Volume 1 Volume 6 Chapter 58

Volume 6 Chapter 58: The Change, Healing

Moments ago, when Zhong family’s Fifth Brother exploded, Zhong family’s Fourth Brother also suffered some injuries, not too light, but not too heavy. Because of this, the Taoist spell he was performing was interrupted, and the "Devouring Soul" technique was accidentally broken, allowing Zhong Ling to regain his clarity.

At this moment, although Zhong Ling was much weaker than before and in an unstable state, looking almost mad, he was still a master of the Mahayana Stage. Even without his full abilities, he quickly understood what had happened.

So he rushed back, filled with anger and intent to fight.

His anger intensified especially after seeing that Xu Qingfan was already gone.

"Fourth Brother, where is that kid Xu Qingfan? Did you let him escape?"

Zhong Ling flew to the Fourth Brother of the Zhong family and shouted furiously, ignoring the seriously injured Fifth Brother of the Zhong family beside him.

He and the Fourth Brother of the Zhong family had never got along, and at this moment, he was a bit dazed and naturally did not care about the life or death of the Fifth Brother.

Hearing Zhong Ling’s roar, the Fourth Brother of the Zhong family surprisingly looked calm and gentle. He said softly, "He escaped. He is very clever, and this time I couldn’t defeat him."

"Escaped?!" Upon hearing the Fourth Brother’s words, Zhong Ling grew even more furious. Ever since he encountered Xu Qingfan, he had been unlucky, and all his pent-up emotions exploded. With Xu Qingfan not there to release his anger, all of it fell on the only person beside him, the Fourth Brother of the Zhong family, "Aren’t you always so proud of your cleverness? How could you let him escape? Did you let him go to save that useless Fifth Brother? Don’t you understand the seriousness of the situation? Don’t you know that our clan’s sacred item is in Xu Qingfan’s hands? Don’t you realize that I am in this state because of Xu Qingfan? You let him escape just for that idiot Fifth Brother?"

Even though Zhong Ling was being so rude and arrogant at that moment, the Fourth Brother of the Zhong family remained calm as always. He gently defended himself, saying, "I never intended to let him go; it’s just that Xu Qingfan is too cunning…"

Despite this, unnoticed by others, the Fourth Brother of the Zhong family’s hand trembled slightly as he fed the Fifth Brother of the Zhong family the healing medicine, as if he was trying to hold back something. The pill slipped from the Fifth Brother’s mouth and fell to the ground, but the Fourth Brother continued to pour the medicine into the Fifth Brother’s mouth, not caring if it was enough.

Faintly, a terrifying and mad energy spread from the Fourth Brother of the Zhong family, and together with his calm and even graceful expression, it felt incredibly frightening.

Yet, Zhong Ling, who had lost all reason, continued to shout, ignoring the Fourth Brother’s explanations.

"The reason we couldn’t catch Xu Qingfan this time is all because of you. When our ancestor finds out, you will face the wrath of thunder…"

However, Zhong Ling’s words had not finished roaring when they suddenly stopped, as if stuck in his throat, making an odd "gurgling" sound.

At this moment, Zhong Ling stared incredulously at Zhong family Fourth Brother in front of him, as if he was truly seeing this person for the first time.

The calmness that had been on Zhong family Fourth Brother’s face and in his eyes was now gone, replaced almost instantly by terrifying hatred and madness.

Zhong Ling felt seven black short swords sticking into his heart, forehead, neck, limbs, and abdomen, with thick black mist swirling around them, eerie and dangerous.

"Why aren’t you speaking?"

Zhong family Fourth Brother, who had been squatting on the ground feeding Zhong family Fifth Brother a pill, slowly stood up and turned to look at Zhong Ling, who was covered in short swords, with a strange smile on his lips.

"Why aren’t you speaking?"

Zhong family Fourth Brother asked again, his voice still gentle.

Suddenly, Zhong family Fourth Brother’s face twisted into a fierce expression, veins bulging on his skin, and his gentle voice turned into a roar.

"Aren’t you very good at talking? Why aren’t you speaking now?"

