Innocent

Liu Cuo opened his eyes, and what he saw was already the cave abode where he had been in seclusion.

"I'm out?"

He slowly sat up, the experience still echoing in his mind.

After a moment of recollection, a cloud of doubt appeared on his face, and he murmured:

"That person is probably not the true master of this Blessed Land. If he were, why wouldn't he dare to show his face? What is he after? Perhaps it's just those few sword pellets."

His guess was based on fact, after all, he had just taken it out when that person kicked him out of the Blessed Land.

But this idea can't be taken seriously. Maybe that person has their eye on someone else and is just using the sword pill as a cover to deliberately mislead him.

He didn't want to think about it anymore, since the loss wasn't significant anyway.

The sword pellet could be refined again, and those few Spirit Object were nothing to him. As for the Method Formula, although the Liu Household was known as the Lesser Yin Lineage, the Ning Household mainly cultivated the Water Virtue. After all, in the Dragonkind Realm, if they cultivated the Water Virtue, the Dragonkind could use them when needed.

The truly important things are hidden in the island's secret vault.

But for some reason, a lingering worry kept churning in his heart, making him unable to calm down no matter how he lay down or sat up.

As midnight approached, a person suddenly flashed through his mind: Rogue Person of Cinnabar Pool.

The old Daoist priest who had repeatedly sought him out in the secret realm to purchase sword pellets.

His sword pellets can release Sword Qi, which can barely be considered a Law Artifact, but they are all disposable items.

Rogue Person of Cinnabar Pool had asked him to buy more than once, and could be considered his major customer. Every time he wanted to buy more, but each time he was only given one or two pieces by Danchi Sanren according to his rules.

After all, scarcity increases value, and he kept raising the price when selling to that old Daoist priest. If he sold more, the priest's demand would decrease, and he wouldn't be able to extort him anymore.

Therefore, the old Daoist priest pleaded for a long time, but he never made an exception.

Thinking about it more deeply, the person who pulled him into that Blessed Land could not possibly be more powerful than himself; otherwise, why would they have hidden themselves away?

He was certainly not the true owner of that Blessed Land; otherwise, they could have simply subdued him and searched his Storage Bag instead of going through all this trouble.

Such character traits are somewhat similar to those of the Rogue Person of Cinnabar Pool.

"Sigh, the gifts have already been given away, why dwell on them?"

Liu Cuo wanted to calm himself down and focus on his cultivation, instead of thinking about those messy things, but for some reason, that thought grew stronger and stronger in his mind, and he couldn't suppress it.

After hesitating for a moment, he got up and left the cave abode. Soon after, someone came to pay his respects.

The newcomer was a young man, dressed in an indigo robe and a black belt, with a dignified appearance. Upon seeing Liu Cuo, he respectfully bowed and said, "Congratulations on your departure from the pass, Father."

Liu Cuo scrutinized him carefully for a long time before hesitantly asking, "You are... Kang'er?"

Liu Kang nodded and replied, "Exactly."

A smile appeared on Liu Cuo's face, "When I went into seclusion, you were still an infant. In the blink of an eye, you've grown so much. No need for formalities. Who's in charge of the Ning Household now?"

Liu Kang replied, "Grandfather, it is my sixth brother who is in charge of the household."

Liu Cuo and said, "So it's Hui'er."

He turned to look at Liu Kang and asked, "Where is your father? He should have broken through to the Outer Scenery by now."

Upon hearing this, Liu Kang's expression darkened, and his voice lowered as he replied, "My father failed to break through three years ago and has passed away."

Liu Cuo's smile froze instantly, his brows furrowed, and he couldn't help but ask, "I wasn't in a dead-end seclusion. Why didn't he come to see me before his breakthrough?"

Liu Kang replied, "My father said that he was not particularly talented to begin with, and that it was already extremely fortunate for him to have reached this level of cultivation. He didn't want to bother you with such a small matter as his breakthrough."

Liu Cuo frowned even deeper, and after a long while, he finally uttered, "What a fool!" He remained silent for a moment, and then the sorrow on his face gradually faded.

He was a cold and indifferent person by nature, and he was only moved for a moment because he was in a daze after suddenly hearing the news of his eldest son's death.

