Chapter 355: Tian Mo Zhi Gu, The Obstruction

"Damn it!" The Disheveled Figure roared in fury as he witnessed the blood mist surrounding the Black Bone Sword dissipate by one-third. That sword—his ultimate prize—had been worth every sacrifice, even the annihilation of Qingyun Jian Ge.

He had tracked down the fleeing sword sect disciples using a trace of spiritual residue he’d planted long ago. And indeed, one of them carried the artifact.

At first, he’d believed it to be merely a weapon of extreme murderous intent, nearly tainted by demonic aura. But what he discovered was far greater: the Black Bone Sword was forged from the bones of an ancient Heavenly Demon—some being from over a million years ago.

Though the demon’s original malice had long since faded through the ages, the sword had still been seized by Qingyun Jian Ge’s founding ancestor, who managed to avoid falling into darkness. Yet even so, the ancestor had been no saint—ruthless and bloodthirsty, wielding the bone sword to carve a bloody path across the land.

In time, he forged Qingyun Jian Ge into a powerful sword sect. But the sword’s demonic nature was too strong. Without a firm will, the Qi of demons would inevitably seep in, driving its wielders mad. After several successive masters succumbed to madness and died, the sect ultimately sealed the sword away—its location known only to the sect leader.

The Disheveled Figure had only heard whispers of the artifact from his Master, never having seen it. But once he claimed it, he realized the truth: this was no ordinary demonic treasure. It was the remnant of a primordial Heavenly Demon—the very source of all demonic essence in this world.

And that meant one thing: devouring the sword would grant him the ultimate foundation for his Demon Body. Not only would he finally achieve his long-sought goal, but he would also shed the constant scrutiny of this world’s Heavenly Will.

After all, the Dao has Yin and Yang. The ancient Heavenly Demon was born from this world’s own primordial essence—so it would no longer be rejected.

But the demon’s original power had dwindled over time. Only a sliver of demonic essence remained. It needed to be revived, nurtured, before it could be consumed.

So upon acquiring the sword, the Disheveled Figure immediately set out to cultivate it through blood ritual. Conveniently, his pursuit of the disciples had brought him to Cang Zhou, near Zhou Fu Cheng.

Rather than kill them, he used a Demon Cultivation Technique to twist their minds, turning them into obedient slaves. For months, he erected a network of Zhen Fa Jie Dian throughout the city, activating a massive array.

The plan? To use the blood, flesh, and souls of the entire city’s populace to revive the sword’s demonic core—then consume it.

Everything had gone perfectly—until now.

Someone had pierced the veil of his array, shattering several nodes with ease.

"This is Cang Zhou—a remote backwater province. At best, it should have a dozen Xian Tian Jing at most. How could someone here unravel my array? Could it be… that cursed Tian Dao Yi Zhi is meddling again?"

The Disheveled Figure’s face darkened with rage. He had chosen this remote city precisely because it lacked strong cultivators. The strongest among them barely reached Xian Tian Small Achievement—no match for him.

And even if they sought help, it would take weeks for reinforcements to arrive.

Yet here he stood, the array barely activated, and already someone had broken through.

"I’ll crush you, you wretched Heaven! Wait until I devour this Tian Mo Zhi Gu, forge my Demon Body, and establish my foundation. Then I’ll swallow you whole!"

The destruction of the nodes slowed the blood mist’s formation by a third. The Disheveled Figure seethed.

He’d planned to complete the Blood Offering in a single day. Now it would take three times as long—adding countless variables, countless risks.

Had he not been bound to maintaining the array, he would have charged straight out to find the one who dared defy him.

But then, he sensed his slaves had left the city.

For now, the Zhen Fa Jie Dian remained intact. He exhaled in relief.

Yet he knew: this was only the beginning.

No longer holding back, he surged his spirit. His pale face suddenly flushed crimson.

The Hei Se Zhen Fa Guang Mu—black spiritual light covering Zhou Fu Cheng—flared violently.

Numerous Hei Qi Zhi She—dark spirit serpents—poured down from the sky, lashing toward the city below.

"Damn! The cursed snakes are back!"

In the city, those watching the sky gasped in horror.

Just like before, the black veil had coalesced into those eerie, writhing tendrils.

Anyone they touched—whether a powerful warrior or a frail old woman—was drained of blood and soul, left as a withered husk.

Now, seeing them descend once more, panic erupted.

Cries, screams, and wails filled the air.

"Who can tell me—what in the world is that thing?"

In the City Lord’s residence, several Xian Tian Jing gathered, stunned.

The City Lord slashed one serpent with his sword, then ground it down with Xian Tian Qi—only to collapse, panting, as he extinguished it.

"City Lord, I’ve never seen such a phenomenon. I don’t know what it is," said a white-haired Refined Elder, his voice strained.

If Lu Qing were present, he would have recognized the man instantly—this was none other than Lin Jia Lao Zu Zong, the very one he had once fought.

