Chapter 599: The Skin's Face

The night was deep and heavy.

In the wooden dormitory of the Qingyu Garden, among the disciples resting.

A door quietly opened, and a shadow slipped out, arriving beneath the Ten-Thousand-Year Evergreen Tree.

The moonlight was hazy, illuminating the figure—a coarse, clumsy servant woman—yet it was none other than the Herb Garden Elder—Hua Qing!

"Ten-Thousand-Year Evergreen Tree… this tree is incredibly hard; cultivators below Foundation Establishment cannot cut it down… but wood-element spiritual plants are inherently restrained by fire toxins. Just sprinkle a vial of 'Xuan Yuan Fire Toxin Liquid' on its roots, and its root system will be destroyed—no medicinal remedy can save it."

Hua Qing seemed to be muttering to himself as he pulled a pitch-black jade vial from his robe.

"Sigh…"

Suddenly, a low voice sounded.

"Who's there?"

Hua Qing froze, his eyes flickering with vicious glints; a leather shadow transformed into a fox spirit and stepped onto the ground.

Puff! Puff!

The ground cracked open, and thorny vines, like pythons, tightly bound the leather fox.

A figure stepped out of the darkness—his skin dark, his features simple and earnest—it was Fei Changqing!

Yet now, Fei Changqing was surrounded by a layer of murderous aura, and seemed to have activated some secret technique—his spiritual energy was abundant and mighty, rivaling even a Qi Condensation cultivator.

"Fei Changqing? Impossible… I clearly slipped… into the food…" Hua Qing seemed to realize something, his face turning ghastly.

"You slipped 'You Tan Incense' into the food. This spice is non-toxic to the human body and even aids sleep—so even old herbalist Meng Tiandong didn't suspect. But unfortunately, you couldn't fool me…"

Fei Changqing shook his head: "Are you a spy from the Blood Shadow Sect? It seems the real Hua Qing is already dead… But why did you come to destroy this Ten-Thousand-Year Evergreen Tree? This is my… foundation for Dao attainment…"

By the time he spoke the last words, his voice had dropped to near silence; his fingers flicked rapidly, planting strange little flags around him.

These flags were clearly crafted from spiritual wood and spiritual silkworm silk, fused into a single array.

One by one, green tree shadows emerged, imbued with defensive and soundproofing effects, completely enveloping the area.

"This… is an array?"

"No—this is the 'Twelve Green Wood Soul-Control Flags.' Though low-grade, they're far beyond the capability of an ordinary Sensing Qi disciple to forge or activate… you—who are you?"

The fake Hua Qing's expression changed drastically; he pulled a leather mask over his face.

In an instant, he transformed into a demon!

The demon stood two meters tall, with three heads—goat, ox, and pig—yet beneath them, a human torso covered in black fur and scales, its hands shaped like bird talons.

It looked as if various beast bodies had been haphazardly stitched onto a human frame.

"Hundred Faces Leather Shadow… you're a core disciple of the Blood Shadow Sect."

"Go!"

Fei Changqing's fingers tapped rapidly, activating the 'Twelve Green Wood Soul-Control Flags.' Illusory green vines appeared, like chains, wrapping around the Hundred Faces Leather Shadow Demon.

Simultaneously, his right hand reached into his flying-squirrel pouch and pulled out a handful of bean seeds.

The seeds struck the ground and instantly took root, rapidly growing into a host of bean golems.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Within the array, the Hundred Faces Leather Shadow Demon roared furiously, yet not a single sound escaped beyond its borders.

Moments later, a scream pierced the air.

"You… you're not Fei Changqing!"

"You're 'Xuan Mu Zhenren!'"

Two of the demon's heads had been severed; only the pig head remained, laughing: "Hah! You were slain by our sect's Zhenren, yet still managed to escape a fragment of your yin spirit and possess a new body… but you dare not return to the sect—clearly, the infighting within Qingmu Ridge has grown fiercer than imagined. This battle, our sect will win. I'll wait for you below…"

Puff!

Before the words ended, a green wooden flying sword slashed through, severing the pig head.

The entire leather shadow collapsed like a deflated balloon, turning into a foul-smelling pile of skin.

Thin threads of blood seeped from the skin sack.

Fei Changqing sighed, retrieved his array flags, and efficiently cleaned the battlefield, leaving not a single trace.

"Xuan Mu is long dead. Now, I am merely Fei Changqing."

He walked beneath the Ten-Thousand-Year Evergreen Tree, placing his hand on the tree's bark, silently activating his cultivation technique.

Delicate threads of wondrous energy were drawn into him.

"This body's talent is still too poor. If I cultivate conventionally, I'll never break through to Foundation Establishment before I die…"

"Only by cultivating the 'Ten-Thousand-Year Scripture' and absorbing the 'Years-Ring Qi' of the Ten-Thousand-Year Evergreen Tree can I hope to forge a superior Foundation—'Sui Mu Qiu.' Then, once I activate the 'Soul-Seizing and Foundation-Swallowing Technique,' I can devour a cultivator who has forged a 'Shui Linglong' Foundation and attain the 'Water-Mu Nianhua' Divine Art, reclaiming my Zhenren status…"

Precisely because the Ten-Thousand-Year Evergreen Tree was tied to his cultivation, Fei Changqing had risked action.

He had too many anomalies and dared not report this to the Foundation Establishment overseer here.

After completing his daily cultivation, he whistled softly, and a green hummingbird landed on his arm.

"Hmm… that person has stayed inside the treehouse the whole time, never come out? Good…"

Fei Changqing fed the hummingbird a pill, a satisfied smile appearing on his face as he returned to the wooden dormitory to rest.