He turned to Liu Kang and said earnestly, "Cultivation is a journey of constant progress; if you don't advance, you regress. The path to immortality is paved with corpses, and your father is a prime example. You must cultivate diligently and never slacken your efforts."

Liu Kang bowed and replied, "Liu Kang understands."

I don't know if it's just my imagination, but his tone involuntarily carried a hint of coldness.

Liu Cuo could tell that the child was resentful of his cold-heartedness, but he didn't take it to heart and simply said, "I need to leave the island immediately and will return in a few days."

Liu Kang nodded. "I will inform the Household Head of this matter."

Liu Cuo said no more and strode out.

--

On a deserted island in the Northern Sea, Zhang Yuanqing stumbled and rose into the air, his face filled with barely concealed panic.

Not long ago, he was once again dragged into the Blessed Land by the person who was suspected to be the master of the Blessed Land.

This time, they didn't do anything and released him, but he dared not stay on this deserted island for even a moment longer. Who knew if he would be dragged back in and frightened again? Once was fine, but three or four times, how could he bear it? He immediately made up his mind that he would never set foot in the Secret Seal again for a while and would leave the Northern Sea to avoid trouble first.

But where should we go?

"As an Overseas cultivator, my alchemy skills are not particularly advanced, so I probably won't fare well domestically. I can only operate Overseas. The Western Sea is barren and sparsely populated, making it the perfect place to hide."

In an instant, he made up his mind.

"Let's go to the Western Sea."

He gritted his teeth. This time, the journey to the Western Sea made him uneasy again.

He himself was not good at fighting, and his method of controlling fire was worth mentioning. If he hadn't encountered the cultivator who sold sword pills in the Secret Seal, he would never have dared to fight that Monster.

Now there are only two sword pellets left. I just hope I don't run into any tough opponents on the way.

He traveled for four or five months before finally entering the territory of the Western Sea.

They immediately found a Market Ward and inquired around to see if there were any protective magical Law Artifact for sale. They eventually learned that a cultivator in the Looking Seaward Tower in the Market Ward was selling a protective magical Law Artifact, which was said to be quite powerful.

Zhang Yuanqing was overjoyed, thinking to himself, "This is truly an effortless windfall. If I could exchange it for this sword pellet, that would be perfect."

The sword pellets were excellent, but unfortunately, the senior in the Secret Seal only sold two at a time. He begged and pleaded, but the senior wouldn't sell him even one more.

Zhang Yuanqing knew that the senior would rip him off every time he sold something, but there was nothing he could do about it.

Now that I've finally made it all the way to the Western Sea, I'm just hoping to find some fortuitous opportunity.

He searched all the way to the outside of Looking Seaward Tower, where he slightly revealed his aura as Outer Scenery cultivator before being led into the inner room.

The cultivator who sold the Law Artifact was already waiting there. He appeared to be middle-aged, dressed in a white robe with red undergarments and a Daoist crown, and looked quite dignified and otherworldly.

Zhang Yuanqing glanced at him and inexplicably felt that this person looked somewhat familiar.

At the same moment, Liu Cuo also felt a sense of familiarity.

A suspicion arose in his mind. "I clearly haven't seen this person before, so why does he seem familiar?"

He has been in seclusion for over twenty years. Who are the people he has never met, yet still feels familiar with?

A thought suddenly struck him, and he realized something.

Secret Seal.

He Immovable observed the old Daoist priest before him and asked, "Fellow Daoist, are you here to purchase Law Artifact?" Although Zhang Yuanqing felt a slight sense of wariness, he didn't dwell on it and nodded, saying, "Indeed. I've heard that you have protective magical Law Artifact here, senior. I'd like to take a look and see if I can exchange them for some."

A slight smile appeared on Liu Cuo's face as he said gently, "My magical Law Artifact is quite sought after; it will surely meet your expectations."

Zhang Yuanqing was overjoyed. "That would be perfect. I will certainly be able to offer something of equal value in exchange."

Liu Cuo smiled and waved his hand, "No rush, no rush. Please take a look, fellow Daoist."

As soon as he finished speaking, he revealed something in his hand.

Zhang Yuanqing looked down and his pupils suddenly contracted; it was a Silver-White sword pellet.

His reaction was observed by Liu Cuo without missing a single detail.

Liu Cuo snorted coldly, his smile turning to icy indifference, "So, it really is you. You even dared to chase me here!"

