Volume 3 Chapter 68: The Past

Zhang Hualing’s calm and steady voice seemed to take Xiao Huazhe and Elder Weichi back to eight hundred years ago, allowing them to relive the rise and fall of Jiuhua from that distant time.

"Eight hundred years ago, at the time, our Jiuhua was at its peak, with a total of five masters in the Mahayana Stage, including Zhang Xusheng. Our prestige in the cultivation world was unmatched, but as the saying goes, ‘fullness leads to overflow, fullness of the moon leads to wane.’ Our decline began then."

"During that time, cultivators often disappeared without a trace, and eventually, a Penance Valley cultivator accidentally discovered that Zhang Xusheng was secretly capturing cultivators everywhere for his dark arts research. The experiments he conducted using their bodies and souls were extremely cruel."

"Once this was exposed, Jiuhua Mountain’s reputation suffered greatly in the entire cultivation world. Sensing danger ahead of time, Zhang Xusheng defected from Jiuhua Mountain. After Zhang Xusheng’s defection, my master and three Martial Uncles took half of Jiuhua’s Condensed Core Stage cultivators to hunt him down, to give an explanation to the cultivation world. However, they didn’t expect that Zhang Xusheng had already mastered both the righteous and demonic paths of cultivation. Out of four Mahayana Stage masters pursuing him, they not only failed, but three were killed by him, with only my master surviving. None of the Condensed Core Stage cultivators who participated in the chase survived. Therefore, Jiuhua began to decline."

"During that pursuit, although Jiuhua suffered heavy casualties, it wasn’t entirely fruitless. Master, along with three Martial Uncles, severely injured him, knocking out his heart. Yet surprisingly, Zhang Xusheng’s cultivation method was so peculiar that he could live without a heart. Taking advantage of Master’s momentary lapse in focus, Zhang Xusheng managed to escape."

"Zhang Xusheng’s research on evil arts at Jiuhua Mountain focused on achieving immortality. He discovered that the longevity of a person is closely tied to their heart, the source of human vitality. Therefore, his early modifications concentrated on his heart, making it the essence of his hundreds of years of research before betraying Jiuhua, full of unknown secrets."

"But precisely for this reason, the master believed that as long as Zhang Xusheng’s heart was in the hands of our Jiuhua sect, he wouldn’t live long. Yet, over the past eight hundred years, various signs have shown that Zhang Xusheng didn’t die after losing his heart; in fact, he’s been living quite well. Since the heart is the key to longevity and deeply connected to a person’s soul, Zhang Xusheng, despite his extensive research on the human body, couldn’t replace it with another heart. The dark arts he’s been studying also cannot be perfected for this reason. This is why I previously mentioned that Zhang Xusheng is a person with a physical impairment. It’s also for this reason that Zhang Xusheng must destroy our Jiuhua sect because it’s the only way for him to reclaim his heart."

…

While Zhang Hualing softly recounted the hidden history of Jiuhua Mountain from eight hundred years ago, Li Xuhan finally spoke after a long silence.

"Indeed, since you’ve guessed it, I won’t hide it any longer. The reason I’ve lived until now is because I studied the experimental results you left at Jiuhua Mountain and placed your heart in this aging body to slow down the loss of life span."

Upon hearing Li Xuhan’s words, anger flickered in Zhang Xusheng’s eyes, and he sneered, "In the end, you just talk nicely, but when faced with the threat of reincarnation, you forget about morality. You keep saying my experiments harm the world, but you’ll do just as much harm."

Ignoring Zhang Xusheng’s sarcasm, Li Xuhan continued, "After taking your heart, I thought you’d soon fall into reincarnation. So, I planned to seal it permanently. However, five hundred years ago, I realized my life was nearing its end, yet it was clear you were still alive. Jiuhua hadn’t produced an outstanding person, and I knew without me, no one could match you, and you’d eventually come back for revenge."

"Oh? You do know me well," Zhang Xusheng sneered.

With a sigh, Li Xuhan continued, "Having lived for so many years, I’ve come to terms with many things, so while I’m reluctant, I’m not afraid to face death. My death itself doesn’t matter, but I can’t let the Jiuhua lineage perish because of it. That would make it impossible for me to rest in peace, or to face past masters of Jiuhua. So, I thought of the experiments you previously conducted in pursuit of immortality. When I looked at all the results of your experiments, I was astonished. I must admit you’re a genius, with many extraordinary ideas. While many methods were cruel, they could indeed greatly extend a cultivator’s life."

