Netherworld Painted Skin Scroll

Chapter 409 Guess Who I Am

The old Taoist could no longer hear Deng Yuan's pleas for mercy; only one voice was booming in his head—Li Wuxiang! Li Wuxiang! Li Wuxiang!

Before tonight, he genuinely knew nothing about any minor deity or Li Wuxiang. In his line of work, he was considered a reliable and honest person. He didn't care about the power struggles or the infighting between emperors, because he knew those things were too far removed from a nobody like him. He only needed to accumulate magical materials, improve his cultivation, and do his job well.

Therefore, even with the renowned Sword Sect and Taiyi Sect, he only knew the names of their leaders and the name of Mei Qiulu, the strongest Nascent Soul cultivator of the time. As for the Thirty-Six Sects? Apart from Zhao Kui, the Ranshan Sect Master who was treated as a joke, he didn't know any of their names!

But precisely because of this, when I learned tonight what Little God Lord Li Wuxiang had done, I immediately understood how terrifying and heaven-defying this person's cultivation was—it must be just like the former Hundred-Mile Sword Immortal Mei Qiulu!

This is him!?

Two thoughts began to fight in the old Taoist's mind: one thought it was true, and the other thought it was impossible. But in the end, however, the fight suddenly brought him to his senses—

Regardless of whether he was or not, the fact that he severed his own cultivation of the Three Peaks and reversed the Heavenly Tribulation with a single sword strike proves that he is a genuine Nascent Soul cultivator from the Sword Sect!

Why did the Nascent Soul ancestor of the Sword Sect waste so much time talking to me?

He suddenly turned to look at the furnace cauldron that had fallen back into the pit—the stone lid was now making a banging sound, and smoke and flames were billowing out in bursts… This Nascent Soul Ancestor was going to deal with Zhou Xiang and the people of the Xuan Cult!
He snapped out of his daze, enduring the excruciating pain all over his body, and crawled to Li Wuxiang in a few quick steps. He lowered his voice and said, "Ancestor, Divine Lord, I know I was wrong. I know what to do now. Use me, use me as you please. I did all of this... You just want him to think that you saved him, right? You just want to use me to refine all the magic on him without revealing your own abilities, right?!"

Li Wuxiang smiled slightly: "You are quite a perceptive person."

"Yes, yes, I am clear-headed. I just didn't recognize you before—Zhou Xiang is about to appear. What should I do now, Divine Lord?"

"What do you think?"

"I... let's fight! Let me think... Divine Lord, you are only at the Golden Core stage, you will definitely get hurt if you fight me... I should leave some wounds on your physical body..."

"anything else?"

"There's more? There's more..." The old Taoist's mind raced, and he suddenly looked at Deng Yuan, beckoning him, "You scoundrel, come and help the Divine Lord!"

Deng Yuan was dizzy from kowtowing, but he also heard his master's conversation with Li Wuxiang. He immediately scrambled over and was about to speak when the old Taoist priest slapped him, and Deng Yuan's head exploded with a bang.

"This person can't be kept alive. He's not thinking straight, and we can't let him accidentally let something slip!"

"Good riddance." Li Wuxiang sneered inwardly. All those people in the South and North Caves deserved to die—their hands were stained with countless amounts of blood. However…

Aren't you worried that I might let something slip?

"God, if you wanted to kill me, you would have done it long ago! Why waste your breath on me! Besides... even if Zhou Xiang were to see this... whether my dog's life or death is in your hands, God! I dare not bargain with you!"

Zhou Xiang is about to emerge! The old Taoist priest glanced towards the furnace as he spoke, "You damn fool, hurry up and come out already! You useless Xuan Sect!"

He knew that Li Wuxiang was determined to kill him!
He's a swordsman!
But the old Taoist knew he still had a sliver of hope: waiting for Zhou Xiang to come out!
Li Wuxiang is the Hundred-Mile Sword Immortal of the Taiyi Sect. Zhou Xiang can even trap himself in his own stone cave furnace, so Li Wuxiang can toy with him like he's toying with a dog. The reason he hasn't made a move must be that he plans to disguise himself and find out his secrets.

This means that Li Wuxiang must not let Zhou Xiang notice anything amiss, as his only chance of survival lies in this!
Dao Shiye was quick-witted; he had already come up with a plan in the blink of an eye.

Li Wuxiang wanted Zhou Xiang to see him fight him.

When Zhou Xiang emerged, he must have been alive.

At that time, Li Wuxiang will definitely not be able to use Baili Jianxian's methods; he will still have to pretend to be a Golden Core cultivator to fight against himself.

This means that at that time, he could not take his own life in an instant.

This means that if he had suddenly shouted that he was not Li Xiao but Li Wuxiang at that time, his plans would have been ruined!
Just now, when I slapped Deng Yuan's head and smashed it, saying that he might let something slip, I was reminding this deity of that point!
So... he saved his own life and kept quiet!
I said Shi Ye can't compare to you, Divine Lord Li Wu, but even a rat has its own way of survival, and this is my way of preserving my life!
Otherwise, even if I risk my life to say a single word, it could ruin your plans! You must not only spare my life, but also save it from Zhou Xiang's clutches!

