Chapter 610: Old Taoist, Still Trying to Deceive Me?

"You still have some eye for things; you're right, I am a Corpse Cultivator!"

At this point, Kong Yuan Si's words faltered; he lowered his head and glanced at the horrific bloodied wound on his own chest, the damaged organs inside clearly visible. His face, besides anger, was full of relief. He turned his head toward Xuanqing Daozhang and, arrogantly, said:

"I know you, old Taoist; since you're a disciple of that old fellow and a Ziyang Gong Disciple, besides the Ziqi Jiejue, you must have abilities I don't know."

"You just now deliberately let those two little things leave, intending to draw my attention so that you, old Taoist, could ambush me while I pretended to fall for it."

"You just wanted to see what other skills you, old Taoist, have; you never imagined you'd be even stronger than I thought, almost capsizing in the ditch!"

Corpse Cultivator.

It is a path outside the orthodox ways, unlike proper cultivators; it can be called a demon of demons among the demonic sects. Supposedly, some great demon devised this cultivation method based on zombies, granting the power and divine abilities of a zombie while also remedying its flaws. However, the Corpse Cultivator path entails many harsh conditions that are hard to accept.

"It was my carelessness; I didn't expect you to walk the Corpse Cultivator path—no, for a brute like you, walking the Corpse Cultivator path is perfectly normal!"

Xuanqing Daozhang let out a cold laugh, not denying it. He had Le Zhuang take Wang Ping'an and flee from here to draw Kong Yuan Si's attention. He naturally didn't think that way; whether it was Le Zhuang or Wang Ping'an, they were the people he cared about most, and he would never use them as bait.

His sudden outburst was actually meant to hold Kong Yuan Si, preventing him from capturing Le Zhuang and his disciple.

Kong Yuan Si asked curiously, "Old Taoist, you say we have a parental grudge, but I don't know who your parents are. After all, I've lived so many years; the people who died at my hands number in the thousands. If your parents were unknown, I might not remember them!"

"When you reach the Underworld, someone will tell you!"

Xuanqing Daozhang snorted coldly, leapt into the air, brandishing his sword in his right hand to execute the Ziqi Jiejue, while his left hand unleashed one spell after another.

Kong Yuan Si revealed his Corpse Cultivator identity, held back nothing, went all out, and simultaneously commanded one black shadow after another surrounding him to assault Xuanqing Daozhang from all directions, creating a favorable situation for himself.

Boom!

Soon after, Xuanqing Daozhang showed a flaw; Kong Yuan Si seized the chance, slamming a palm onto his chest, leaving a black, smoke‑billowing palm print. He was hurled backward. Had Xuanqing Daozhang not reacted in time, countered and dodged, the result would have been more than just a palm mark on his chest.

His heart would have been ripped out!

Pfft!

Xuanqing Daozhang spat a mouthful of fresh blood in mid‑air; moments later, several black shadows rose, claws outstretched, swooping toward him. He shattered them with his long sword and spells simultaneously. As soon as he touched the ground, he fell again into a Human Sea Tactic of black shadows, forced to grit his teeth and raise his sword in counterattack.

"This time I might finally meet Wenjun!"

Xuanqing Daozhang could clearly feel that the duration of his secret technique was about to end, and that he would fall into an unimaginable period of weakness. He looked up and saw Le Zhuang and Wang Ping'an already surrounded by one black shadow after another. If it weren't for the long sword within Wang Ping'an's body, he feared that even if they didn't die at the hands of the shadows, they would be seized. He furrowed his brow slightly and said:

"No. I don't mind dying, but they two cannot be captured. I promised Le Wenmao that I would ensure his family's Xiao Zhuang continues the lineage. Moreover, Ping'an is still young; his mother is counting on his survival. If Ping'an were to die like this, his mother might lose the courage to live!" Thinking this, Xuanqing Daozhang countered the onslaught of black shadows while pondering a solution. He had already employed the secret technique, which can boost his abilities briefly, but it carries severe side effects. Once the technique expires and the side effects set in, using a similar technique again would be impossible.

Suddenly.

In Xuanqing Daozhang's mind a figure appeared: Le Wenmao. A flash of insight flickered, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "Since they're already on the brink of death, early death or late death makes no difference. Do it this way!"

"Old Taoist, do you have any other abilities? If you have none, I'll take your life, and your corpse will become my food. Those two little things you care about will probably become Young Master Zhu's playthings?"

Kong Yuan Si looked at the Xuanqing Daozhang trapped in the Human Sea Tactic with an amused expression, clearly feeling his aura rapidly waning, indicating the secret technique was about to fail. Though he said that, he dared not be careless, recalling his recent near‑capsize in the ditch, and warned:

"If you don't use your trump card now, I'll first take those two little things you care about and present them to Young Master Zhu!"

Seizing the moment Xuanqing Daozhang was inattentive, Kong Yuan Si let a swirl of black qi coalesce in his left hand behind his back, a spell of extreme lethality, ready to deliver a fatal blow the instant Xuanqing Daozhang showed any carelessness. He takes a twisted pleasure in watching others' dying struggles, yet he worries more about capsizing in the ditch.

He had already received one lesson; the horrific bloodied wound on his chest was that lesson in gore, and he didn't want a second.

Moreover.

Xuanqing Daozhang knew his identity; if he ever had a second chance to capsize in the ditch, Xuanqing Daozhang wouldn't even think about giving him another chance to live.

Xuanqing Daozhang ignored Kong Yuan Si's shouts, preparing to burn his refined blood and longevity essence for a desperate gamble; even if he couldn't slay Kong Yuan Si, he would create an escape chance for Le Zhuang and Wang Ping'an. Suddenly, from the corner of his eye he noticed something abnormal and exclaimed in shock:

"What—what—that is what?"

This novel you…

"It's now!"

Kong Yuan Si's eyes flashed with fleeting joy; at breakneck speed he unleashed the prepared spell from his left hand. The black shadows surrounding Xuanqing Daozhang were not destroyed but absorbed by the spell, amplifying its lethality. Seizing the pause in Xuanqing Daozhang's speech, a "Boom!" hurled Xuanqing Daozhang flying.

Pfft!

Xuanqing Daozhang spat a mouthful of fresh blood; his complexion turned deathly pale, devoid of any hue, his aura plummeting, becoming an extremely frail old man. He struggled to rise from the ground; had his long sword not been there to brace him, he would have collapsed.

Kong Yuan Si looked at Xuanqing Daozhang's condition and instantly saw that he was already suffering the backlash of his secret technique, and combined with the spell he just used, he was at the end of his strength. Raising his palm, he halted the black shadows preparing to attack Xuanqing Daozhang. Given Xuanqing Daozhang's state, even these shadows—some comparable to Golden Core cultivators, let alone ordinary ones—could take his life.

(End of Chapter)