As he spoke, the Fourth Brother of the Zhong family quickly walked up to Zhong Ling and grabbed the short sword at Zhong Ling’s heart. With a twist, he crushed the flesh and blood inside Zhong Ling’s chest.

"Before, you were a master at the Mahayana Stage, and I was not as good as you, so I tolerated you. Before, our ancestor always protected you, so I tolerated you. Before, you were the family master, so I tolerated you. But now, you are nothing. You are just a worthless living dead, a walking corpse. Our ancestor is not here to protect you anymore, so why should you be arrogant with me? Why should I still tolerate you?"

In a fit of rage, the Fourth Brother of the Zhong family suddenly grasped the black short sword on Zhong Ling’s remaining right arm and pulled it down, instantly breaking Zhong Ling’s right arm.

"Do you know how I have always seen you?" After his shout, the Fourth Brother of the Zhong family finally softened his voice again, though his expression became more ferocious, and his eyes showed increasing madness. He grabbed the black short sword once again, which was stuck in Zhong Ling’s abdomen, and twisted it, instantly crushing Zhong Ling’s organs.

"In my eyes, you are just a self-righteous fool, someone who knows nothing but likes to point fingers. You are a useless person with power, oh, but now you have no power at all, just a worthless nobody."

As he spoke, the Fourth Brother of the Zhong family gripped the short sword on Zhong Ling’s left leg and, with a swift cut, Zhong Ling’s left leg broke.

"If it weren’t for the fact that you are closer in blood relation to our ancestor than me, and that our ancestor has always supported you, how could you have reached the Mahayana Stage faster than me? How could you have become the family master of the Zhong family? Everything you have is just because of your bloodline. Besides that, what do you have? Even with the ancestor’s support, what have you accomplished all these years? You can’t even deal with a Condensed Core Stage cultivator!"

Then, this time, the Fourth Brother of the Zhong family held the short sword on Zhong Ling’s last remaining right leg and made another cut, causing Zhong Ling’s remaining right leg to break as well.

The Fourth Brother of the Zhong family picked up the short sword and began to slash wildly at Zhong Ling’s face.

"Now, I can no longer tolerate you. I have endured for five hundred years, but I have finally had enough. After you, the useless one, die, I will be the master of the Zhong family. Under my leadership, the Zhong family will thrive. I will prove that I am far stronger than you. Unfortunately, you will not be able to see it."

Zhong Ling’s limbs were completely broken, and the flesh and organs inside him were all shattered. His face was covered in wounds, with his nose, ears, and eyes ground to dust. Yet, because he was a zombie, he still did not die, only staring incredulously at the crazed Fourth Brother of the Zhong family before him.

Is this the Fourth Brother who has always been obedient, calm, and gentle? Is this the Fourth Brother who usually keeps a low profile? Is this the Fourth Brother who never speaks loudly?

Not to mention Zhong Ling, even if the Fifth Brother of the Zhong family suddenly woke up or the Eleventh Brother came back to life, they would not recognize the Fourth Brother of the Zhong family standing before them.

Endurance does not mean a lack of emotions, or that one is good at holding back, or has deep schemes. Regardless of which type the Fourth Brother belongs to, once he no longer has to endure, he finally explodes.

And for those who are used to enduring, their outbursts can often be more terrifying than anyone else’s.

The Fourth Brother of the Zhong family is just such a person, especially since, in his view, the Eleventh Brother’s death was entirely Zhong Ling’s fault, and the Fifth Brother’s serious injuries were also somewhat because of Zhong Ling.

It seems that the people of the Zhong family have a habit of venting their anger on others, more or less.

Under the craziness of the Zhong family Fourth Brother, Zhong Ling almost became a pile of mush. The incredible things he experienced began to fade away, replaced by anger at the continuous teasing from the Zhong family Fourth Brother. In fact, the Fourth Brother’s words hit right at his weak spot.

Teasing turned into anger, and anger turned into madness. It was a madness even more terrifying than when he saw Xu Qingfan, and he had lost his last bit of reason.

Then, a look of determination flashed in Zhong Ling’s eyes.

"You forced me."

Zhong Ling murmured softly, but the Zhong family Fourth Brother did not hear him.

