Qin Shuanglian rushed into the room and saw a man lying on the bed, his face pale as paper, eyes tightly shut, lips dark red bordering on black—he had already lost his breath.
“Miss Qin, Fang Zhidong… he’s dead…” Standing beside the bed was a man dressed in tight-fitting martial attire, his expression filled with terror and confusion.
“Dead?” Qin Shuanglian blurted out, running to the bedside. She checked his pulse and listened for a heartbeat, fussing about for a while before finally confirming her teammate’s death.
The girl in the crimson dress stood dazed, her eyes lifeless. When she had left, Fang Zhidong had merely been unconscious, but now, in the blink of an eye, he was already dead?
Shi Tiangao glanced at them, took a deep breath, and asked, “Hanqiu, Huashan, what exactly happened?”
Zhu Hanqiu, dressed in martial attire and appearing deeply confused, replied, “Earlier, I was studying the sword manual we obtained, Huashan was practicing with chess pieces as hidden weapons, and Zhidong was meditating. Everything was normal, nothing unusual, until suddenly he cried out in pain, rolled off the bed, clenched his jaw shut, and closed his eyes tightly, slipping into a coma. His pulse and heartbeat kept weakening.”
The girl in the crimson dress, Zhu Huashan, stood beside the table, where scattered black and white chess pieces remained, not yet collected, revealing her anxious state at the time. She added, “We were worried Zhidong had suffered a spiritual backlash, so Hanqiu used his inner energy to stabilize Zhidong’s heart pulse while I fed him medicinal pills, but nothing worked. In desperation, I went out to find you or someone from the Celestial Master’s Mansion for help. I had just left the room and returned when, unexpectedly, Zhidong had already… already…”
Her voice grew sorrowful toward the end. They had shared life and death together for so long, and although there had been inevitable conflicts and some scheming, their bond was far deeper than that of ordinary friends. Now, seeing Fang Zhidong die under such mysterious circumstances, how could they not feel grief? Moreover, if his cause of death remained unknown, it might threaten them all. If even a rabbit mourns when another dies, how could they not feel sorrow for their fallen comrade?
Zhu Hanqiu added, “As soon as Huashan left the room, Zhidong completely collapsed. No matter how much inner energy I poured into him, I couldn’t stop his heartbeat from fading.”
He still seemed shaken, though sorrow had not yet fully set in.
Qin Shuanglian examined Fang Zhidong’s body and confirmed there were no visible wounds, signs of poisoning, or indications of meridian rupture from spiritual backlash. Thinking for a moment, she proceeded to strip his clothes to check for less obvious injuries.
There were no needle marks or bruises on his head, sternum, dantian, heart, or lower body. His skin was clear, his muscles firm—Fang Zhidong looked as if he were still alive.
“Could it be a sudden illness?” Shi Tiangao speculated.
Qin Shuanglian thought the same, but she couldn’t yet reach that conclusion. She turned Fang Zhidong’s body over to examine his back.
As the body rolled over, revealing the back, Qin Shuanglian’s pupils suddenly constricted. Shi Tiangao and Zhu Hanqiu inhaled sharply, instinctively stepping back, while Zhu Huashan covered her mouth in shock.
Fang Zhidong’s back, pale yet strong, bore a large, crimson “Sha” (kill) character, vivid and horrifying, as if dripping with fresh blood!
Looking closer, the “Sha” seemed to have seeped into his skin, as if it had been born with him, exuding a sinister, bloody aura, filled with death.
The atmosphere in the room grew heavy and silent, all breathing seemingly ceasing.
“When did he get that ‘Sha’ mark on his back?” Shi Tiangao finally broke the unbearable silence.
During their last mission, he had bathed with Fang Zhidong and Zhu Hanqiu, and had seen no such mark.
Zhu Hanqiu shook his head blankly, indicating he didn’t know either.
Shi Tiangao and Qin Shuanglian exchanged glances, both recalling their earlier suspicion: the mission had changed, involving the Celestial Master’s Mansion. Someone had likely opened a side quest or inadvertently triggered something. Could it have been Fang Zhidong? And had he thus suffered the backlash?
