Volume 1 Volume 6 Chapter 116

Volume 6 Chapter 116: Breaking Apart (Part 1)

The secret arts that Zhang Hualing practiced were taught by Zhang Xusheng, but later modified by Li Xuhan, creating a blend of good and evil. They might not be much worse than Zhang Xusheng’s true secret arts.

For two whole days, Zhang Hualing wandered all over "Ronghua Mountain," using dark magic to absorb the souls and essence of the cultivators remaining on the mountain. This helped to heal his own soul and strengthen his power. He knew that the moment he completely descended into darkness would mark the beginning of his fierce battle with Xu Qingfan.

The dark arts were strange and unpredictable, and since there were no skilled experts in all of "Ronghua Mountain," Zhang Hualing absorbed the essence and souls of nearly a thousand righteous cultivators over the two days. He even went down the mountain to absorb several times more essence and souls from ordinary people. However, not a single cultivator on "Ronghua Mountain" noticed the truth of what was happening.

Of course, some people did notice something was wrong.

For instance, a friend’s companion went out to patrol or do other tasks, but once they left, they never came back. Others who went looking for them also disappeared like the first one.

This situation lasted for two full days, with more and more cultivators sensing that something was off. However, every time a cultivator left, they vanished. Even when groups of over ten traveled together, they tried to send messages to others, but the messages suddenly lost contact before reaching their destination, filling them with dread. It felt as if "Ronghua Mountain," despite its vastness, only held themselves and a few others, with hidden dangers lurking in the shadows.

In fact, those cultivators who noticed something wrong earlier were the ones who were killed by Zhang Hualing first.

Thus, the entire "Ronghua Mountain" fell into a strange and silent terror. Thousands of cultivators, faced with just one Zhang Hualing, felt utterly helpless. Many didn’t dare to step outside their homes, let alone gather together for protection.

In the area where ordinary people lived outside "Ronghua Mountain," there was uproar. In the closest area to "Ronghua Mountain," over ten thousand people suddenly disappeared. Anyone would panic in such a situation. Speculation ran wild, and those who wanted to contact the "immortals" on "Ronghua Mountain" found that none of them came down after two days of watching. A few brave souls went up the mountain and never returned.

Among all of "Ronghua Mountain," the one who was the most unaware of this unusual situation was definitely the Old Beggar.

This fellow started counting the materials he and his friends had collected since the main force of the Righteous Alliance left. After the Righteous Alliance defeated the Southern Wasteland demon beasts, these not-so-smart but clever craftsmen took a large portion of the materials that the cultivators of the Righteous Alliance had intended for crafting, and this included even Xu Qingfan’s share.

They didn’t mean any harm; they just thought about having more materials for their future experiments.

Now, the Old Beggar was discussing with his greedy companions what they should create from these materials, what experiments they should perform on these creations, and everyone had their own ideas. After calculating, they realized that even their stolen materials were still a bit insufficient.

"Of course, we should craft the ‘Five Elements Sacred Tool.’ You should know that the ‘Five Elements Sacred Tool’ is the pinnacle work of us craftsmen. It doesn’t matter if we have many ideas; let’s blend all our new ideas together."

The Old Beggar was sharing his thoughts. After years of crafting with countless treasures, he no longer thought much of ordinary magic tools.

"No, let’s craft the ‘Black Dragon Nail.’ The ‘Five Elements Sacred Tool’ is a precious item—who among us can craft precious items?"

Another craftsman, who looked even messier than the Old Beggar, disagreed.

Hearing this person’s words, the Old Beggar said angrily, "Isn’t what you call the ‘Black Dragon Nail’ also a precious item? It’s frustrating; only the masters know the methods of crafting precious items. Their crafting techniques may be ordinary, but they keep the secrets of precious item crafting to themselves. It’s simply a waste."

"Yes, our skills are much better than theirs, but unfortunately, we are only limited to making magical tools. Sigh…"

Another person sighed.

The Old Beggar lowered his head in thought for a moment, then suddenly lifted his head and said, "As for making the ‘Five Elements Sacred Tool’, although it might not be as powerful as the real one, can’t we simplify it a bit? If we blend our ideas into it, even if it doesn’t match the real one, it should still be at the top level in the cultivation world. We may not know how to create magical treasures, but all methods were created by those before us. If they could create them, then we can follow some ideas and create them too. The ‘Five Elements Sacred Tool’ is just right for us to explore the crafting of magical treasures."

His tone was firm and full of confidence.

"But…" another person hesitated and said, "If we want to experiment with crafting magical treasures, wouldn’t it be better to start with some simpler ones? Why choose the ‘Five Elements Sacred Tool’? That’s the top-tier magical treasure!"

The Old Beggar waved his hand and said, "While we have plenty of materials, we don’t have enough for making magical treasures, so since we want to practice, let’s aim for the best. It’s settled."

