Volume 5 Chapter 69

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Volume 5 Chapter 69: Storm and Cloud

Just as Xu Qingfan and the others were leaving the mountain, something mysterious was happening far away beyond the East Sea.

Three thousand miles off the Shenzhou Continent, there is an island called "Huanli." This island covers an area of about ten thousand acres; while it is called an island, it wouldn’t be wrong to consider it a small continent.

Once, there were people living on this island, and those residents even built towns on this deserted island. However, at some unknown time, the island was suddenly covered by thick fog, and since then, no one has been seen coming out from that island. Refugees, who fled the hardships of a chaotic world, also found themselves trapped in the fog-covered island.

Gradually, this island became filled with various legends. Some said that immortals lived here, while others claimed that a monster appeared on the island. With its mysterious nature, this place gradually became forgotten and neglected by others.

If someone skilled in the art of cultivation noticed this place and had the ability to enter the island through the fog, while also managing to survive on this deserted island, they would be greatly shocked by what they saw.

Once, this island had over a thousand inhabitants, but now it is desolate. The once green land has turned black, the sky is surrounded by dark clouds, and the air is filled with an unbearable stench of decay. If an ordinary person were to breathe a few breaths, their body would stiffen, their mind would fade away, and they would become a walking corpse.

On this desolate and silent land, the only beings still moving are countless zombies. Everywhere you look, there seem to be zombies all over the island. These zombies wander aimlessly, indifferent to each other, occasionally engaging in senseless battles, which only makes this island even more silent and desolate.

In the center of this deserted island lies a valley. Originally, the island was entirely flat, but on the day the fog covered the island, this valley appeared silently, just like the fog outside.

Inside this valley, dark mist swirls, obscuring what lies within. Even the most powerful zombies do not dare to come near it, as if there is something inside that instinctively terrifies them.

In fact, this valley is the hidden place of the Zhong family—"Valley of the Dead."

In the Valley of the Dead, disciples of the Zhong family either practice the family’s secret techniques or refine the bodies with spirit poison. They always seem to be busy, perhaps because they have lived in the silent "Valley of the Dead" for so long, or because they deal only with corpses every day. Each Zhong family member has an expression that is as stiff and gloomy as that of a zombie.

Just like how zombies do not dare to approach the "Valley of the Dead," the members of the Zhong family inside the "Valley of the Dead" also do not dare to go near the deepest cave within it.

Apart from two people, one is Zhong Xian, the family master of the Zhong family, and the other is Hong from "Ming," a member of the Zhong family by marriage.

The mysterious and powerful ancestor of the Zhong family, Zhong Kui, lives in this cave that is deeper than darkness itself. Other than going out once to seek a sacred object of the family, he spends hundreds of years sitting quietly in this cave.

At this moment, Zhong Xian from the Zhong family is kneeling before his ancestor, slowly reporting what has happened in the Zhong family over the years.

The ancestor of the Zhong family is hidden in the deepest darkness, and it is impossible to see his expression.

Suddenly, the ancestor of the Zhong family slowly reached out his hand, and Zhong Ling immediately stopped his report. He saw the ancestor’s eyes slowly open, staring at a certain spot in the cave, and he softly asked, "Old friend, have you come to my ‘Valley of the Dead’ for something?"

At the place the ancestor of the Zhong family was looking at, a shadow gradually appeared, and it was "Tian," the leader of the "Ming" organization, even more mysterious than the ancestor of the Zhong family.

"Tian" looked at the ancestor of the Zhong family with a calm gaze, but when their eyes met, they quickly looked away, as if they did not want each other to see their current thoughts through their expressions.

After a moment of silence, "Tian" slowly said, "The ‘Eight Wilderness Hall’ cannot hold on any longer; I need the Zhong family to come back earlier."

The elder of the Zhong family softly said, "Huh," but in an instant, the voice returned to calmness as he asked lightly, "Although the ‘Eight Wilderness Hall’ is just the prelude to your plan, no matter what, the ‘Eight Wilderness Hall’ has the ‘Statue of Shura’, and Man Tian is also a clever person. How is it that after just a few years, they can’t hold on anymore?"

Tian’s eyes flashed with a cold light as he slowly said, "The ‘Statue of Shura’ has been stolen."

The elder of the Zhong family seemed to have no interest in asking for details, only said lightly, "Just take it back."

Tian said lightly, "Unfortunately, we don’t know who stole it, so we can’t get it back."

The elder of the Zhong family seemed to smile slightly in the darkness, but the voice remained indifferent, "Check the people in your ‘Ming’ organization; those who are treacherous and ambitious can be found there."

