Shake Off the Head

Since fleeing the Moon-Gazing Pavilion covered in blood, Jiang Wang had not had a single full night's sleep, so this sleep was especially long.

He dreamed many dreams. He dreamed of dominating the Sword Discussion Platform, of his cultivation advancing by leaps and bounds, riding the wind and breaking through clouds. He dreamed of a vast, empty sky, five streaks of light moving with incredible speed, five...

He woke up.

He sat up in silence, leaning against the headboard, unable to tell whether the sudden sensation was a pang of anxiety or grief.

He shook his head and gathered his focus.

By now, the sky outside the window had darkened into night, and the dormitory still held only himself.

Jiang Wang frowned.

Du Yehu could drink for days on end without issue, but Ling He had always followed the rules—there was no way he would be out all night without returning.

The outer sect dormitories of Maple Forest Dao Academy were a row of connected single-story houses. He threw on his clothes and stepped outside. The dormitory across the way had its door tightly shut, and the rooms to either side were eerily quiet. The corridor felt inexplicably cold and gloomy.

Jiang Wang casually stopped a passing figure. "Junior brother, have you seen Senior Brother Ling He?"

"Ling He? Haven't seen him." The person replied in a voice that was unnervingly flat.

As he answered, he shook his head.

Bang!

His head simply snapped off, fell to the ground, and rolled a few times.

He had shaken his head clean off!

Staring at the headless body that had just been speaking, Jiang Wang felt a chill rise from his tailbone, shooting straight to the crown of his head.

But he had long been seasoned by battle. Instinctively, he took a step back, planning to retreat into the dormitory first, at least to grab a weapon.

Yet the dormitory door suddenly slammed shut and would not push open! It was as if someone inside the room was bracing against it, refusing to let him in.

At that moment, the headless body turned around, spread its arms, and charged toward him with long strides! The head that had fallen to the ground, after rolling a few times, suddenly launched itself into the air, reaching Jiang Wang even before the body! Its hair was disheveled, its face twisted and grotesque, its nose sunken, and its two eyeballs bulging high.

A midnight fiend, a soul-snatching specter.

"Playing tricks!" Jiang Wang roared, hoping to alert the outer sect disciples in other dormitories, while simultaneously leaping backward.

This was Maple Forest Dao Academy, where Dong A, a cultivator of the fifth rank, held sway. At the first sign of disturbance, he would surely suppress and kill it! No matter what kind of eerie, evil creature it was, it wouldn't dare cause too much of a commotion. If he could simply escape, that would be the best course.

But the head's launch speed was too fast. Jiang Wang had no time to get away.

So he retreated a few steps, then suddenly leaped into the air, channeling one of the only two Dao Essences left in his Dao Vein into his right leg. Twisting his body, he lashed out with a reverse kick midair!

With the explosive burst of Dao Essence driving it, this kick carried far greater force than anything he had ever mustered.

The images of gods, ghosts, demons, and monsters were never just legends. Though Jiang Wang had not yet fully transcended the mortal realm, he had long seen the world beyond the ordinary. He had killed men, seen blood, and forged his courage.

He told himself in his heart: that's a ball, not a head, just a ball!

Bang!

The boot's surface collided fiercely with the head. The head shot back at an even faster speed than before, slamming into the charging headless body and knocking it off balance.

A perfect volley!

At the same time, Jiang Wang felt a sharp pain in the top of his foot. The head had opened its bloody mouth and bitten through his shoe, tearing off a strip of flesh!

The wound faintly tinged with green.

Jiang Wang knew this was bad—likely some kind of corpse poison or the like.

But his goal of stopping the enemy with an attack had been achieved. Without hesitation, he turned and ran.

He made it a few steps to the end of the corridor, only to be blocked by a transparent membrane of primal energy.

The force wasn't particularly strong, but it was extremely tenacious, firmly barring his path. This was a siege!

Jiang Wang's mind raced. He detonated the last Dao Essence in his Dao Vein, concentrating it in his right shoulder.

He threw all his strength into it, driving his shoulder forward in a crash!

"Open up!!!"

Jiang Wang felt his body lighten as he broke free of the corridor between the two rows of dormitories.

Then he heard the wind, the chirping of insects, the voices of returning outer sect disciples... the sounds of the night.

The silent environment had been shattered.

"Senior Brother Jiang Wang, what are you doing?"

"Senior Brother, you're injured!"

Some outer sect disciples who spotted Jiang Wang came over to greet him.

Hearing the familiar greetings of his fellow disciples, Jiang Wang understood that he had escaped danger. He turned and rushed back into that corridor, but it was already empty.

The headless body and that head had vanished as well.

From the dormitories on both sides, people pushed open their doors and asked in confusion, "What's going on? Why couldn't I open the door just now?"

Then a terrified voice shouted, "Someone... someone's dead!"

