[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-cursed-blade-s-walk":3,"chapter-the-cursed-blade-s-walk-the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-625":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Cursed Blade's Walk",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2262930,4415,"Chapter 625: Snow Mountain Cultivation, Each Has Their Own Path","the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-625",625,"\u003Cp>Those bound by rules can never break through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Lifei had roamed the rivers and lakes since childhood, enduring the coldness of human relations; he sometimes stole advantages and cheated for petty gains, but these were habits forged over years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the bottom of the rivers and lakes, kindness only invites bullying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since traveling with Li Yan and the others, Sha Lifei had mellowed considerably and gradually adapted, yet he remained an outsider to the Daoist sects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Precisely because of this, he had no concept of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps due to his recent contact with the Qingcheng Sect, the moment he saw this phrase, Sha Lifei immediately thought of Cheng Jianxian’s astonishing sword strike amid the mortal world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had seen the sword—it was just an ordinary iron blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Jianxian was nearly spent, unable to wield powerful techniques anymore, yet that single sword strike still shattered Lu Sheng’s dreams.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had asked about it; they called it sword intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So when he read the description by the Emei elder in the *Meishan Firearm Method Compilation*, Sha Lifei conceived an idea:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why not train the gun as if it were a sword?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Volume One of the *Meishan Firearm Method Compilation*, in the section on firearm forms, mentioned a new method of refining firearms:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Use saltpeter and sulfur as the bones, cinnabar as the soul; transform lead and mercury to dispel malevolence, and thunder talismans as the trigger. When forging guns or cannons, carve the Twenty-Eight Mansions into the barrel, engrave yin fire-repelling patterns on the base, and carve yang exorcism inscriptions on the muzzle—then the fire erupts like a dragon’s roar, and the projectile flies like a falling star.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though merely a hypothesis, it pointed clearly toward a path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Refine firearms as if they were talismans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nourish the gun with your blood and spirit; let the weapon awaken to sentience—perhaps reaching an entirely new realm: man and gun as one, invincible in power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Sha Lifei told no one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew exactly what he was doing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cultivating techniques is inherently dangerous; countless practitioners suffer injuries and backlash, let alone forging one’s own path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neither Li Yan nor Wang Daoxuan would approve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Sha Lifei still resolved to do it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Life is too short; he did not wish to carry regrets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Calming his thoughts, Sha Lifei carefully put away the *Meishan Firearm Method Compilation*, tightened the White Bodhisattva bead string, and chanted the incantation to open the altar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had seen Wang Daoxuan open altars many times and knew the procedures well, but this was his first time performing it himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He spat the misting water, stepped the Gang  steps, and made mistake after mistake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, the altar opened; with the single thread of Gang sha energy he summoned, Sha Lifei entered the spirit-presence space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To build a tower, one must first preserve the spirit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After days of effort, he had already succeeded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before him stood a hazy, shadowy figure: wearing a conical hat, draped in a straw cape, with a gun’s shadow behind its back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The form of the preserved spirit usually requires a model.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Disciples of major Daoist sects visualize deities or ancestors, following fixed procedures with zero deviation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But those on the wild path must rely on luck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from Li Yan, whose vision was influenced by the Great Luo Body, everyone else’s visualized deity reflected their subconscious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The straw cape and hat symbolized the wind and frost of the rivers and lakes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blurred face indicated his path of spirit-presence was still undefined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gun behind him foretold his cultivation path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Lifei did not know that others, when preserving the spirit, typically formed a shape first—they could not directly manifest a talisman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Li Yan only acquired the Soul-Grabbing Chain later…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cold wind howled, snow swirling in furious gusts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu San, wrapped in a bear-pelt cloak, crouched in a wind-sheltered spot; the white fox, the falcon, and the two rats all huddled in his arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Ba, with the simplest mind, was already snoring soundly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He never thought much—he simply followed the group, ate and drank when fed, and let Li Yan and Wang Daoxuan handle everything; he only needed to act.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Daoxuan, however, gazed anxiously across the way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cave entrance had been sealed, yet even so, his Yin-Yang Qi Vision could still detect repeated waves of malevolent energy gathering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master, don’t worry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu San muttered, “Old Sha has great fortune—he’ll succeed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, he will succeed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Daoxuan nodded slightly, gazing into the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan had many things to manage; Lu San and Sha Lifei assisted, while he, as the eldest in the group, was primarily responsible for holding the rear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At his age, he saw things clearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the group, he worried most about Sha Lifei.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan, Lu San, even Wu Ba—all possessed astonishing talent; what seemed simple to them might be an insurmountable chasm for others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was Sha Lifei’s inner torment—he constantly feared dragging the others down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For him, the real difficulty was not building the tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was crossing this psychological barrier!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unconsciously, dawn began to break.