Oath Sha

Fang Huai had no choice but to follow the instructions and swear the oath.

He felt an invisible constraint settle over him; just imagining the consequences of breaking it sent a piercing pain through his sea of consciousness.

Feng Wuwang waved for the two to withdraw, then pointed at Luo Heng and another cultivator:

"You two have rendered great service by recommending fresh blood for the Ascension Society. Starting this month, your Blood Jade Leaf rations will be increased."

He paused, his voice suddenly rising to fill the hall: "Now the Corpse Sha Sect is in turmoil, losing battle after battle to the Mystic Sword Sect, teetering on the brink of collapse!

In chaotic times, only strength can secure a foothold!"

His voice carried a hypnotic power: "What we can do is bring more people into the Ascension Society, so we can share more Blood Jade Leaves and cultivate faster.

When the day comes that the Mystic Sword Sect storms our gates—whether we fight their cultivators or flee the sect—we must have the confidence to survive.

And in the future, we too can build a Foundation Establishment body and even touch the edge of Golden Core!"

As his words fell, a cultivator asked: "Hall Master, can we really reach Foundation Establishment? Can we truly form a Golden Core?"

Feng Wuwang's eyes swept over the crowd, a pressure bearing down: "Is Foundation Establishment or Golden Core something determined by birth?

We cultivators must contend with heaven for our fate! Since joining the Ascension Society, every one of us can achieve true immortality!"

A dead silence fell over the crowd, then erupted into a thunderous roar: "Since joining the Ascension Society, every one of us can achieve true immortality!"

"Foundation Establishment and Golden Core were never innate!"

"Sooner or later, we'll trample those Heavenly Spirit Root and Dual Spirit Root cultivators underfoot!"

"..."

Passion surged through the crowd. Fists clenched, some even wept as they shouted in unison:

"I would go through fire and water for the Ascension Society!"

Fang Huai was inwardly stunned. Feng Wuwang's rhetoric was the premium version of Earth's pyramid schemes.

But the atmosphere had reached its peak; if he didn't chime in, it would be inexcusable:

"I seek immortality, to look down upon all beings!"

Seeing the effect had been achieved, Feng Wuwang waved his hand, and the crowd gradually quieted.

"You two newcomers, state your names and peaks."

"Fang Huai, Skinning Peak."

"Liu Ye, Beast Taming Peak."

"Since you've joined the Ascension Society, you must follow its rules. Members live in pairs, supporting each other and sharing information.

Liu Ye, you'll room with Junior Brother Cheng Rui. Decide your lodging yourselves."

Liu Ye followed Feng Wuwang's gaze and saw a round-faced, bearded male cultivator smiling at him cheerfully. He swallowed hard.

"I..."

"Do you have a problem with my arrangement?" Feng Wuwang's tone turned harsh.

"No, no." Liu Ye felt like dying.

"Fang Huai..."

Hearing his name, Fang Huai tensed instantly.

He silently prayed to every god and Buddha he could think of, hoping there wouldn't be a second Senior Brother Cheng Rui.

"Junior Brother Fang, your roommate is a Skinning Peak disciple currently on a mission. He should return by the next monthly meeting.

For now, make do for a while. If you encounter trouble, seek help from Junior Brother Luo Heng."

Fang Huai breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

At least for this month, he wouldn't have to face that unknown new roommate directly.

The Ascension Society's monthly meeting didn't last long.

After asking about everyone's recent situation, Feng Wuwang ordered the distribution of that month's Blood Jade Leaves and dismissed the assembly.

Fang Huai imitated Luo Heng, striking the wall three times hard and five times lightly. Above his head, the familiar sandy whirlpool appeared.

Sealing his seven orifices, he leaped up and spun into the vortex.

The world turned upside down...

When he opened his eyes, he was in Miasma Valley, but not at the spot by the withered tree and green stone.

