Chapter 124: Evil Emerges from the Capital! I Am the Si Snake

The Three Corpses Mirror the Fate, the Divine Splitting Method.

Originating from the Daoist sect, the Nine Extremes reign supreme; among the nine inner elixir methods nearly legendary in the mortal world, the [Three Corpses Mirror the Fate] is undoubtedly the most peculiar of the past century.

The reason is simple: its previous practitioner was the number one martial artist in the world, the Three Corpses Daoist.

When the Three Corpses Mirror the Fate bears the Dao Fruit, the world has no equal.

Before the Sixty-Year Purification of Demons, that man had already stood atop the pinnacle of mortal cultivation, achieving the Pure Yang Infinite Dao, gazing toward the realm of terrestrial immortals.

Even with Chu Chaoran’s sudden emergence, a century later, that man remains a monument—his ferocity unmatched in the secular world, his spiritual powers crushing the Daoist sects.

“The Three Corpses Mirror the Fate, the Divine Splitting Method… it can’t be wrong…”

Xuanjizi’s spirit trembled, barely able to hold itself together.

Since the death of the world’s top martial artist atop Mount Dongyue, the Three Corpses Mirror the Fate became a lost melody, and the [Divine Splitting Method] was its entry technique; after all these years, someone has actually mastered it!?

“The bloodline of the Longhu Zhang family has mastered the Divine Splitting Method!?”

Xuanjizi’s eyes widened, staring fixedly at Zhang Fan, feeling an overwhelming strangeness.

“Chu Chaoran, where in the world did you find such a freak?”

Xuanjizi’s spirit leapt—he now felt he understood why Chu Chaoran, despite his century-old body, had taken in such a young man and admitted him into his sect.

Boom…

The external scene stirred; the ancient altar blazed with golden light, the Great Divine Seal of Weilin Zhenmo fully revived, radiating countless rays of mysterious brilliance, summoning spiritual power with a single thought.

Zhang Fan sat cross-legged atop the altar, three feet above his head loomed the vast, awe-inspiring divine presence.

With the power of this divine seal, he activated the Divine Splitting Method, his mind racing three thousand li, seeking to scour the mountains and seas for the whereabouts of that evil spirit.

“No wonder it’s the Longhu Zhang family… the Great Divine Seal of Weilin Zhenmo has been fully activated…”

This divine seal had been hidden in the Mysterious Temple for a hundred years, yet never before had it manifested such boundless divine glory, golden radiance overflowing like a ghostly deity reborn.

At this moment, if Zhang Fan’s spirit was like an antenna, the Longhu Zhang family’s [Great Divine Seal of Weilin Zhenmo] was the signal amplifier—it infinitely amplified Zhang Fan’s spiritual power, enabling him to patrol mountains and cross seas, sensing the wandering evil spirit.

For Zhang Fan, the Divine Splitting Method split his spirit into three; the evil spirit carried away the vast majority of his power.

That was the crucial key.

Once recovered, the split spirits would reunite; Zhang Fan would recall everything, completely escape the Great Night of Darkness, and awaken the [Divine Demon Sacred Embryo].

Boom…

Amidst the endless golden light, Zhang Fan’s spirit expanded immensely; he held the golden seal, and two distinct “selves” seemed to leap forth from it, each wielding a divine seal, inhaling and exhaling golden radiance—one standing tall toward heaven, the other seated in meditation.

Their thoughts had already flown beyond the Three Mountains, outside the ocean’s bounds.

“The Divine Splitting Method truly is profound…” Xuanjizi’s spirit stared unblinkingly at Zhang Fan.

At this moment, he could sense Zhang Fan’s spirit entering an extraordinarily wondrous state—splitting and merging, like a great tree’s tangled roots, extending complex veins into heaven and earth, probing the deepest mysteries.

“Little ghost, who are you?”

One who can summon the [Great Divine Seal of Weilin Zhenmo] must be of the Longhu Zhang lineage; yet such a background, combined with mastery of the [Divine Splitting Method] from the Three Corpses Mirror the Fate—this freak filled Xuanjizi with shock and suspicion.

As abbot of the Mysterious Temple, Xuanjizi’s spirit was powerful; even beneath the divine might of the [Great Divine Seal of Weilin Zhenmo], he had not left the external scene.

Now, his mind surged—he locked onto Zhang Fan’s spirit, determined to uncover his true nature.

Boom…

Suddenly, above Xuanjizi’s spirit, black clouds churned, thunder cracked, splitting the heavens.

“No good!”

Xuanjizi’s spirit’s expression changed instantly; he slapped his forehead, blinding white light flared, and in an instant, he departed the external scene.

Meanwhile, inside the Scripture Hall.

Figures lay sprawled haphazardly across the floor.

Just moments ago, everyone inside the hall had been affected by the [Great Divine Seal of Weilin Zhenmo], entering the external scene; then, when the seal manifested its power, ordinary spirits could not withstand it—even those who returned to their bodies were unconscious, while even powerful spirits were weakened, frail as if suffering a grave illness.

“Sister, what are you doing?”

