Chapter 89 Part 2

Zhang Sizhe’s luck was decent. They were near the market’s Teleportation Array at the time, and some cultivators were already preparing to teleport before the restrictive formation fully descended.

Perhaps his legs went weak, or perhaps it was fate—he stumbled into the Teleportation Array just as it activated.

Zhang Sizhe fell onto the Teleportation Array. He stared in stunned terror at the Black-Armored Cultivators descending from the sky in the distance, at the countless spirit beasts and cultivators charging out from the Nine Spirits Sect. Then his vision went black as the Teleportation Array activated, and he escaped the Nine Spirits Sect in the final second.

After that, the market at the mountain base and the Teleportation Array were caught in the fierce battle between both sides. The spilling spiritual power and explosive shocks quickly razed all surrounding buildings, turning the area into ruins.

Shen He watched this scene in shock. Though it was just a fleeting glimpse, the sight of the Silent Night Palace’s countless cultivators charging forth still made his blood boil.

So the Silent Night Palace was this strong!

Xie Linlang pondered thoughtfully. No wonder after so many years, Zhang Sizhe’s progress was so slow—he had only been an outer disciple who just received the sect’s basic cultivation methods.

The scene changed again. Because Zhang Sizhe had stumbled into the Teleportation Array at the last moment, the array’s spirit stones weren’t enough for so many people, and it exploded midway. Zhang Sizhe had to recuperate in a small town.

By the time he finally recovered mobility and used the Nine Spirits Sect’s secret arts to enter Qi Refining, he returned to the Nine Spirits Sect’s location—only to find a massive crater, nothing left.

Zhang Sizhe stood in a daze for a long time, then went to the market under the Nine Spirits Sect’s jurisdiction as the senior brother had mentioned, trying to find the market manager named Yunxia.

Unfortunately, by the time he arrived, the market had been annexed by another sect, and Cultivator Yunxia was nowhere to be found.

In the end, Zhang Sizhe returned to the Zhang Family.

The Zhang Family drove him out, fearing that the Silent Night Palace’s demonic cultivators would learn of a Nine Spirits Sect cultivator in their home and come to slaughter them.

Zhang Sizhe wanted to offer incense to his mother again, but was told that she wasn’t in the clan cemetery—she had been casually dumped in the mass grave outside town.

Standing in the desolate mass grave pit where white bones occasionally protruded, Zhang Sizhe’s entire demeanor underwent a massive change.

He swore that all those who looked down on him, bullied him, and insulted him would pay the price. No matter what, he would rise above others, become a great cultivator above tens of thousands, obtain world-shattering power, achieve the dao, and become an immortal!

Shen He was still young at heart, with a pure innocence. Learning of Zhang Sizhe’s past, he immediately felt sympathy and pity.

Even the most hated people have pitiable aspects—especially since Zhang Sizhe was related to him by blood. They…

“It’s starting.”

Xie Linlang suddenly spoke and beckoned with his hand. The Azure Seven Star Sword appeared before him.

Shen He was baffled and instinctively summoned his Spirit Sword to protect himself. “What’s wrong?”

Xie Linlang reminded him: “Theoretically, after the Totem Secret Art extracts memories, it should go for the bloodline, marrow, and power next.”

As he spoke, the Zhang Sizhe in the mass grave abruptly fused with the Zhang Sizhe dressed in Tianling Sect disciple robes.

“No! Don’t! That’s not right! I wanted to extract those spirit beasts’ power and bloodline?! Don’t extract mine!”

He clutched his arms desperately, shouting madly. “I’m a Human Race Cultivator! I have no special bloodline! I have no power—you can’t extract any Totem Spirit from me!”

As Zhang Sizhe shouted, his body elongated. Some pitch-black liquid seeped from his body, instantly transforming into an enormous Black Demon Spirit on all fours, with a massive body and three bone spikes.

Shen He stared in a daze and subconsciously asked Xie Linlang, “He… he…”

But Xie Linlang had already merged man and sword, charging out like a sharp blade!

Clang—

The sword tip pierced the Black Demon Spirit, and a blinding spark erupted.

“Huh? That’s not right!”

Xie Linlang formed a magic formula, and the Big Dipper Seven Stars circulated successively around him. Seven bright stars formed a sword formation that slammed into the demon spirit with thunderous speed.

“Ah, I get it. This isn’t the Totem Secret Art—he’s a sacrifice to the Great Xia Cauldron!”

The Great Xia Cauldron was devouring Zhang Sizhe’s bloodline and spiritual power, while the Totem Secret Art tried to extract nonexistent power. Under the twisted fusion of the two forces, a demon spirit resembling a Totem Spirit had appeared.

“That’s Zhang Sizhe! Take him down, and we can leave this illusion!”

Xie Linlang said this and didn’t wait for Shen He to act, continuing his assault on the Black Demon Spirit.

Shen He hesitated for just a few seconds, but the Black Demon Spirit was no match for Xie Linlang. In the blink of an eye, it was shredded by the Big Dipper Seven Stars Sword Formation into scattered chunks of black flesh.

Xie Linlang had never intended to let Shen He do it. After all, Zhang Sizhe was Shen He’s blood kin—this kind of thing was better left to him.

Shen He stared in a daze at the black, melting flesh chunks. Some pieces even writhed on their own, struggling to emit the sound: “I’m a Human Race Cultivator.”

In a daze, Shen He thought back to the initial Zhang Sizhe who had invited him to explore the small space.

At that time, Zhang Sizhe had asked him to block the Black Demon Spirit guarding the outer side of the small space while he rushed in to take Cultivator Xu’s left-behind treasure.

But Zhang Sizhe probably never imagined that after decades of twists and turns, he himself would become a monster akin to a Black Demon Spirit, meeting a miserable end inside the Great Xia Cauldron.

Fortune and misfortune intertwined, retribution unerring.