Kill… kill his wife to prove the dao?

The moment these four words were spoken, the entire cloud sea erupted in turmoil!

Recalling those eight characters “Tomb of My Wife, Jian Chou of the Xie Clan,” countless speculations arose in everyone’s hearts – something truly bone-chilling and beyond belief!

Ever since that day when Chen Tingyan was rescued by Qu Zhengfeng in confusion, apart from detailing past events to him and pointing out the village where Jian Chou once lived, guiding him to investigate there, he had nothing else to do and complained daily of boredom. But now, suddenly placed before so many people, he felt somewhat timid.

Truly torturing a ghost to death!

But what choice did he have?

If not for Jian Chou’s presence last time, blocking that whisk for him, he would have long since vanished into smoke. He harbored no good feelings toward this Kunwu master-disciple pair.

At this moment, he used his folding fan to shield his head, coughed once, then bowed to True Person Hengxu. But immediately after, he cupped his hands toward Xie Buchen beside him, saying: “Third Young Master Xie, it’s been a long time. You should still remember me, right? Chen Tingyan greets you.”

Third Young Master Xie?

This didn’t sound like an address from the Nineteen Continents, but rather like how mortals from the human islands addressed scholars or distinguished descendants from great families.

Without needing to say more, this single form of address made everyone prick up their ears.

Immortal Xuanyue, who had been curious about the relationship between Jian Chou and Xie Buchen since the City of Unjust Death, had formed her own conjectures after seeing that tombstone. But she still needed to hear this ghost cultivator’s account to know the details, so she focused intently, listening carefully.

Xie Buchen raised his eyes and glanced at Chen Tingyan.

He and Chen Tingyan couldn’t really be considered familiar, and this person had indulged in wine, women, and pleasure in his early years. When first meeting Jian Chou at the Marquis Xie’s mansion, he had teased her with his words, which truly displeased him.

Any fool could tell what he was brought here by Qu Zhengfeng to do.

Yet his heart held no surprise.

Ever since learning Chen Tingyan had been rescued, he knew he would eventually face today’s situation. So he remained both calm and composed, only returning the courtesy indifferently: “Fourth Young Master Chen, greetings.”

This rather surprised Chen Tingyan. He even felt somewhat uncertain, finding Xie Buchen’s reaction far too calm, even revealing a kind of openness that made him doubt the rumors he had heard.

But the handwriting on that tombstone couldn’t be false, could it?

Though he had been unlearned in his youth, he had frequented the Marquis Xie’s mansion many times and seen much of Xie Buchen’s writing. He absolutely wouldn’t mistake it.

So after slight hesitation, he still spoke with some caution.

“When I was in Great Xia, though I died early, I heard much news after entering the underworld.”

“One matter concerned Third Young Master Xie.”

“I heard that after the Marquis Xie’s mansion was raided, you and Fellow Daoist Jian Chou shared hardships, fleeing to the Jiangnan region where you lived incognito in a village, becoming husband and wife. But soon after, Miss Jian Chou’s grave appeared shockingly in the wilderness – the coffin was split open with blood inside, the tombstone fallen, and your handwriting remained on it.”

“At that time, Zhang Tang served as Tingwei and personally supervised this case.”

“His investigation methods were quite systematic. Based on bloodstains in the house and coffin, he determined Jian Chou was dead. The spot on the wall where a sword should have hung was empty, and the Marquis Xie’s mansion was missing exactly one sword during the raid, so he concluded you had killed Miss Jian Chou.”

“But despite posting wanted notices everywhere, no trace of you was found.”

“It wasn’t until recently seeing you in the City of Unjust Death that I learned not only had Fellow Daoist Jian Chou not died, but even you hadn’t died. Both of you were living well and had even become true disciples of this Kunwu!”

Starting his speech somewhat timidly, by the end he was truly full of complaints and confusion.

Chen Tingyan’s brow furrowed tightly, as if genuinely aggrieved.

“What exactly happened between you two?”

“…”

“…”

“…”

A ghostly silence fell, with almost everyone unable to believe their ears!

It really was as they had guessed!

Yashan’s eldest senior sister Jian Chou and Kunwu’s Dao Child Xie Buchen – either one alone could serve as the most brilliant footnote to an era. Yet these two extraordinarily talented individuals had actually been husband and wife sharing hardships during their time on the human islands?!

What kind of joke was this…

Including many mighty cultivators, numerous people gasped in shock, finding it horrifying. Recalling those four words “killing wife to prove dao,” their gazes carried hints of disapproval as they turned toward Xie Buchen.

In azure robes, standing upon the cloud sea.

A ray of heavenly light poured down from the gloomy dome, illuminating his figure.

Whether it was his otherworldly immortal bearing or those refined, slightly cold brows and eyes, all made people hold their breath. It reminded them of his strategic planning and decisive victories from thousands of miles away during the Yin-Yang Realm battle. No matter what, they couldn’t connect him with such evil deeds as “killing wife to prove dao.”

This was Kunwu’s “Purple Forbidden Dao Child”!

Xie Buchen gazed at Chen Tingyan without answering, seeming to still contemplate something.

But another Kunwu elder, Gu Pingsheng, could bear it no longer.

