I Can Strengthen Infinitely

Within Ox Head Mountain, Shen You set up ten avatars, using them to go out and act in his stead, so as to shield himself from the perception of the Celestial Dao.

Each of these ten avatars possessed a portion of his true power, enough to deal with anything in the mortal realm.

Two deer raced across the ground, with Shi Lin and Yalan seated upon their backs, following the flying ruler ahead of them.

This ruler was forged by Shi Lin from rare materials of the Immortal Realm, and had a remarkable ability to seek out evil energy; at this moment, as long as they followed the ruler in its pursuit, they would be able to track down the source of the evil aura nearby.

A pack of wandering corpses roamed lawlessly across the plains. Shi Lin frowned; these evil corpses were crafted by immortal means. For immortals like Shi Lin and Yalan, a single glance revealed the truth. The two exchanged a look and simultaneously said, "Is it Shen You?"

In the Immortal Realm, there was a notorious Evil Immortal, ruthless and cunning, spreading chaos everywhere, prompting countless immortals to pursue him in fury. Shi Lin and Yalan had once been among them. Yet later, Shen You somehow employed unfathomable methods to escape, vanishing utterly from the Immortal Realm thereafter.

They had not expected, at such a time and place, to once again witness the handiwork of Shen You, the Evil Immortal.

"Who would have thought Shen You would appear in the mortal realm as well? It seems he too has discovered the presence of the Celestial Gate," said Shi Lin.

"Mortals in this realm are weak and powerless. If Shen You stirs up trouble here, the mortal world may well be utterly destroyed. We must stop him."

Shi Lin waved his hand, and a brilliant light instantly shot forth, crashing into the midst of the wandering corpses. With a thunderous boom, the earth burst open; all the corpses were blown apart in an instant, not a single complete one remained.

"Seems Shen You intends to wreak havoc among mortals. It’s said that in the past, he planned to slaughter the beings of an entire world to forge a preeminent divine artifact. If he succeeds, even ten immortals joining forces could not defeat him. Now that he’s arrived in the mortal realm, he must be set on forging that artifact," Yalan said, gazing at the scattered corpses.

"We must stop him. If Shen You forges the innate divine artifact, this world may suffer a calamity worse than when the Celestial Demon invaded—such misfortune would be hell on earth." As Shi Lin spoke, he reached out and plucked a remnant soul from the shattered body of a wandering corpse, sensing it briefly, and immediately gained some understanding.

"Shen You hides well. Even here in the mortal world, he remains so cautious. From this soul fragment, I can sense nothing that links back to him; at this rate, finding his whereabouts will be anything but simple."

Yalan replied, "No rush. Give me a few days, and with the Heaven and Earth Seeking Skill, I should be able to ferret out where Shen You is hiding."

...

Chang’an, Imperial Palace.

"Your Majesty, there are now thirty thousand commoners turned into wandering corpses, gravely threatening the situation up north. At this rate, it won’t be long before the Central Plains are at risk."

Sanhuang sat in the Imperial Study, brow furrowed as he listened to his subordinates report the military affairs.

No one could have foreseen these events. The wandering corpses had appeared with alarming suddenness, as if all the vengeful ghosts of the underworld had escaped their chains, endangering the entire populace.

"My master is not here at this time. Faced with this predicament, I have no choice but to rely on myself." Sanhuang pondered, then said, "Dispatch people to Cyan Yang City in Jiangnan, and invite Daoist Huang Ting of the West Qi Mountain Temple to come forth. Remember, treat him with utmost respect—mind your words and show proper deference. Do not offend Daoist Huang Ting."

"Yes." Someone immediately acknowledged the order and hurried out.

Before leaving the Central Plains, Qin Yuesheng had instructed Sanhuang: if an issue arose that required force, seek out Qin Killer; for matters strange and unexplainable, go to Jiangnan and find Huang Ting.

As abbot of the West Qi Mountain Temple, Daoist Huang Ting possessed vast knowledge—beyond even Qin Yuesheng—and moreover was highly skilled in Daoist magic, sure to be of critical importance at such a juncture.

With Qin Yuesheng’s support, Sanhuang had already become master of the world, and naturally gathered his own cadre of trusted aides. At this moment, these men sat quietly in the Imperial Study. Once Sanhuang finished issuing his orders, one spoke: "Your Majesty, perhaps we should deploy the Gunpowder Bureau’s latest weapon. We have all witnessed its power; it is considerable. If this weapon can be put to use on the battlefield, it should be able to suppress those wandering corpses."

Sanhuang waved his hand and said, "So be it—carry out the order. Act swiftly; under no circumstances can those corpses be allowed to reach the heart of the Central Plains."

"Yes!"

...

As for the state of the Nine Provinces, Qin Yuesheng remained wholly unaware. After his duel with the Bai Yue Sword Saint, who dwelled in seclusion at Forgotten Sword Village, Qin Yuesheng gained much and decided to stay awhile, exchanging insights with the Sword Saint into the Grandmaster’s path.

To reach the Three Flowers Gathering at the Top Realm is the most enigmatic and unfathomable level of mastery.

At this stage, external force and objects are rendered useless—beheading the good and evil shadows within oneself is a trial of heart and mind alone.

Within the Bai Yue Sword Saint’s humble courtyard, Bai Yue sat on a bamboo stool of his own making, weaving a bamboo basket.

