A few fell to the ground, crisped black, while others jumped away, singed and hurt but not dead.

Hui grimaced. This is going to take too many talismans. I need to speed it up!

Hui! Xixing rushed to his side. You captured them? Good! We can harvest them for parts!

Er, Elder Sister, I havent exactly subdued them, Hui admitted, glancing at the cicadas. They stared back, purple eyes glowing with wordless rage.

Xixing chuckled. A strange light appeared in the depths of her eyes, and her smile quirked in an odd direction. Leave the subduing to your Elder Sister.