The Truth Behind the Malevolent Spirit Invasion

"Tell me!"

A cruel smile covered Jiang Dao's face.

"I know the truth behind this Malevolent Spirit invasion. Spare me."

Taoist Changbai spoke in terror.

"The truth behind the Malevolent Spirit invasion?"

Jiang Dao narrowed his eyes. Taoist Changbai's words seemed to stir his interest. He grabbed the old Daoist by the scalp and dragged him toward the room ahead.

Taoist Changbai was in unbearable pain. He hurriedly clutched his head with both hands as Jiang Dao dragged his body away.

A long trail of blood was left across the ground, a ghastly sight.

Before long.

Jiang Dao casually threw Taoist Changbai back into the previous room, tossing him into a corner like garbage with a bang.

Then Jiang Dao pulled over a chair and sat down with legs spread wide, his eyes like lightning as he glared at Old Daoist Changbai.

"What truth?"

Jiang Dao's tone was icy.

"I... if I tell you, can you spare me?"

Taoist Changbai said painfully, "Let me go first. Once I leave, I'll find a way to tell you!"

Jiang Dao snapped off a piece of wood and flicked it with his finger. Like a bullet, it shot into Old Daoist Changbai's shoulder with a bang, making him scream miserably as blood splattered.

"If you don't talk, I'll slice you apart one cut at a time and shave you down to White Bone until you tell me!"

Jiang Dao said coldly.

A bitter, miserable smile immediately spread across Old Daoist Changbai's face.

He knew he had been utterly defeated!

This youth was not human at all!

If he had known, why would he have stubbornly stayed in the Jiang Family before?

This was a humanoid demon!

"It... it's the Malevolent Spirit organizations working with the imperial court. They want to seize a Sacred Artifact. That Sacred Artifact has appeared in Hengzhou City, so many people are destined to die."

Taoist Changbai said miserably.

"Malevolent Spirit organizations working with the imperial court?"

A cold gleam flickered in Jiang Dao's eyes. "Didn't you say before that you didn't know? Are you still trying to trick me?"

"No, I would never dare deceive you again. If you don't believe me, just find the local magistrate and force the truth out of him!"

Taoist Changbai hurriedly said.

Jiang Dao frowned.

The imperial court was working with Malevolent Spirits...

He had indeed suspected as much before.

"They want to seize a Sacred Artifact. Why do they need to kill people?"

Jiang Dao asked.

"Because Malevolent Spirits rely on blood to sustain their lives. These organizations all control Malevolent Spirits. Once they appear on a large scale, countless people are bound to die miserably. For a long time, the imperial court has been unable to restrain them, so it can only adopt this policy. Wherever they appear, that place is sealed off and left to their ravages. Once they finish ravaging the area, they will naturally leave."

Taoist Changbai said.

"Do all these human lives mean nothing in the eyes of the imperial court?"

Jiang Dao asked in a low voice.

"When facing the unknown, even the imperial court is merely a puppet. What do the lives of ordinary people amount to?"

"What organization has its eyes on my Jiang Family?"

Jiang Dao continued.

"It's Spirit Child Palace. Their organization possesses many terrifying Malevolent Spirits. These spirit children are only the lowest-grade Malevolent Spirits. There are also many greater Malevolent Spirits. Wherever they are, a boundless sea of blood is bound to rise, causing countless deaths..."

Old Daoist Changbai was terrified and hurriedly continued, "I didn't tell you before because I was also afraid of offending them... Hengzhou City has already been targeted by them. Unless several thousand people die, they will not rest until satisfied—unless that Sacred Artifact emerges ahead of time."

"What Sacred Artifact is it?"

Jiang Dao asked.

"I don't know exactly what kind of Sacred Artifact it is, but it is terrifying beyond compare. Sacred Artifacts are the most horrifying objects in this world. Every Sacred Artifact seals an even more terrifying Malevolent Spirit within it. To use a Sacred Artifact, one must first conduct a sacrifice. Feed the Malevolent Spirit inside with blood until it is full, and then one can wield the Sacred Artifact's power."

Taoist Changbai hurriedly said, "Even the strike of the lowest-grade Sacred Artifact would be unimaginably terrifying. It could effortlessly cause countless deaths. This is power beyond the mortal world!"

Jiang Dao's heart churned.

Sacred Artifacts...

