Chapter Thirty-Three: The Marvelous Gourd of Heaven and Earth

The Little King of the Evil Gods rushed swiftly toward the city wall, moving along without any obstacles. After all, the three warriors clad in divine armor had already been entangled by a significant number of war-chariot-class fiends. Though these fiends could not inflict much harm on the armored warriors, they were sufficient to buy some time. Now, in just a moment, the Little King of the Evil Gods would be able to break through the city wall. But at that instant, a voice drifted from far behind: “Wang Zhishen—”

“Hm?” Upon suddenly hearing the human name he had used for some time, the Little King of the Evil Gods instinctively responded and looked back. All he saw, however, was emptiness behind him. Then, in a bizarre turn, the surrounding scenery began to rush rapidly toward him, and when he turned back, the city wall that had been right within reach was now speeding away. What was going on?

Elsewhere, as Zhuang Xiaoyuan pulled the stopper from the red gourd and used a distant voice transmission to call the Little King of the Evil Gods by name, a powerful suction emerged from the gourd’s mouth. Far away, a black speck began racing toward them, growing larger and larger—it was none other than the fleeing Little King of the Evil Gods.

What had been a mere black dot in the distance suddenly materialized in full before Zhuang Xiaoyuan and her companions. With a dazed, adorable expression, the Little King of the Evil Gods stared blankly as he drew ever closer to Zhuang Xiaoyuan, then began to shrink, and was finally sucked into the red gourd.

With a soft plop, the red gourd swallowed the Little King of the Evil Gods, and Zhuang Xiaoyuan promptly replaced the cap.

“Xiaoyuan, what is that thing? How fascinating—it actually caught that evil god!” Having witnessed Zhuang Xiaoyuan summon the gourd, call out the name, and watch as the gourd absorbed its quarry, Wen Hui’s eyes sparkled with excitement. She was intensely curious about this red gourd.

“It truly is remarkable. Is this your divine weapon, little sister? What a formidable treasure.” In just the few minutes that Zhuang Xiaoyuan had taken to capture the Little King of the Evil Gods, the three warriors in divine armor had already gathered at her side, and the ten war-chariot-class fiends summoned earlier had all been vanquished. The one who spoke was the beautiful, blue-haired lady who had previously saved Zhuang Xiaoyuan’s life.

“Thank you for saving me earlier, big sister. This red gourd is called the Marvelous Universe Gourd. It is the sacred treasure of the Shangqing Palace atop Tiantai Mountain, borne of an innate spiritual vine and refined by the immortal Elder Dongfang Taiyue—a grand artifact capable of subduing even true immortals. If you call out someone’s name and they answer, they’ll be sucked into the gourd and reduced to pulp in the blink of an eye.” Placing the gourd on the flat rooftop, Zhuang Xiaoyuan explained its origins, repeating the knowledge that had appeared in her mind.

“What? Where is the Shangqing Palace? Who is this Elder, is he really so powerful that he could forge such a divine weapon? Is a ‘true immortal’ like the immortals of legend? If simply answering their name will get someone sucked in, isn’t that insanely powerful? Can it dissolve anyone, regardless of their level?” No sooner had Zhuang Xiaoyuan finished than Wen Hui burst out with questions she had held back for some time—if she hadn’t seen how seriously Zhuang Xiaoyuan was handling the gourd, she would have asked sooner.

Wen Hui was also deeply curious about Zhuang Xiaoyuan’s divine transformation. It seemed somehow different from her own. Wasn’t Zhuang Xiaoyuan’s guardian god supposed to be a rule-type spirit? Yet this transformation was more like a martial deity’s power. And unlike her own change, which only altered her clothes, hair, and color, Zhuang Xiaoyuan’s transformation made her seem an entirely different person.

“Um, well, just think of it as a treasure from another world.” Faced with Wen Hui’s barrage of questions, Zhuang Xiaoyuan frowned, troubled, and could only offer this explanation. It wasn’t exactly wrong, after all.

Just as she finished speaking, the Marvelous Universe Gourd on the rooftop suddenly began to tremble. Feeling the vibration, Zhuang Xiaoyuan’s expression changed, for she sensed her divine power draining at an alarming rate.

“Originally, anyone sucked into the Marvelous Universe Gourd would be dissolved in moments, but things seem different now. My power is insufficient, and not only can I not dissolve him, I can’t keep him contained for long. My divine power is vanishing rapidly. Seniors, do you have any way to handle him? I must let him out.” Sensing the Little King of the Evil Gods inside, manipulating shadows and attacking wildly, Zhuang Xiaoyuan asked anxiously.

“Wait a moment, let me prepare. I have a way.” As soon as Zhuang Xiaoyuan spoke, the faces of the divine-armored warriors changed. The beautiful, blue-haired lady began to ready her own abilities as she replied.

“Tch, it’s too late. This evil god’s strength is too great—if he stays any longer, the gourd will break. I have to let him out for now. Marvelous Universe Gourd, release!” The gourd trembled again, and this time, Zhuang Xiaoyuan sensed a faint, almost imperceptible crack forming inside.

The Marvelous Universe Gourd could be called the life-bound treasure of the loose immortal maiden Huang Xiaoyan—if it were damaged, her own being would be affected, perhaps even her transformation card. Considering the gourd’s power, Zhuang Xiaoyuan gritted her teeth and released the Little King of the Evil Gods at a distance.

“You’d better remember this…” The Little King of the Evil Gods, upon emerging, didn’t wait for the red-haired or black-clad divine warriors to react. He dove into the shadows on the ground and vanished, leaving behind a threat he seemed to have uttered already.

“What now? He got away again.” The red-haired warrior sighed, her expression helpless, but she did not blame Zhuang Xiaoyuan. She had already done her best—catching him once was a stroke of luck, even if he escaped in the end.

“It’s alright, seniors. Please continue preparing your tools to deal with this evil god. I can catch him again. As long as he hasn’t escaped beyond the reach of my voice, I can reel him back within three beats of letting him go, even without calling his name.” Zhuang Xiaoyuan remained composed, for as long as time allowed, the evil god could not escape her. At this point, her remaining divine power would suffice for another two or three attempts, aside from maintaining her transformation.

“That’s wonderful, then.” The blue-haired lady’s eyes lit up at Zhuang Xiaoyuan’s words, and she resumed the action she had nearly halted. “Come forth, solid yellow crystal—Demon Prison!”