Inside the county yamen, a heavy voice rang out, sneering: "The Imperial Preceptor of the Everpeace Empire manipulates the emperor to command all sects; the great sects have suffered under him for too long! Gao Jude, the magistrate of Embankton County, plays the traitor, willingly serving as the Preceptor's eyes and ears—his death is more than deserved!"
At the inn, Quinn Shepherd frowned. "The county magistrate died that fast? My first time leaving the Great Ruins, and I run into this mess—what rotten luck! Granny Sue was right: people outside really are fiercer than those in the Great Ruins. Our folks are much kinder. By the way, what rank is a county magistrate? Is he stronger than a second-rank Prefect?"
Official ranks in the Everpeace Empire are divided into nine grades and eighteen steps, all determined by status and cultivation. Some sect leaders or patriarchs have immense power and are appointed to high office; others with lesser cultivation become feudal lords, while some govern regional counties and districts.
For example, Muk Beifeng of the Lijiang Sword Sect is the top expert in the southern border, so he was appointed as a second-rank Prefect—a very formidable position.
Lina the Spirit Fox woke up, hurriedly casting a spell. A whirling demon wind blew out through the window lattice. Quinn snatched up a pillow, tossed it in the air, and the wind carried it aloft. Lina instantly leapt onto the pillow, puzzled: "Young Master, are they really going to kill all the townsfolk just for a rebellion? That shouldn't threaten us, right?"
Quinn jumped out the window. Before he hit the ground, a gust of demon wind swept beneath his feet. The boy quickly stepped onto the wind, sprinting madly toward the city outskirts. He said rapidly, "My sword is the Grand Guardian's Sword—a court blade for first-rank officials. If these rebels discover it, I'm dead for sure! Besides, 'a gentleman does not stand under a crumbling wall.' Since they're rebelling, they won't let townsfolk leave. If we stay, we'll be trapped in the city. When the Everpeace army arrives, how many will survive? The Cult of the Corpse Immortal practices corpse-refining arts."
Lina couldn't help but shiver.
Quinn's last sentence was truly terrifying.
The Cult of the Corpse Immortal uses corpses for cultivation—which means, if the Everpeace army comes to suppress the revolt, all the townsfolk, no matter their status, could be refined into Flying Corpses!
By now, chaos had erupted across Embankton County. Shouts of killing rang everywhere. The Cult of the Corpse Immortal had come prepared: first they dumped their own refined Flying Corpses upstream to block Embankton's dam, then split up and infiltrated the city.
When night fell, the Cult Master of the Corpse Immortal Cult led the corpses into the yamen, killing the magistrate first.
Although the county magistrate of Embankton was also a skilled cultivator with formidable powers, he was caught off guard by the ambush and could only lose his head.
Meanwhile, other experts from the Cult of the Corpse Immortal rushed to the four city gates, slaughtering the county's soldiers, while the Cult Master led more to execute the assistant magistrate, county captain, and chief scribe, leaving the defenders leaderless.
Though Embankton still had skilled fighters, without anyone to command them, each fought alone. The Corpse Immortal Cult arranged yellow talisman papers in formation, forging crisscrossing aerial roads for mutual support. With this slaughter, their victory was assured!
"The Cult Master has ordered: Seal the city! No one is to escape!" came a shout from within.
Quinn had sensed danger early. Lina summoned her demon wind, and he rode the wind, one boy and one fox about to fly out of the assistant magistrate's office, when suddenly a sword rang out. Without looking back, Quinn had his fish-dragon spirit spit out the Grand Guardian's Sword, which shot backward to strike!
Ding! A crisp sound rang out. The flying sword that stabbed from behind split in two, but the Grand Guardian's Sword didn't slow down—it pierced through layers of yuanqi threads, drove into the chest of the black-robed Daoist stepping on yellow talisman paper, and nailed him to a flagpole!
That disciple of the Corpse Immortal Cult had tried to ambush him from behind, but Quinn, trained since childhood by Grandpa Blind to 'hear the wind and know the positions,' could not be fooled by the direction of the sword or the attacker's stance.
His opponent struck to kill; Quinn countered, their qi intertwining. The Grand Guardian's Sword stabbed his foe—almost as a reflex, a habit honed since childhood.
The demon wind carried boy and fox out of the city, only for a voice to ring out: "Senior Brother Gavin Haines, someone escaped—and killed Little Junior Brother!"
"Little Junior Brother?"
A shocked and furious voice echoed from the city: "How could you be so careless? How could you let Little Junior Brother take such a risk himself? How am I supposed to explain this to the Cult Master? Hold the city—I’ll go kill him myself!"
Quinn’s foot faltered, and the demon wind instantly shattered. Lina dropped the pillow and leapt onto Quinn’s pack, then dove inside.
"Little Junior Brother? Could he be the Cult Master's son?"
Quinn hit the ground and sprinted off, thinking, "Or maybe he’s just a regular disciple..."