Moments later.

A flash of light appeared on the ground; a pangolin emerged. The green hummingbird paid it no mind, instead approaching affectionately, nuzzling against the pangolin as if greeting a new friend.

"What a cute little thing…"

Fang Xing casually waved a claw, and a green glow the size of a soybean sank into the hummingbird's body.

If Fei Changqing saw this, he'd surely spit blood.

The hummingbird he had painstakingly cultivated using secret methods to spy on Fang Xing had apparently defected…

'If not for this hummingbird, I'd have only sensed Hua Qing was suspicious. I never imagined Fei Changqing—no, Xuan Mu Zhenren—was even more dangerous… an Yin Spirit Zhenren possessing a new body? What kind of story is this?'

Fang Xing walked beneath the Ten-Thousand-Year Evergreen Tree and, using his Druid's natural affinity, sensed the ancient tree.

Immediately, the scenes that had unfolded beneath the tree replayed before his eyes like a film.

'Hmm… Fei Changqing, no wonder he's an Yin Spirit Zhenren reborn—he forged a full array even at Sensing Qi stage?'

'And those bean golems, that flying sword… his methods are truly astonishing. No ordinary Hunyuan Qi cultivator could match him.'

Not a single detail missed!

'He's absorbing Years-Ring Qi to cultivate? The Foundation he forges will clearly be unique… So this is why he came to Qingyu Garden?'

Though Fang Xing couldn't discern much, he knew Fei Changqing's cultivation technique required absorbing some special energy from the Ten-Thousand-Year Evergreen Tree—likely tied to time and age. In other words, he must remain in the herb garden for a very long time.

He didn't know that the 'Sui Mu Qiu' Foundation was a secret transmission of Qingmu Ridge—cultivators at early or mid-Sensing Qi could cultivate by absorbing the energy of century-old or millennium-old Evergreen Trees.

But at late Sensing Qi, especially when breaking through to Foundation Establishment, one must absorb the Years-Ring Qi of a Ten-Thousand-Year Evergreen Tree.

More crucially… the Years-Ring Qi cannot be gathered overnight; it requires a full cycle of spring and autumn for the tree's rings to grow one more layer.

Once a Ten-Thousand-Year Evergreen Tree is chosen, it's nearly impossible to change.

Otherwise, the Blood Shadow Sect spy wouldn't have tried to destroy the tree—and Fei Changqing wouldn't have reacted so urgently.

"No need to rush into confrontation…"

"First, gather more information. Then learn a few soul-searching and interrogation techniques, and refine them to a high level…"

Fang Xing lay down on the ground—the pangolin vanished instantly.

…

Several months later.

"Recently, it seems Blood Shadow Sect spies have infiltrated the sect. Younger Brother Fang, be careful…"

Fei Changnong personally escorted a batch of supplies over, and during the handover, he solemnly warned Fang Xing.

"Thank you, Senior Brother. Since the Hua Qing incident, I've already tightened inspections…"

Fang Xing bowed.

Several months ago, Hua Qing had vanished—he naturally reported it.

Then Fei Changnong investigated thoroughly and found nothing, eventually closing the case with a vague claim: Hua Qing had been killed by a Blood Shadow Sect spy, body never recovered.

In truth, he'd stumbled upon the truth by accident.

After Fei Changnong left, Fang Xing looked at the nervous disciples: "What are you all standing around for? Get back to work! Learn from Fei Changqing—he's the model of composure, unmoved even as mountains collapse before him!"

He went on at length, while Dong Meier silently scoffed: 'That Fei Changqing is just a fool…'

At that moment, Fei Changqing, still weeding in the field, looked up and grinned his simple grin.

Yet for some reason, when his gaze swept over Fang Xing, he felt a chill run through his bones…

Fang Xing lay as usual on his soft chair, a cup of spiritual tea and snacks beside him, overseeing the disciples' labor.

After finishing his tea and snacks, he picked up a bound ancient book and pretended to read.

The cover bore the title: 'Biographies of Qingmu Heroes,' chronicling the exploits of Qingmu Ridge's outstanding talents.

Fang Xing flipped through it until he reached the entry for Xuan Mu Zhenren:

"Xuan Mu Zhenren, secular name 'Ye Xuanqing.' Born with auspicious signs, he entered Qingmu Ridge as a child, forged his Foundation at forty-six, attained Zhenren status at one hundred fifty-seven…"

"Since his debut, he has slain countless demons and evil cultivators. Skilled in arrays, he forged a Zhenren-grade set of 'Twelve Green Wood Soul-Control Flags' as his core treasure—its power is overwhelming…"

Fang Xing read further and found only lavish praise for this ancestor—no mention whatsoever of his death.

Previously, when he'd probed indirectly, Fei Changnong had only said the sect's frontlines were thriving, victories piling up, even Foundation Establishment cultivators rarely perished—let alone Yin Spirit Zhenren.

'Sigh… if I actually believed that, I'd probably get tricked.'

Fang Xing muttered inwardly and picked up another miscellaneous book.

This one contained introductions to sects from beyond the borders, even some from the Zhou Shenchao.

Among them was the 'Killing Sect!'

'According to the hierarchy beyond the borders, everything from the Zhou Shenchao is top-tier… so the longer a sect survives, the stronger it must be…'

In other words, the sect that cracked first and was forced to relocate was the weakest... and the Shasheng Sect, which has held out until now, is even stronger than the Flying Sword Gate!

As for Qingmu Ridge? Sorry, this sect has always boasted of its ancient history... it appears to have been one of the first forces to move to the Outer Lands among the Top Ten Orthodox and Heretical Sects...

(End of Chapter)