They sounded somewhat like nuclear weapons in this world.

But a Sacred Artifact was about to emerge in Hengzhou City. This was trouble.

If Sacred Artifacts were truly so formidable, they would inevitably attract even more demons and monsters.

The unlucky ones would still be Hengzhou City's common people. They would be killed without end to sacrifice to this thing!

"Where is that Sacred Artifact now?"

Jiang Dao asked.

"I... I don't know either."

Taoist Changbai gave a bitter smile. "Compared to those terrifying, sinister powers, I am nothing. I only know that the Sacred Artifact has definitely appeared within the city. I know nothing else."

"Do Spirit Eliminators truly need bloodlines? Can those without bloodlines not become one?"

Jiang Dao asked repeatedly.

"Yes, I have never deceived you about that. The experts of Spirit Child Palace are actually a type of Spirit Eliminator as well. They simply prefer to use Malevolent Spirits and take them for their own use rather than eliminate them."

Taoist Changbai hurriedly said.

"Is there any way for me to become a Spirit Eliminator?"

Jiang Dao asked again.

"No, I truly have no way. Please spare me. This old Daoist was wrong. This old Daoist failed to recognize Mount Tai before his eyes. As long as you spare my life, I'll do anything."

Taoist Changbai begged bitterly.

"Daoist, what do you think of my martial arts now? Compared to you Spirit Eliminators, how far behind am I?"

Jiang Dao suddenly asked.

"This... if I tell the truth, will you spare my life?"

"Yes. Speak!"

"Among all Spirit Eliminators, I am only one of the weakest... Some powerful Spirit Eliminators are incredibly terrifying, possessing bodies that are almost immortal. You had such difficulty dealing with me. If you faced other Spirit Eliminators, I'm afraid..."

Old Daoist Changbai said uneasily.

"An immortal body..."

Jiang Dao's heart grew heavy. Staring at the Daoist before him, his body suddenly shot forth like lightning, fast to the utmost, carrying a terrifying gale as he kicked Taoist Changbai in the jaw.

Crack!

The blow sent Taoist Changbai soaring into the air.

Then Jiang Dao's palm instantly turned scarlet red, and he slammed it into Old Daoist Changbai's face.

Bang!

Old Daoist Changbai let out a miserable scream. His entire head burst apart like a watermelon, exploding into fragments.

"Spare you? That would be an insult to the girls you harmed..."

Jiang Dao said coldly.

Thud!

The headless corpse crashed heavily onto the floor of the room and did not move.

Jiang Dao's brows knitted tightly.

This was trouble.

Having provoked Spirit Child Palace, they would surely face Spirit Child Palace's brutal retaliation!

They had to leave Hengzhou City as soon as possible.

Jiang Dao turned and walked toward the courtyard.

That strange laughter did not appear again.

It seemed that only one Malevolent Spirit had come to the Jiang Family tonight.

He let out a light breath. The swollen muscles across his body gradually relaxed, his entire body shrinking bit by bit like a deflated ball as it returned to normal. Every vein receded, and before long, he looked as he had before.

However, though all his muscles had contracted, his height had not shrunk by much.

He was still around 188 centimeters tall.

Jiang Dao looked at his height, his brows slightly furrowed.

Had his bones been stretched longer?

His current form seemed somewhat strange.

The Grand Completion of five martial arts had brought changes that were too great.

He could control every muscle in his body at will and could return to that swollen state at any time.

Moreover, in that swollen state, both his speed and strength rose across the board.

More precisely, his current lean body was restricting the release of his power. Only in that swollen state could he cast off all restraints and unleash every bit of his strength.

Jiang Dao opened the panel again and looked over it.

"Hmm?"

A strange look appeared on his face.

The panel had actually changed again.

The words behind all five martial arts had become modifiable.

Mad Demon Staff Art (sixty years later) Modifiable

Blood Shadow Saber Art (sixty years later) Modifiable

Eagle Claw Iron Shirt (sixty years later) Modifiable

Wind Chasing Saber (sixty years later) Modifiable

Poison Sand Palm (sixty years later) Modifiable

"Could they be raised even further?"

Jiang Dao's eyes flickered. He immediately focused his thoughts and lightly tapped behind Mad Demon Staff Art.

Whoosh!

The words on the panel became hazy and mysterious once more.