Lina’s demon wind was handy, but couldn’t match Quinn’s running speed. Besides, flying in the air made it hard to hide, while running on the ground let him use the forest for cover, making it harder for enemies to catch up.
Suddenly, clusters of flames rose and turned into firebirds flying through the air, lighting up the sky as bright as day—these were spells cast by cultivators.
Quinn looked up to see firebirds soaring overhead, followed by yellow talisman papers fluttering through the air, spreading out to form a path.
These yellow talisman papers were rectangular strips about the size of a foot; people could walk on them.
"Divine Firmament Heaven Eye—open!"
Yuanqi array patterns spun in Quinn's pupils as the Divine Firmament Heaven Eye opened. He glanced back and saw Flying Corpses hopping along the airborne yellow talisman papers, moving through the sky.
The yellow talisman papers split into two lines, and the Flying Corpses split into two columns. More talisman papers appeared, dividing into four lines, with the Flying Corpses also splitting into four groups to search in all directions. Behind the talismans, a young Daoist with a long sword casket walked, the lid open as sheets of talisman paper flew out, paving the way ahead—surely Senior Brother Gavin Haines, as the cultists called him.
He walked on the talisman papers in midair. Each time he lifted his foot, the paper beneath him would fly back into the sword casket, while another sheet emerged to catch his next step.
The reason each talisman paper returned to the casket must be that its yuanqi was spent after a single use and needed to be recharged inside the casket.
[This chapter isn't finished yet~.~ Please click next page to continue reading!]
He walked forward, and his speed was far from slow.
Quinn's heart sank. This was a cultivator who had opened the Six Directions Treasury—there was little chance he could escape such a pursuit!
Between the Six Directions Treasury and the Spirit Embryo stage lay another realm: the Five Luminaries Treasury.
For three years, Quinn had cultivated diligently. After his Spirit Embryo awakened four times recently, he had reached the peak of the Spirit Embryo stage, but still couldn't touch the Five Luminaries Treasury.
There was a two-realm gap between him and Gavin in the sky—a gulf that could not be crossed.
From Gavin Haines’s techniques, it was clear he possessed a Vermilion Bird Spirit Body and specialized in fire-based spells. The sword casket on his back meant he practiced sword arts, but since talisman papers—not swords—shot out from the casket, he must use sword arts to control the talismans.
The talisman papers flew out and returned in perfect order, keeping a dozen Flying Corpses airborne while the young Daoist walked on talismans overhead—a testament to his superb swordsmanship.
Moreover, the talisman papers surely did more than just maintain flight. Each was inscribed with runes in cinnabar and fresh blood, making every sheet a formidable weapon!
"If I had Grandpa Mark’s Tathagata Seal or Grandpa Blind’s Ninefold Heaven Eye Art, I’d have the confidence to fight him. But I don’t..."
Suddenly, a Flying Corpse swooped down, chasing after him at high speed. Quinn sprinted ahead as more Flying Corpses gave chase. They weren’t truly flying—Gavin’s talisman papers kept appearing beneath their feet, supporting them in midair, letting them run, fight, and giving the illusion of flight.
When the Flying Corpses landed, they burst into a sprint, moving so fast they outpaced even martial artists!
Lina poked her head out of the pack, blew a gust, and demon wind whipped up—sending invisible wind-blade scimitars slashing at the Flying Corpses!
A series of clangs rang out. Lina jumped in surprise—the Flying Corpses’ bodies were so tough that her spells had no effect.
Quinn frowned. The Flying Corpses were far tougher than he was—like humanoid spirit weapons!
He made a snap decision and activated the Rain-Calling Art. Clouds billowed overhead, and rain began to fall in a steady drizzle.
"Lina, boost the wind!"
Lina understood instantly and cast her spell. Quinn spun and swept his arm, sending streams of rainwater shooting backward as water swords. The wild wind whipped the rain, amplifying the spell's power and driving the water swords into the charging Flying Corpses!
A series of metallic clangs rang out as their combined magic surged. Water swords pierced the Flying Corpses' tough hides, turning five pursuers into riddled husks!
But the Flying Corpses seemed oblivious, still charging ahead. Nothing could make them dodge—trees and rocks were smashed to debris in their path!
"If piercing you like a sieve won't kill you, then I'll just smash you to pieces!"
Quinn kept driving the Rain-Calling Art, while Lina summoned more gales. The Flying Corpses behind them grew even more tattered, limbs breaking apart. Just then, a blazing firebird soared from behind, erupting in flames that engulfed a ten-yard radius, instantly dispelling their magic!
Quinn and Lina grunted as their spells shattered. The backlash of yuanqi sent both boy and fox reeling, their blood surging.
"You dare try to kill the Cult Master's son from the Corpse Immortal Cult? Are you cursed or what?"
Gavin Haines sped through the air as Flying Corpses dove at Quinn from above, while five more howled from the ground!