area51novel Page 65
Page 65
Li Muxuan stood there blankly, at a loss for what to do.
His mind went blank; he was completely unable to process this sudden turn of events.
The supreme master he had hated his whole life, who had just been standing alive in front of him, discussing the Dao with him and apologizing to him, was just... dead?
How could this be?
The rootless one reacts much faster.
He looked at Zuo Ruotong's corpse, then glanced at the shouts of the patrolling disciples that were already rising in the distance, and instantly understood.
He grabbed Li Muxuan, who was still in a daze, and shouted at him.
Without the slightest hesitation, Wugensheng lifted Li Muxuan up, and with a swift movement like a ghost, he disappeared into the dense forest behind the mountain. In a few leaps, he vanished without a trace.
No sooner had they left than several disciples of the Sanyi Sect arrived, drawn by the sound.
When they saw their sect leader lying in a pool of blood, already dead, everyone was struck dumb, letting out inhuman screams and cries of grief.
"The sect leader has passed away!"
A piercing scream shattered the tranquil night sky above Sanyi Gate.
The death knell has been tolled.
The heavy and mournful tolling of the bell echoed throughout the entire sacred mountain.
Soon after, a shocking piece of news spread like wildfire throughout the entire world of supernatural beings.
Zuo Ruotong, the leader of the Sanyi Sect, died suddenly in front of his own ancestral hall!
The news caused a stir.
Along with this news, various versions of the "truth" also emerged.
"Have you heard? Zuo Ruotong of the Sanyi Sect is dead!"
"How did he die? Wasn't he a top-tier expert?"
"He was angered to death! It's said that Wugensheng, the acting leader of Quanxing, conspired with Li Muxuan, a traitor from Sanyi Sect, to break into Sanyi Sect at night and use vicious words to anger the Left Sect Master to death!"
"Really? Is it that weird?"
“It’s absolutely true! My third uncle’s son’s cousin works at the Sanyi Gate and saw it with his own eyes! It’s said that the Left Gate Master was so enraged that he spat out a mouthful of blood and died on the spot!”
Rumors spread like a plague, becoming increasingly outrageous and believable with each retelling.
Ultimately, this led to a "fact" that everyone was willing to believe:
The evil sorcerer Wugensheng of the Quanxing Sect, in league with Li Muxuan, a traitor of the Sanyi Sect, used evil magic to kill the highly respected sect leader Zuo Ruotong.
This explanation not only satisfies people's stereotype of Quanxing as "heretical sects," but also provides the most infuriating explanation for the mysterious death of a grandmaster.
After all, Zuo Ruotong was the head of a sect, and his mysterious death naturally required a thorough investigation by all the elders in the sect.
Zuo Ruotong's body was intact, without any external injuries, except that her heart meridian was shattered, which was a sign that she had died of shortness of breath.
For a time, the condemnation of Quanxing by the entire world of supernatural beings reached an unprecedented peak.
The entire San Yi Sect was plunged into endless sorrow and rage.
The sect leader's tragic death is an unprecedented disgrace since the founding of the Sanyi Sect!
"Kill Wugensheng! Kill that wicked Li Muxuan!"
"Blood debt must be paid with blood!"
Inside the Sanyi Gate, the crowd was in a frenzy, and shouts of battle filled the air.
In front of Zuo Ruotong's mourning hall, the two most senior members of the sect swore a blood oath in front of all the disciples.
One of them was Si Chong, a junior disciple of Zuo Ruotong, whose Taoist name was Kuangya Xiansheng.
He had cultivated the method of reversing life and had already reached the peak of the second level, "Refining the Aperture." He looked even older than Zuo Ruotong, with white hair and a youthful face, but he was already full of life and seemed to be about to pass away at any moment.
The other one is Chengzhen, a disciple of Zuo Ruotong, whose secular surname is Wu and whose Taoist name is Weixuanzi.
She was still in her early teens, with an exceptionally beautiful face, and was the most outstanding disciple of the Sanyi Sect in this generation.
Now that their master has died tragically, their uncle and niece are consumed by rage and have almost lost their reason due to hatred.
"Pass on my decree!"
Mr. Kuang Ya's eyes seemed to be bloodshot, his aged face was full of murderous intent, and his voice was as hoarse as two pieces of sandpaper rubbing together.
"All disciples of the Sanyi Sect who are currently outside the sect, return to the mountain immediately!"
"From this day forward, the Trinity School and the Quanxing School are sworn enemies!"
Wei Xuanzi Chengzhen was even more direct. She looked at the cold memorial tablet in the mourning hall, her delicate face contorted with extreme grief, and a crazy determination flashed in her eyes.
"Master, may you rest in peace."
She spoke each word slowly and deliberately, her voice filled with a heart-wrenching hatred.