Qin Yuesheng regarded the man with puzzlement. Who could imagine this—an awe-inspiring Grandmaster, one who had cut away two shadow selves, could seem so utterly ordinary from the outside, no different from a rustic farmer of the people.

Bai Yue’s current cultivation allowed him to fully contain all his energy and presence. Had Qin Yuesheng not been observing with his eyes, he would never have thought a person sat there at all, but only a boulder.

The two said nothing, simply busying themselves with their tasks at hand.

Qin Yuesheng was whittling a wooden basin—Bai Yue’s favorite pastime during his years at Forgotten Sword Village. With leisure upon him, Qin Yuesheng too learned a thing or two of the craft.

Just then, as he weaved, the Sword Saint suddenly looked east, contemplation flickering in his gaze.

Qin Yuesheng, puzzled, looked as well, but saw and sensed nothing, so he asked, "What is it?"

"In the east, a tremendous evil aura is rising."

Qin Yuesheng was bewildered. "Is there?"

He sensed nothing at all.

Bai Yue said, "That evil aura blazes like wildfire on a mountain’s night. Across my life, I’ve slain many monsters and eradicated evil spirits, yet never encountered such thick and overwhelming miasma. This is nothing this world ought to have."

As he spoke, Bai Yue’s face grew gravely solemn. After a long moment of thought, he abruptly rose and said resolutely, "It seems I can no longer remain in Forgotten Sword Village. The east is toward the Nine Provinces—something has occurred there."

"Elder Bai, are you...leaving? Not waiting for your final severance?" Qin Yuesheng was genuinely shocked, never imagining Bai Yue would decide to depart Forgotten Sword Village at this time.

Bai Yue’s expression was stern—so severe it seemed water might be wrung from it. He said, "Such potent evil—I’ve never witnessed its like whether in the Nine Provinces or journeying afield these past years. Only a calamity once in a thousand years would give rise to such monstrous aura. I must go and see for myself. Should any beast show itself, I will do my part for the realm."

Bai Yue meant what he said and worked with astonishing efficiency. In but a moment he was packed and ready—only a wooden sword and a small bundle. Qin Yuesheng glanced at the modest bundle, unsure what treasures it held, but if the Sword Saint carried it, it must be crucial indeed.

"Then let me return to the Nine Provinces with you, Elder Bai." Qin Yuesheng said.

Since Bai Yue was so resolute, Qin Yuesheng would not doubt him. His family remained in the Nine Provinces—if he did not return, and calamity struck, it would be true disaster indeed.

After brief preparations and bidding farewell to the villagers, the two made haste toward the east.

...

With Shen You’s release of ten avatars, the spread of plague throughout the Northern Desert accelerated severalfold. More and more towns fell under attack, countless innocents becoming wandering corpses after death.

These corpses became Shen You’s army, growing from scattered bands into vast hordes, spreading from the north toward the Central Plains. This forced Sanhuang’s troops into defeat; many soldiers themselves turned into wandering corpses, and the situation grew ever more dire.

Somewhere in the Northern Desert—

Across the wide desert, a violet depression stood out starkly. Inside it surged a pool of churning purple water, wherein venomous snakes swam and toads leapt about—a harrowing sight to behold.

Seated at the very center of the pool, cross-legged upon its surface, was a long-haired man radiating visible waves of evil aura.

"The mortals of this region are all tainted by me. Next I will press south, until the mortal realm is entirely mine." Raising his eyes to the heavens, Shen You’s avatar smiled wickedly. "Sure enough, using this method—no matter the commotion caused—it will not draw the Celestial Dao’s attention. At this pace, overrunning the world is only a matter of time."

Mid-sentence, Shen You’s avatar’s face abruptly shifted, eyes snapping toward a direction outside the hollow.

There, two figures sped toward him.

"Hmm?" Shen You’s avatar frowned. From these two he sensed an aura unlike that of mortals—an aura only immortals would possess: Immortal Power.

At this realization, Shen You’s avatar slowly rose from the pool, watching as Shi Lin and Yalan drew ever nearer.

Meanwhile, Shi Lin and Yalan had also noticed Shen You’s avatar.

With a glance at one another, Immortal Power surged in their hands as they summoned their respective treasures.

The reputation of Shen You echoed even in the Immortal Realm; as for his time spent there, he far preceded the two immortals Shi Lin and Yalan. And with his years of disappearance, who could say what new strength he might possess? Thus, to avoid misfortune, the two immortals resolved to use all their might.

"Heh." Shen You’s avatar clearly had no intention for wasted words; with a wave of both hands, several black-violet viscous bands shot from his palms, snaking toward Shi Lin and Yalan.

The two immortals—male with a gourd, female with a fan—each wielded their signature treasures. The gourd’s mouth flashed, releasing purple lightning that grew from spark to storm, instantly filling the land with a sea of thunder.

The fan, no less extraordinary, fluttered in Yalan’s hand, summoning a mighty gale—not mere mortal wind, but a force of the Immortal Realm which, upon contact, could dissolve flesh and spirit alike, ruthlessly destructive.

The shadowy bands in Shen You’s hands were instantly shredded, but in the next breath, a strange change occurred.

All the black-violet substance swiftly reformed, transforming into five horned serpents, each baring fangs and rushing the two immortals headlong.

When immortals strike, their power is like thunder shaking the heavens; the earth itself resounded with a mighty roar.

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