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, a sound came from the distant cave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A thunderous crash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The piled stones at the entrance were violently overturned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Old Sha sprint out, beaming with excitement, Wang Daoxuan finally smiled; Lu San, who had not slept all night, mumbled something and slipped into sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Sha Lifei’s success, Wang Daoxuan began his own cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The divine Gang he had received from Li Yan was stored in a talisman tablet purchased from Qingcheng; unlike the Soul-Scroll, its potent energy constantly made his heart tremble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, Li Yan had already shared his experience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Daoxuan’s *Five Heads Divine Incantation* also contained detailed methods, so he effortlessly integrated the divine Gang into his spirit-presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His preserved spirit was simple: an old Daoist, no different from temple statues, except that his left hand held a small arrow and his right gripped a straw effigy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, Wang Daoxuan had his own secret.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His incantation talent was exceptional; the Seven-Arrow Secret Incantation had coalesced into a divine talisman, indicating the art had reached profound heights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Daoxuan likewise refused to speak of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, he had always been deeply ashamed of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His aspiration was to be a virtuous Daoist who wards off calamities and prays for blessings—not one who kills at every turn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After absorbing the divine Gang , as he practiced the incantation, a swirling white mist gradually formed on the statue’s chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was his divine power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Consuming this energy enhanced the potency of his techniques.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The longer he cultivated, the more times and the longer duration the enhancement lasted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Wang Daoxuan pushed open the stone mill and emerged, it was already evening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Has Young Master Li not come out yet?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glanced around and frowned slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t worry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu San reassured him, “I can hear his heartbeat—still steady, though a bit faster just now. He should be finishing soon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Daoxuan exhaled in relief, warmed himself by the fire, took the meat soup Lu San had simmered, and ate it with the warmed flatbread to fill his stomach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet as dusk deepened, Li Yan still had not emerged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The white-haired woman glanced anxiously toward the cave entrance. “Today is the fifteenth—Sister Long will send word. Stay here, I’ll go check on her.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Daoxuan understood, and looked to Sha Lifei beside him. “Old Sha, go with her—better to have someone watch over her.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Lifei nodded, agreeing readily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew what Wang Daoxuan was thinking: he feared going to see Long Yan himself, too embarrassed to face her if Li Yan hadn’t yet emerged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But honestly, he wasn’t worried at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For Li Yan, he had blind faith.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, the two vanished into the snow-laden darkness…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu San was right—Li Yan was unharmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had merely encountered a minor disturbance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he absorbed the spiritual resonance from the Xiwangmu shrine, inexplicably, threads of incense energy gathered from the void.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silent, invisible, ignoring spatial distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above, the mountain-like statue of Xiwangmu changed—as if awakening, its stone eyes rolled downward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan had paid it no mind; this small amount of incense energy could easily be swept aside by Gang sha energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the situation shifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These incense energies swiftly merged into his spirit-presence space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, the Sea of Yin Souls roared, Luo Feng Mountain trembled, the sky turned blood-red, as if countless souls were locked in battle…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The damage was minor, but the commotion was immense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan immediately understood what it was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tian Li Wu Can!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In ancient times, the Queen Mother of the West was a fearsome deity, in charge of “Tian Li Wu Can” and the “Elixir of Immortality.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tian Li Wu Can” refers to five ancient calamities feared by early mortals: plague, war, famine, flood, and earthquake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When its incense power mixed into the Divine Storage Space, aided by the slightest bit of Gangsha energy, it transformed into five strange energies—extremely stubborn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan spent half a day to completely purge them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why does this feel like Yao Sheng energy?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was all too familiar with this sensation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A thought surfaced in Li Yan’s mind: could someone be using the ancient worship of the Queen Mother of the West to gather Yao Sheng Qi?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more he thought, the more plausible it seemed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he didn’t know what method the other party was using.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, there was no time to dwell on it now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After clearing all the strange energies, the divine palaces of the Eight Inner Altar Generals began to coalesce again, and within them appeared shadowy figures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first was a yellow-turbaned ghost-faced figure, clad in black robe and silver armor, with a golden belt and crimson hair, barefoot and wielding a sword, a golden eagle perched on his arm, radiating fierce malevolence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This one is Wei Yuan Shuai , the Flying Hawk Official of Fengdu, stationed in the North Palace, tasked with patrolling the Nine Nether Realms and recording life and death…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, the second figure took form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A humanoid demon with a full beard, a yellow headwrap, black robe, iron armor, white trousers, and yellow leather boots, holding a short-handled golden hammer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This one is Meng Yuan Shuai , the Mighty Heavenly Enforcer of Fengdu, strongest in physical power among the Eight Generals, specializing in execution…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to the Eight Outer Altar Generals, the Eight Inner Altar Generals were far stronger and possessed unique abilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Releasing hawks, releasing hounds, divine speed, divine strength, suppressing evil…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was also the second transformation of Li Yan’s Fengdu Art.