Zhong Changming stared, eyes wide with shock and fury, at Yun Jianyue, who had suddenly burst into the hall and kicked Xuanjizi’s body flying.

“Brother, if I were you, I’d keep my mouth shut right now.”

Yun Jianyue’s lips curled slightly; without even glancing back, she walked toward Xuanjizi.

“Slay the Evil!”

As Yun Jianyue stepped forward, a stern, aged voice erupted suddenly; invisible power rose slowly through the hall.

Yun Jianyue instinctively dodged sideways; a strand of her hair was severed and fell to the ground, her robe torn open. She turned back—beneath her feet, a massive crack marred the floor, as if carved by a blade through tofu.

“Master… no… Xuanjizi, you’ve hidden your true strength well.” Yun Jianyue slowly turned her gaze to the withered old man before her.

“Old and blind, I didn’t realize you were such a master, who had silently seized my disciple’s body.” Xuanjizi rose shakily to his feet.

“Spirit possession!?” Zhong Changming’s face paled as he stared in horror at Yun Jianyue.

“Spirit possession? No, Xuanjizi, you’re mistaken.”

Yun Jianyue showed no interest in dwelling on the topic; her gaze shifted from the crack beneath her feet to the hall’s entrance.

“Xuanjizi, I’ve heard you mastered many methods to subdue demons and quell evil, especially the [Five Weapons Sever the Form Method]; back in Sichuan, you slew a muddied water demon serpent.”

Yun Jianyue spoke calmly, her expression unchanged.

“I wonder if I’m fortunate enough to witness this method today!”

“Boldness! Ruthless killing!”

Xuanjizi’s expression turned grave; his cloudy eyes no longer held their former calm, but churned like a storm-tossed ocean, waves rising in fury.

“Each generation produces its own talents… I haven’t seen the flair of the Wuwei Sect in many years.”

A sigh fell like ripples across a still pond.

Boom…

The next instant, a piercing sound erupted violently within the dim hall, shocking Zhong Changming into alarm.

At nearly the same moment, Xuanjizi appeared before Yun Jianyue; his body was engulfed in the howling gale, wind like blades, hurling Yun Jianyue out of the hall and into the boundless night.

…

Meanwhile, within the external scene generated by the Great Divine Seal of Weilin Zhenmo.

Zhang Fan’s spirit had fully merged into brilliant golden light; countless lights danced and vanished before his eyes. He continuously drained his spirit’s strength, using the divine might of the [Great Divine Seal of Weilin Zhenmo] to activate the Divine Splitting Method, searching for traces of the evil spirit.

Finally, the flickering lights slowed, then froze on one scene.

Deep night, a solitary moon hung high.

Among the mist-shrouded Cangshan, within an ancient, simple Daoist temple, a quiet courtyard held a blazing furnace, its crimson flames leaping.

A boy, bound tightly with ropes, hung above the furnace, face twisted in terror, struggling desperately.

“Help… help me…” The boy’s voice trembled, calling out repeatedly.

“Audacious demon, how dare you bring chaos to Xuanji Mountain?”

At that moment, a thunderous cry rang out; wind like blades severed the ropes, gently lowering the boy to the ground.

Immediately, figures emerged one after another—eight or nine men, clad in Daoist robes, their hems embroidered with white crane emblems.

“Demon… there’s a demon here…”

The boy, barely escaped, freed himself from the ropes, trembling as he stared at the furnace, eyes filled with terror.

“What demon? Where?” One of the female Daoists asked.

The boy looked bewildered, eyes only filled with fear, shivering like a startled beast.

“He has no cultivation—he’s just an ordinary person. He can’t see it.”

The lead youth, watching the boy on the verge of madness, shook his head.

“Xuanji Mountain is one of the Baihe Temple’s sacred grounds—how come you’ve only got a few weaklings?”

Suddenly, a light, melodic laugh echoed; beneath the pale moonlight, a graceful figure stepped slowly from behind the furnace, skin as white as snow, eyes full of seduction. Hum…

The girl wore a red robe, her beautiful eyes glinting; behind her, mist seemed to swirl, faintly resembling a fox spirit’s shadow, vanishing in an instant.

“Fox demon!?”

Among the Daoists, the lead youth’s face darkened, his eyes instantly filled with killing intent.

“Truly ignorant of death! You know Xuanji Mountain is the Baihe Temple’s sacred ground, yet you dare come to steal the elixir?”

“Hand over the Xuanji Elixir.”

As he spoke, the Daoists scattered, stepping in ritual patterns, occupying positions that formed the Heavenly Gang formation, instantly surrounding for a lethal strike.

“Xuanji Elixir… Xuanji Elixir… who transforms the Xuanji Method, taking Kan to fill Li, turning the serpent into a dragon…”

The red-robed girl murmured softly: “I’ve heard the Baihe Temple’s [Xuanji Elixir] is a secret of external elixir arts; once ingested, it seizes the essence of sun, moon, and stars, forming internal lustrous crystal and manifesting wondrous techniques, saving a decade of arduous cultivation.”

As she spoke, her beautiful eyes blazed with sharp light, gazing at the Daoists with a hint of mockery.

“Such a treasure, now in my hands—why would I ever give it back?”

