The memories of all humanity are awakening, except for mine.

These puppets, devoid of fear and pain, managed to temporarily halt the advance of the undead army under Zhou Ze's control.

But Zhou Ze knew in his heart that he was not a sorcerer who was good at group attacks.

Faced with tens of thousands of dead people, the puppetry's brute force tactics are nothing more than a drop in the ocean.

He bit his tongue, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the silk threads. The puppets immediately became ferocious, but this also meant that after this battle, regardless of victory or defeat, he would not escape death.

At the same time, the dark figure leisurely landed in front of the ruins where Kong Chan had fallen.

The Taotie followed closely behind, its scarlet tongue licking its fangs as it stared at the dying white-robed monk in the deep pit.

Yu Youwei gritted her teeth and flew over, blocking Kong Chan's path.

The Autumn Water Sword in her hand gleamed coldly, but the slightly trembling tip of the sword betrayed the fear in her heart.

"Oh? This little girl is quite loyal and devoted."

The shadowy figure let out a strange laugh, the sound like sandpaper being rubbed together.

"Unfortunately, it was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot."

Kong Chan struggled to climb out of the deep pit, his white clothes already stained with blood, his handsome face contorted with pain.

He forced himself to stand up and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

"Who exactly are you, sir? And why did you release this ancient ferocious beast?"

Upon hearing this, the shadowy figure let out a piercing laugh.

"The moment the thought of killing arises, Buddha has already departed from your heart."

“Kongchan, as the most outstanding young monk of the Hanging Temple, you can’t be unaware of these things, can you? Or has the Buddhism in the Northern Territory fallen to such a state that those who cultivate Buddhism cannot even control their own minds?”

"Shut up!"

Kong Chan roared angrily, his chest heaving violently, and another mouthful of blood gushed out.

Yu Youwei quickly supported him and whispered.

He's trying to provoke you, don't fall for it!

Upon seeing this, the shadowy figure laughed even louder.

"Heh heh, it seems your capacity is nothing more than this."

He stopped about ten feet away from the two of them.

"What a pity, what a pity. I thought you could bring me some surprises, but I didn't expect you to be just as boring as that old monk Huitong."

"Uncle-Master Huitong?!"

Kong Chan was struck dumb, his eyes wide open.

"You killed Uncle-Master Huitong?!"

A dark, sinister path.

"You already possess two of the three evil roots. That old monk Huitong is ungrateful; knowing he's no match for me, he still tries to stop me from releasing Taotie from the Three Bodies Buddha Hall."

If he had been pragmatic, he wouldn't have ended up dying such a violent death.

Kong Chan trembled all over, his eyes bloodshot.

Yu Youwei could feel that the true energy in his body was running wildly in a way that was almost self-destructive.

"Don't be impulsive! He's deliberately trying to provoke you!"

Yu Youwei said urgently, but it was too late.

"You wicked man, your sins are grave, prepare to die!"

Kong Chan broke free from Yu Youwei's support, his eyes flashing with bloodlust, and forcefully opened up the blocked meridians, staggering as he rushed towards the dark figure.

The dark figure neither dodged nor avoided, but simply patted the Taotie beside it.

"Go, play with him for a bit."

The Taotie let out an excited roar and transformed into a streak of black light, rushing towards Kong Chan.

The severely injured Kong Chan was powerless to dodge and was bitten on the left shoulder by Taotie, falling to the ground.

Sharp fangs pierced deep into flesh, and blood instantly stained large patches of white clothing.

"Emptiness Zen!"

Yu Youwei exclaimed in surprise, only to see that Taotie had already begun to shake its head and was about to tear off Kong Chan's entire arm!

At the critical moment, Yu Youwei did not hesitate any longer. She drew her Autumn Water Sword like a dragon's roar, and a beam of azure sword light slashed towards the single horn on the Taotie's head.

Kong Chan lay supine on the broken bluestone slab, his kasaya torn in several places by the Taotie's sharp claws, revealing the bloody wounds beneath.

Three of his ribs were broken by the ferocious beast, and his right sternum was completely caved in. With each weak breath, blood foam spilled from the corner of his mouth.

"Emptiness Zen!"

Yu Youwei's shout tore through the curtain of rain, which was as sharp as tearing silk.

Her longsword "Cangming" drew a deep blue arc, its sword energy surging like waves as it pressed towards the Taotie.

The ferocious beast let out a low growl of dissatisfaction, but had no choice but to take two steps back, its blood-red beast eyes reflecting the resolute figure of the female swordswoman.

Taking advantage of the moment, Yu Youwei rushed to Kong Chan's side, her fingers trembling as she checked his breath. Thankfully, though faint, he was still alive.

She quickly took out a jade bottle from her bosom, poured out two Nine-Turn Rejuvenation Pills, and put them into Kong Chan's mouth. The pills melted instantly upon entering his mouth, and Kong Chan's pale face finally regained some color.

"Tsk tsk tsk, Yu Youwei of the East Sea Merfolk actually knows how to save people?"

A chilling voice came from the shadows, as if a venomous snake were crawling up your spine.