The Old Beggar had the highest skill in crafting among the group, so he was the leader. Hearing him say this, no one dared to oppose. Moreover, these crafting enthusiasts were all eager to take on the challenge of creating the pinnacle work—the ‘Five Elements Sacred Tool’.

Now that a decision was made, everyone felt excited and impatient, wishing to start crafting right away.

"Why hasn’t Old Sun arrived yet? The place where the materials are hidden isn’t far from here. Could he have been caught by the roaming disciples?"

After a moment, one person couldn’t help but ask.

It turned out that after stealing so much precious material, even they felt uneasy, so they hid these materials in another place to avoid being caught. Old Sun was also one of the crazy craftsmen; he secretly went to take those materials, but after more than an hour of discussion, there was still no sign of him returning.

Upon hearing the possibility that Old Sun might be caught with stolen goods, Old Beggar’s face changed dramatically. It didn’t matter if he was thought of as a thief, but those materials must not be confiscated.

"I can’t let this happen; I need to go see."

Saying this, Old Beggar quickly walked towards the courtyard exit.

"I will go too."

"I will go too."

Those materials were more important to them than their own lives, and in an instant, seventeen or eighteen crazy craftsmen in the courtyard followed Old Beggar.

However, as they left their courtyard and headed toward the hiding place of the materials, even though they usually didn’t care about outside matters, they noticed something strange. Although all the experts from the Righteous Alliance had left together, there were many ordinary cultivators still on "Ronghua Mountain." Normally, it was lively with people coming and going, exchanging cultivation methods or sparring with each other. But now, "Ronghua Mountain" was completely deserted, with not a single person in sight. The empty mountain was silent, as if it were a dead mountain.

"Old Beggar, something feels wrong. Where have all those noisy people gone?"

Old Beggar looked around at the strangely unfamiliar "Ronghua Mountain" in shock, shaking his head in confusion.

"Could it be that the Righteous Alliance is planning something big, and all the cultivators have been called, and we forgot about it?"

Another master of crafting magic tools furrowed his brow in deep thought. Generally, they were so focused on crafting that they ignored all notices from the Righteous Alliance unless they were about crafting itself.

Just as everyone began to think this could be true, a sudden change occurred. Not far from the crafting area, a terrified scream echoed from the Alchemy Area, quickly fading away. When they turned to look in that direction, they saw a mist of blood slowly dissipating.

Then, drawn by the sound of the scream, several cultivators near the Alchemy Area rushed towards it, eager to find out what had happened. However, after a wave of Spirit Qi, they fell silent.

Old Beggar and the others exchanged frightened glances. An inexplicable sense of panic spread in their hearts, as if something terrible was happening in "Ronghua Mountain."

Nodding slightly to each other, the masters of crafting took out various tools to hide their presence or protect themselves and slowly walked toward the Alchemy Area.

The Alchemy Area was much tidier compared to their crafting area. However, beneath the cleanliness and order, there was an even more intense feeling of silence, making their underlying fear even more vivid.

When they arrived outside the courtyard where the terrible cries came from, the Old Beggar jumped into the yard first. At the same time, a strange-looking ring on his hand glimmered with a barely noticeable light. In the next moment, the Old Beggar’s body disappeared from sight, using the magic tool to become invisible.

The other skilled craftsmen also began to do the same, using their tools to hide their shapes and sounds, quietly following the Old Beggar into the courtyard.

As soon as they entered the yard, they were shocked to see a scene they had never witnessed before. A cultivator they had never seen stood smiling in one corner of the courtyard. Inside the yard, a mist of blood was swirling and spreading, and within the blood mist, dozens of figures stood motionless, seemingly trapped. But soon, these figures began to shrink and wither, looking as if they were nothing but dry bones.

After a moment, the strange cultivator opened his mouth and inhaled. The red mist in the courtyard rushed into his mouth. Once the blood mist filled him, a flush appeared on his face, and his white hair seemed to gain a dark sheen, while his sinister aura became even stronger.

The figures that were once in the red mist finally revealed themselves to Old Beggar and the others, but they had all turned into bones. With a wave of the strange cultivator’s hand, the bones shattered and fell to the ground, while the earth in the courtyard silently rolled, burying all the remains below. The previous scene left no trace behind.

After doing all this, the strange cultivator smiled slightly, then turned around. His enchanting eyes directly stared at where Old Beggar and the others were standing.

"Since you are here, why hide?"

The man said softly with a smile, as if welcoming old guests.

Old Beggar and the others remained still. As skilled craftsmen, they had great confidence in the tools they carried. Although they could only use Earth-level tools due to their limited cultivation, their effectiveness was no less than Heavenly-level.

The cultivator sighed softly and waved his hand slightly at Old Beggar and the others. Immediately, Old Beggar and the others felt the Spirit Qi in their surroundings tremble, followed by a series of faint cracking sounds in their ears. When they looked down, they found that their invisibility tools had shattered, and their figures were now revealed before the man.

