Ling Luo had intended to directly behead Chang Fei but was stopped by Yue Liangze. Yingxi only created a bloody gash across his throat.

“Why are you stopping me?” Ling Luo said irritably. “He’s a Stone Jade Person. If you let him finish speaking, you’ll die!”

Stone Jade Person, is an ancient and mysterious monster.

Neither demon, nor devil, nor immortal.

They appeared humanoid, with white hair, snow-white eyes, and severed tongues, yet could speak human language. Every word they uttered was a curse, and those cursed would inevitably die.

As long as you were seen by their snow-white eyes, you would without exception receive a curse from the Stone Jade Person.

These monsters couldn’t truly speak; they could only curse.

The Founding Master of Tianji on the Eastern Island had achieved the Great Ascension and had no equal under the heaven. The cultivation world was about to honor him as the Immortal Leader in celebration, but he died on the day of his ascension.

At that time, a child of about five years old entered the room carrying a congratulatory gift. He squatted at the foot of the platform, looking up at this hegemon of the cultivation world.

Then the child’s appearance suddenly transformed—black hair instantly turned white, eyes rolled back, leaving only large areas of white that reflected the image of the Founding Master.

The Stone Jade Person opened its mouth and spoke only one sentence. With just five words, it killed him.

The people of Tianji were devastated with grief. The descendants of the Founding Master immediately slaughtered this Stone Jade Person.

Since then, the first rule of Tianji’s sect regulations stated: Any Tianji disciple who encounters a Stone Jade Person must kill it.

Even those who weren’t Tianji disciples and had no ancestral vengeance would kill these monsters due to their indiscriminate curses.

“Move aside!” Ling Luo said in a low voice.

There was no remedy for a curse uttered by a Stone Jade Person, but if one could behead it and gouge out its eyes to crush them before it finished speaking, the curse could be averted.

Yue Liangze didn’t yield.

He remembered when he was carrying Chang Fei back, how the latter was in extreme agony but still had enough consciousness to cry and tell him: “Senior Brother, I’m not a monster… don’t kill me…”

Yue Liangze didn’t understand what he meant at the time and only told him to conserve his strength and not talk too much.

Looking at the situation now, Chang Fei had known about his Stone Jade Person identity yet still dared to enter the inner gate of Tianji. He truly had courage.

“Give him a chance,” Yue Liangze put one hand over Chang Fei’s eyes, dragging him toward the house. “Just stay outside and don’t come in. Don’t let it see you.”

“What are you trying to do?” Ling Luo blocked the doorway, glaring at him. “If you don’t behead the Stone Jade Person, are you waiting for it to finish its curse and then die?”

It had already spoken two words.

If there was no unexpected turn of events, what it wanted to say would be the same curse that killed the Founding Master:

“You will die today.”

The Stone Jade Person was twisting its body, struggling. Yue Liangze lowered his eyes and said, “I’ll try to find a way. Your injuries haven’t healed; go back to the inner gate first.”

“What way?” Ling Luo didn’t retreat. “I’d love to hear what method you have to prevent a Stone Jade Person from speaking its curse without beheading it, and still not die.”

“I want him to change back,” Yue Liangze said while looking at Chang Fei.

Stone Jade People—there were only two recorded instances in the world.

One killed Tianji’s Founding Master.

The other killed a human emperor.

With a gap of a thousand years between them, Stone Jade People were difficult to identify. Each time they revealed themselves and cursed someone to death, they were inevitably killed in return.

There was no mention of them changing back, but it couldn’t be definitively ruled out that they couldn’t revert to human form.

Because people knew very little about them.

Ling Luo had only heard of them but had never seen one.

This was the first time she had encountered one in either of her lives.

So she asked, “Can they change back?”

“I want to try,” Yue Liangze said. “Chang Fei said he doesn’t want to die.”

“He may not want to die, but once he opens his mouth, others will certainly die,” Ling Luo mocked. “How will you try? You won’t explain your method and won’t let me watch—who could be at ease? What if you fail and it escapes?”

While the two were arguing, Xu Shen returned supporting Song Yuanyuan, who called out, “Little Dad! How is Chang Fei? Earlier, a sword pierced him…”

Song Yuanyuan’s words halted.

He stared wide-eyed at the white-haired Chang Fei.

Xu Shen was also stunned.

The two gazed in shock. After a long moment, Song Yuanyuan finally said with a trembling voice, “W-w-who is that? Where’s Chang Fei?!”

Xu Shen let go of him, his expression grave: “A Stone Jade Person?”

Now two more people knew that Chang Fei was a Stone Jade Person.

Ling Luo frowned, while Chang Fei continued to struggle. He tried to bite Yue Liangze’s hand, making whimpering sounds, desperately trying to speak his curse.

Yue Liangze firmly covered his mouth.

Song Yuanyuan asked in disbelief, “What’s going on? How did Chang Fei turn into a Stone Jade Person? He… how did he…”

“Has the curse been spoken?” Xu Shen asked.

Ling Luo said, “Two words.”

Xu Shen: “To whom?”