As for what happens after that? Will Baili Jianxian come flying in with his sword and take his head after he leaves? Let's talk about that later. Saving my life is the priority right now!
The stone lid of the furnace finally shattered with a loud bang, sending stone fragments of all sizes flying in all directions. Then, a figure suddenly rushed out!
The old Taoist immediately looked up at Li Wuxiang and saw that he had lowered his body and lunged at him the instant he heard the sound. But Li Wuxiang had withdrawn the flying sword in his hand and let the stone chips hit his body, creating countless tiny streaks of blood to disguise injuries from the fight. The old Taoist knew that he had guessed correctly.

He mustered his strength and reached out to embrace Li Wuxiang, the two tumbling together in the rain of stones. He whispered in Li Wuxiang's ear, "Divine Lord, he's out! My life is precious too. If you spare my life, I'll play along with this charade; otherwise, I'll scream—"

"You dare to say that?!" Li Wuxiang suddenly sneered, then punched him in the chest, sending him flying backward like a sack of potatoes, spitting out blood.

The old Taoist priest landed on the ground, his eyes wide open, about to shout, when he heard Li Wuxiang yell, "Senior! Dao Shiye really is trying to harm you! Now you believe me, I really want to help you! Everything I, Li Xiao, said is true! Kill him!"

Zhou Xiang was disheveled, and his clothes were tattered into strips. Li Wuxiang and Dao Shiye could tell at a glance that seven or eight tenths of the protective spells he originally possessed had been refined away!
He stood at the edge of the stone pit, his eyes no longer showing the composure they once had, but rather a mixture of panic and anger, as if he had been terrified by the refining process and was now at a loss as to whom to trust!

Li Wuxiang's words, "You're not worthy," were still echoing in Dao Shiye's mind. He couldn't understand why this Nascent Soul Sword Immortal dared not let him go, but he didn't want to understand anymore—if you don't let me live, I'll risk my life to ruin your plans!

He opened his mouth to shout, about to yell, "He is Li Wuxiang!" But the words caught in his throat, and Li Wuxiang's earlier words, "Dao Shiye really is trying to harm you," echoed in his ears again.

A thought suddenly popped into his head—yes, I'm going to hurt him. Yes, Li Wuxiang really wanted to help him…no, what Li Wuxiang? He's Li Xiao, he is Li Xiao…everything he said is true!

It's true...it's all true...Damn it, that damn Li Xiao ruined my plans!
No...no...something's not right. He's Li Wuxiang, not Li Xiao!
What's going on?! Have I fallen under some kind of spell?! I'm mesmerized?! The old Taoist's heart pounded wildly; he knew something was wrong. The name Li Xiao was becoming clearer and clearer in his mind, but what he had wanted to do before, and what Li Xiao had said to him, were becoming increasingly blurry. He quickly grasped at the last remaining clear detail, wanting to shout it out, but when he heard his own voice, he realized that what he said was—

"This world is a dog-eat-dog world, so what if I want to train you?! Li Xiao, what benefit would you get from helping him? You...you..."

"Is everything you're saying true?!" Zhou Xiang demanded, standing at the edge of the pit.

Really? Is it true? Dao Shiye didn't know. But he had been seriously injured before, and his mind wasn't very clear to begin with, so Li Wuxiang easily subdued him with the supernatural power borrowed from the skin and bones of the Xie Zhi—

"Hey, is it true? A fool like you from the mountains... even without me, there are others, hehehehe, you stupid fool, you won't last a month in this martial world! Of course it's true! This world is all about the survival of the fittest!" Zhou Xiang wanted to ask if Li Xiao was desperately protecting him, but the old Taoist didn't answer. But his silence was already an answer.

Zhou Xiang suddenly raised his hand, and a flying sword immediately appeared in his palm.

Li Wuxiang and the old Taoist were both stunned. Ah!?
"You heretic and evil spirit deserve to die. But as I said before, everyone here gets a chance. Now I'll give you one more chance—who else wants to harm me?!"

Zhou Xiang was truly terrified. Li Wuxiang thought. The Zhou Xiang of the past was naive and innocent, having never experienced the ways of the world outside the sect. But now, after suffering a loss, he had become extremely cautious. It was hard to tell whether to call him cowardly or clever.

If the old Taoist hadn't been bewitched by the Xie Zhi's supernatural powers, he would have bitten him by now. But Li Wuxiang's powerful punch had severed his meridians, leaving him as weak as a candle in the wind. He was incapable of quick thinking, let alone rational thought. All that remained in his heart was hatred for his impending doom—a fate that would lead him to a tragic death just as he was about to reach the Nascent Soul stage.

"Pah! So he's a swordsman... You bunch of bastards... Not a single one of you is any good... No—"

Suddenly, Zhou Xiang's flying sword shot out, piercing through Dao Shiye's head before returning to his palm.

He wiped the sword on his tattered clothes, then turned to look at Li Wuxiang: "I didn't expect them to be like this. Li Xiao, after this test, you are indeed qualified to join my sect."

