The Blade-Wielding Legend
Chapter 438 - 263: Arch-Enemy’s Base

Chapter 438: Chapter 263: Arch-Enemy’s Base

Jiang Zuo, the Evil Cultivator, has a notorious reputation within the Mystical Sect.

There’s a story about their origin.

During the Three Kingdoms Period, a strange event occurred in the residence of the Eastern Wu general Zhu Huan.

One night, a woman got up with a lamp and discovered that the sleeping posture of a maidservant in the same room was amiss under the dim light. Upon closer inspection, she was scared half to death.

The maidservant’s head had vanished, leaving only her body lying on the bed, still breathing steadily, as though deep in sleep.

The frightened woman instinctively pulled up the blanket to tightly cover the headless maidservant’s body.

The next day before dawn, someone heard a "thump, thump" outside the door, like something knocking on the floor. Following the sound, they found the maidservant’s head hopping on the ground in front of the bed, wearing a worried expression.

Upon hearing someone approaching, the head desperately turned to call for help, "Please uncover the blanket; my head can’t get back!"

The person, scared, lifted the blanket.

The head reattached to the body, the flesh seamlessly joined, and the eyes opened in an instant, thanking the person and shocking the servant into fainting.

Both servants ended up drained of their vital essence and dead.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Huan was both shocked and bewildered, so he executed the maidservant and inquired among his colleagues, only to learn that many court officials in Eastern Wu kept similar odd entities, supposedly slaves brought back from the campaign against the Baiyue.

Of course, that was the end of Zhu Huan’s story.

However, within the Zhu Family, there was a Magician with nefarious intentions who covertly investigated after hearing about it and discovered a mutant race called "Flying Head."

Members of this race would occasionally give birth to mutant children, with faint red bloodlines on their necks and pupil-less eyes. As they grew older, they would develop the ability to detach their heads.

Some lived in seclusion, away from the world, while others went on to harm people directly.

This Magician surnamed Zhu secretly captured Flying Heads and, using a variety of evil secret techniques, concocted terrifying Gu Curses.

At that time, the rules of the Mystical Sect were disorganized, and the Taixuan Orthodox Sect had not yet emerged. The Zhu lineage, empowered by Evil Skill, became so powerful in Jiang Zuo that no one dared to provoke them.

This family developed numerous cruel spells.

The infamous "Beast Creation Technique" was a creation of their research.

To this day, even though they have been suppressed by the Proper Xuan Sect, the once glorious Zhu Family had long since declined, yet disciples and descendants still secretly pass down their teachings.

They came to be known as Jiang Zuo Evil Cultivators.

Listening to Li Yan’s mockery, the fierce tiger paid no mind and said solemnly, "In this world, all creatures are mere ants, desperately seeking to cross over. I was once human, acting chivalrously and righteously, and now, as a tiger, I devour humans without any hesitation."

"I have seen too much, and ultimately, it’s all an illusion."

"The rules of the human world are constraints, the Yin Bureau has ’Yin Law,’ and the Heavenly Court has ’Heavenly Rules,’ too many have violated them."

"If you cling to this, you won’t get far in the future."

Li Yan’s expression remained cold, not saying a word.

At that moment, he suddenly understood what Luo Mingzi meant.

"Those who set foot on this path are mostly no longer human!"

Seeing that he did not respond, the tiger demon continued, "The Sect Leader of the Ghost Sect paid a visit and brought us a secret technique called ’Taiyin Refining Technique,’ requesting temporary shelter for a person named Tongtian San."

"This ’Taiyin Refining Technique’ had quite the reputation. We had heard of it before and agreed. After meeting the crafty Tongtian San, we even took her on as a disciple."

"The ’Taiyin Refining Technique’ is a secret Taoist technique. Although those who master it become the lowest class of Corpse Resolving Immortals, who cannot be exposed to daylight for life, at least they can avoid the suffering of reincarnation and returning to life. So, we proceeded to practice it."

"This technique wasn’t difficult for us, but we never expected it was all a trap. Tongtian San managed to return to life fifty years ago, usurping my body."

"Fortunately, the mountains harbored a mutant fierce tiger, and I chose to be reborn within a tiger’s womb, cultivating a demonic body. But that Tongtian San, using my wife’s body to threaten me, prevents me from approaching the Earth Immortal Cave."

"I’ve received word that Tongtian San is trying to use my wife’s body as a medium to conduct a ritual for her master, Master Huang, to return to life."

"I built the Earth Immortal Cave myself, and I can decipher all sorts of mechanisms and secret techniques, except that Tongtian San obtaining my corpse makes it difficult to handle."

"When the time comes for me to fight her, you just need to throw out the Hook Paper, and you should be able to take her away."

"Complete this task, and I will let you leave, delivering the promised items. I swear upon my Divine Soul; I will not go back on my word!"

So Tongtian San was hiding in the Earth Immortal Cave!

When in Yichang, Li Yan had received intelligence that behind the scenes of the Ezhou Ghost Sect, someone by the name of Tongtian San was in charge.

Yet, he hadn’t expected the chaos in Dangyang to also be related to her.

However, Li Yan sensed something was amiss and asked solemnly, "With such an opportunity, wouldn’t it be more appropriate to have the Ghost Sect’s Sect Leader Zhang Huaisu return to life?"

"That man has already returned to life long ago."

The tiger demon spoke, a rare murderous intent rising in its eyes, "He schemed against my wife and me; how could I easily let him off!"

"Over the years, I have been secretly inquiring and learned a secret matter. Zhang Huaisu laid plans within plans, and when the Qi Fortune of the Golden Tent Wolf Country weakened, the Ghost Sect sided with them."

"He caused significant turmoil in the Human World, disrupting Yin Yang, and had become a thorn in the Yin Bureau’s side. Knowing that a more severe disaster awaited him after death, he plotted in secret, hiding in the far northern ice fields, stealing the Qi Fortune of the Golden Tent Wolf Country, concealing the Heavenly Mechanism, and reincarnating."

"Little did he know, no craftsmanship could overcome fate."

"The Great Xuan Dynasty’s northern expedition eradicated the Jurchens, and the Taixuan Orthodox Sect severed their Dragon Vein, inadvertently breaking his arrangement, leading to his premature reincarnation with a damaged foundation, and he fled in embarrassment."

"Oh, by the way, in this life, he is called Zhao Changsheng."

"What?!"

Li Yan clenched his fists, his eyes filled with shock.

This Zhao Changsheng was also a major enemy of his. Knowing that the other party was not simple, he hadn’t imagined such a significant background, reincarnating repeatedly and stirring up unrest in Divine State.