Zhang Xusheng sighed lightly as well and said, "Yes, that was the culmination of my three hundred years of research, but unfortunately, it’s all still on Jiuhua Mountain."

"Unfortunately, your methods were too cruel, leaving me hesitant to use them. In my hesitation, by the time I made up my mind, I found I didn’t have much time left. With no other choice, just before dying, I captured a wicked cultivator on Jiuhua Mountain and used a ‘soul transfer technique’ from your experiments to transfer my Divine Sense into his body. Sadly, that body was too weak to withstand my power, and soon after, I realized it too was almost lifeless. So, I transplanted your heart into this body, using its power to barely keep myself alive. That’s why I appear as I do now. To avoid recognition, I’ve hidden at the top of Jiuhua Mountain, claiming to be my final disciple before I supposedly died. Only Hualing knows my true identity, waiting quietly for you to return to Jiuhua Mountain."

Listening quietly to Li Xuhan’s story, Zhang Xusheng remained unmoved, lazily clapping and saying, "Brilliant! Truly brilliant! I have to say, your story is quite well crafted, but whether you did this out of fear of death or for Jiuhua Mountain, only you know."

Li Xuhan replied calmly, "I never expected you to believe me. It’s just that when facing you, I can’t help but want to make things clear."

Hearing Li Xuhan’s words, Zhang Xusheng paused, remembering when he first joined Jiuhua Mountain to cultivate. At that time, their master was often in seclusion, and Li Xuhan was the one to pass on the teachings in the master’s stead. Li Xuhan shared all his knowledge openly, ensuring Zhang Xusheng understood every concept clearly. For Zhang Xusheng, Li Xuhan was both a mentor and a friend.

But sadly, over a thousand years have passed, and now the world has changed. Though the Li Xuhan of the past may still be this Li Xuhan, today’s Zhang Xusheng is no longer the Zhang Xusheng of the past. Once close as brothers, they have now turned against each other, with only one able to survive.

Fate? Destiny?

After a moment of stillness, a mocking smile returned to Zhang Xusheng’s face as he said leisurely, "If Jiuhua Mountain truly mattered so much to you, why did you do nothing when Zhou Huahai rebelled? Don’t you know that because of Zhou Huahai’s rebellion, Jiuhua Mountain lost half of its elders and a third of its most elite disciples? Its strength is now considered second-rate in the cultivation world. Humph, it seems Jiuhua Mountain doesn’t mean as much to you as you claim. If my return wasn’t to retrieve my heart, would you even show up?"

Li Xuhan said calmly, "I know you were the mastermind behind Zhou Huahai’s rebellion, so I didn’t interfere because I couldn’t predict your response if I appeared. If my appearance kept you from showing up, it would be a loss. I understand letting Zhou Huahai run wild would severely damage the Jiuhua lineage, but I value its legacy more. As long as I kill you, Jiuhua can peacefully continue, and one day it will recover. Otherwise, Jiuhua would always face your threat and never be at peace. Now that you’re finally here, I have a chance to kill you and finally end this ghostly existence and depart this world completely."

Zhang Xusheng clapped again and said, "What a clever plan, meticulous indeed. If everything you say is true, I must admire you. Just like you can never truly understand my thoughts, I can never fully grasp yours. However, it’s a pity your efforts will be in vain. I admit your appearance surprises me, but what difference does it make? Eight hundred years ago, you couldn’t defeat me, and your strength is lesser now. As for my current power, I needn’t say more for you to understand. Do you think everything you’ve done will matter?"

As he spoke, a mocking smile reappeared on Zhang Xusheng’s face.

But suddenly, the smile froze on his face and quickly vanished. He slowly turned around, squinting at an old, emaciated figure behind him. Despite his prowess, he hadn’t sensed when this old man arrived at his back.

"Venerable Deaf Mute Blind, you have finally arrived."

Seeing this sudden appearance of the old man, a hint of joy flashed across Li Xuhan’s face as he slowly bowed and greeted him.