Yu Youwei whirled around, her long sword held horizontally in front of her chest. In the rain, a deep, dark shadow slowly emerged, its face devoid of features, with only two points of crimson light flashing.

That gaze felt tangible, piercing her consciousness with a sharp pain.

"you know me?"

The shadowy figure emitted a chilling laugh.

"Of course I know. When you have great sorrow, hatred, pain, and suffering in your heart, these emotions are like fireflies in the dark, which can be seen clearly even from ten miles away."

Yu Youwei's pupils contracted sharply. The other person's words pierced her most unwanted memories like sharp knives.

She gritted her teeth, the tip of her sword pointing directly at the shadowy figure.

"Pretend to be a ghost!"

"Playing tricks?"

The dark figure suddenly took a step forward, and Yu Youwei instinctively stepped back, her heel colliding with Kong Chan's body.

Look into your own heart, that filthy, rotten self, that powerless self that watched helplessly as its people were slaughtered—”

"shut up!"

Yu Youwei shouted sharply, and the sword light surged. But the black shadow was faster; a black aura shot into her brow like an arrow.

In an instant, the world spun around.

Yu Youwei felt as if she had fallen into an endless abyss.

The air was filled with the agonizing screams of his people, and the stench of blood was thick and overwhelming.

She saw the azure waters of the East Sea stained dark red, saw the ironclad warships of Qingzhou crushing the coral palaces, and saw human soldiers amusing themselves by impaling merfolk children on spears.
"no, do not want"

She knelt in the hallucination, her hands tightly covering her ears. But the images clung to her like a malignant tumor, seeping into every pore of her being.

The shadowy figure's voice echoed in his mind.

"This world is inherently insane and dark! Tribal warfare has never ceased, and in this sinful world, there is no need to suppress one's true nature!"

Yu Youwei trembled all over, tears mingling with the rain as they streamed down her face.

She saw her most respected elder being stripped of his scales and heard her sister's desperate cries as she was dragged onto the warship.

These memories, buried deep in her heart, surged up all at this moment, almost tearing her reason apart.

"Kill them all."

The shadowy figure's voice suddenly softened, whispering like a soothing lullaby.

"Wash away your hatred with their blood."

Yu Youwei's nails dug deeply into her palms. The autumn rain in the North was icy cold, but she felt nothing.

In a daze, it seemed as if someone was promising her true freedom.

She looked up blankly and saw Xie Xuan's rotting face right in front of her!
"what--!"

A piercing roar shattered the rain curtain.

On the distant ruins, Long Xiang, the young master of the Demon God Temple, excitedly licked his lips.

"How wonderful! That shadowy figure can directly trigger inner demons!"

His body, hidden beneath his black robe, trembled slightly with excitement.

"This power...this power is simply..."

Yan Yun's face turned pale, and he gripped Long Xiang's shoulder tightly.

"Young Master, we have to leave! That thing is too dangerous!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Taotie suddenly turned in their direction, its blood-red eyes flashing with ferocity.

"Woo——"

The ferocious beast let out a threatening growl.

Before Long Xiang could react, Yan Yun grabbed him and soared into the sky. Taotie made a move to give chase, but the black figure waved its hand. The ferocious beast let out a low growl of resentment and turned its attention back to the arena.

The dark figure drifted to Yu Youwei, who was kneeling on the ground, and extended a hand formed of mist.

"Come, unleash your hatred!"

Just as he was about to touch Yu Youwei, a streak of green light tore through the rain like a meteor!
"Zheng——!"

The sword energy collided with the dark figure, erupting in a blinding burst of light and flame.

The dark figure leaned back slightly, and with a wave of his wide robe sleeves, the remaining sword energy instantly dissipated without a trace.

"Who?!"

The shadowy figure's voice began to fluctuate for the first time.

In the rain, Jiang Chuan rode his sword, his blue Taoist robe fluttering in the wind.

He landed in front of Yu Youwei, his sword pointing at the shadowy figure.

"Stay away from her!"

The shadowy figure remained silent for a moment, then suddenly let out a sinister laugh.

"We met Xie Xuan's successor at Hulao Pass."

Jiang Chuan was startled.

He then noticed a string of prayer beads on the shadowy figure's wrist—made from human finger bones, each bead gleaming with an eerie green light.

What chilled him to the bone was that one of the beads had a familiar pattern engraved on it.
"No, Master!"

Jiang Chuan's eyes were bloodshot with rage.

"What did you do to him?!"

The shadowy figure gently stroked the prayer beads, speaking in a cheerful tone.

"Xie Xuan is dead. But don't worry, he has become one of my finest possessions."

"you wanna die!"

Jiang Chuan could no longer suppress his anger, and the Azure Frost Sword erupted with a dazzling cold light.

He unleashed a sword strike, the sword energy transforming into a blue dragon that lunged straight at the face of the shadowy figure!

The shadowy figure neither dodged nor avoided, but simply raised its hand adorned with prayer beads. Then, something strange happened.

The sword energy suddenly solidified three inches away from him, and then shattered like glass!
Are you angry? Are you in pain?

The shadowy figure's voice was seductive.