“That ‘Sha’ character is really creepy. Could it be the work of an evil spirit? After all, we just came out of that haunted village…” Zhu Huashan speculated.
At her words, Shi Tiangao’s face paled. He immediately grabbed the back of his shirt and tore it open.
Rip! Exposing his bronze-colored skin, there was a faint red “Sha” character on his back!
“It’s real!” Zhu Hanqiu gasped.
Qin Shuanglian and Zhu Huashan’s expressions shifted rapidly. They immediately entered the side room to check each other’s backs.
Zhu Hanqiu’s face turned pale as he removed his robe and lifted his inner garment, asking Shi Tiangao to check for him.
“Brother Tian, is there one?” Zhu Hanqiu’s voice trembled slightly.
Shi Tiangao nodded gravely: “Yes.”
A deep red “Sha” character was “embedded” on Zhu Hanqiu’s back.
Shortly after, Qin Shuanglian and Zhu Huashan returned, their faces grim—clearly, they had not been spared either.
The four pairs of eyes met, fear spreading throughout the room.
“We must go find the Celestial Master!” Qin Shuanglian clenched her teeth.
This mysterious and eerie phenomenon had already exceeded their ability to handle it—they could only rely on the Celestial Master’s Mansion now!
…
Hearing Meng Qi’s suggestion, the Celestial Master remained silent for a moment before finally speaking: “This venerable monk and I have been friends for many years. I trust his character and integrity. There’s no need for further verification.”
The venerable monk was known for his compassion, always resolving disputes in the martial world fairly and never lying—truly a great and virtuous monk to be trusted.
Moreover, at this stage, the Yuan Shen was extremely fragile, as thin as paper against an opponent of equal power—how could it be left in someone else’s hands? The Celestial Master certainly couldn’t trust Meng Qi, the leader of the Cangtian Sect!
Besides, their target was already his own thorn in the flesh and eye, so why not go along with it?
“Very well then,” Meng Qi clapped his hands and smiled. “Let’s first investigate the Empress’s true strength.”
“If what you say is true,” the Celestial Master replied, “based on my understanding of the Empress, she won’t ignore your presence, nor will she delude herself into thinking nothing has happened. By now, she should have recalled all her key subordinates, sealed her domain, activated her forbidden techniques, and is waiting patiently. With the help of the Black Mountain Demon, we three might not be able to break through her defenses—we’d only be locked in a stalemate. And once that special device is fully repaired, they’ll launch a counterattack.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the leader of the Cangtian Sect, dressed in a blue robe, smiled slightly, appearing confident: “Investigating her strength is precisely to find clues about the mysterious fragments.”
“The Empress is strong-willed. She would never entrust her life to another’s whim. Since she now knows about the mysterious fragments and the device capable of manipulating them to alter laws and reverse time, surely she must have prepared countermeasures. If we could be affected, so could she. Therefore, she must be trying to control the situation. Now that the fragments are missing, we can only start by investigating her to find any clues.”
The Celestial Master sighed: “You truly understand the Empress’s nature to such an extent.”
Understanding human hearts was difficult—reaching such insight was already extraordinary.
After finalizing their plan, the three immediately left the Celestial Master’s Hall and flew northward.
…
A majestic city lay beside a wide river, now shrouded in mist, concealing hidden dangers and obscuring its true appearance.
The Celestial Master hovered midair, gazing down at the city below, and found himself believing Meng Qi and the Venerable Monk’s account even more.
The Empress had indeed recalled her subordinates and activated her forbidden techniques!
She was waiting for the device to be fully repaired!
The Venerable Monk opened his eyes, golden and clear like dragon’s eyes, reflecting every detail of the city below, unobscured by the mist.
The Divine Eye Technique!
Indeed, the city was bustling with activity, many regional masters returning, confirming the three Grand Masters’ suspicions and the truth of the matter.
Inside the grand and heavy palace, the Empress sat high on her throne, clad in dark robes, her phoenix crown raised. Before her stood a figure cloaked in black, revealing only a pair of crimson, cold eyes—the Black Mountain Demon!