"If I don't avenge this, Chengzhen swears I will not be a human being!"
In order to avenge their senior brother (master) and to quickly improve their strength and deter villains, the two disregarded the sect's rules and ancestral teachings, forcibly entered the sect's forbidden area, and used the quick success method that had been listed as a forbidden technique by successive sect leaders.
That was a wicked skill that could forcibly boost one's cultivation level in a short period of time by burning one's own essence and lifespan.
A day later, when the two emerged from seclusion again, their auras had undergone a tremendous change.
His already aged face was covered with dark lines resembling lividity, as if his life had burned to its end.
Chengzhen's beautiful face withered overnight, her black hair turned to snow, and her face was covered with deep wrinkles that did not match her age, as if decades of her lifespan had been taken away out of thin air.
However, the Qi emanating from them was several times more powerful than before, and they already possessed the imposing aura of top-tier masters.
The two did not linger for a moment and descended the mountain together that very night.
A bloody and insane revenge against Quanxing has begun.
However, they overestimated themselves and underestimated Wugensheng.
The two traveled thousands of miles, using all the intelligence networks in the sect, and searched for a whole month, but they couldn't even find a single hair of Wugensheng.
The acting leader of Quanxing Sect vanished without a trace, as if he had evaporated into thin air.
After repeatedly failing to reach their goal, the two Taoists, fueled by forbidden techniques and consumed by hatred, finally exhausted their patience and reason.
Chapter 76 A moth flies into the flame
Inside a dilapidated temple, cobwebs covered the ground and the Buddha statues were crumbling.
Chengzhen shattered the stone table in front of him with a single palm strike.
With a muffled "boom," gravel flew everywhere.
His face, prematurely aged from practicing forbidden techniques, was covered with deep wrinkles that belied his age; only his eyes burned with a fierce aura that seemed about to burst forth.
"Uncle-Master, this can't go on!"
"Wugensheng is hiding like a coward, refusing to come out. Are we just going to look for death like headless flies?"
The person opposite Si Chong had an equally gloomy expression.
The dark, livid markings on his body became more pronounced, as if the flame of his life had burned to its end.
His snow-white beard and hair moved erratically in the still air, and his eyes revealed a murderous intent.
"Then, in my humble opinion, what should be done?"
"Force him out!"
A ruthless and resolute glint flashed in Chengzhen's eyes.
“I found out that Wugensheng had a close relationship with a craftsman named ‘Clay Figurine Liu’ in his early years.”
"Although this person is not a core member, he is a veteran and one of the few elders in Quanxing who can be regarded differently by Wugensheng."
"Let's use him as bait to force him to contact Wugensheng. I don't believe Wugensheng won't show himself!"
This plan is almost demonic and has no semblance of righteousness.
But Si Chong, blinded by deep-seated hatred, only hesitated for a moment before nodding heavily, his hoarse voice like a broken bellows.
"Okay! Just as you say!"
Without a moment's hesitation, the two set off immediately.
Following the clues left by the intelligence network inside the door, they quickly found the residence of "Clay Figure" Master Liu.
It was a secluded little courtyard located on the outskirts of the city.
The courtyard wall was low, and the wooden gate was ajar.
In the courtyard, all sorts of lifelike dough figurines are drying on bamboo poles and racks.
There's the majesty of Guan Yu, the shyness of a lady, and the innocence of a child; each character has lively eyes and brows, as if they're about to come alive and speak at any moment.
This small courtyard, which was originally a vibrant and lively space for artisans, has now welcomed two uninvited guests.
They pushed open the courtyard gate, and the murderous aura instantly shattered the tranquility of the courtyard.
An elderly man with white hair and beard sat under the eaves, wearing reading glasses, intently kneading a dough in his hands.
Without saying a word, Chengzhen and Sichong stepped forward and grabbed him.
Master Liu was startled, and the dough figurine in his hand fell to the ground and shattered into pieces.
"You...who are you?"
Chengzhen's cold gaze was as if he were looking at a dead object, and his voice was devoid of any emotion.
"Old man, send a message to Wugensheng, saying that the people of the Sanyi Sect are here, and that he should come over and die within three days, or else he can prepare to collect your corpse!"
Chengzhen's voice was icy cold and filled with murderous intent.
These words made Master Liu instantly understand what was going on. He was so frightened that he almost lost his mind, and his old face turned as white as paper.
He was just an ordinary craftsman who could make dough figurines. He would occasionally drink and chat with Wugensheng, who shared his temperament. He had never been involved in such a feud between martial arts masters.
Trembling, he followed the unique secret method of Quanxing and wrote a distress signal on a talisman, igniting it with his own meager Qi.
The talisman transformed into a faint light and vanished into the sky in an instant.