Chapter 86: Forbidden Art, the Proper Manner of a Leek
Several Immortal Officers from the Bureau of Immortal Inspection were also present, having just examined the bodies.
Gu Ruoxi wore a pink long dress. Her face was charming, her figure graceful and alluring, and every movement carried a faint fragrance.
Even she couldn’t help but frown and shake her head in pity.
Beside her, her partner Chu Dao said softly, “All these students died in the same way — their true qi and inner strength completely depleted, their meridians shriveled. Someone drained all their cultivation. Moreover, all of them came from distant prefectures, not from the capital. It seems someone chose them deliberately.”
“This kind of death resembles that caused by the Nether Cult’s forbidden art.”
“The Nether Cult’s forbidden art? Wasn’t it destroyed over a thousand years ago? Even the original manuscript was torn apart by His Majesty, the Great Ancestor Emperor, and burned in the copper furnace of the Martial Treasury. It was declared taboo — if any martial cultivator saw someone practicing it, they were to rise together and execute the heretic.” Gu Ruoxi frowned as she spoke.
“Who knows? But this drained appearance matches that art’s victims exactly — turning the inner energy and qi of others into nourishment to forge the Flesh and Blood Pill. I didn’t expect that, even under the eyes of the Son of Heaven, someone would dare to practice it. This successor of the forbidden art is far too arrogant.” Chu Dao couldn’t help but exclaim.
Zhou Yang, who served with the Chilin Guards, though somewhat brash in manner, was not without insight.
“You mean these students were killed by that forbidden art?” Hearing their conversation, he interjected.
“Very likely. But we’ll need further investigation to confirm.”
“Besides,” Chu Dao continued, “all the victims were students of the Martial Institute — geniuses from distant prefectures, one in ten thousand prodigies. They make the finest flesh and blood nourishment.”
The elders of the Martial Institute standing nearby furrowed their brows even tighter.
That forbidden art was something every martial cultivator knew of in legend.
The Nether Cult, though descending from the Path of Communion with the Netherworld, had produced countless brilliant figures over tens of thousands of years. Among them was a peerless genius who practiced both martial and shamanic arts. He created a technique known as the Grand Art of Transforming Beiming into a Human Pill.
As the name implied, “Beiming contains a fish, named Kun. The Kun devours all things and transforms into Heaven.”
The core of this technique lay in refining human flesh into nourishment — devouring the blood, qi, and inner energy of other martial cultivators and converting them into one’s own power.
When that forbidden art spread across the land, the world fell into an age of terror — martial cultivators everywhere feared for their lives.
Over a thousand years ago, the Great Ancestor Emperor of the Great Qian Dynasty rose to power, swept across a hundred nations, unified the realm, and established order. Only then did he destroy that wicked, malevolent art, burn it to ashes, and enshrine a decree forbidding its practice.
If anyone were found cultivating it, all cultivators under Heaven were permitted to rise and exterminate them together.
“If there truly exists a successor of the Grand Art of Transforming Beiming into a Human Pill, and he’s hiding here in the capital…”
The group exchanged grave looks.
Today they had found only three dead students — but what about tomorrow?
“Let’s not alert the culprit for now. We’ll report to our superiors first and begin a quiet investigation.”
“Anyone who cultivates that art would have a chaotic and turbulent inner qi. Though their progress is rapid, it’s not without side effects — they must often use various methods to suppress the inner demonic fire.”
“In general, those types tend to frequent pleasure establishments to vent their demonic urges. We should start watching such places…”
The Chilin Guards and the Bureau’s Immortal Officers discussed for a while before deciding to keep the matter secret to avoid public panic.
“Speaking of which,” one of them said, “someone who cultivates that forbidden art would advance incredibly fast and would also struggle to suppress that inner evil fire… doesn’t this all sound rather familiar?”
“And the corpses of these students — they were found just days after he returned to the capital.”
Suddenly, a voice rang out — one of the Martial Institute’s elders, his tone sharp with accusation.
Zhou Yang, Gu Ruoxi, and Chu Dao all turned toward him. They recognized him as Elder Tang Ya, a somewhat renowned cultivator of the Fifth Rank, Mountain-moving Realm.
Their expressions shifted slightly. Truth be told, they had all thought of the same person.
Didn’t all these signs point toward Shen Yanzhou?
That so-called Dragon-Elephant strength of his, and his sudden breakthrough into the Sixth Rank of the martial path — none of this had been seen before.
However, there had never been any deaths of this sort within the capital until now.
As for demonic beasts or monsters, none would dare act within the capital. Any trace of demonic qi would immediately be locked onto and exposed by the nation’s auspicious spirit bird.
“Elder Tang Ya, until the truth is clear, please watch your words.”
