The Blade-Wielding Legend

Chapter 1426 734: Mystical Sect Past Events (Part 2)

The moment the thunder burst, the dazzling white light swallowed up all the scenery.

Lv San and the others had no choice but to squint their eyes, even faintly feeling a scorching pain in their Divine Soul.

Keep in mind, this was the impression at the time.

As the thunder light faded, the enormous beast head and the temple ruins completely collapsed and were buried.

"Ah..."

Fatty Lin's face was full of disappointment, "Could it be... it's already destroyed?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a sudden change occurred.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh——!"

The piercing sound of arrows breaking through the air echoed like a swarm of Poison Bees, shattering the deathly silence after the lightning strike.

Countless arrows glistening with cold light shot out violently from the thick mist across the Huitong River.

The target was precisely the exhausted Mystical Sect Taoists on the magic platform.

"Enemy attack! Protect..."

The roar from a purple-robed Taoist had not yet fallen, when a heavy arrow as thick as a child's arm "thud" pierced through his shoulder, causing him to stagger and fall from the high platform.

More arrows then transformed into lethal locusts, covering the whole magic platform.

The riverbank instantly turned into a chaotic scene.

The Taoists, who had just invoked the Divine Thunder by aligning their flesh and spirit with the sky and earth, now became the weakest prey.

The dense rain of arrows blocked out the light, penetrating Daoist robes, tearing through flesh, and embedding into the ground, creating a symphony of dull thuds and dying screams.

Someone instinctively raised a Protective Magical Artifact, but as soon as its glimmer appeared it was pierced by a volley of arrows.

Someone staggered trying to form ranks, but was instantly shot into a Hedgehog.

Lin Yu was startled and shrunk his neck, crouching on the ground, as if those icy arrow tips had already grazed his scalp.

Lv San's pupils suddenly contracted, and he pressed down Wu Ba who was about to rush out, saying deeply, "It's an Illusion Realm, those people died hundreds of years ago..."

Even so, the oppressive feeling of slaughter was chillingly real.

The sound of hooves like thunder, iron flows breaking through the fog.

The thick mist churned and was aggressively smashed by the iron hooves.

Groups of cavalry with chaotic armor burst forth, with horses thin yet long-haired, their faces marked with wind frost scars, but their eyes shone with nearly beast-like ferocity.

These were the fiercest advance scouts of the Golden Tent Wolf Country!

They had clearly laid dormant for a while, waiting specifically for the moment the Mystical Sect elite were exhausted.

Even more suffocating, was the emergence of dozens of bizarre figures immediately behind them.

Each of these people had an unusual appearance, their aura ominous and oppressive.

Someone had bare arms, not wrapped in muscles or tendons, but in black, constantly writhing and contracting slender shadows...

Someone had a complexion as pale as paper, with eyes that were nothing but deep sunken black holes...

Even one person was tall and slender like a bamboo pole, walking with knees bizarrely bent backward, each step causing the soil beneath to emit a fishy, grayish-white odor...

These guys, at a glance, were demons practicing Evil Skills.

Especially the leader, whose figure was the most ordinary, dressed in a faded old Daoist robe, with white hair and a skinny, ethereal appearance, contrasting sharply with the surrounding menacing aura.

"Zhang Huaisu——!"

The dying purple-robed Taoist's eyes nearly rupturing, he choked out scalding blood foam, and fiercely stared at the old Daoist, his voice tearing through the battlefield clamor, "You dog scoundrel, the Heavenly Dao will not tolerate you!"

The old Daoist slowly walked to the riverbank, unaffected by the corpses of Taoists scattered everywhere.

He glanced at the disfigured Nuoshen Temple, smiled slightly, then turned to the purple-robed Taoist, the voice surprisingly gentle but each word like an ice pick:

"Daoist, your words are incorrect. The Great Dao travels alone, what is companionship? Below the Heavenly Dao, all can be used as firewood. Yet you, ignorant of destiny, face this calamity."

Then, with a sweep of his sleeve, several pale talisman papers ignited without fire and wafted away.

"You...you will surely suffer heavenly retribution!!"

The purple-robed Taoist cursed with his last strength, then was ignited by phosphorus fire.

"It's Zhao Changsheng!"

Lv San's brow furrowed, a murderous intent rising in his eyes.

Zhao Changsheng's previous incarnation was precisely this Ghost Sect leader Zhang Huaisu.

At this moment, he was the State Preceptor of the Golden Tent Wolf Country.

Unexpectedly, before encountering Zhao Changsheng's shadow, they've seen his past life.

The Twelve Primordial Spirits were already mortal enemies with this person.

In the thick mist, the blood aura steamed, and Zhang Huaisu's white beard was stained with flecks of crimson.

He flicked his fingertips, and those phosphorus flames that had incinerated the purple-robed Taoist quickly converged and dissipated.