Tian did not get angry at the elder of the Zhong family’s sarcasm; he simply brought the topic back, asking, "When does the Zhong family plan to return?"

The elder of the Zhong family said lightly, "I have said before, until the sacred object of the Zhong family is retrieved, the Zhong family will not return."

Tian slowly sighed and said, "After searching for so many years, we still haven’t found it, have we? You know the method to refine the ‘Purgatory Staff’, so just make another one."

Even when sighing, Tian’s voice showed no emotional fluctuation, as if he sighed just for the sake of sighing.

After seeing the elder of the Zhong family fall silent for a moment and seem to want to say something, "Tian" said, "I know that the ‘Purgatory Staff’ was made from your father’s remains, and it is very important to you and the Zhong family. But you can’t let the Zhong family members stay trapped on this deserted island just because you can’t find it. Besides, after you were born into the Zhong family, it became easier to search for sacred objects. At this time, refining another ‘Purgatory Staff’ would be beneficial."

The elder of the Zhong family seemed to have a cold laugh in his voice, "To refine a ‘Purgatory Staff’ not only requires a selfless sacrifice from a Mahayana Stage master, but this Mahayana cultivator must also practice our Zhong family’s unique cultivation method. It also needs one hundred thousand Corpse Kings to provide lifeless energy. It is truly easy."

"Tian" knew that the elder of the Zhong family was already interested, and was just bargaining at this moment. So he said slowly, "After the disaster, you can take half of the bodies of all cultivators who died, including the Condensed Core Stage and Mahayana Stage. For the bodies of cultivators below Condensed Core Stage, you can take as many as you want."

"Tian" understood that for the Zhong family, the bodies of powerful cultivators were the hardest to resist; only the bodies of cultivators could allow them to refine higher-grade corpses than Corpse Kings.

Indeed, after hearing "Tian’s" offer, the elder of the Zhong family fell silent. After a long time, he said slowly, "Ten years. I need ten years to recreate a ‘Purgatory Staff.’ During this time, you figure out how to prevent the disaster from ending."

"Okay."

After hearing the elder of the Zhong family’s words, "Tian" agreed readily.

As the shadow that "Tian" had cast in the cave gradually faded away, the master of the Zhong family finally dared to speak, though there was a hint of fear in his voice.

"Ancestor, what should we do now?"

The elder of the Zhong family was silent for a moment, then spoke slowly, "Bring back ‘Hong.’ Tell him I need to see him. Also, prepare one hundred thousand Corpse Kings."

When Zhong Xian heard the elder of the Zhong family say this, he let out a long sigh in his heart. When he learned that a master who practiced the Zhong family cultivation method and reached the Mahayana Stage would be sacrificed to make the "Purgatory Staff," he was truly terrified, fearing that the elder would sacrifice him. But since the elder said so, the one to be sacrificed would be ‘Hong.’

Suddenly, Zhong Xian’s heart trembled as he thought of something. Back then, the elder of the Zhong family mainly wanted disciples from other families to also practice the core cultivation method of the Zhong family and greatly nurtured the most talented ‘Hong.’ Did he foresee this day long ago?

Zhong Xian did not dare to think any further and decided to turn and walk away.

Just then, a voice from outside the cave suddenly called out, "Junior Zhong Ming requests an audience with the ancestor."

After a pause, ‘Hong’ continued, "Three days ago, ‘Tian’ said you were looking for me urgently, so I hurried over."

Inside the cave, the elder of the Zhong family’s gaze shifted repeatedly as he realized that his thoughts had been seen through by ‘Tian,’ causing a surge of anger in him. However, his voice remained calm as he said to Zhong Xian, "Let him in; you keep preparing."

After Zhong Xian responded with a bow, he quickly turned and left. A moment later, ‘Hong’ entered the cave with his hands down and head lowered, feeling a wave of panic. He thought about how he had not completed a single task that the elder had given him over the years. This time, being called back, he feared he was truly angry.

But the voice of the ancestor of the Zhong family was calm. Before "Hong" could greet anyone, he spoke first and asked, "Zhong Ming, how has my Zhong family treated you all these years?"

"Hong" immediately knelt down and respectfully said, "Whether it is the Zhong family or our ancestors, they treat Zhong Ming like a beloved brother, and Zhong Ming will always remember this in his heart."

"So if one day, the Zhong family has an important task for you that goes against your wishes, what will you do?"

"Hong" felt something was not right in his heart, but his tone remained firm as he said, "Zhong Ming only has the ancestors and the Zhong family in his heart, nothing else."

"Hearing you say this makes me feel relieved."

The voice of the Zhong family’s ancestor echoed softly.

In this way, the cultivation world was in chaos, yet its atmosphere was even more intense, and a greater disaster was about to come.