Jiang Wang was the first to charge into the dormitory from which the cry had come. There, he found the missing headless corpse. It and its head now lay quietly on the ground, its face still twisted in a ghastly expression.

The one trembling in the corner of the wall must be his panicked roommate.

The methods his opponent had displayed included at least corpse manipulation, which leaned toward the heretical path, and orthodox water-element Dao techniques. Or perhaps there was more than one opponent.

Jiang Wang's thoughts raced, and he decisively spoke up: "A demonic cultist has broken into the outer sect at night to commit murder. They know Dao techniques and have already transcended the mortal realm! Their strength should be within the Nine Grades range. All junior brothers must take care of yourselves, move in groups of five, and support each other! Starting now, seal off the dormitory area. No one is allowed in or out. I will immediately go request guidance from the inner sect senior brothers!"

The unsettled outer sect disciples suddenly found their backbone and followed his instructions.

Jiang Wang turned at once and ran straight toward the inner sect.

The entire eastern part of the city belonged to Maple Forest City Daoist Academy and its affiliated properties, but strictly speaking, only the cluster of courtyards in the center of the eastern district, enclosed by high walls, counted as the true Maple Forest City Daoist Academy. Outer sect disciples like Jiang Wang were scattered in residences around the academy.

Compared to the towering archway and the wealthy jade lions before the outer courtyard, the inner courtyard's gate was much smaller, barely wide enough for four people to walk side by side. Yet the exquisite craftsmanship could be glimpsed from the plaque carved with dragons and phoenixes, which faintly glowed in the night.

Before the inner courtyard gate stood a small pavilion. In front of the pavilion hung two lanterns painted with flowing clouds, and inside it sat a single ice-grass cushion. A handsome, plain-robed Daoist sat cross-legged on the cushion, cultivating with closed eyes. This was Li Jianqiu, the inner sect disciple on duty today.

Jiang Wang rushed over and hastily bowed. "Senior Brother Li, a heretical cultist is committing murder in the outer courtyard! One junior brother has already been killed! Please take charge!"

To outer sect disciples, every inner sect disciple who had embarked on the path of cultivation was a star-like figure. Having been at the academy for so long, Jiang Wang was naturally familiar with all of them. And to Li Jianqiu, Jiang Wang—who had boldly initiated a Dao Verification Duel and brought out the dean himself to officiate—was hardly an unknown name. Besides, as the one on duty, he could not shirk responsibility.

Thus, after hearing just one sentence, he pressed his hand to his sword and rose.

"No need." A dignified voice rang out, and Li Jianqiu immediately sheathed his sword and bowed in salute.

Dean Dong A appeared at the inner courtyard gate, his expression cold and hard—one might even say ugly. "I will handle this personally."

"Corpse qi." He looked at the wound on Jiang Wang's instep, torn by the flying head. Without any other movement, he extended his index finger, and a green thorn condensed out of thin air.

Only then did Jiang Wang notice that the wound on his foot had already festered and was oozing black blood. Fear rose in his heart.

"Grade C, mid-rank Dao technique: Poison-Swallowing Thorn. This technique is very practical and can be used up to the intermediate stage."

As Dong A casually explained, he lightly flicked his finger.

Beyond super-rank Dao techniques, ordinary Dao techniques were divided into four grades and twelve ranks. The vast, boundless ocean of Dao techniques could never be fully explored in a single lifetime. Every Daoist Sect cultivator who stepped onto the path of transcendence had to clearly understand which Dao techniques suited them best and, through continuous combat and exploration, form their own battle system.

The thorn plunged into the wound on Jiang Wang's instep. It visibly darkened, and within a few breaths, the green thorn had turned completely black. The wound itself no longer showed a green-black hue but instead bled fresh red blood.

Jiang Wang quickly tore off a strip of his robe and bandaged the wound.

Li Jianqiu watched this scene in silence, lost in thought.

Only then did Dong A ask, "What happened?"

Jiang Wang recounted the events in the briefest possible terms and then offered no further opinion. He trusted—and could only trust—that the dean of Maple Forest City Daoist Academy would give him justice for the assassination attempt on him within the academy.

The corner of Dong A's mouth curled slightly. Because of his stern expression, this smile was especially chilling.

"Heretical cultists, daring to cause trouble at Maple Forest City Daoist Academy—this means they hold neither the academy nor me, Dong A, in any regard!"

He spread his Daoist robe, opened his five fingers, and pressed his hand down toward the earth!

"Jade Cage!"

With his five fingers as the center, the formless power of the wood element extended in all directions.

Every gate of the entire academy slammed shut with a bang! Branches sprouted and grew wildly.

The ivy on the courtyard walls shot up like snakes, intertwining with each other in midair.

Every wooden object in the entire academy underwent a transformation.

Wooden chairs grew branches, wooden windows sprouted claws, giant trees burst through the ground, and thorns danced wildly!

In an instant, under the cover of night, the entire Maple Forest City Daoist Academy had turned into a jade-green cage!

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