Seeing that Li Wuxiang was still in a daze, he smiled slightly and said, "That's right, I am a Taiyi Swordsman."

...Dude, where did you learn to use flying swords? If you're a swordsman, then what am I?
Li Wuxiang had cultivated the True Immortal Body Dao Chapter, the Lesser Tribulation Sword Scripture, and the Greater Tribulation Sword Scripture. As for the three realms of Foundation Building, Qi Refining, and Golden Core in these three cultivation methods, no living person in the world would be more familiar with them than him.

Li Wuxiang believed that Zhou Xiang's flying sword strike just now was from a Golden Core cultivator. Not only a Golden Core cultivator, but also one who practiced the Lesser Tribulation Sword Scripture.

But something's not right. If he had cultivated the Lesser Tribulation Sword Scripture to the Golden Core stage, his blood and true energy shouldn't be this weak. So he is...

He practices dual cultivation...

Li Wuxiang suddenly understood everything. Neither the Golden Core Swordsman nor the Spirit Refining cultivator should have performed so poorly in the furnace just now, so the only explanation was dual cultivation.

Cultivating the Lesser Tribulation Sword Scripture requires physical refinement, focusing on the physical body and the accumulation of spiritual energy within. In contrast, the Five Mountains True Form Sect's "Inherent Immovable Scripture" focuses on spiritual refinement, cultivating the soul and spirit, aiming to make the physical body increasingly transparent and no longer a barrier between the soul and the world.

These two techniques are inherently conflicting and contradictory. If Zhou Xiang practices both at the same time, not only will he not benefit from either technique, but he will also find it difficult to improve in either one. No wonder he is so weak.

But it's no wonder that the Xuanjiao felt comfortable letting such a pure person like him run out; his title of "swordsman" was enough to protect him!

Li Wuxiang immediately snapped out of his daze. He was already surprised enough, so there was no need to pretend; he simply repeated his question: "...Swordsman?"

Zhou Xiang sighed: "I'll tell you about my matter later. How is Kong Youxin?"

"She...she's still outside, oh senior, she's still outside, I've saved her!"

Zhou Xiang immediately strode into the hall, squatted down, and channeled his inner energy to wake Kong Youxin, then asked her a few questions in a low voice. Kong Youxin truly knew nothing. She hadn't been conscious for long after entering the North Cave. First, she was hit by a stone by Li Wuxiang, then chopped by Deng Yuan, and then bewitched by Li Wuxiang. All she saw was Li Wuxiang seemingly confronting Dao Shiye.

After hearing what she had to say, Zhou Xiang finally breathed a long sigh of relief, stood up, and beckoned to Li Wuxiang: "Come here."

He was wary when he first met Li Wuxiang, but after seeing him knock down stalactites from the cave ceiling and knock Kong Youxin unconscious, his opinion of him dropped a bit—this guy is quite smart, but his cleverness is superficial, and his intentions are a bit crooked.

Only now did he realize that this person was actually righteous despite his lack of petty courtesy, and was willing to risk his life after he had fallen into the trap!
This is a promising talent! I can really keep him with me without worry... no, I definitely need to keep him!

The people on the ship were right; the people outside the parish were utterly corrupt. If it weren't for his good fortune in encountering Li Xiao as soon as he landed, he'd probably be dead by now—his protective magic had been reduced to seventy or eighty percent, leaving only some illusions to conceal his presence. From now on, he really had to follow Li Xiao; he'd better listen to whatever he said, after all, a local knows a local best!
At this moment, Li Wuxiang walked up to him. Zhou Xiang glanced at him briefly and said in a deep voice, "I am a Taiyi swordsman. I deliberately entered the furnace just now to test your character."

Okay, if you say you are, then you are.

"I came out to travel because I wanted to establish my own school of thought."

Yes, you've already said that.

"Kong Youxin is just her alias. I take her with me when I travel the martial arts world because she saved my life before."

Hmm, that sounds familiar. Wait a minute...?

Li Wuxiang's heart skipped a beat. Could this guy be thinking of—

"Can you guess who I am now?" Zhou Xiang, dressed in tattered beggar's clothes, smiled mysteriously.

Li Wuxiang was dumbfounded: "You are... Li—"

Zhou Xiang immediately raised her hand to her lips: "Shh. You know it, but don't tell anyone about my identity."

Li Wuxiang now realized that this arrogant outsider was truly terrified. Terrified to death. So terrified that he had to pretend to be the invincible, world-renowned, and famous Little God Li Wuxiang to make himself even more loyal!

No, what should I do now? How should I react?
Fortunately, just then, a rustling sound came from the stone platform outside the cave, followed by a female voice: "...Is anyone there?"

Zhou Xiang, who had just been so confident and composed, visibly trembled upon hearing this voice and immediately shouted, "Who goes there?!"

Li Wuxiang was spared the torment of "how should I react now?" He darted towards the cave entrance and saw a young woman hiding against the stone wall, trying to escape, but it was too late.

She was also startled by Li Wuxiang. She leaned against the stone wall, her legs went weak, and she squatted down. She turned her face to the side, waved her hands, and hurriedly called out, "I'm from next door! I'm from next door!"

(End of this chapter)