“Slay demons, defend the Dao!”

At that moment, the lead youth roared, his murderous intent surging forth.

“Elixir Poison!”

Suddenly, a light, casual voice echoed; the eight Daoists shuddered violently, blood-red holes the size of a thumb appearing on their foreheads, crimson blood mixed with white fluid slowly dripping from front to back.

Their eyes bulged, struggling to turn back, to see what had happened.

Thud…

One by one, the eight men collapsed, falling into pools of blood.

“Next time, don’t add so much drama.”

Beneath the pale moonlight, the boy who had just been rescued walked forward calmly; his terror had vanished, replaced by cold indifference.

“You still love stabbing from behind—your strikes are still as ruthless as ever.”

The girl in red snorted, her earlier arrogance gone; now her gaze at the boy held deep reverence.

“Cultivate the Free and Easy Dao, slay east, west, south, north, and center.”

The boy murmured softly, gazing at the corpses scattered everywhere, his eyelids lowering as a cold voice echoed again.

“Great Yan Burial!”

No sooner had the words left his lips than the eight corpses burst into flame, blazing light illuminating the heavens, twisting and warping beneath the pale moonlight; in an instant, the eight corpses vanished, reduced to ash that scattered into the boundless night.

“Was that necessary?” The girl in red’s eyelid twitched unnaturally.

“To prevent your mind from regressing, grind the bones and scatter the ashes—that’s the right path.”

The boy gave no answer, only gazed coldly at the girl in red.

“Where’s the Xuanji Pill!?”

At these words, the girl in red did not dare hesitate; she pulled a delicate box from her bosom and handed it over.

The boy took it, opened the box, and there before him floated a crimson pill, glowing with a crystalline sheen.

“Xuanji Pill—what a fine thing.”

The boy grinned faintly, opened his mouth, and swallowed the Xuanji Pill whole.

Seeing this, the girl’s lovely face trembled slightly, yet she dared not speak.

“Let’s go quickly—the Baiheguan experts should be arriving soon.”

“That’s true.”

The boy nodded, and a streak of crimson appeared on the girl’s long, pale neck.

She clapped her hand over the severed artery, but could not stop the blood flowing; her horrified eyes locked onto the boy before her, filled with disbelief.

“To prevent your mind from slipping, someone must take the blame.”

The boy shrugged, wearing a helpless expression; he reached out one finger and touched the crown of her head.

“Soul Sealing!”

As the words fell, the girl’s nascent soul was forcibly extracted; beneath the hazy moonlight, it took the form of a small fox.

Hum…

The boy opened his mouth wide and swallowed the nascent soul whole.

“Flame Butcher’s Hell!”

At the same time, the boy formed hand seals, muttering incantations as a terrifying aura erupted from his body…

The nascent soul shines forth, opening the gate of evil; the Flame God’s Division, the Pagoda’s Burning Hell…

Boom… boom… boom…

Instantly, the ground beneath the boy cracked apart, waves of fire surging skyward, crimson light like stars illuminating the heavens; in an instant, the ancient Daoist temple was swallowed by a fearsome blaze.

The next moment, the boy stepped out of the flames, turned back, and smiled faintly.

“Kill men, set fires, forge a golden body—who’s a god? I am the god!”

Behind the boy, flames roared to the heavens; he strode forward, vanishing into the boundless night.

Boom… boom… boom…

Light and shadow shattered; all returned to the present.

“Evil God…” Zhang Fan frowned deeply.

The worst fear had come true: ten years ago, after that night, the Evil God had already possessed a human body.

“He’s in Shangjing City!?”

From the scene just witnessed, Zhang Fan was certain: the Evil God was now in Shangjing City.

Because Xuanji Mountain lay in Shangjing—it was one of Baiheguan’s thirty-six outposts.

“That madman… truly has no bounds.” Zhang Fan’s expression hardened; from the vision just seen, he could feel the Evil God’s power and madness.

Boom… boom… boom…

At that moment, the external scene shifted; the surrounding mountains and rivers dissolved into nothingness, leaving only a boundless void, where brilliant golden light became the sole illumination.

“This is… the Earthen Jar!?” Zhang Fan’s heart stirred.

He had summoned the Divine Seal of Weilin Zhenmo to refine the nascent soul within the Earthen Jar—the Xiao Yuanshen taken from Li Ling’s corpse ten years ago.

“Did my nascent soul enter the Earthen Jar?” Zhang Fan pondered.

“Ten years… finally someone has come…”

At that moment, a faint voice echoed beside Zhang Fan’s ear, reverberating through the boundless space.

“Who!?”

Zhang Fan’s heart leapt; he asked instinctively.

“Ten years… we meet again… Zhang Fan… you’ve grown.”

The faint voice echoed again, tinged with nostalgia, clearer now than before.

In the boundless void, a figure slowly emerged, as if awakening from the depths of endless darkness; its opened eyes glowed like lanterns, illuminating Zhang Fan’s nascent soul before it.

“You are…”

“I am Si She…”

“Bai Yujing!!”

The faint words settled in Zhang Fan’s ear as a colossal serpent nascent soul appeared before him.

(End of Chapter)