They were actually discovered just like that? Old Beggar and the others felt fear in their hearts, but more than that, they felt disbelief. Those were tools they had made with their own hands! Could they not hide from this person’s eyes? They felt their confidence had been shaken.

The man looked at the broken pieces of tools at Old Beggar and the others’ feet and said with a smile, "These tools are quite good. If they were used by a cultivator at the Golden Core Stage or above, I would have a hard time finding them. Unfortunately, your strength is too weak, and tools are just a way for cultivators of similar levels to supplement each other."

While speaking, the man’s gaze turned to Old Beggar and the others, and he nodded slightly, saying, "That’s fine. I was just about to look for you, and you came to me, which saved me some time."

"Who are you? What are you doing? Did you kill Old Sun?"

As the leader of the group, Old Beggar was filled with panic, but he still held his ground and forced himself to ask repeatedly.

Old Beggar could also tell that his voice was a bit tangled. Being devoted to crafting tools, he was a cultivator but had almost never participated in battles between cultivators, especially since this person was so mysterious.

"Who I am is not important. I just want to ask if you are willing to serve me? You are different from others; even though your strength is low, you have special talents. Absorbing you wouldn’t do me much good, but I just got some decent materials that could help you make some good things. What do you say? Are you willing to serve me? I can spare your lives."

I just got some decent materials…

Hearing this, Old Beggar and the others were shocked and pointed at the man, saying, "Did you kill Old Sun?"

The man, however, ignored their questions and coldly said, "I have limited time. You just need to answer if you are willing or not. Those who are willing will become my followers and live. Those who are not will become like others, just bones. Why ask so many questions?"

Old Beggar and the others huddled closer together, each taking out their most prized tools from the years, watching the man with caution, thus answering his question with their actions.

It was not that they were not afraid of death, but a person like Old Beggar was very stubborn. This man had killed Old Sun, who was a dear friend of theirs for many years, so they could not serve this man, it was that simple.

"What a pity."

The man sighed and was about to attack and kill Old Beggar and the others.

"Wait!"

Just then, Old Beggar suddenly spoke up.

"What, have you changed your mind?" the man asked with a smile.

"Although my skills are not high, I can still tell that your strength is likely much greater than the great masters we have seen at the Golden Core Stage. You must have already reached the level of a Grandmaster, and don’t Grandmasters use magical treasures? Why do you still need us to create magical tools for you?"

As expected of the Old Beggar, who was obsessed with crafting, even when facing death, his thoughts were still on making tools.

The man, not knowing the Old Beggar’s character, thought he wanted to serve him. He couldn’t help but feel happy, and his movements slowed slightly as he smiled and explained, "The so-called magical treasures are evolved from magical tools. The difference is that magical treasures incorporate the Grandmaster’s understanding of the Heavenly Way, giving birth to an Item Spirit, along with some mysterious elements. In short, magical tools are the foundation of magical treasures. I want to create some magical treasures, which is why I need you. Any other questions?"

"Yes, who exactly are you?" the Old Beggar asked again.

"I won’t answer that question."

"Then I have nothing more."

Suddenly, the Old Beggar shouted, "Attack!"

As the Old Beggar’s voice echoed, more than ten crafting experts controlled their magical tools to attack the man. A giant iron dragon appeared out of thin air, several pearls fell to the ground, quickly absorbing the earth’s Spirit Qi, transforming into several rock giants, while a colorful light shield surrounded the Old Beggar and the others. There were also those skilled in crafting "thunder bombs" who continuously threw powerful explosive magical tools towards the man.

With such an attack, relying on their numbers and the mysterious nature of their magical tools, even a great master at the Golden Core Stage would be flustered for a while.

However, facing the complicated attacks in front of him, the newcomer just sighed softly and said, "Looking for trouble, what a pity." Then he pointed at Old Beggar and the others, and suddenly, they were terrified to find that the space around them had frozen in an instant. The steel giant dragon and the rock giant were incredibly strong, but they stood still, and the "thunder bomb" thrown at that person was suspended in mid-air. They themselves couldn’t move at all, and they couldn’t even utter a sound.

"What a pity."

While speaking, the newcomer waved his hand again, and instantly, endless blood mist appeared out of nowhere, swirling towards Old Beggar and the others. They could see that Old Beggar and the others were about to turn to bones like those before them in an instant, but suddenly, a strange wave occurred in the world. Old Beggar and the others felt a shock in their bodies and regained their freedom, while the endless blood mist stopped less than a yard away from them and could no longer move.

"Who are you?"

After regaining their freedom, Old Beggar asked the question he had been holding in for a long time.

The person, however, did not answer, only looking up in surprise at a place in the sky.

"He is Zhang Hualing, the sect leader of Jiuhua."

A sigh sounded, answering Old Beggar and the others’ question.

At the same time, in the spot the person was staring at, the space rippled, and a figure surrounded by black mist appeared in front of everyone.