At that moment, the Zhong family Fourth Brother gripped the black dagger that was stuck in Zhong Ling’s head, with the head being the zombie’s vital spot.

"Die, you useless waste. I hope you’ll be more useful in your next life."

As he spoke, the Zhong family Fourth Brother began to twist the black dagger in his hand, as if he would smash Zhong Ling’s brain to pieces at any moment.

However, a look of disbelief flashed in the eyes of the Zhong family Fourth Brother.

The short sword stuck in Zhong Ling’s head could not be moved at all.

At the same time, a powerful wave of death energy flowed from the black short sword into his body, so strong that it far surpassed Zhong Ling’s own strength.

"You forced me."

This time, Zhong Ling’s voice was a bit louder, and the Fourth Brother of the Zhong family finally heard him.

The Fourth Brother of the Zhong family seemed to suddenly remember something, his body trembled, and he said in disbelief, "Purgatory Staff!"

As soon as the words of the Fourth Brother of the Zhong family fell, Zhong Ling’s chest suddenly exploded, revealing a green short staff that looked like a human spine inside him; in fact, this short staff was now acting as Zhong Ling’s spine.

It was the incomplete "Purgatory Staff" given to Zhong Ling by the ancestor of the Zhong family before he left!

Zhong Ling was indeed unfortunate. When he was still a master at the Mahayana Stage, although he was very powerful and had the terrifying "Purgatory Staff," he had no chance to use it. After arriving in the Southern Wasteland, even with the "Purgatory Staff," he still couldn’t defeat Zhuyin. Then, after his true self was destroyed, he lost the strength to use the "Purgatory Staff."

At this moment, Zhong Ling lost all reason, only thinking about killing the Zhong family Fourth Brother, who kept attacking his weak points and tormenting him, without caring about the consequences of forcibly using the "Purgatory Staff."

In fact, at this moment, using the "Purgatory Staff," Zhong Ling would gain immense power, but he would lose all reason, and his soul would be damned.

But at that moment, Zhong Ling didn’t care about that; he only thought about washing away his shame.

A thick black mist poured out from the "Purgatory Staff," surrounding Zhong Ling and the Zhong family Fourth Brother. The mist rolled and twisted, and the terrified screams of the Zhong family Fourth Brother echoed from within the dark fog.

But those terrified screams quickly weakened and gradually faded away.

After a long time, the black mist slowly drew back into the "Purgatory Staff" within Zhong Ling, and the wounds on his chest and face healed, even his severed limbs regained some form, though the tangled scars on his body and face were shocking, and the limbs that had fallen to the ground, along with the Zhong family Fourth Brother, suddenly disappeared.

On Zhong Ling’s chest, a pair of eyes filled with hatred and terror appeared, looking just like the eyes of the Zhong family Fourth Brother, who had vanished!

Zhong Ling’s eyes glimmered with dark light as he turned to look around the space. Suddenly, he spotted the Zhong family Fifth Brother lying on the other side. A hint of joy flashed in his eyes, and suddenly, he opened his mouth wide, almost stretching across two-thirds of his face. Powerful black energy erupted from his mouth, hitting the unconscious Zhong family Fifth Brother.

Moments later, the energy was drawn back, but the figure of the Zhong family Fifth Brother was gone, just like the Zhong family Fourth Brother, he had vanished.

After devouring the Zhong family Fifth Brother, the severed limbs of Zhong Ling grew back a bit.

On Zhong Ling’s chest, there was an extra pair of eyes, full of hatred and fear.

At that moment, a pack of demon wolves appeared from miles away, sensing the nearby danger. They hesitated and lingered, afraid to move forward, but Zhong Ling noticed them. He saw the darkness in Zhong Ling’s eyes grow stronger, and his body slowly floated up, quickly flying toward the wolves.

The chilling and frightening howl of wolves began to echo from somewhere in the Southern Wasteland.

…

Ten days later, a monster almost ten feet tall, looking both ghostly and demonic, finally took shape.

