Chapter 319: The Path of the Heretical Cultivator

"City Lord... what did you just say?" Everyone stared at Qinglong City Lord, searching his face for any hint of jest.

What kind of joke was this? Was there truly something in this world that even Sheng Shan dared not provoke?

Even the legendary Four Secret Places—though powerful—could only stand as equals to Sheng Shan. They were far from being something Sheng Shan would fear.

"You don't think I'm joking," Qinglong City Lord sighed. "Have you any idea what this Lu Xiao Langjun did just days ago in Sheng Cheng?"

A ripple of unease passed through the crowd. The mention of Sheng Cheng stirred memories of the City Lord’s earlier words.

They all knew—within the City Lord’s residence, there was a sacred artifact capable of instant, seamless communication across thousands of miles, connecting directly to Sheng Cheng. Clearly, the City Lord had just received news of grave importance.

"Shortly after Heaven and Earth Dao Yin rang out," Qinglong City Lord continued, "this Lu Xiao Langjun triggered a Jie Yun within Sheng Cheng, enduring nine trials of Jie Lei. He achieved Tian Di Bian Hua, becoming the first cultivator in Qi Lu Fu Su's era to successfully pass through the Heavenly Tribulation. Afterward, he slaughtered numerous monks from the Xuan Kong Shan lineage. Even the Third Holy Lord, who intervened, was defeated by his blade. He left the entire Sheng Cheng in awe—no one dared challenge him. And Sheng Shan itself took no action against him."

A pause hung in the air.

The first cultivator since Tian Di Bian Hua to pass the Tribulation...

Slain the Xuan Kong Shan monks...

Defeated the Third Holy Lord...

Each sentence sent a shiver through the hearts of the gathered Xian Tian Jing Qiang Zhe. The final line—defeating the Third Holy Lord—left them utterly stunned.

For the Three Holy Lords above Sheng Shan were, in their eyes, near-untouchable, invincible forces. To hear that one of them had been bested by a mere boy? It defied belief.

"City Lord," someone finally asked, voice trembling, "are you serious? That young man is just a boy! How could he possess such terrifying power?"

"You just witnessed it yourself," Qinglong City Lord replied. "Look at Qi Jia Lao Da. His cultivation level was on par with many of you. Yet he was crushed like a pancake in an instant. What kind of power is that? Can any of you even begin to resist it?"

The memory of Lu Qing’s bizarre, overwhelming technique silenced them. Not only could they not fight back—but they hadn’t even understood what power he used.

"And let's not forget," the City Lord added, "even his master, that elderly man you saw earlier, is no ordinary being. In the past, he once unleashed a Sword Qi Domain on Sheng Shan’s peak. Its power was so overwhelming that even the greatest masters from the Four Secret Places were left in awe. They called it Xian Tian—the only one who could stand unchallenged beneath the realm of Xian Tian Wan Man!"

Sword Qi Domain...

The word hung in the air like a storm.

The Domain—a realm beyond reach for most. A Sword Qi Domain, among all the types, was considered the deadliest of them all. The very idea that such a man had been standing quietly in their midst, unremarkable, yet capable of such devastation...

At last, the truth dawned on the elite.

Now they understood why the City Lord had bowed so deeply earlier. Facing such a being—someone who had slain Xuan Kong Shan monks and defeated a Holy Lord—they had no choice but to humble themselves.

If this man turned angry, not even the City Lord could protect them. They might all be wiped out without a trace.

The lingering disdain they’d once felt toward Qinglong City Lord vanished instantly. Instead, a quiet gratitude took its place. Thank the heavens he held his ground. If they had provoked this young man recklessly, they would have doomed themselves.

"City Lord," one of them asked, "what should we do now?"

"First, investigate Qi Jia thoroughly," Qinglong City Lord said coldly. "Feng Zhou Plague—Sheng Shan already had doubts. The outbreak was too sudden, too unexplained. Now it's clear—someone was tampering with it behind the scenes."