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If summoned individually, these yin generals could attach themselves to straw effigies and manifest their unique abilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the Eight Outer and Eight Inner Altar Generals fully formed, Luo Feng Mountain became even more elaborate: four central divine palaces, flanked by a Gan Si Lian Wan Tian Palace, surrounded by sixteen yin general palaces—eight inner and eight outer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yinyuezhijian ， Yiyouledifuchuxing …\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side, Sha Li Fei and the other two had reached the Yin-Yang Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At night, the Yin-Yang Realm grew even more eerie; all was pitch-black, with howling winds and blizzards slamming into their faces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Li Fei tiptoed and stared for a long time before finally asking: “When exactly?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Bai family woman replied: “Zi Shi.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zi Shi?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Li Fei pulled out his pocket watch, lit it with a firestarter, and his face darkened: “Zi Shi has already passed—something must have gone wrong.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Bai family woman also grew flustered: “I’m not sure—should we wait a little longer? Maybe Sister Long hasn’t awakened yet…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No time to wait.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Li Fei knew well that saving a life was like putting out a fire; he said grimly: “Go back and summon help—Lu San’s pet might be able to enter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll go ahead first, see where we can descend.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Bai family woman seemed to find her resolve and turned to run.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Li Fei, meanwhile, took a torch from his satchel, lit it, and trudged through snow up to his knees, step by step toward the cliff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was already an Anjin master, agile in movement; now as a sorcerer, his bodily senses were extraordinary, allowing him to easily avoid dangerous zones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not long after, he reached the cliff’s edge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Holding the torch downward, he saw howling black winds and snow swirling upward—no sound at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn fool, never gives me peace…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Li Fei muttered, then wandered around until he spotted a thick hemp rope tied to a rock, hanging down the cliff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gritted his teeth and began climbing down the rope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cliff face was coated with ice, slick and treacherous; even with his skill, he moved cautiously, spine taut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mountain wind howled, as if ready to tear him loose at any moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Li Fei gripped the icy hemp rope, inching slowly downward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, he reached the gnarled pine jutting from the cliff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon closer inspection, Sha Li Fei fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pine’s hollow trunk was sealed with ice, inside which countless glowing lights flickered and danced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hollow had frozen shut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without hesitation, Sha Li Fei drew his Guanshan Dao, spun it in a flourish, then slammed his wrist forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a crack, the frozen ice shattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The frozen ice shattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hum!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A swarm of insects burst forth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Li Fei felt a flash of light before his eyes, dazzled, as the insects swarmed his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were Glow-Worm Curses; beautiful from afar, but each one hideous—like winged lice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They landed on his face and began biting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Long! It’s me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Li Fei flailed his arms while shouting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luckily, his lower body was solid—he clamped his legs tightly around the pine tree and didn’t fall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Strange thing: the moment he shouted, the insect curses ceased their attack and instead fluttered and circled in the night air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sometimes forming a Taiji, sometimes a Bagua…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sky filled with dancing fireflies, a magnificent spectacle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Li Yan were here, he’d find it vaguely familiar—like a drone show from his past life, though far cruder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Li Fei had never seen such a sight—he was instantly entranced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes grew hazy, his legs weakened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These insect curses could cast illusions through light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the cave, snow that never melted had hardened into blue-green ice crystals, cold as knives; at the center sat a figure in white robes, snow-white—Long Yan’er.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was awake. Months of fasting had left her emaciated, her face pale, yet her eyes brighter than ever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Sha LiFei’s shout, she frowned slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Sha Li Fei’s shout, she frowned slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After surviving death, she had reconstituted her Life Curse, but her cultivation was still weak, her arts newly restored—she had unintentionally ensnared Sha Li Fei.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The insects outside were called “Frost Moths”; beautiful in appearance, but both their light and wing scales induced illusions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sensing Sha Li Fei was cursed, Long Yan’er shook her head slightly, extended her palm—and a strange insect emerged, resembling the earlier “Qin She” demon insect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This life-essence Gu  vibrated with a sound like plucking a zither, capable of casting spells; those who heard it fell into illusions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This Life Curse vibrated like a zither’s strings, capable of casting spells—anyone who heard it fell into illusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long Yan’er had always been skilled in the secret arts of the Curse Sect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though her cultivation had dropped to the Second Floor after reconstituting her Life Curse, with the power of the Qin Insect, her curse arts had reached a new realm…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[184] (End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2603,"2026-06-19T18:28:35.913Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","c26beb490b711e654805486cdfdac9f7ad2b3911550d1b14a27b7517b3dcec53","the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-626","the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-624",801,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-cursed-blade-s-walk-cover.jpg"]