"What a splendid 'firewood' comment."

Laughter drifted from above the river, where ripples expanded, a figure standing upon the water.

The newcomer was dressed in a moon-white Daoist robe, embroidered with golden cranes, and wore a jade crown, exuding an air of nobility.

It was Zhao Qingxu.

Playing with three pieces of Yansheng Money in his hand, he smiled and said, "Brother Huaisu, this 'Driving Tiger to Devour Wolf' drama... was it enjoyable to perform?"

"The Daoist friend has it well-covered."

Zhang Huaisu stroked his beard and smiled, "I've heard you escaped from Dragon and Tiger Mountain and even seized the body of the Great Xing Imperial Family. With your capabilities, the Qi Fortune of Great Xing is likely at its end."

"A bit troublesome..."

Zhao Qingxu replied solemnly, "I encountered a scruffy Taoist who claimed to be Zhang Sanfeng. He was quite difficult to deal with, immediately seeing through my origins; Great Xing is no longer tenable."

"Zhang Sanfeng?"

Zhang Huaisu pondered, "Indeed, you should avoid him."

Then, he smiled and said, "As agreed, the Taodu Mountain Wood is yours, and the 'Head of the Goblin Somber' belongs to me. Are you going to use it for artifact refining?"

Zhao Qingxu cast a dispassionate glance, "You needn't bother about that."

With that, he moved to the ruins, lightly tapped his toes, sending fragments of boulders flying.

A charred wooden log was dragged out by him alone, carried upon his shoulder as he walked away.

At the same time, the surroundings twisted again with light and shadow.

Before anyone could react, they were back on the main street of the Ghost Market.

"Ah~ It's indeed been taken away."

Fatty Lin sighed in disappointment, bowing to Lv San, "Lv Young Hero, to be honest, some events in my family require this powerful spirit wood, which is why I acted impulsively."

"You spoke too soon..."

Kuai Dayou beside him wore a strange expression, "If it were something else, I'd hesitate to comment, but that piece of wood is very familiar."

"Where?" Lv San turned directly to inquire.

Kuai Dayou also appeared incredulous, saying:

"At the vegetable market entrance, where heads are hung post-execution!"

......

The sky just started to show a hint of pale light, with the chilly morning mist yet to disperse.

They emerged from the tunnel, gazing towards the distant city wall, feeling a sense of timelessness.

The bloody violence and sinister silhouettes in Yin Ruins seemed to still linger before them, while the air in reality carried the damp earth scent post-rain and the silence before the city awakes.

"Quickly, let's go!"

Fatty Lin panted heavily, sweat beads of anxiety adorning his round face, "The wood is at the vegetable market execution platform, on the old stake for hanging heads! Zhao Qingxu is indeed malicious, hiding under plain sight! Who would think such a place conceals a treasure?"

"Are you sure, Master Kua?" Wang Daoxuan inquired solemnly, following behind.

He had guarded their physical bodies outside and knew what the group had experienced.

Kuai Dayou rubbed his calloused fingers, nodding assuredly, "No mistake! I can remember the pattern of the spirit wood, burnt by fire and struck by thunder, definitely charred but not melted."

He stepped quickly, heading towards the vegetable market while marveling spontaneously, "This vegetable market, oh, was familiar to me in childhood."

"My family was poor, and my parents were lenient; whenever there was news of a notable figure 'headed for execution,' I'd rush early to secure a spot, scurrying below the crowd's feet to see the commotion."

His voice grew somber, "Being young then, unaware of fear, only knew to watch out of curiosity. The execution stake, dark, shiny with old cypress, solid, endured knives and withheld wind and sun, soaked with the blood of unknown numbers of people."

"Later, heard more and learned, the government asserted such wood with Evil Qi can suppress souls..."

"Strangely, after so many years, nobody discovered it."

"It must have become a Heavenly Spirit Earth Treasure, concealing its aura..."

Their hearts grew more anxious from his words, quickening their pace.

As the sky brightened, handfuls of vendors began setting up hand carts along the street.

The group, led by Lv San with Wu Ba bringing up the rear, moved like a silent torrent through increasingly populated alleys, rushing toward their destination.

Finally, they arrived at the vegetable market.

The once bustling execution ground now appeared vacant and quiet under the morning light.

The ground was dark brown compacted earth, washed by rain but seemingly unable to eliminate the lingering rust and blood scent of history.

In a corner of the spacious field stood the execution stake and scaffold. They saw from afar the thick, dark wooden pillars pegged into the earth, with rusty iron rings dangling from their tops, places for displaying heads.

Their gaze immediately fixed on the 'north head, thickest' stake as mentioned by Kuai Dayou.

However—

Where the 'Taodu Mountain Wood' should be placed,

There was a giant dirt hole remaining, utterly conspicuous...