"Just like Yu Youwei, you also harbor darkness within your heart."

Jiang Chuan gritted his teeth, glancing out of the corner of his eye at Yu Youwei, who was still deeply immersed in the illusion.

She knelt in the rain, her eyes vacant, repeatedly saying "No".

"Yu Youwei! Wake up!"

Jiang Chuan shouted, while keeping a wary eye on the dark figure and the Taotie.

The ferocious beast was already impatiently pawing at the ground, waiting only for its master's command.

A dark figure suddenly approached, and Jiang Chuan immediately held his sword horizontally in front of him. But the other party only stared at him with those two scarlet dots.

"Did you know? Xie Xuan kept calling your name before he died."

"Shut up!"

Jiang Chuan's sword style suddenly changed, and the Seventy-Two Styles of Azure Sky Sword Technique poured down like a torrential rain.

The sword energy crisscrossed, cutting the rainwater within a ten-zhang radius into mist.

The shadowy figure finally moved.

He moved like smoke, darting freely through the net of swords. The gluttonous beast seized the opportunity to pounce on the still dazed Yu Youwei!

"careful!"

While Jiang Chuan was distracted, a dark figure suddenly appeared behind him and struck him in the back with a black palm!

Jiang Chuan knelt on one knee in the mud, a fragment of the black jade sword deeply embedded in his chest. Blood spread with the rain, staining a large patch of land beneath him.

"Is this all you can do?"

The shadowy figure's voice seemed to come from the deepest hell, carrying a chilling aura.

Jiang Chuan gritted his teeth and tried to stand up by supporting himself with his hands on the ground, but was held down by an invisible force.

His bones cracked under the strain, as if they would break apart at any moment.

"who are you!"

Jiang Chuan squeezed out these words through gritted teeth, veins bulging on his forehead.

The dark figure chuckled softly, the sound like countless tiny insects crawling on Jiang Chuan's eardrums.

"Who I am is not important, what matters is who you are, Jiang Chuan."

Rain dripped down the edge of the dark figure's hood, but his face remained obscured.

He slowly raised his hand, and Jiang Chuan immediately felt the broken sword fragments in his chest penetrate even deeper, the intense pain causing his vision to go black.

"An orphan from Musheng Village, Xie Xuan's apprentice, and Pei Guoguo's junior brother."

Jiang Chuan's body trembled with each word the shadowy figure uttered.

"What perfect natural talent, what a pity about his background."

Jiang Chuan suddenly looked up, his eyes burning with fury.

"Don't mention my master!"

"Oh?"

The shadowy figure seemed to enjoy his reaction.

"The Xie Xuan who died protecting you? The Xie Xuan who refused to reveal your true identity even in death?"

"You bullshit!"

Jiang Chuan roared, ignoring the excruciating pain in his chest, and forced himself to circulate his true energy, attempting to summon his natal flying sword.

The dark figure snorted coldly, and an even more powerful pressure crashed down.

Jiang Chuan coughed up a mouthful of blood, his body pressed almost flat against the ground.

"I told you, don't use your natal flying sword."

The shadowy figure's voice was as cold as ice.

"Otherwise, I will break your flying sword just like I broke this toy."

Jiang Chuan's fingers dug deep into the mud, his nails peeling off and bleeding profusely.

He had never felt so powerless; his opponent hadn't even really made a move, yet he was already completely helpless.

"Are you angry? Are you filled with hatred?"

The shadowy figure's voice suddenly softened, yet became even more chilling.

"You could have been stronger, Jiang Chuan. If it weren't for the shackles of that door binding you."

The shadowy figure slowly crouched down, the darkness beneath the hood seemingly capable of swallowing all light.

"Think about the massacre in Musheng Village, think about the death of your master, think about your senior sister's current situation. All of this is because you are not strong enough."

Jiang Chuan's breathing became rapid, and the shadowy figure's words burrowed into his heart like a venomous snake.

The scenes of Master's tragic death and Senior Sister being besieged flashed before my eyes.

Look at yourself now.

"The shadowy figure continued its seductive maneuver."

"If you can't even protect yourself, how can you protect others? What did that door give you? Rules? Restraints? Or weakness?"

Jiang Chuan's pupils dilated slightly. The shadowy figure's words were like a key, unlocking a sealed door deep within his heart.

"Mountains and Rivers Fan"

The shadowy figure suddenly changed the subject.

"You think sealing those people in with it is an act of kindness? No, you are prolonging their suffering."

"shut up!"

Jiang Chuan roared, but his voice already showed signs of wavering.

The shadowy figure, pleased to see Jiang Chuan's mental defenses falter, was about to add fuel to the fire when suddenly—

"Shut up!"

Yu Youwei's rebuke shattered the deathly silence.

Her dark skirt fluttered like a butterfly, and the evil moon power gathered at her fingertips drew a bewitching purple light in the air.

"Is the old man hiding in the shadows, pretending to be a ghost, because he's ashamed to be seen, or is he just naturally ugly?"

The shadowy figure was clearly stunned.

Jiang Chuan saw the blurry outline shake violently, as if its soul had been shaken to its core by the sudden insult. (End of Chapter)