“Senior Brother,” Ling Luo said coldly. “Now there are two choices. One, kill him according to sect rules. Two, save him.”

“How do we save him?” Song Yuanyuan took a deep breath. “How do you save a Stone Jade Person? Once he opens his mouth, it’s a curse! He could even kill the Founding Master, let alone us! Besides, the Second Hall Master has been killed…”

With everything happening at once, Song Yuanyuan was somewhat dazed.

Ling Luo had no interest in the topic of the Second Hall Master. She said indifferently, “The Stone Jade Person is more important than the Second Hall Master. Ask Senior Brother about how to save him.”

But after speaking, she looked at Song Yuanyuan and asked, “Did you send a signal?”

“Yes,” Song Yuanyuan was also injured, with blood on his body and a pale face. “People will soon come from the Ceremonial Platform, and by then…”

If anyone else saw Chang Fei in his Stone Jade Person form, he would certainly die.

Xu Shen and Song Yuanyuan had known Chang Fei for a long time. He was also a friend of Yue Liangze at Tianji, and by extension, could be considered a friend Ling Luo had made.

The group fell silent for a moment.

But time was quietly slipping away.

The Stone Jade Person’s eyes twitched, the snow-white eyeballs reflecting Yue Liangze’s face, gradually filling with tears that overflowed and slid down its cheeks.

Can Stone Jade People cry too?

“Chang Fei…” Song Yuanyuan clenched his fists, unable to take action.

“Save him.” The one who finally made the decision was Xu Shen. His eyes showed unwavering determination. “Before he finishes speaking, I also want to save him.”

“Everyone wants to save him, but does anyone know how?” Ling Luo said irritably. “How did he turn like this, and how can he change back? How much do you know about Stone Jade People?”

“The records all have one thing in common: Stone Jade People initially show no difference from ordinary people. Only when they reveal their characteristics do they become true Stone Jade People. After the two recorded instances of their curses killing someone, they were immediately slain by people nearby. It’s possible they can change back but simply didn’t have the time.”

As Xu Shen spoke, he stepped forward to help Yue Liangze take Chang Fei into the house.

Song Yuanyuan also came forward, wiping the tears from his eyes and gritting his teeth as he asked, “What do we do? Earlier, Chang Fei was stabbed in the heart by the black-robed person who killed the Second Hall Master, and that’s when he started showing abnormalities.”

“A fatal wound leads to the Stone Jade Person form activating for self-preservation,” Yue Liangze said.

Ling Luo frowned and looked at him: “How do you know that?”

Yue Liangze said with an unchanged expression, “I’m guessing. The following explanation is also a guess: an ordinary person and a Stone Jade Person exist as two forms, as twins of each other. We just need to find the spirit meridian of the human form to seal the Stone Jade Person aspect, and he can change back.”

Guessing? I’d sooner believe in ghosts!

Ling Luo inwardly complained but didn’t want to dwell on this further. They didn’t have much time.

Everyone present was intelligent and had insights into cultivation that surpassed ordinary people.

After his explanation, Xu Shen and Ling Luo simultaneously said, “The Form Phantasm Spell?”

Song Yuanyuan was stunned: “That’s a forbidden spell that’s not allowed to be practiced. Who knows it?”

“I do.”

Xu Shen and Ling Luo spoke at the same time again, glancing at each other.

Hearing this, Song Yuanyuan’s temple twitched violently as he looked at the two: “How come you both practice everything! Is being a genius that great?”

Yue Liangze glanced at the two and said softly, “Her injuries haven’t healed, her spiritual power is insufficient, she can’t perform the suppression.”

“I just learned it and haven’t used it before, so I’m not very proficient. I might need some time,” Xu Shen said as he began forming hand seals.

“Song Yuanyuan, lend me some spiritual power,” Ling Luo put away Yingxi and set several sealing techniques on Chang Fei. “I’ll draw out the cursed body to help him finish more quickly.”

Song Yuanyuan promptly complied.

Yue Liangze couldn’t leave the Stone Jade Person’s line of sight. He firmly sealed Chang Fei’s mouth, refusing to let go despite Chang Fei’s desperate struggles.

A Stone Jade Person’s voice couldn’t be blocked by objects, only by flesh.

Human flesh.

But few in the world knew these secrets.

Chang Fei bit his hand, whimpering and groaning. His eyeballs bulged, and his appearance was terrifying, yet tears continued to flow.

Ling Luo had a strange feeling.

In her previous life, she hadn’t interacted with Chang Fei and the others, but they must have known Yue Liangze.

Song Yuanyuan watched as Ling Luo skillfully drew spells on Chang Fei’s body, then looked at Xu Shen continuously forming hand seals, and at his friend’s neither-human nor non-ghost appearance, feeling utterly overwhelmed.

He muttered, “My Little Dad is still the most reliable, saying his spiritual power is weak when it’s truly weak. Look at the rest of you—secretly practicing forbidden techniques, hiding your identities—did you never consider me a brother?”

Reliable?

When you later see your Little Dad as a disciple of the Sacred Sword Sect pulling out the Immortal-Subduing Jade with one hand, let’s see if you still think he’s reliable!