This monster was covered in scars, as if its body had been torn apart and sewn back together. Its eyes glowed with a black-red light, and its whole body felt lifeless. Its mouth was enormous, taking up two-thirds of its face, and all over its body, there were features of various demon beasts: a snake’s skin, a wolf’s tail, a cow’s hooves, and eagle’s claws—these were the traits of the countless demon beasts it had killed in recent days.

Even more terrifying was that all over this person’s body were countless eyes—human’s, demon beast’s, red ones, green ones, whole ones, and broken ones. Each eye was filled with hatred and fear, blinking in an extremely frightening way.

This creature, like it came from the Demon Realm, wandered aimlessly in the Southern Wasteland, without any intelligence, not knowing what to do. It faintly felt that there was still something left unfinished, unable to find peace.

It seemed that there was still one person, who brought it humiliation, that it had not killed yet.

It seems that person is named Xu Qingfan.

But the monster cannot remember, only wandering aimlessly in the Southern Wasteland, waiting for what will happen next.

…

At the same time that Zhong family’s Fifth Brother was killed, Xu Qingfan also woke up from a brief unconsciousness.

Earlier, at the moment he used the "Sky Escaping Talisman" to move, Xu Qingfan finally fainted from his severe injuries.

With Xu Qingfan’s unconsciousness, his two copies also lost control, turning into two beams of light, merging into Xu Qingfan’s body.

And Dongfang Qingling still remained unconscious.

It can be said that at this moment, even the weakest demon beast could have killed him.

Luckily, Xu Qingfan still had Little Black.

Before he fell unconscious, Xu Qingfan gave Little Black an order. After Xu Qingfan fainted, Little Black, though confused, used its two claws to grip Xu Qingfan and Dongfang Qingling, and flew to hide them behind a secluded hill.

Then, Little Black kept pecking at Xu Qingfan and called out to him through their bond of thoughts.

This was also what Xu Qingfan had instructed before. At this moment, Xu Qingfan was under the curse of "Corpse Refining." Though severely injured and extremely exhausted, he dared not remain unconscious, as he did not know if he would wake up as a human or a zombie, or if his mind would still be awake and aware.

With Little Black’s loyal insistence, Xu Qingfan groaned and slowly opened his eyes. Such a small action felt incredibly difficult at that moment.

Once he relaxed, the fatigue and pain he had been holding back surged in like a flood.

The first thing Xu Qingfan saw was the gaze of Little Black, which seemed cold yet showed a hint of concern, making his heart feel a bit steadier.

Then, gasping and moaning, Xu Qingfan pushed himself off the ground and slowly sat up, his whole body aching and cold sweat pouring down.

Earlier, Xu Qingfan had swallowed a large amount of healing medicine in one go, but due to the severity of his injuries, the medicine’s effects wore off quickly, and it seemed his wounds were becoming uncontrollable.

At that moment, Xu Qingfan realized just how many injuries he had sustained.

Xu Qingfan was hit many times by Zhong Ling and a group of terrifying zombies, leaving him with serious internal injuries. His organs looked like they might be damaged, and he had a large, deep wound on his right chest that nearly went all the way through. Even now, blood kept flowing, and the Zhong family’s "dark" techniques caused Xu Qingfan many hidden wounds and poison injuries.

Each injury could be fatal, and the fact that Xu Qingfan was still alive was nothing short of a miracle.

But none of this was the most important; what worried Xu Qingfan the most was the Zhong family’s "dark" technique—"Corpse Refining."

At this moment, the numbness from the curse began to spread to Xu Qingfan’s head and limbs.

Xu Qingfan frowned and slowly took out some healing potions from his sleeve and swallowed them one after another.

Just as Xu Qingfan was taking the medicine, Dongfang Qingling also woke up.

Dongfang Qingling woke up because she felt uncomfortable, her body was sticky and damp.

When she opened her eyes, she discovered her white clothes had turned into bloody garments. She couldn’t help but scream, but after a moment, she realized she wasn’t hurt; the blood wasn’t hers.

Looking around, in the next moment, Dongfang Qingling saw Xu Qingfan and the terrible injuries on his body, and she let out another scream.

"Senior Brother Xu!"

She finally realized whose blood was on her.