Gu Ruoxi, remembering that she still needed Shen Yanzhou to hand over the antidote to the Ten-Thousand Gu Heart-Piercing Pill, turned cold-faced and rebuked him. If something happened to him, she’d be in deep trouble as well.
“Heh, we’ll see once that fellow explains where his newfound cultivation came from,” Tang Ya snorted coldly. Slighted, he turned and left, visibly displeased.
Gu Ruoxi frowned. She still remembered the warning her Third Grandfather had given her a few days ago. The Bureau of Immortal Inspection had been busy lately, and she hadn’t yet gone to see Shen Yanzhou.
Now it seemed she had better find him soon — and subtly bring up this matter.
But then again… what if Shen Yanzhou really was the heir to that forbidden art?
……
Ten-Thousand-Mile Sword Court, Pure Pavilion, halfway up the mountain.
The pavilions and courtyards were elegant and ancient, with red walls and green tiles. A stream flowed gently beyond the bamboo fence, surrounded by fruit and vegetable patches — a tranquil, pastoral scene.
“Brother Shen Tian, what’s wrong with you? How can you recover…”
By the stream, a girl with twin ponytails sat on a bluestone, her white feet dipped into the water, holding a white jade bottle in her hands, murmuring softly.
As she spoke, a faint hazy light flickered within the jade bottle. Inside, a wisp of a soul, like blue smoke, gathered and dispersed intermittently, bound by the array patterns etched on the bottle so it would not be scattered by the wind.
That soul wisp bore a confused expression at first, then one of pain, struggle, ferocity, and hatred — as though all emotions of the living were playing out within it.
“This is a three-thousand-year-old Soul-Nurturing Lotus. There’s only one such plant left in the Main Pavilion. Without the Master’s token, it would’ve been impossible to obtain.”
Just then, a streak of light descended from the sky, transforming into a middle-aged beautiful woman.
The twin-tailed girl quickly ran up to her, eyes shining with joy. “Mother! Will Brother Shen Tian wake up this time?”
The middle-aged beauty smiled bitterly. “If even this three-thousand-year-old Soul-Nurturing Lotus doesn’t work, then there’s nothing more we can do.”
In her hands was a wooden box, still closed, but already releasing faint threads of fragrance that relaxed the pores, cleared the mind, and slightly strengthened the soul.
“He’ll definitely wake up.”
The twin-tailed girl clenched her small fists and comforted the wisp of soul in the bottle. “Brother Shen Tian, you’ll get better. You have to recover so you can defeat that enemy of yours — that Shen… something… Zhou.”
Buzz!
Suddenly, the void rippled with misty light, sacred and transcendent. From within, a tall figure in white robes, a sword at his side, stepped out.
“Lord Sword Immortal.”
“Master.”
The girl and the middle-aged beautiful woman hurriedly bowed upon seeing her. They had not expected Tantai Yuxian, who had been in seclusion for so long, to appear suddenly.
Tantai Yuxian’s brows were calm and distant, as though she had no emotions belonging to the mortal world. She swept a glance at the white jade bottle in the girl’s hands, and with a light motion, the bottle, along with the wooden box in the middle-aged woman’s hands, floated gently into her grasp.
Without offering any explanation, she turned and walked into the courtyard.
Moments later, within the pavilion, she personally acted, refining the Soul-Nurturing Lotus within the wooden box into drops of shimmering soul essence, letting them drip one by one into the white jade bottle.
The confused and hazy soul inside the bottle, nourished by the soul essence, gradually became clearer. The once-blurred figure gained definition, and the dazed look in its eyes slowly faded.
No one knew how much time passed — perhaps only an instant, or maybe half a day.
Shen Tian’s consciousness began to stir. The eyes of the soul became bright and alive.
He took in his surroundings, and fragments of broken memories flashed through his mind, causing him to groan in pain.
“Shen Yanzhou…”
Shen Tian nearly ground the name out between his teeth.
Tantai Yuxian stood by with the same calm, emotionless expression.
The twin-tailed girl and the middle-aged woman watched with excitement and relief.
“Thank you, Master, for saving me.”
Shen Tian knew he had lost many memories, yet he still remembered how he had ended up in this miserable state.
He took a deep breath. Everything he had experienced felt like going through reincarnation itself. He immediately bowed deeply in gratitude to Tantai Yuxian.
“I can only save you this once — and it will be the last time. From here on, you are on your own,” Tantai Yuxian said indifferently.
“This disciple understands. Without Master’s aid, I would have perished long ago at Shen Yanzhou’s hands.”
“This ordeal has brought me complete clarity. I now understand — I must never underestimate anyone again, nor allow carelessness.” Shen Tian clasped his fists and bowed respectfully.
Tantai Yuxian nodded, still expressionless, not showing the slightest comfort.
To save Shen Tian, even she had been drawn into karmic entanglement — a bitter consequence that Shen Tian would never comprehend.
