Breaking the Precept

The fusion technique she used was taught by Zen Lingzi.

And Zen Lingzi's fusion technique? It was passed down by a ghost cultivator named Huai You.

Zen Lingzi had repeatedly warned her: this method must not be shared, nor should it be used in front of other ghost cultivators. The last thing he wanted was for word to reach Huai You. Even Zen Lingzi, a renowned master, had a certain fear of this ghostly figure. Such a being was unlikely to have any benevolent intentions.

Now, how could this nameless man know her fusion technique so well? Did he have some connection to Huai You?

Jian Xiaolou was filled with suspicion. For a moment, she even wondered if Huai You himself had possessed the nameless man's body. But she quickly dismissed the idea—ghost cultivators, being of yin nature, feared yang fire above all. No ghost cultivator, no matter how formidable, could excel in the path of artifact crafting, let alone become a genius in it!

"Who taught you this technique?" The nameless man fended off the joint attacks of Song Qingman and Jiang An, yet still angrily pressed Jian Xiaolou. "Was it some hideous bald monk?!"

In her soul form, Jian Xiaolou could lie. Without missing a beat, she replied, "Huh? What 'Ziwuwu Fusion Technique'? I've never heard of it! I'm just a fragment of a soul. If I can possess a sword, I can possess a body too."

"Are you trying to fool a ghost?!" The nameless man, unconvinced, exploded like a firecracker. He stomped his foot, shouting, "I don't care. Get out of me right now!"

"Senior, don't be so petty."

"Are you coming out or not?!"

Jian Xiaolou had no intention of coming out. While this might be a bit shameless, stepping out now would be suicide. She had fought so hard to survive; she couldn't just throw her life away so easily.

"Fine... fine!" The nameless man trembled with rage, spitting out "fine" repeatedly. "You've got guts. Just you wait."

For the first time, Jian Xiaolou sensed she might have caused big trouble.

But she had no better option at the moment. She could only stay hidden inside the nameless man's body. Before retreating further, she whispered to her bird companion, "Blackie, find somewhere safe to hide yourself!"

The little black bird, which had been circling over the nameless man's head, flapped its wings and flew off.

The beast tide had broken through the Fire Refining Sect's grand barrier. Spiritual swords and demon blades clashed violently, filling the skies and earth. Amid the chaos, Elder Xuan Zhen, who was dueling Wei Ying, resorted to yet another dirty trick.

As Wei Ying faltered, teetering on the brink of death, the nameless man had no time to argue with Jian Xiaolou. Breaking free from his two attackers, he soared into the sky.

"Jian Xiaolou!" Song Qingman, struck heavily by the nameless man, spat blood and swore a heart-devouring oath, "I, Song Qingman, hereby swear on my inner demon, I will grind you to dust to avenge my junior brother!"

The scene was too chaotic for Jian Xiaolou to catch Song Qingman's words. Even if she had, she wouldn't have cared. She had killed someone she believed deserved to die and felt no guilt about it.

"Let's go!"

The nameless man leaped onto a giant eagle, grabbed Wei Ying by the shoulder, and ordered the bird to fly away.

"Where do you think you're going?!"

Elder Xuan Zhen, unwilling to let go of Wei Ying after injuring him, pursued relentlessly. Stowing away his versatile measuring stick, he retrieved a small mountain from his storage ring. Though it seemed fist-sized, it was condensed from a real mountain and packed a devastating punch.

Initially, Xuan Zhen intended to crush the "old bastard" beneath it. But mid-action, he changed his mind.

His prized disciple was dead. That "old bastard" wouldn't have a disciple left to bury him either!

Thus, the small mountain hurtled straight toward the nameless man's back.

Yet, before it could land, the eagle and its riders vanished into thin air. The mountain spun in confusion before returning to Xuan Zhen's hand.

Xuan Zhen couldn't believe his eyes.

...

No matter the chaos at Fire Refining Sect, the nameless man easily escaped with Wei Ying. They landed on a desolate hill outside Fuguang City.

Wei Ying barely managed to stand before falling to his knees. Bowing deeply, he tearfully said, "Senior, your great kindness is something I can never repay in this lifetime. Were it not for my imminent demise, I would spend my life repaying your generosity. In my next life, I will surely..."

"Senior?"

Jian Xiaolou felt a pang in her chest.

Wei Ying, a venerable Golden Core cultivator, addressed the nameless man as "senior"?

The nameless man waved dismissively. "Enough. Save your energy. I only accompanied you on this trip because I was bored."

Wei Ying bowed his head, tears streaming down his face.

The nameless man sighed softly. "You'll regret not killing Xuan Zhen today. But I must remain cautious for Canghai's sake and can't act recklessly..."

Canghai?

Jian Xiaolou perked up. This place sounded familiar. After a moment's thought, she remembered Dashing Legs mentioning it once. Canghai, a mysterious forbidden land west of the Western Sea, was said to house reclusive high-level cultivators of all races—human, demon, ghost, and monster alike.

It seemed Wei Ying had been hiding there for a century.

...

With Wei Ying sent off and the battlefield quiet, the nameless man (or Huai You) turned his attention back to Jian Xiaolou.

"Now that we're far from Fire Refining Sect," he sneered, "get out of my body immediately!"