Zhang Yuanqing didn't know what he meant, but he had already sensed the murderous intent coming at him.

"Senior, I am innocent."

Seeing the sharp Sword Qi flickering uncertainly on the sword pellet in Liu Cuo's hand, he pleaded, then suddenly retreated, smashing through the window frame, tumbling out of the Looking Seaward Tower, and fleeing for his life.

Liu Cuo moved swiftly and gave chase. The people of Looking Seaward Tower were left looking at each other in bewilderment, a bitter expression on the face of the Looking Seaward Tower cultivator in charge of Liu Cuo's inner room.

Both of them were cultivators at the Outer Scenery level. The moment they broke through the window lattice, they also broke through the already weak and fragile Formation of the Looking Seaward Tower.

If Liu Cuo doesn't return, he'll have to compensate for this. But if Liu Cuo does return, he absolutely wouldn't dare let a True Person compensate for it.

So they had no choice but to swallow this bitter pill.

At this moment, Liu Cuo was getting closer and closer to Zhang Yuanqing.

He had already replenished his Life Force, while Zhang Yuanqing was only a beginner in Outer Scenery and was no match for him.

Within a few breaths, Liu Cuo caught up with him. Liu Cuo conjured a gray-black Lesser Yin Spell Light from his fingertips. Before the Spell Light even touched Zhang Yuanqing, he felt an extremely heavy sense of heaviness around him, and his physical body also felt a faint sense of being eroded.

At the same time, the Sword Qi within the sword pellet, mixed with Sword Essence, slashed down simultaneously.

Zhang Yuanqing had nowhere to dodge; with a scream, he was brutally severed from his body.

Fortunately, his Three Qi circulation remained stable, which kept him Life Force for a moment.

In that brief moment, Liu Cuo had already darted close.

Zhang Yuanqing looked at him, his eyes filled with bitterness and sorrow, confusion, resentment, and deep bewilderment. He only wanted to ask why he had killed him, but the words that came out were a shrill wail. "I am innocent!" However, this old man, nearing his death and crying out in anguish, did not see that the man who had killed him was filled with deep fear and horror in his eyes, and a despair hidden behind his pupils, which he dared not reveal even a trace of.

Before he could speak, the dark gray Lesser Yin Spell Light landed on him, instantly turning him into ashes.

Liu Cuo exhaled a deep breath, watching Zhang Yuanqing die before his eyes. His face turned deathly pale. He looked at his hands, which had clearly restored his Life Force and made him True Person, yet they trembled uncontrollably.

I've been hooked.

"It's him."

Liu Cuo never imagined that, having already saved his Life Force, someone would so easily take Life Force away.

Divine Ability.

Only Divine Ability.

He didn't care about anything else and immediately rode the wind towards Evening Yin Island. There was Grand Formation on Evening Yin Island, and whether or not it would be effective, it would still be a comfort.

After arriving at Evening Yin Island.

Liu Cuo didn't even have time to see the current Household Head before he hurriedly went to find Liu Kang.

Seeing Liu Cuo's panicked expression, Liu Kang Outer Dao, "Grandfather, what's wrong?" Liu Cuo didn't have time to explain before saying, "I'm going into seclusion immediately. If I don't emerge in ten years, lock the cave abode entrance tightly, build Clothing-and-Cap Grave for me, and bury me in the ancestral shrine."

Before Liu Kang could respond, Liu Cuo hurriedly left.

Liu Cuo had devoted himself to spiritual practice since his youth and never cared about family affairs. Now that his old friends had passed away, and his parents and brothers had all died, he had not even left a single letter.

Upon entering the secret chamber, he immediately activated the Secret Seal portal and stepped inside.

Even now, whether it's true that Purple Mansion Lord is trying to lure him in, or someone has used some Law Treasure to stir his emotions, simply running away and resisting is not advisable. At the very least, he needs to see that person again and find out what he wants to do.

But despite repeatedly trying to enter and exit the gate, he was never pulled back into that Blessed Land.

"Is he only after I kill Zhang Yuanqing? But he's just an Outer Scenery cultivator; his only redeeming quality is his alchemy skills. Why must I be the one to kill him?"

But just then, he suddenly heard the sound of a drum.

Liu Cuo suddenly stood up, his face still showing signs of shock.