“Shen Jingxiao, the Demon Suppression King, has already revealed the truth of the false and true heirs to the world. Soon, he will welcome the true heir back to the mansion.”
“What do you plan to do?” she asked coolly, passing on the news Shen Yanzhou had intended him to hear.
“I already know of this,” Shen Tian replied. “Though that body no longer belongs to me, I can still sense much through it.”
“In my dazed state, I caught faint glimpses of scenes through that body. I know my foster father has been deceived by Shen Yanzhou…” Shen Tian spoke with far greater composure than before.
Tantai Yuxian nodded lightly.
Shen Tian glanced at his own current state, eyes filled with resolve. “Destruction before rebirth — I intend to retrain that technique, to rebuild my body anew. With a different identity, I shall step once again into the capital of Great Qian and reclaim everything that is mine. Before that, I’ll let Shen Yanzhou bask in his arrogance for a while longer.”
He understood the situation now — by strength alone, he could not defeat Shen Yanzhou.
Even his Master, the Sword Immortal, had once been suppressed by that inexplicable and terrifying power of Shen Yanzhou’s, forced to abandon a strand of her soul to protect him.
Even if he now managed to send word to Shen Jingxiao about his condition, it would likely do no good.
Shen Yanzhou had the means to completely annihilate him — body and soul alike.
Perhaps because he had already died once, Shen Tian was now far more cautious.
“Since you have the resolve to break before you stand again, I can rest assured.”
“This time, you must rely entirely on yourself. You know my current situation — I can do nothing against Shen Yanzhou.”
Tantai Yuxian nodded again.
With that, her figure dissolved into a rain of light, drifting away toward the pavilion atop the mountain peak.
“Shen Yanzhou, this debt between us — I will make you pay it in full.”
Shen Tian took a deep breath, steadied himself, then turned toward the girl and the middle-aged woman beside him, a faint look of guilt on his face. “Qiao’er, Wet Nurse, I’ve made you worry during this time…”
……
From Shen Tian came a surge of negative emotions: +33, +35, +37…
Now that was more like it — exactly how a proper leek should be.
Shen Yanzhou once again sensed this sudden flood of potent negative emotion.
He could now exchange for one more basic attribute point.
“Deep Blue, assist me.”
Leaving two points in reserve, he added the newly gained one directly into the True Explanation of Primordial Unity.
First Realm (16/16).
It was finally perfected. His martial and daoist cultivation simultaneously reached the peak of the Sixth Rank — the foundation of the Primordial Unity had taken full shape.
“The second realm of the True Explanation of Primordial Unity is called Ten Thousand Transformations Returning to Flow.”
“In this realm, the practitioner strengthens the embryo of chaos, compressing and condensing the Breath of Primordial Chaos into the higher form of Primordial True Liquid, thus beginning to simulate and evolve external techniques, and opening the complete Primordial Circulation of Qi...”
“The so-called simulation of external techniques represents the true essence of Primordial Unity — as three gives birth to all things, every supernatural art or secret technique I witness can be simulated in this realm. Its power, compared to the original, depends on my comprehension. In a sense, it encompasses all things.”
Of course, that was already part of the advanced stage of the second realm.
Shen Yanzhou estimated that once he perfected this realm, both his martial and daoist cultivation would reach the pinnacle of the Second Rank.
By then, relying on the overwhelming might of the True Explanation of Primordial Unity, he would stand at the very peak of the present world — truly invincible.
As for the third realm within the True Explanation of Primordial Unity, that was another level entirely — one that required enduring the so-called “Nine Tribulations.”
He wondered whether the existence of his panel system might exempt him from such calamities.
But that wasn’t something he needed to worry about for now.
“Master Shen, bad news…”
Outside Emerald Bamboo Courtyard, Elder Mo’s anxious voice rang out. Bound by Yu Chenyu’s rules, he dared not enter directly and instead sent a few maids to announce his arrival.
Shen Yanzhou stepped out of his room and into the courtyard, his brow furrowed slightly. “What’s the matter? Why the panic?”
“Several Immortal Officers from the Bureau of Immortal Inspection have arrived. They say they must take you for questioning.”
“I heard it may have something to do with the Martial Institute students who died today.” Elder Mo’s face was full of worry.
Several clan elders of the mansion were already present, accompanying the Immortal Officers with smiles and polite words — though their tone held faint traces of schadenfreude.
“Their deaths have nothing to do with me. The Bureau of Immortal Inspection oversees immortal sects across the realm — even if there’s an investigation, it shouldn’t be them, but the Chilin Guards, shouldn’t it?” Shen Yanzhou frowned.
“Miss Gu Ruoxi is among them,” Elder Mo said.
At those words, Shen Yanzhou immediately understood. It must be Gu Ruoxi seeking him — using the Bureau’s investigation merely as an excuse.