C21 Let's Fight in the Air

A pitch-black machete had mysteriously appeared in the corner of the Tang family's compound wall.

"Go, retrieve that machete," Tang Xingye instructed the bodyguard.

Upon receiving the order, the bodyguard set aside his hoe and attempted to extract the machete from the wall's corner.

"Hmm?"

Grasping the machete, the bodyguard tried to pull it free, but to his astonishment, he couldn't budge it.

Despite his considerable size and muscles that bulged like coiled dragons, he was unable to draw the small machete, particularly in the presence of his employer, which wounded his pride.

"Ah!"

With gritted teeth and a firm kick against the wall, the bodyguard strained to dislodge the machete. Yet, it remained as immovable as if fused with the wall itself, unyielding to his force.

"Boom!"

Suddenly, the machete trembled with a hum, unleashing a surge of black, malevolent energy that burst forth like a long-imprisoned beast.

"Ah! Don't come any closer! Don't come any closer! Don't eat my flesh!"

The bodyguard, now tainted with the puppet's sinister aura, lost his grip on sanity.

Clutching his head in utter terror, he writhed and howled on the ground, in agony and pleading for mercy.

"Ah Li..."

His colleague, witnessing this breakdown, called out in alarm.

But his cries were faint to Ah Li, whose mind was now clouded by the puppet's malevolent influence, lost in a world of illusions.

"Awaken!"

Liu Changqing intervened, his finger channeling spiritual energy into Ah Li, dispelling the malevolent aura. Gradually, Ah Li's frenzied state subsided, and he slipped into unconsciousness.

"Just let him rest for a day; he'll recover," Liu Changqing stated, his face devoid of emotion.

"Yes!"

The other bodyguards hastened to remove Ah Li from the scene, shaken by the eerie occurrence.

"Mr. Liu, what was that?"

Tang Zhenye, having heard tales of such phenomena, was nonetheless startled to witness it firsthand.

"This firewood knife is the root of all evil!"

Liu Changqing spoke with a calm detachment.

"But the knife won't budge!"

"Just because others are powerless doesn't mean I am."

With that, Liu Changqing took a step forward and approached the ominous firewood knife.

"Mr. Liu, please be careful!"

Tang Zhenye expressed his concern, unable to hide his worry.

"No worries. I'm curious to see who would commit such a heinous act, one that damages Yin virtue!"

Liu Changqing huffed and extended his hand toward the ink-black firewood knife nestled in the corner.

The knife seemed sentient, vibrating intensely as it sensed the overpowering aura emanating from Liu Changqing. A surge of black Qi burst forth, aiming to preemptively obliterate Liu Changqing's consciousness.

"Disperse!"

Liu Changqing summoned his spiritual energy, his presence erupting with intensity.

The night was tranquil, with a bright moon and sparse stars, and not a whisper of wind. Yet, centered around Liu Changqing, a tempestuous wind began to howl.

"Boom!"

The gale scattered the sinister aura, but in a flash, the dispersed black Qi of the puppet reassembled.

"Screech..."

An ear-piercing shriek materialized out of thin air, sending shivers down the spines of the Tang family members present.

The scattered Qi coalesced into the visage of a child in the night, eyes bleeding, face twisted with rage and sorrow. Upon seeing Liu Changqing, it seemed consumed by a desire for vengeance.

"To think someone would stoop to such malevolence, crafting a puppet's Qi from the soul of a wronged child. It's no wonder there's such a deep-seated resentment!"

Liu Changqing's expression grew somber as he observed the puppet's Qi hovering midair.

The more advanced the cultivation, the more one must avoid certain taboos.

As the saying goes, "One's fate, two energies, three Feng Shui, four accumulate Yin virtue, five study."

The journey of cultivation defies the natural order, thus it is envied by the heavens. Add the interference of karma, and it's akin to severing one's celestial path, leaving no hope for eternity.

In his past life, Liu Changqing had taken too many lives, his heart grown cold, never having known the full spectrum of human emotions and desires.

He believed that by doing so, he could shield himself from everything and achieve the highest state of being. Yet, he overlooked the fact that the unfamiliar experiences were the ones most likely to erode his resolve.

Under the scrutiny of the Universe's Eye, he was incredibly vulnerable to the illusions of the seven emotions and six desires. Even with a steadfast Dao Heart, he appeared feeble and ineffective.

In this lifetime, he had the opportunity to cultivate anew and take a different path. He was determined to perfect himself and ascend beyond the pinnacle!

Liu Chuan and Bai Wuqing, you two curs can catch your breath for just a bit longer!

Liu Changqing's presence burst forth, and with a piercing gaze, he drew the pitch-black cleaver from its nook in the wall.

"Hmm?"

Deep within a cave on a mountain in Gliatol, a middle-aged man meditating abruptly felt a disturbance. His eyes snapped open as he declared, "Someone dares to meddle with my puppet's murderous aura! Fools, they're playing with fire!"

With those words, a harsh glint shot through his eyes. He swiftly formed hand seals and bit into his index finger, squeezing out drops of blood onto a wooden figurine before him.

The figurine's eyes glinted with a sinister red as the blood made contact, and it contorted into a smile, eerily reminiscent of the doll floating above the Tang family estate.

Had Liu Changqing been there, he would have been astounded to witness the middle-aged man's actions, for he, too, appeared to be a practitioner of the mystical arts!

Liu Changqing, cleaver in hand, directed a surge of spiritual energy to form an ethereal blade, thrusting it towards the weakening voice of the sky-bound puppet. As it neared its end, the cleaver's glow intensified, and a blood-red arrow tore through the air, aimed at Liu Changqing.

"Hmph! Quick on the uptake, I see!"

Liu Changqing let out a cold snort. This unheralded blood arrow was surely the work of the one who had ensnared the cleaver, engaging in a remote battle of wills with him!

But the Evergreen King, a figure of such might, would not be thwarted by a mere insect. How else could he venture back to the Azure Dragon Domain to avenge Liu Chuan, or confront Bai Wuqing, his peer among the ranks of the Immortal Emperors?

With a deft pinch between two fingers, Liu Changqing seized control of the blood arrow hurtling towards him.

"You dare strike at me? You'll pay a price for that!"

Muttering an incantation silently, Liu Changqing activated a secret art. A flick of his wrist sent the trapped blood arrow hurtling forward.

"Whoosh!"

The arrow flew at breakneck speed, vanishing into the void in the blink of an eye.

Deep within the cave, a middle-aged man was fervently empowering a wooden puppet, intent on battling Liu Changqing. But just then, the blood arrow tore through the air, piercing the man's shoulder cleanly.

"Puchi!"

Blood spurted out, splattering the wooden puppet that had been glowing with an eerie light. It withered instantly, crumbling into a pile of scattered weeds.

"How can this be? How could such a formidable figure exist..."

Overwhelmed by the uncontrollable surge of blood within him, the middle-aged man was in disbelief. His words cut short, he collapsed into unconsciousness.