Volume 1 Volume 6 Chapter 14

Volume 6 Chapter 14: Observations of the Southern Wasteland (Part 1)

The moment Zhang Xusheng turned around, a dark light suddenly shot toward him from an unknown place.

The dark light came so quickly that even Zhang Xusheng, with his level of skill, could not dodge it at all.

As the dark light faded, a three-inch-long black nail suddenly appeared on Zhang Xusheng’s back, with a black dragon sculpture coiling around it, looking as if it were alive, constantly moving and shrinking, its eyes flickering with a strange light.

Zhang Xusheng had spent many years using secret methods to transform his body. His willpower was strong, but after the black nail pierced him, he could not help but let out a muffled groan, his body twitching, hand gripping the chair beside him as if only that would keep him from falling.

He did not know what kind of powerful object the black dragon nail was; it seemed ordinary but had such great power.

Zhang Xusheng turned his head to look back, and strangely, his head twisted around half a turn as if his neck bone had been broken, but his eyes still sparkled with life.

Facing backward, Zhang Xusheng looked down and saw the black dragon nail stuck in his waist, showing a look of surprise, then slowly turned his head back to its original position, his eyes flashing with a fierce light as he coldly asked, "‘Black Dragon Nail’? I never expected such a treasure still lingers in the world. I wonder whose friend you are; please reveal yourself so I can meet you."

The "Black Dragon Nail" could be said to be on par with the "Holy Spirit Sword," the top treasure that counters all evil cultivation methods and monsters. In the past, when the demonic path was thriving, the Demon Ancestor’s power was unmatched for a time. But at the same time, a genius named Black Dragon Zhenren also emerged; although he could not match the Demon Ancestor, he was a rare figure in thousands of years, possessing seven "Black Dragon Nails," which could almost rival the "Nine Demon Beads" in the Demon Ancestor’s hands.

However, in a great battle between the two sides, the Black Dragon Zhenren ultimately fell because he was no match for the Demon Ancestor, and of the seven "Black Dragon Nails," six were destroyed by the "Nine Demon Beads." Unexpectedly, this last one appeared at this moment.

It is said that although the "Black Dragon Nail" was finally destroyed by the "Nine Demon Bead," the "Nine Demon Bead" was also wounded, losing more than five of its powers during the fight, which greatly affected its ability. Otherwise, the righteous cultivators who later possessed the "Holy Spirit Sword" would not have been able to defeat the Demon Ancestor so easily. The power of the "Black Dragon Nail" can be clearly seen.

At that moment, after Zhang Xusheng was pierced by the "Black Dragon Nail," he felt a strange energy instantly merge with his body, constantly damaging it. His immense power was completely restrained, and he could not unleash even a bit of it.

As Zhang Xusheng’s voice faded, a soft sigh began to echo in the great hall. Upon hearing this sigh, both Master Tianhan and Scholar Buxing could not hide their joy, showing the importance of the person in their minds.

"Zhang Xusheng, I have been looking for you for hundreds of years, yet I have never seen you. Do you still remember this old friend of yours?"

As the words fell, an elderly man with youthful features and white hair suddenly appeared silently in a corner of the great hall; it was none other than Mr. Liu, one of the three highest masters of the Righteous Alliance!

"So it’s you."

Although Zhang Xusheng was restrained, his face remained calm, as if he were still in control, and he fixed his gaze on Mr. Liu, speaking slowly and clearly.

Mr. Liu nodded lightly, slowly walking towards Zhang Xusheng, and softly said, "Zhang Xusheng, you underestimate my brother. Back when you suddenly revealed the purpose of the ‘Underworld’ organization and various secrets to him before fleeing, and said that the ‘Four Spirit Sky Map’ would be the solution, how could my brother not have doubts? In the letters he sent to us, he warned us that the ‘Four Spirit Sky Map’ might indeed be a viable solution. However, your reminder was intended to use us to help you refine this divine object. I had anticipated your actions today, which is why I returned halfway and hid here. Zhang Xusheng, you are indeed a remarkable figure, but it’s a pity that you underestimate others and overestimate yourself."

Zhang Xusheng listened carefully to Mr. Liu’s words and after a moment, smiled slowly and replied, "It seems Li Xuhan, my brother whom I have fought alongside for over a thousand years, truly understands my thoughts. However, your cultivation is at most equal to mine; if you are hiding here, I should be able to sense it. What’s going on?"

"I have the ‘Hunting Heaven Banner.’"

Mr. Liu answered simply and clearly.

"I see, no wonder Mr. Liu is called the ‘Treasure Immortal’ by others. First it was the ‘Black Dragon Nail’, then the ‘Sky Canopy’. I have obtained the thousand-year collection of the ‘Treasure Pavilion’, but the treasures in my hands are probably still not as good as yours."