After inwardly complaining, Ling Luo said without turning her head: “What’s wrong with forbidden techniques? Others wish they could learn them but can’t. This is called not wasting talent.”

Song Yuanyuan’s eyes widened.

Is that acceptable!?

Xu Shen also found time to say, “Learning has no limits, and times have changed. Some spells should have been declassified long ago.”

The Form Phantasm Spell was banned because it could exchange spirit meridians between two parties. Even though it was temporary and time-limited, it was still considered more harmful than beneficial.

Therefore, several hundred years ago, various immortal sects ordered it to be banned from practice and listed it as a forbidden technique.

Xu Shen needed to use the Form Phantasm Spell to find Chang Fei’s spirit meridian from the Stone Jade Person. Chang Fei, due to his injury, had revealed his Stone Jade Person form. His spirit meridian’s power was insufficient to suppress the Stone Jade Person, so when exchanged with Xu Shen’s meridian, the spell could help him seal the Stone Jade Person.

All these operations were based on Yue Liangze’s explanation. If it didn’t work—

Xu Shen steadied his mind, trying not to think further.

Ling Luo completed the curse body drawing, and a glowing barrier circle enveloped the Stone Jade Person.

At the same time, they heard the funeral bell ringing throughout Tianji.

Song Yuanyuan’s heart sank—it was over. The Mountain Watch Hall people had discovered what happened to the Second Hall Master and would soon arrive in the vicinity!

But in this house was a Stone Jade Person and two disciples practicing forbidden spells—what would happen if the Mountain Watch Hall people stumbled upon them?

The Mountain Watch Hall maintained order and safety throughout Tianji’s mountains. If something happened within the sect, they would be the first to arrive.

Ling Luo finally turned to look at Song Yuanyuan and asked, “What’s the situation with the Second Hall Master?”

“We’re not entirely clear either. When the Second Hall Master didn’t show up for the Ancestral Ceremony for a long time, Master asked me to find him. But Chang Fei and I saw a black-robed person fighting with the Second Hall Master on a section of road near Lower Pine Mountain.”

Song Yuanyuan raised his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, trying to sort out the sequence of events: “By then, the Second Hall Master was already at a disadvantage. Before we could react, that person discovered us and pulled us into the battle.”

“Coincidentally, Little Dad was returning from the mountain village. Chang Fei was stabbed in the heart, so I asked him to take Chang Fei away first. The Second Hall Master also told me to leave and to notify others. I sent a message through the jade listener and just happened to meet Xu Shen who was looking for me, so we came to check on Chang Fei first.”

Ling Luo asked again, “Did that person have any distinguishing features? Heart method techniques? Height, build, appearance?”

Song Yuanyuan pondered, thinking while describing: “About the same height as the Second Hall Master, dressed in black, face covered by a cloak—couldn’t see what they looked like. When they attacked, there was a patch of black mist. Thinking about it now, it’s hard to tell if it was a man or a woman.”

“I couldn’t understand their heart method techniques either, but they could injure the Second Hall Master and gain the upper hand. Their strength is not low.”

“I saw it,” Yue Liangze suddenly said. “That person used a wrist blade inlaid with a black flawed jade.”

Wrist blade, black flawed jade.

Ling Luo raised an eyebrow: “White Linglong?”

Song Yuanyuan’s mouth opened slightly, feeling a chill run down his spine.

“Isn’t that the assassin organization that specifically targets cultivators?” Song Yuanyuan asked in shock. “Do they dare to provoke Tianji on the Eastern Island?”

White Linglong, an organization that only killed cultivators.

Rumors said it had twelve members, unknown by name, gender, or appearance. They only targeted cultivators and had never failed.

When each White Linglong member carried out a mission, they used a wrist blade inlaid with a black flawed jade—the distinctive mark of White Linglong.

That unique black flawed jade could only be forged by White Linglong members.

“Little Dad, are you sure you didn’t see wrong?” Song Yuanyuan asked Yue Liangze.

Yue Liangze said, “I’m certain.”

“Then it’s not our concern. The Sect Leader will handle it himself,” Ling Luo crossed her arms and leaned against the doorway, looking at Xu Shen who was still forming seals. “You need to finish before the Mountain Watch Hall people investigate this area.”

“I’ll go out to buy us some time,” Song Yuanyuan said.

Ling Luo hadn’t expected that she had just come to the outer gate for a meal, only to be unexpectedly loaded with a slew of secrets.

She watched as Xu Shen completed the seal, and the Stone Jade Person characteristics gradually receded from Chang Fei’s body, restoring him to human form.

Chang Fei’s eyes were red from crying. He threw his arms around Yue Liangze and said, “Senior Brother…”

If not for Yue Liangze’s intervention earlier, he would have been beheaded by Ling Luo’s Yingxi.

Chang Fei cried with tears blurring his vision, then turned to look at Xu Shen and Ling Luo. He knelt and said, “Thank you.”

He sniffled, his body still trembling, but gritted his teeth and said, “This kindness today, I cannot repay even in a hundred lifetimes.”