The crowd turned to the lifeless bodies of Qi Jia’s Xian Tian Jing cultivators. The order was clear. Qi Jia was finished.

No matter if they were guilty or not, once they had drawn the wrath of that man, the City Lord would never allow them to survive.

"Ji Jia Zhu," Qinglong City Lord said, "Hu Lao San said your Young Master An holds proof that Qi Jia started the plague. Retrieve it yourself. The rest of you—come with me to Qi Jia. Seize the remaining members."

The City Lord wasted no time. With a decisive command, he set the plan in motion.

"Yes, understood," the others replied in unison. No one dared oppose him.

Especially not the cultivators who had long resented Qi Jia’s arrogance. The family had ruled the city with brute strength, bullying every other faction in their path. Now, watching their fall, many couldn’t help but feel exhilaration.

Ji Jia Zhu led his family’s cultivators, following the note left by Hu Lao San, to fetch his youngest son. The rest marched behind Qinglong City Lord in a thunderous display of force, heading straight for Qi Jia’s estate.

…

"Back then," Hu Lao San recounted, walking beside Lu Qing, "Ji San Gongzi must have been spotted by Qi Jia’s people. He said he’d been marked with Zhang Qi Yin Ji. Once inside the city, he risked exposure—and worse, spreading the plague to the citizens. So he had to hide outside. I was on duty at the City Gate when a child suddenly shoved a letter into my hands. I thought I was careful… but Qi Wen Zheng came storming in just after I read it. I don’t know where I slipped up."

As the elite cultivators advanced toward Qi Jia, Lu Qing and his companions made their way toward the City Gate.

Along the way, Hu Lao San told them everything that had happened before their arrival. After taking the medicine from Old Doctor, his wounds had healed significantly—he was nearly back to full health.

"Plague…" Lu Qing murmured, deep in thought.

After a long silence, he spoke. "The fact that Qi Jia discovered you… it wasn’t your fault. The problem lies in that letter."

"Letter?" Hu Lao San frowned.

"Yes. If Ji San Gongzi truly was marked with Zhang Qi Yin Ji, then anything he touched would carry a faint trace of plague aura. Though weak, if Qi Jia possessed a spiritual artifact or a detection technique, and came close enough, they could sense it."

"A spiritual artifact?" Hu Lao San looked even more confused.

"You can think of it as a tool imbued with special power," Lu Qing explained. "But it’s likely not a powerful one—otherwise, the Qi Jia man who confronted you earlier would’ve used it."

Lu Qing paused, his expression darkening.

Based on Hu Lao San’s account, the situation was far worse than it seemed.

Zhang Qi Yin Ji—this was no ordinary mark. Only true heretical cultivators, those who had mastered forbidden arts, could produce such a seal.

Earlier, Lu Qing had only learned from Qi Jia Lao Da’s note that Qi Jia had caused the plague in Feng Zhou. But the method remained unknown.

Now, with this revelation, something felt deeply wrong.

"Ma Ye," Lu Qing suddenly called out, "stop the carriage."

Ma Gu brought the carriage to a halt.

"A Qing? What’s wrong?" Old Doctor asked.

"Master," Lu Qing said, voice grave, "if Ji San Gongzi truly bears Zhang Qi Yin Ji, this is far more serious than we thought."

"Heretical cultivation?" Old Doctor’s face paled.

He had seen the information jade slips Lu Qing had carved for him—ancient records detailing various cultivation paths. Among them was the truth about heretical cultivators.

They were not just dangerous. They were harbingers of disaster.

"Are you saying… a heretic is hiding in Qi Jia?" Old Doctor’s voice trembled.

If true, a heretic living among the city’s people was a catastrophe in the making. The entire population would be at risk.

"No," Lu Qing shook his head. "He’s not in the city."

He was certain.

After achieving Xian Tian Jing and transforming his Shen Hun Fu Lu into Yang Fu, Lu Qing’s spiritual soul power had grown to a level that even the most powerful Xian Tian Jing could only gaze up in awe. If a heretic were truly hiding in the city, he would have sensed it instantly.