He sprinted toward the exit under cover of night, but suddenly a wave of pressure slammed down, sealing his spiritual power, and a massive net fell from the sky.

"Immortal-Catching Net?"

Fang Huai was shocked. Who would be using an Immortal-Catching Net to capture people at the edge of Miasma Valley?

"Which fellow disciple is joking? Formal disciples of the sect are forbidden from killing each other. Aren't you afraid of the Law Enforcement Hall's punishment?"

"Is it that I'm not afraid of the Law Enforcement Hall, or that you aren't?"

A figure emerged from the shadows—a female cultivator, by the look of it.

The female cultivator was dragging a male cultivator by the hand. Sensing him, Fang Huai found that he too was a member of the Ascension Society.

Fang Huai swept his gaze over them and couldn't help but frown.

[Jiang Miao]

[Qi Refining, Eighth Layer]

[Sha Qi Infusion (White)] [Corpse Sha Possession (Red)]

Years had passed, and that woman who treated human life like nothing had appeared again—and she had already reached the eighth layer of Qi Refining.

What was strange, though, was why [Sha Qi Infusion] and [Corpse Sha Possession] would appear on the same cultivator.

Fang Huai had originally thought these were two stages of Sha Qi invading the body, but now it seemed otherwise.

"Fairy Jiang, long time no see," Fang Huai spoke up.

"You are?"

Jiang Miao stepped closer, lifted his chin with her index finger, and leaned in to sniff him. "Fang Huai? The Fang Huai I brought out of the Human Puppet Hall?"

"That is this Fang."

Jiang Miao sneered. "I was lying in wait for the scum of the Ascension Society, and I didn't expect to catch you.

Back then, I thought you might be a capable cultivator. I didn't expect you to rely on this addictive stuff either."

Jiang Miao came from the lineage of the Sect Leader. From the meaning in her words, the sect already knew of the existence of the Ascension Society and the Blood Jade Leaf, and was secretly arresting its members.

Jiang Miao was no fool—deceiving her was as good as seeking death. Fang Huai had no choice but to explain:

"Fairy Jiang, I boarded that pirate ship in a daze. My heart has always been loyal to the sect."

"Loyal to the sect? Then tell me, where does the Ascension Society gather?"

"It's at..." Fang Huai was about to speak when he suddenly felt a deadly crisis deep in his sea of consciousness. He immediately remembered the Oath Sha.

His heart jolted in alarm. Fortunately, he stopped his words in time, or he would have surely died.

Checking the tags on his body, he found that [Oath Sha (Red)] had automatically appeared.

"Fairy Jiang, I've been afflicted with the Oath Sha. I truly cannot speak of it," Fang Huai explained.

"Oath Sha?" Jiang Miao laughed, and at the same time, a wisp of black light appeared at her fingertip. "This thing? I know it too."

Fang Huai suddenly had a bad feeling.

Seeing his expression change, Jiang Miao flicked her finger, and the black light drilled into Fang Huai's sea of consciousness.

She laughed. "Swear an oath now. If you truly joined the Ascension Society of your own will, may your soul scatter on the spot!"

Fang Huai's heart pounded wildly. After calming himself, he slowly spoke:

"I, Fang Huai, swear this oath here: if I truly joined the Ascension Society of my own will, may my soul scatter on the spot."

After speaking, he suppressed his inner tension and met Jiang Miao's gaze. Only when he was certain the Oath Sha would not trigger did he let out a breath.

"Boring."

Jiang Miao pouted. "That was my first time using the Oath Sha. I thought I'd get to see how someone under it dies, but you actually survived."

At the same time, she pressed her palm onto the head of the man bound by the Immortal Binding Rope. "Soul Searching Technique!"

"Ah!"

The man let out a miserable scream and immediately had his soul scattered.

Jiang Miao hadn't retrieved any information. Surprised, she said, "I didn't expect that even using the Soul Searching Technique would trigger the Oath Sha. This is going to be troublesome."