Sensing the Venerable Monk’s gaze, the Black Mountain Demon suddenly turned, his eyes shooting out a foot-long crimson glow.
Instantly, the Venerable Monk’s crystal-clear golden eyes turned murky, no longer able to see into the palace.
“They have indeed allied,” the Celestial Master looked at Meng Qi, now fully convinced. “With their domain sealed, how do we find clues?”
Meng Qi stood midair, feet slightly apart, hands behind his back, smiling faintly:
“Wherever something exists, it leaves traces.”
His eyes suddenly turned pitch black, like the deepest reaches of the cosmos, where a figure sat in meditation, indescribable, from which the first luminous starlines emerged, continuously splitting and evolving into the mysterious “Starfield.”
Every action leaves a karmic imprint!
Meng Qi gazed at the city, and countless karmic threads swarmed like a dense “stellar cloud,” impossible to distinguish—whose they were, where they led.
Unsurprised, Meng Qi shifted his gaze to the void, seeking only those karmic threads extending beyond this world!
At the hazy edge of space, Meng Qi faintly saw several faint starlines, connected to unknown places.
“Good, I have some leads now,” Meng Qi withdrew his gaze, his eyes returning to normal, yet both the Venerable Monk and the Celestial Master felt a slight reluctance to meet his eyes—just moments ago, he had exuded an eerie, inexplicable aura.
“Clues?” The Celestial Master’s mind flickered with thoughts, calmly asking.
He found clues that quickly?
Meng Qi smiled slightly: “Of course.”
Although he couldn’t distinguish the specifics or manipulate them, he had already memorized the characteristics and sensations of those karmic threads.
Among them, there must be connections leading to the mysterious fragments. These could serve as the foundation for the “Yuxu Divine Calculation,” combined with government investigations, narrowing down several suspicious locations for further elimination.
With leads in hand, and unable to break through the Empress and Black Mountain Demon’s combined defenses, the three Grand Masters soon chose to retreat.
The Empress rose from her throne, hands lowered, gazing upward:
“They won’t give up easily.”
“No matter. The special device will be reassembled in a few days. Besides, I’ve also found clues about the Seven Kill Stele,” the Black Mountain Demon’s voice was deep and magnetic, contrasting sharply with his appearance.
“The Seven Kill Stele?” The Empress turned her gaze back, facing the Black Mountain Demon directly.
The Black Mountain Demon chuckled lightly: “Of course. After confirming the ‘Seven Kill Stele’ had fallen into this world, I searched relentlessly. Although virtual reality games cannot alter reality, due to the vast number of players and their diverse choices, they cause various changes—like countless uncertain futures—which allowed me to eliminate many possibilities. Once the scope narrowed, it became much easier.”
“What exactly is the Seven Kill Stele?” The Empress asked gravely.
The Black Mountain Demon laughed maniacally: “Originally, it was the artifact used by the ancient Celestial Emperor to attain enlightenment. He relied heavily on it to transcend the limitations of being a divine being born of heaven. But after the fall of the Celestial Court, it was damaged, fell into the Nine Netherworlds, nearly shattered, and later acquired by another evil deity, who refined it into the Seven Kill Stele. It is said to distort time, explore past and present lives, kill silently, and possess countless wondrous uses. However, it requires ten years to recover after each use. If I obtain it, I will first kill Liang Wujie!”
Liang Wujie was the leader of the Cangtian Sect.
The Empress stared at him, expressionless: “I don’t care how you obtain the Seven Kill Stele, as long as the fragments belong to me.”
“Of course,” the Black Mountain Demon turned and left.
Watching his back, the Empress’s phoenix eyes narrowed slightly. His words were likely half-truths, concealing the most crucial details.
…
Returning to the Celestial Master’s Mansion, Meng Qi sought a quiet room, preparing to visit Nan Gong Chong to locate the mysterious fragments as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, the Celestial Master met again with Qin Shuanglian and the others, learning of the strange “Sha” mark appearing on their backs. He then dispatched a Grand Master to accompany them back to the haunted village for further investigation.
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