Where did the drumming come from?

For some reason, upon hearing the drumbeat, Liu Cuo's mind instantly cleared.

He suddenly realized how foolish he had been. His hasty departure from Evening Yin Island and his hasty return made it seem as if he had gone there specifically to kill Zhang Yuanqing. At least a hundred people, including dozens of cultivators, had witnessed him chasing after Zhang Yuanqing in the Market Ward where Looking Seaward Tower was located.

In the eyes of the people at Looking Seaward Tower, it seemed as if he had anticipated Zhang Yuanqing's arrival on his second day at Looking Seaward Tower, and immediately took action upon seeing him.

What else could this be but a long-standing grudge?

Those unsuspecting cultivators were mostly at the Aperture Opening stage, and the Market Ward was just an ordinary Market Ward. They would only see him chasing after a cultivator of unknown realm.

The place where he killed Zhang Yuanqing was deserted, and no one knew that he had killed Zhang Yuanqing with a single blow.

This might lead to the speculation that he was chasing Zhang Yuanqing, Zhang Yuanqing, in his dying moments, launched a counterattack, causing him irreversible injuries.

No one cares about their past grievances, and no one cares about Zhang Yuanqing's level of cultivation.

It would be enough if anyone could connect his death to Zhang Yuanqing.

Thinking of this, Liu Cuo let out a deep breath.

The one who is truly going to die is him.

At this moment, he couldn't help but think of Zhang Yuanqing's last words.

Thump. The third drumbeat.

A streak of dark gray Thunderlight suddenly crashed into his Rising Sun Mansion.

Liu Cuo's eyes lost focus, and he lay down stiffly.

At the moment of his death, the portal he used to connect to the Secret Seal stirred slightly.

A young man in a blue and white Daoist robe and wearing a silver crown appeared in the sealed chamber.

Liu Cuo had no cultivation in the Heaven of Separation, so his perception was unclear. But now he saw Liu Cuo clearly. Looking at the bloody aura that Liu Cuo's Lesser Yin Law Power could not conceal, Li Fuchan couldn't help but sigh.

If those who cultivate the Lesser Yin have become Evil Spirit, are there still any good people left in the world?

At this very moment, Liu Cuo was not actually dead.

The third drumbeat wasn't meant to kill him, but rather to reverse the situation.

Because Liu Cuo should have died after the second drumbeat.

Li Fuchan changed his death to life.

However, there is no way to bring the dead back to life in this world, not even Spirit Artifact or Divine Ability can do it. Therefore, reversing his life only maintained his vital energy, leaving him in a state of near-death.

At present, all of Liu Cuo's vitality is sealed and imprisoned by the "Errant Thunder Drum".

This was done to ensure that Liu Cuo's Life Tablet did not break, or at least not after he had just returned, as that would hinder his actions.

He has now inherited Liu Cuo's Secret Seal. If he enters Heaven of Separation in South of the Yangtze and then exits, he can appear here.

In fact, if Li Fuchan had to choose one of Liu Cuo and Zhang Yuanqing to inherit the Secret Seal, he would still prefer Zhang Yuanqing. After all, Zhang Yuanqing was Rogue Cultivator, all alone, and no one would care even if he died.

However, the "Autumn Union Shaoling Embracing the Alchemy Classic" that Liu Cuo sent him required him to obtain one of the Yang Aspect from Evening Yin Island if he wanted to cultivate it.

Ordinary members of the Liu Household cannot enter the place where the Yang Aspect is located. At the very least, the Household Head or three or more elders are required to accompany them, or they can enter with Handwritten Order by the ancestor Liu Cuo.

Such a Yang Aspect does not occur in other places.

He made a difficult choice between Zhang Yuanqing and Liu Cuo.

I want both.

He used the "Errant Thunder Drum" ability to kill Liu Cuo by mistake, combined with the "Fu Ying Contemplation and Perception Sutra," to successfully suppress Liu Cuo's Life Force.

However, since he was True Person had restored his Life Force, Li Fuchan couldn't easily make him act according to his wishes as easily as he would with an ordinary Outer Scenery cultivator. He simply amplified the doubts in Liu Cuo's heart.

Unable to allow him to meditate in seclusion, he left the island and then pulled Zhang Yuanqing back into the Grotto Heaven, using his own Life Force to fill the gap in his life, sending him to the Western Sea to run into Liu Cuo.

