Ex-Wife is a Big Villainess
Chapter 707 - 350: Masters Gather!_2

Chapter 707: Chapter 350: Masters Gather!_2

Zhong Yan turned his head and was about to step into the burial chamber.

Swish!

Qi Tianjun suddenly transformed into a streaking shadow, thrusting a palm toward Zhong Yan’s head.

"Sect Leader, please have mercy!"

Yun Wuqing was astonished and shouted urgently.

But before Qi Tianjun’s palm could descend, a mysterious force erupted from Zhong Yan’s body, repelling the attack.

Qi Tianjun stepped back two paces, shaking his numb arm lightly, and sneered, "As expected, you are not Zhong Yan. That boy’s talent is insufficient to cultivate such profound power. Who exactly are you?"

Yun Wuqing and the others were stunned upon hearing this.

They scrutinized Zhong Yan carefully; despite the ominous aura surrounding him, he didn’t seem like someone impersonating another.

"A person from the book, a ghost among men, truth and lies interwoven—how can you be certain that he isn’t the real Zhong Yan?"

Suddenly, a teasing voice drifted through the air.

As the atmosphere warped and twisted, a slender, otherworldly white-clad middle-aged man carrying an old, weathered erhu appeared before them.

The man’s eyes were blind, revealing blood-filled cavities.

"It’s you?"

Qu Hongling exclaimed in surprise.

This man was none other than the blind wanderer she, Jiang Shouzhong, and Yelü Miaomiao had encountered during their visit to Qiushi Mountain.

At the time, he had muttered peculiar and inexplicable words.

Qu Hongling had thought he was from Zhenxuan Mountain, but judging by his demeanor now, it was clearly not the case.

"Who are you!?"

Yun Wuqing summoned his longsword, asking coldly.

The erhu man raised his head to "look" at the Dharma Aspect of the Taoist Ancestor, a trace of desolation flickering on his handsome, pallid face: "I am merely a storyteller, or perhaps... a wild ghost etched into tales."

He pointed at Zhong Yan and chuckled, "Take him, for instance. Is he truly a living, breathing person, or merely a phantom created under my brush? To be precise, could he indeed be... a puppet?"

The erhu man slowly lifted his palm, fingers splayed open.

Zhong Yan’s body began moving involuntarily, revealing one vivid red string after another.

These crimson threads pierced through every inch of his skin, controlled by an unseen hand, rendering him a meticulous, lifeless puppet.

Everyone present was shocked by the sight.

Dugu Luoxue furrowed her brow, contemplated, and then said:

"I once read in the Heavenly Book Pavilion about a secret technique called ’Puppet Play.’ It’s said that this technique was created by Xuanyuan Shugui, one of the ’Novelists’ of All Schools.

He could extract fictional characters from his writings, refine them through Gu Worms, and implant them into others.

Thus, anyone afflicted would be under his absolute control, even transforming into characters from his stories, living lives dictated by his pen. Not even thousands of miles could escape this tether.

However, Xuanyuan Shugui, one of the three great Heavenly Human Realm cultivators of the previous dynasty, reportedly perished during a failed ascension, and this secret technique was lost..."

As she spoke, Dugu Luoxue’s gaze locked onto the erhu man, her eyes full of disbelief.

The others, including Qi Tianjun, were equally stunned.

The previous dynasty boasted three Heavenly Human Realm cultivators:

The first was Kumu Daoist, creator of the Lotus Ascension Vein; the second was Immortal Master Wu of the Yin Yang Sect; and the third was Xuanyuan Shugui, the wandering scribe who wrote legends across every corner of the world.

And the man before them was evidently the illustrious novelist—Xuanyuan Shugui.

All Schools, crafted through Xuanyuan Shugui’s pen.

Xuanyuan Shugui tilted his head toward the sky and sighed:

"After all these years, someone finally dares to attempt ascension. No wonder those two old relics couldn’t sit still and leaped out of their coffins to meddle again.

However, this time... can Zhao Wuxiu successfully ascend? Haha, this old man is quite looking forward to it.

But attempting ascension through Shura—such a crude method lacks dignity. Better to meet the Taoist Ancestor directly and ask for guidance..."

Xuanyuan Shugui suddenly amplified his tone, saying loudly: "Since everyone’s here, why don’t we all ask the Taoist Ancestor together? There’s no need to skulk in the shadows scheming against old friends."

As his words fell, lightning and thunder suddenly roared across the sky.

A thick fog began to envelop the surroundings.

"Haha, strategizing against old companions is your specialty, Xuanyuan Shugui."

A mocking voice echoed from the mountain forest.

A colorful Taoist robe-clad elderly man, jingling bells in hand, stepped forward leisurely.

It was none other than Kumu Daoist, one of the three Heavenly Human cultivators of the previous dynasty.

