Chapter 212: Zhengyang Sect

The Black Shadow slowly turned; behind its mask, a pair of icy eyes stared directly at Jiangnan and the two others.

A chill rose from her feet as Xia Yurou felt the cold; she clutched Jiangnan's hem tightly, her body trembling slightly.

Feng Ying's complexion grew even paler; she felt her heart about to leap out.

"You shouldn't have come here," the Black Shadow's voice was low and hoarse, bearing an undeniable authority.

His voice seemed to come from the depths of hell, sending a shiver down one's spine.

Jiangnan narrowed his eyes, staring at the Black Shadow's mask, a hint of doubt flashing in his mind.

"Who are you?" Jiangnan's voice remained calm, revealing no emotional shift.

He was not frightened by the Black Shadow's aura; instead, his curiosity about the other's identity grew.

The Black Shadow gave no reply; it simply stared quietly at Jiangnan, as if scrutinizing him.

"Your movement bears the shadow of Zhengyang Sect," Jiangnan said slowly, his tone carrying a hint of affirmation.

He sensed a familiar aura in the Black Shadow's recent motions, the distinctive style unique to Zhengyang Sect.

Xia Yurou and Feng Ying were instantly bewildered by the remark; they had no idea what Zhengyang Sect was.

"Zhengyang Sect? You actually know about Zhengyang Sect?" the Black Shadow's voice carried a trace of surprise, its tone wavering slightly.

He seemed not to have expected anyone could recognize his identity.

Jiangnan's gaze deepened; he said slowly, "It seems you truly are of Zhengyang Sect."

"How do you know Zhengyang Sect?" the Black Shadow asked, its tone full of doubt, its curiosity about Jiangnan's identity growing.

"Zhengyang Sect was once a renowned orthodox sect in the cultivation world, famed across the lands for its swordsmanship and body techniques, but it vanished without a trace a hundred years ago."

Jiangnan spoke slowly, his voice tinged with a hint of reminiscence.

He had once read records of Zhengyang Sect in an ancient tome, so he was not unfamiliar with it.

"How did you learn that? Few should know about Zhengyang Sect's affairs," the Black Shadow said, its tone full of doubt.

He hadn't expected anyone to know Zhengyang Sect's history, which shocked him greatly.

"I once saw records of Zhengyang Sect in an ancient book," Jiangnan said lightly, without revealing his true identity.

"An ancient book? It seems you too are a person with a story," the Black Shadow's tone softened, no longer as cold as before.

"My name is Li Chengfeng, the last heir of Zhengyang Sect," the Black Shadow said slowly, his voice bearing a hint of helplessness.

He finally lowered his guard, voluntarily introducing his name to Jiangnan.

"Zhengyang Sect still has descendants," Jiangnan thought inwardly, never expecting to meet its heir here.

"I came to Heifeng Mountain this time to investigate Qijiu Sect's secret scheme," Li Chengfeng continued, his tone turning serious.

"Qijiu Sect's secret scheme?" Jiangnan's brows furrowed slightly; he hadn't expected Qijiu Sect to have other plans.

"Qijiu Sect uses Glowing Mushroom to absorb nutrients from corpses, cultivating even stronger evil entities; their goal is to use these entities to strengthen themselves," Li Chengfeng said, his tone full of anger.

"They are so heartlessly insane!" Xia Yurou spat, her voice brimming with fury.

"These Glowing Mushrooms are not treasures for cultivation at all; they are tools Qijiu Sect uses to harm others," Feng Ying said angrily, her voice tinged with resentment.

"Members of Qijiu Sect use Lao Zhang to lure others, then kill them, using the corpses to cultivate Glowing Mushrooms—how despicable!" Li Chengfeng continued, his voice filled with murderous intent.

"Lao Zhang? So it's him! I originally thought he was a good person," Xia Yurou exclaimed, her voice full of disbelief.

"Indeed, he is a member of Qijiu Sect," Li Chengfeng nodded, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness.

"It seems he had his sights on us from the start," Jiangnan's gaze grew colder; he finally understood why that old man had voluntarily told him about the Glowing Mushrooms.

"How did you discover this place?" Li Chengfeng asked, his tone showing a hint of curiosity.

"We were also led here by Lao Zhang," Jiangnan said lightly, without concealment.

"It seems we've all fallen into Qijiu Sect's trap," Li Chengfeng sighed, his tone bearing a hint of helplessness.

"Then, let's join forces to deal with Qijiu Sect," Jiangnan suggested, his tone carrying a hint of resolve.

"Team up?" Li Chengfeng's brows furrowed slightly, as if hesitating.

"Qijiu Sect's strength cannot be underestimated; fighting alone makes it hard to defeat them—only by joining forces do we have a chance to overcome them," Jiangnan continued, his tone sincere.

"Alright, I agree," Li Chengfeng nodded, knowing Jiangnan was right—that only by joining forces could they have a chance to defeat Qijiu Sect.

"Then let's leave here first and plan carefully," Jiangnan said, his tone calm.

"Fine," Li Chengfeng nodded; he knew it was not the time for a direct clash with Qijiu Sect, and they needed to discuss matters at length.

"Let's go," Jiangnan said, leading the way out of the cave.

Xia Yurou and Feng Ying clung tightly behind Jiangnan, their hearts full of worry, uncertain of what would happen next.

Li Chengfeng followed closely, his gaze resolute; he would avenge Zhengyang Sect and stop Qijiu Sect's plot.

The four left the cave and arrived at the foot of Heifeng Mountain.

The Black Fog still shrouded the entire mountain, creating an oppressive atmosphere.

"What should we do next?" Xia Yurou asked, her voice tinged with bewilderment.

"First we find a place to rest, then we discuss a plan," Jiangnan said, his tone calm.

"Alright," Xia Yurou nodded; she knew it wasn't time for panic—they needed to calm down to find a way to counter Qijiu Sect.

"I know a place where we can rest temporarily," Li Chengfeng said, his tone confident.

"Then let's go," Jiangnan said, leading toward the direction Li Chengfeng indicated.

According to Li Chengfeng, this was a settlement he had built over recent days, capable of shielding against the Black Fog's intrusion.

As for why he chose to oppose Qijiu Sect, Jiangnan was also curious.

Although Zhengyang Sect was once a prestigious orthodox school, it had declined. Li Chengfeng didn't aim to revive the sect; why then did he take action against Qijiu Sect?