At that time, the influence he exerted on Liu Cuo was amplified to its maximum.

Therefore, after Liu Cuo Zhang Yuanqing, he completely broke through the influence left by Li Fuchan.

The moment Zhang Yuanqing died, he seized the opportunity to occupy that Secret Seal.

It can be said that he now has two portals that can appear in different places.

He did this not out of superfluity.

On the surface, he could have inherited the Secret Seal by killing Liu Cuo directly in the secret chamber, so why go through all that trouble, wasting so much time having Liu Cuo kill Zhang Yuanqing, and then killing him again after he returned?

In fact, Liu Cuo's Secret Seal was not important to him; rather, it was somewhat of a liability, since he died in the secret chamber, and the entrance to the Secret Seal would remain there with him.

Even if Li Fuchan manages to leave through this doorway in the future, he will only be trapped in this secret room.

As for venturing out to wreak havoc and break out of Evening Yin Island, that's impossible.

It doesn't matter if it's Liu Clan's rivals, any Immortal Sect, or even the Dragonkind that slaughters Evening Yin Island. But if one person were to commit a massacre without any reason, it would be tantamount to turning into Devil Cultivator. The next time he receives the "Li Thunder," he would be the first to die. Moreover, if he did that, he would undoubtedly be turned into someone like Quan Yong by this world.

Li Fuchan had no reason to do something so foolish just to escape Evening Yin Island.

His real purpose was to get Liu Cuo to appear before the person in charge of the Liu Household on Evening Yin Island, or at least let others know that he was still alive.

After all, he had been in seclusion for far too long.

Even if the Life Tablet is intact, the prestige will decrease. Only by going out this time can we let them know that our ancestor is still alive, that our ancestor is still True Person, and that our ancestor has even chased down a cultivator whose cultivation level is unclear to others.

Only in this way, if he kills Liu Cuo and imitates his handwriting and aura to issue Handwritten Order, will the Liu Household family comply without any doubt.

This incident shows that Li Fuchan is now determined to cultivate the Lesser Yin.

"The 'Wandering Gold' technique is difficult for me to cultivate, and while the 'Watery Spring' technique is good, the 'Upper Pond Fishing Green Technique' is a technique passed down from ancient Chu, and it is also connected to the 'Zhaojing Qingcheng Dongwei Dharma Mirror.' To avoid encountering some kind of fate-related entanglement, I cannot cultivate it. The 'Danmu' technique is destructive and murderous, which is not suitable for me. Only the 'Lesser Yin' technique is most suitable, and the 'Yinwu Fu' technique is transformed using the imagery of 'Lesser Yin.' At least 40% of my thunder magic cultivation can be converted into the Lesser Yin path, and 'Lesser Yin' belongs to the pivot of the three Yin, possessing considerable divine power..."

But what truly made Li Fuchan decide was that, whether in the North Sea, the South Sea, or in the Jiangnan region and the West, there were quite a few people practicing the Shaoyin Daoist lineage.

This proves that "Lesser Yin" is not a trap, at least not as trap as "Lei" (Li Thunder).

Li Fuchan took out the "Jade Pivot Thunder Canon," returned to the Heaven of Separation, and struck the "Errant Thunder Drum." The Crimson Slips slip immediately took away "Muffled Crow in Ambush," and his Sea of Qi was emptied.

Then Li Fuchan returned to the secret chamber through Liu Cuo's Secret Seal portal. He glanced at Liu Cuo, then took out the "Autumn Union Shaoling Embracing the Alchemy Classic" that he had silently memorized under the illumination of the Treasure Light from his Storage Bag.

The opening sentence reads:

Autumn harvest is golden essence, Lesser Yin holds the pivot, Kan and Wu are the essence of the moon, the essence of the three Yin; the pool is deep and true one, the moon contains the mysterious brilliance, in accordance with the secret of Kan and Li. Shaoling stands quietly, holding the elixir and keeping the secret, with the spiritual Yang within Yin, in harmony with the transformative mechanism of the purity and solemnity of heaven and earth.

--

I created a group, and you can quickly enter through the introduction. Welcome to join! I originally wanted to make it open to everyone, but then I thought about it, and I'm a sensitive person. If a bunch of haters join, it might upset me.