‘As expected, the aura of these two black-robed men is very similar to the Yin Corpse Sect’s cultivation method.’
Zhang Qishan looked at these two corpses and muttered in his heart.
‘But why would these two people come to our Sword Control Sect just for the corpses of the previous Sword Masters?’ He wondered in his heart.
Immediately after, he shook his head and denied the thoughts in his heart.
‘No, it’s not possible. The Yin Corpse Sect usually uses living people for the Corpse Refining Technique. They’re just corpses. Why would they want to take such a big risk?
‘This matter needs to be discussed later.’
With many questions on his mind, Zhang Qishan led the elders back to the Sword Control Sect.
At this time, the Black Cave Cliff had suffered great damage after a big battle in the Sword Control Sect. Fortunately, the two black-robed men did not really go to the graves of the previous sword masters because of the restrictions.
Currently, the elders were busy cleaning up the ruins with their disciples and repairing the cliff walls of the Black Cave Cliff.
“Elder Du, where’s your disciple? Why isn’t he helping?”
A bearded man asked as he walked up to Elder Du, who was controlling the plants and decorating the cliff walls.
This man was the elder of the Deacon Hall.
“Wu Ye? Now that you mention it, you’re right. I saw him just now. How come he disappeared after such a short while?” Elder Du looked around and shook his head.
Elder Du remembered that Wu Ye liked to stroll around. He said with a smile, “That kid might’ve gone back first, thinking that these things are too troublesome.”
Hearing this answer, the big bearded man was a little unhappy. He tried to persuade him, “Old Du, I don’t mean to criticize you, but you should at least discipline your disciple. He loafs around all day and doesn’t do his job properly. Now, he doesn’t even want to clean the old ancestor’s grave. He has forgotten his ancestors several times. He doesn’t have any sense of sect honor at all.”
Elder Du immediately blew his beard and glared at the bearded man. He retorted, “Old Fan, you’ve gone a bit too far with your words. Think about where the high-quality pills you’re eating came from. They all came from the spirit plants that Wu Ye has carefully nurtured for many years.
“Moreover, it was Wu Ye who wandered around the sect and picked up the fourth-grade Spirit Ascension Pill. It has greatly improved the Alchemy Hall elders’ pill refining skills. This is all actually Wu Ye’s contribution to the sect!”
The Alchemy Hall’s elders heard their conversation and agreed with Elder Du’s words.
Seeing this, Elder Fan tugged at his thick beard and walked to the side. He stopped arguing.
However, deep down, he insisted on his own thoughts.
Whether it was the crisis on the Black Cave Cliff or the incident at the demon-slaying tower, one could see that the cultivation world was extremely dangerous.
“He doesn’t work hard in cultivation and never fights with others. No matter how talented he is, what can he do in this cruel cultivation world? How long can he live?”
Elder Fan shook his head and stopped paying attention to Wu Ye’s matter. He began to instruct the other disciples to tidy up the mountain rocks.
…
Meanwhile, Wu Ye, who became the subject of the conversation, had just returned to the herb garden.
In the attic, he was lying comfortably on a chair. He was staring at the scenery outside the window in a daze, but his thoughts were starting to wander.
‘The top five sword sects of the Northern Spirit Realm—Ten Thousand Sword Sect, Lingxiao Palace, Sword Control Sect, Purple Glow Mountain, and Sky Cloud Sect.
‘Among these sword sects, the Ten Thousand Sword Sect and Lingxiao Palace are the strongest. There are many powerful cultivators in these sects, and there are even a few Soul Formation cultivators. A group of old monsters from 800 years ago are in charge, and they are considered top forces.
‘As for the Sword Control Sect, Purple Glow Mountain, and Sky Cloud Sect, they started to decline 500 years ago. They can only be considered as second-rate forces, and their overall strength is about the same.
‘Now, the overall strength of the Sword Control Sect has improved a lot. Compared to the time when they fought with the Blood Soul Demon Master in the demon-slaying tower, Zhang Qishan’s performance this time can fight against several Nascent Soul cultivators without being at a disadvantage.
‘The last time was the Ghost Spirit Sect, and this time, it’s the Yin Corpse Sect. It seems that the demon sect has become a bit restless.
‘Moreover, there’s a treasure that has been circulating for the past few years. It’s about the secret of breaking through the Cavern of Mystery…
‘If I can go to the Yin Corpse Sect for a stroll, I might have some unexpected gains.’
A trace of fire flashed in Wu Ye’s eyes as he thought to himself.
Anyhow, even if there was a problem with the treasure, he could still obtain other inheritances when he signed in at the Yin Corpse Sect. Hence, he would not be at a disadvantage regardless.
However, before he left, he took care of the spirit plants in the herb garden. It was enough to last until he returned.
…
In the mountain forest.
There was a shabby temple on the mountain.
It was drizzling outside the temple.
At this moment, a group of men who called themselves chivalrous was resting in the temple.
“Sigh, it’s really hard to walk the mountain path after the rain!”
A young man with a long sword that had a jade pendant hanging on his waist complained.
“We didn’t bring rain gear. It’s ridiculous.”
Another short-haired man who was lighting a fire mocked himself in annoyance.
“The weather on Huaiyin Mountain changes so quickly. The sun was still rising high before we went up the mountain, but now it’s covered with dark clouds.”
“Haha, I didn’t expect it to rain like this. We’re too down and out.”
“Alright, stop chatting. Take off your clothes and dry them,” the oldest man with a ponytail reminded them.
The six of them nodded. They put their clothes on a tree branch to dry.
“Who knows how long the rain will last? My body is sticky. When the rain stops, why don’t we go back?”
A timid-looking young man could not stand such a harsh environment, so he tried to persuade them.
“I want to go back too. I just want to lie at home and take a bath in a tub full of herbs.”
A young man beside him nodded and began to imagine the beautiful life at home.
“Before you came, you two were the happiest. Now that you’ve encountered some difficulties, are you going to give up?”
“Since you have the intention of being a knight, we’ll go down the mountain after we finish dealing with that monster hidden in the mountain!” The oldest man with a ponytail said solemnly.
The other five looked at each other and nodded vigorously, indicating that they would not back down.
However, just as they finished speaking, two eerie cries suddenly sounded.
“Caw—”
“Caw—”
A crow’s cries came from the withered trees behind the temple.
At this moment, the six people in the temple did not dare to make a sound. They slowed down their movements and sat quietly by the bonfire, but their eyes rested outside the temple.
The small, shabby temple in the mountain forest was blocked by huge rocks.
It was already evening. The dead trees in the surroundings, along with the crows’ cries, made the place look unusually gloomy.
As time passed, the sky gradually darkened.
Wisps of black smoke could be vaguely seen floating out of the mountain forest.
Soon, the ghostly qi filled the air like an invisible hand slowly enveloping the entire temple.