At his side was a young man—the eldest heir of the Su Family, Su Junyang.

"Everyone, be cautious!"

Seeing the obscuring mist, Qi Tianjun acted swiftly, retrieving a purple-gold miniature flag from his sleeve and tossing it into the air. The flag soared like an arrow.

It fragmented into dozens of small thumb-sized flags, scattering like stars, rapidly forming a massive protective barrier.

Qi Tianjun spread his figure, towering like a great roc shielding the entrance of the burial chamber.

Sweat beaded the old Sect Leader’s forehead.

Why had two of the previous dynasty’s great cultivators suddenly appeared in Zhenxuan Mountain?

Thankfully, Dugu Luoxue, a Feathered Transformation Realm expert, was present to help offset the threat.

Although these two were once Heavenly Human Realm cultivators, they now clung to half-lives, their strength greatly diminished—at most, comparable to the Feathered Transformation Realm.

"This Qi belongs to you to handle."

Kumu Daoist unceremoniously picked at his nose before scratching an exposed hole in his sock, turning lazily toward Xuanyuan Shugui: "I’ll act as your protector so Heaven Master Chou doesn’t sneak attack."

Xuanyuan Shugui chuckled: "I was hoping for just that."

Kumu Daoist rolled his eyes: "Fine, we’ll just wait here then. Depending on the Taoist Ancestor’s response, we’ll glare at each other afterward."

"Fair enough."

Xuanyuan Shugui, seemingly unhurried, echoed the sentiment.

He sat upon a rock and began playing his erhu.

When Yun Wuqing charged forth, Xuanyuan Shugui casually flexed his fingers, sending the now-controlled Zhong Yan—eyes glowing red—to intercept his master.

Kumu Daoist, seeing this, shook his bell further, cloaking every corner in fog.

Within the thick mist, invisible blades seemed to sneakily attack the gathered cultivators, and Qi Tianjun’s protective barrier soon began to crack.

Chaos erupted.

Dugu Luoxue guarded Qu Hongling carefully, her vigilance fixed on the two adversaries.

Amid the chaotic fog, a cry suddenly rang out: "Young Master! Are you alright?"

Qu Hongling flicked her sleeve to dispel the mist, revealing Fang Ziheng sprawled on the ground, his face ashen, with bloody wounds across his body. Even his White Smoke Sword now bore several jagged breaks.

Sharp Qi Blades continued to tear through the dense fog.

Fang Ziheng was clearly helpless.

Qu Hongling waved her hand, wielding the Phoenix Slaying Sword to fend off the Wind Blades.

At that moment, a ghostly hand suddenly emerged from the mist and seized Fang Ziheng’s attendant student by the collar.

"Young Master!"

The attendant cried out in panic as he was dragged out into the fog.

Qu Hongling instinctively reached out, but was blocked by the attacking Wind Blades.

Dugu Luoxue hesitated before elegantly twisting her wrist, surrounding herself with snowflakes that transformed into sharp blades, shredding the thick fog and vanquishing the ghostly hands one by one.

The attendant student tumbled to the ground.

Dugu Luoxue lightly tapped her toe, flashing over to the student’s side, shattering the encroaching mist once more.

But as she prepared to focus fully on confronting Kumu Daoist, her brows furrowed. She suddenly turned and struck out with a palm behind her.

Boom!

Dugu Luoxue was sent flying, crashing into a tree trunk, leaves spiraling downward in her wake.

She raised her head and looked toward her attacker.

It was the attendant student!

At this moment, the student stood in a strange posture, hovering eerily amidst the diffused fog like a kite drifting in the wind.

Dugu Luoxue gently wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, asking coldly: "Who are you?"

The attendant student’s pupils radiated alternating black-and-white light.

He stepped lightly onto the branch above, revealing a sinister grin: "I am... Heaven Master Chou."

Heaven Master Chou, founder of the Yin Yang Sect, advocate of Dual Cultivation.

Dugu Luoxue’s eyes narrowed, sensing clarity: "So the so-called Immortal Master of Minzhou City must be none other than you. Your performance along the way has been rather impressive."

"Indeed, it was I. Under certain circumstances, I had no choice but to disguise myself. Fortunately, I encountered a blockheaded protector; otherwise, this old man might truly have perished at the hands of those Mandala Gang fools."

The attendant student’s voice, now distorted, mixed youthful innocence with an elder’s undertone.

"Girl, you cultivate the ’Path of Abstinence,’ yet your Tao Heart is shattered. Why not fully embrace corruption? After all, throwing oneself into devastation could lead to rebirth, perhaps bringing unexpected gains.

I’ve observed you closely for quite some time. If you are willing to follow my ’Path of Extreme Joy Dual Cultivation,’ you’ll have a definite chance at ascension."

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