The others were equally baffled.

Then—

A figure appeared before them.

The suddenness of his arrival startled everyone. They hadn’t sensed him at all.

"Who are you?"

A Guard lunged forward, but before he could reach the man, a single wave of aura sent him staggering back, his face pale with fear.

Xian Tian Jing!

The newcomer was on the same level as the City Lord.

After the initial shock, the City Lord and the others relaxed slightly. Though the man’s cultivation level matched theirs, it wasn’t superior.

"Who are you?" the City Lord asked.

"I am Wei Xinghe, Head of the Wei Family of Cang County. I greet you, City Lord, and fellow cultivators."

Wei Xinghe bowed respectfully.

"Ah, the Wei Family Head! I didn’t expect you to have broken through to Xian Tian Jing. Congratulations!"

The City Lord was surprised. The others exchanged glances—equally astonished.

The Wei Family was no stranger. Though based only in Cang County, their Ancestor, Wei Shanhai, was a renowned Xian Tian Jing with a long-standing reputation.

So while they were not among the great powers, they were well-known throughout Cang Zhou.

Now, with the Head himself having reached Xian Tian Jing, the family’s status would rise dramatically.

But now was not the time for such thoughts.

The City Lord narrowed his eyes. "You said you know the origin of the black veil above us. Is this true?"

"Yes," Wei Xinghe confirmed. "That black veil is a cursed array, set by a powerful evil cultivator in secret. He intends to drain the entire population of Zhou Fu Cheng—using their blood and souls to cultivate his Demon Cultivation Technique."

"Drain the entire city… to cultivate demonic arts?!"

The words sent a chill through all present.

They’d sensed the danger of the veil, but not this.

"Can this array be broken?" the City Lord asked urgently.

The others leaned in, breathless.

Wei Xinghe shook his head. "City Lord, you flatter me. My own skills are too crude to unravel such a grand array."

The answer brought a wave of disappointment.

But then, he added:

"Yet… a true master is currently outside the city, working to break it. With him, I believe the array will fall soon. You need not fear."

"A master outside?"

Hope flared in their eyes.

"Those thunderous explosions you heard earlier—yes, that was him."

They remembered now—the distant sounds, which they’d dismissed as irrelevant, distracted by the sky.

"Are you certain this master can break the array?" one Xian Tian Jing asked.

"I can’t guarantee it. But I can say this—if he fails, then no one else in this world can save us. Then we might as well accept our fate and stop struggling."

His boldness, though reckless, brought reassurance.

"Then what can we do to help?" the City Lord asked.

"Leave the array-breaking to him. But City Lord—this master is compassionate. He cannot bear to see innocent lives destroyed. He came here to save the people.

Now, the Hei Qi Zhi She are slaughtering citizens. We must stop them. Otherwise, when he finally breaks through, he’ll see us doing nothing—and he’ll be furious."

"Of course. As City Lord, protecting my people is my duty," the City Lord declared immediately.

The others nodded.

"This is the right path. We must act."

"Then let’s go!" Wei Xinghe smiled.

Originally, Lu Qing had advised him to hide and wait.

But seeing the dried corpses along the road, and the relentless Hei Qi Zhi She now devouring the people—Wei Xinghe could no longer stand by.

If even the Xian Tian Jing—those supposed protectors—hid and did nothing, then the people had no hope.

Even if Lu Qing succeeded in breaking the array, the devastation from the serpents would be catastrophic.

So when he sensed the City Lord and the others, he rushed to them.

His goal? To convince them to fight the serpents—before it was too late.

Meanwhile, outside the city, Lu Qing was under attack.

Just as he drew three more Spirit Arrows from the Qiankun Yiqi Dai, preparing to strike another Zhen Fa Jie Dian—

A sudden movement.

Four figures burst from the city, speeding toward him.

"Four Xian Tian Jing? No… they don’t carry the Essence of the Xian Tian Realm."

Lu Qing frowned.

Their speed matched that of Xian Tian Jing Qiang Zhe—but there was no aura, no spiritual signature.

Instead, he sensed a repulsive presence.

The four arrived in an instant.

Seeing the Bow and Arrow in Lu Qing’s hand, their eyes flashed with murderous intent.

"Kill him!"

No warning. No words.

They surged forward, Hei Se Fu Wen flaring, weapons drawn.

"Puppets? No…"

Lu Qing saw the Insignias on their faces and arms—familiar, yet unnatural.

But he had no time to ponder.

The attacks struck.

Then—

A flicker of yellow light.

Lu Qing’s eyes sharpened.

In a flash, the four figures froze—suspended mid-motion, only three feet from him.

The momentum of their attacks shattered against his body.

They each spat blood, their bodies wracked with internal injuries.

Shock filled their eyes.

But before they could react—

Lu Qing clenched his fist.

And struck.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end