Moreover, heretical cultivators who specialized in plague and poison were themselves walking disasters. They couldn’t stay in crowded places for long—any prolonged exposure would leak their aura, spreading the plague and drawing attention. In a city filled with so many cultivators, such a presence would be impossible to hide.

The heretic, most likely, was hiding outside the city—waiting, training in secret.

Lu Qing’s eyes narrowed.

"Hu Uncle, do you remember where Master Ji's third son was hiding?"

Hu Lao San blinked. "Of course I do. But I already told Ji Jia Zhu the location."

"Too late now," Lu Qing said. "We must go—before it’s too late. I fear for his life."

"Then let’s go!" Hu Lao San snapped, urgency in his voice.

He cared deeply for Ji San Gongzi. They had guarded the City Gate together for days. Though Ji San Gongzi had come to experience life among commoners, their bond had grown real.

"Once we leave the gate," Lu Qing said, "just point the direction."

Ma Gu activated the carriage. As they exited the City Gate, Hu Lao San guided them. A gust of wind swept through, and the carriage transformed into a streak of Qing Se Liu Guang, tearing forward at unimaginable speed.

Hu Lao San had never seen anything like it. The world blurred past the window—trees, fields, buildings—stretched into smears of color. His face turned pale. He couldn’t fathom the speed.

In the blink of an eye, they arrived at the location Hu Lao San had described.

It was a desolate little village, abandoned and overgrown. Crumbling walls and broken homes stretched across the land, as if long forgotten.

When they stepped out, Hu Lao San staggered, dazed.

This place was dozens of miles from Qinglong City. Yet, they had arrived in less than a minute.

The speed was terrifying.

"Is this the place?" Lu Qing asked.

Hu Lao San snapped back to reality, nodding. "Yes. It was once a Wen Yi Zhi Cun, a cultural village. A terrible Ma Feng Zhi Zheng once struck—many died. I came here once with the City Guard."

Lu Qing nodded. He already sensed faint traces of life within the ruins.

One presence stood out—stronger than a normal person, clearly a martial cultivator. And the aura… it was familiar.

Ji San Gongzi.

But the energy was unstable—wavering, weak. The life force was barely there, as if he were suffering from a severe illness.

"I’ve located his presence," Lu Qing said. "Let’s go in."

The village was a maze of broken homes. The carriage couldn’t pass.

Ma Gu and Wei Zian stayed behind to guard it. Lu Qing and the others entered the ruins.

As they walked, they felt eyes watching from the shadows of the collapsed houses. Glances flickered toward them—then vanished.

Lu Qing ignored them. He followed the faint, familiar aura straight to a dilapidated thatched hut.

When he pushed the door open, a startled cry rang out—soft, young.

"Little sister, don’t be afraid. We’re here to help this young master."

Inside, the hut was dim. But to Lu Qing, with his ability to see in darkness, it was as clear as day.

A girl of about ten stood near the wooden bed, gripping a stick tightly, eyes wide with fear.

Behind her, a figure lay motionless on the bed.

Though Lu Qing spoke gently, the girl didn’t trust them. She held her ground, eyes locked on him, refusing to back down.

Then, from outside, footsteps rustled—slow, hesitant.

A group of ragged villagers, clutching sticks and iron forks, slowly encircled them.

Lu Qing didn’t care. These were mere civilians, weak and starving.

But he didn’t move. Instead, he called out, "Ji San Gongzi, are you awake? We’re here to help you."

Hu Lao San joined in. "Ji San Gongzi! It’s Old Hu! I’ve brought help!"

At the sound of his voice, the figure on the bed stirred.

A weak, trembling voice whispered, "Xiao Rou… don’t be afraid. Step back. They’re friends. They’re here to save us."

The girl slowly stepped aside.

The villagers outside halted, too.

Only then did Lu Qing and the others step inside.

And when they saw Ji San Gongzi’s face…

They all froze.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end