Zhang Xusheng said with a smile, seemingly unconcerned by Mr. Liu’s approach and not worrying about his own disadvantage.

Seeing Zhang Xusheng’s calmness, a hint of doubt flashed in Mr. Liu’s eyes. Zhang Xusheng’s thoughts were unpredictable, and his abilities were strange and changeable. Yet, Mr. Liu didn’t want to waste any more time. Suddenly, without knowing when, eight blood-red daggers appeared between his fingers. He said softly, "You have an ‘Immortal Body’, so even I cannot kill you. But this ‘Blood Clotting Knife’ can absorb all the essence in your body, causing you to lose most of your power, and then I will seal you forever. The hatred for you killing my brother should be settled today."

"Good idea, you can give it a try."

Zhang Xusheng nodded with a smile.

"Hmph!"

Mr. Liu snorted coldly, raising the ‘Blood Clotting Knife’ before bringing it down. The eight daggers instantly pierced into Zhang Xusheng’s chest.

Then, the ‘Blood Clotting Knife’ that had pierced into Zhang Xusheng’s chest shone with a dazzling blood light. As the light grew stronger, Zhang Xusheng’s body quickly shrank and withered, clearly absorbing the essence of his blood.

But Mr. Liu’s brow began to furrow, realizing that something seemed to be wrong.

To create the "Immortal Body," Zhang Xusheng had merged the life blood and souls of countless people into himself. As long as he had their life blood and souls, Zhang Xusheng would not die. Just now, when he was fighting Scholar Buxing and Master Tianhan, the endless sea of blood he formed was a clear sign of this.

Although the eight "Blood Clotting Knives" had powerful blood-sucking abilities, given the amount of life blood within Zhang Xusheng, it seemed too easy for them to work so quickly.

Mr. Liu stared intently at the captured Zhang Xusheng, his expression serious, feeling that Zhang Xusheng might use other tricks.

"I was tricked!"

Suddenly, before Zhang Xusheng made any move, Mr. Liu’s body shook violently. He no longer cared about Zhang Xusheng in front of him and rushed quickly towards the back hall.

As Mr. Liu dashed into the back hall, the captured Zhang Xusheng’s body instantly collapsed, turning into a puddle of dark blood. The "Black Dragon Nail" and the eight "Blood Clotting Knives" fell to the ground with a clinking sound.

At the same time, in the great hall, the sounds of tigers roaring, dragons roaring, phoenixes singing, snakes hissing, and turtles crying grew loud, and the Spirit Qi in the air trembled to an overwhelming level. This situation could only mean one thing: the Divine Artifact "Four Spirit Sky Map," crafted by the twelve masters, had been moved!

Along with Zhang Xusheng’s strange change, the situation became very clear. Obviously, when the sea of blood reformed into Zhang Xusheng, the Zhang Xusheng in front of everyone was not the real Zhang Xusheng; he was merely a form created from the previous sea of blood, an indistinguishable decoy. The real Zhang Xusheng had silently slipped into the back hall while Mr. Liu dealt with his decoy, aiming to steal the "Four Spirit Sky Map."

"How dare you!"

When Scholar Buxing and Master Tianhan finally understood everything, Mr. Liu’s angry shout echoed in the rear hall.

Then, Zhang Xusheng’s voice was heard.

"Ha ha, Taoist Friend Liu, I have not looked down on you all, but it is Taoist Friend Liu who has underestimated me. I have things to do, so I must take my leave."

The first word of his speech was still in the main hall, but the last word was already far away. He had clearly escaped, and then a flash of colorful spirit light appeared; it was Mr. Liu chasing after Zhang Xusheng.

A month later, when Scholar Buxing and Master Tianhan finally expelled all the "Blood River Power" from their bodies and regained their freedom, Mr. Liu returned to the main hall. He coldly told the two, "Let’s go find Zizhen and Li Fulu to discuss," and then he said nothing more.

Mr. Liu ultimately couldn’t recover the "Four Spirit Sky Map."

Without the "Four Spirit Sky Map," the Righteous Alliance had no effective way to counter the evil plans of the "Ming" organization. After Zhang Xusheng obtained the "Four Spirit Sky Map," his already top-tier power would increase even more, and once he completely refined it, no one in the cultivation world would be able to stop him.

With the mysterious plan of the "Ming" organization about to be realized and the unstoppable power of Zhang Xusheng, even Mr. Liu could not tell which of these two dangers was greater.

In short, the Righteous Alliance, and even the future of the entire cultivation world, is in big trouble.

Just as Mr. Liu returned to "Ronghua Mountain" with Scholar Buxing and Master Tianhan to meet other grandmasters, Xu Qingfan also arrived deep in the Southern Wasteland with Jin Qinghan and others.

For Xu Qingfan, this journey to the Southern Wasteland will be the most dangerous one since he started his cultivation, and it will bring the greatest change for him.