Gu Qingmei was his beloved daughter. He had rushed back only to witness her death at Qu Zhengfeng’s hands, already harboring deep hatred. Now hearing Chen Tingyan’s nonsensical rambling, grief and hatred surged together. He directly questioned: “What utter nonsense! You, Qu Zhengfeng, stop at nothing to destroy our Kunwu! Can any randomly found ghost cultivator now slander our Kunwu disciples at will?! Setting aside other matters, if this ghost’s ‘Jian Chou’ is indeed Yashan’s Jian Chou, why has she never sought revenge all these years? Not a single cultivator in the Nineteen Continents has heard the slightest rumor. Moreover, you both keep claiming ‘killing wife to prove dao’ – why is she still alive and well today? Could it be that as a mere mortal, she possessed the ability to return from death, dying then living again?!”

As soon as these words fell, they drew some agreement.

“Right, if such a thing really happened, why have we never heard of it?”

“They say killing wife to prove dao – did he fail to kill her?”

“What’s the deal with the coffin?”

“True Person Hengxu wouldn’t have his disciple do such things…”

“But how did Jian Chou end up at Yashan? Could there be such coincidence?”

“Hey, do you all remember…”

“What?”

“The incident at Qingfeng Nunnery’s hidden realm and the snowy region…”

“Hiss!”

…

Finally, someone remembered!

Not mentioning it, they hadn’t thought of it, but once brought up, they recalled that there really was some conflict between Yashan’s eldest senior sister Jian Chou and Kunwu’s Dao Child Xie Buchen!

The hidden realm of Qingfeng Nunnery had been a fight to the death, and their secret infiltration of the snowy region had led to fierce combat.

Though ultimately neither could kill the other, that intensity…

How could it be merely ordinary enmity!

It was just that neither Kunwu nor Yashan had mentioned the underlying reasons at the time, so cultivators throughout the realm could only let it pass, attributing it to sectarian disputes and conflicts of interest.

If there was indeed past mortal hatred…

Wouldn’t that explain everything perfectly?

Hearing this elder’s questioning and the surrounding discussions, Chen Tingyan felt utterly confused by talk of Qingfeng Nunnery’s hidden realm, snowy regions, and esoteric sects.

He couldn’t help but look bewildered, turning to Qu Zhengfeng.

But Qu Zhengfeng was already clapping and laughing heartily: “Excellent question! Elder Gu’s inquiry truly gets to the heart of the matter!”

“What do you mean?”

Gu Pingsheng had grown alert, feeling as if he had fallen into some trap, momentarily uneasy.

But how could Qu Zhengfeng pay him any mind?

Having someone else ask was far better than saying it himself.

He merely shifted his gaze, looking at Xie Buchen with near-mockery, then settled on True Person Hengxu’s thoroughly gloomy face, coldly laughing: “Chen Tingyan has explained matters so clearly. The True Person forgets much in his noble station, but even now hasn’t recalled? Speaking of which, doesn’t Fellow Daoist Xie of Kunwu wonder how the one who should have perished under your sword managed to survive and even appear in the Nineteen Continents?”

Xie Buchen turned to look at True Person Hengxu.

True Person Hengxu’s lips had turned dark blue. Under his severe injuries, his entire aura was extremely chaotic, and his blood-stained Daoist robes now carried an indescribable grimness.

He stared fixedly at Qu Zhengfeng, motionless.

In that instant, above the cloud sea, before the Hall of All Heavens, everyone instinctively held their breath, detecting from Qu Zhengfeng’s pointed words a scent of conspiracy hidden even deeper.

Xie Buchen received no clear hints or answers from True Person Hengxu. So he lowered his gaze, and after a moment’s contemplation, actually replied: “I would like to hear the details.”

I would like to hear the details!

He actually answered this way!!!

If previously there had only been Qu Zhengfeng’s one-sided accusations with no concrete evidence besides that tombstone, then at this moment Xie Buchen’s response was tantamount to acknowledging everything Chen Tingyan had said!

Killing wife to prove dao!

Such deeds had actually been committed by Kunwu disciples.

Not to mention the many righteous cultivators currently above the cloud sea, even the group of desperate criminals and evil demons from the star sea behind Qu Zhengfeng couldn’t help but gasp.

After all, even demons and devils might not commit such acts!

“Hahaha, you dare to act and dare to admit it!”

Qu Zhengfeng truly couldn’t say if he could see through Xie Buchen at this moment, but thinking of the seemingly harmonious yet actually scheming relationship between this master-disciple pair, he seemed to understand something.

“Only this master of yours, Fellow Daoist Xie, might not dare admit it!”

“As all know, most cultivators follow heaven’s way in their practice. Since the heavenly dao is merciless, cultivators pursue severing emotions and cutting off love in their cultivation. The Nineteen Continents’ sects generally choose disciples who are fatherless, motherless, and without ties or attachments for emotionless entry into dao. Strict sects requiring severance of worldly karma generally wait quietly for mortal parents and relatives to die naturally, letting karma resolve itself.”

“So-called ‘killing wife to prove dao’ is scorned even by evil demons and heretics!”

“Because forcing karma actually plants new karma. When emotions aren’t severed but forcibly cut, future cultivation has great possibility of being tainted by inner demons. No matter how exceptional one’s talent, one might not pass the inquiry of the heart dao tribulation!”

By this point, Xie Buchen had raised his head to look at him.

True Person Hengxu’s gaze grew colder.

But having spoken thus far, today Qu Zhengfeng intended to expose all of Kunwu’s filth to the world and ensure Hengxu died without burial, suffering eternal condemnation!

“Who doesn’t know your Kunwu’s ‘Purple Forbidden Dao Child’ has exceptional talent – Foundation Establishment in ten days and defeating the Dragon Gate’s Zhou Chengjiang of the Second Heaven Tablet, achieving unparalleled prominence? Fellow Daoist Xie possesses such talent that as Kunwu’s leader, how could you, Hengxu, not see that even without severing emotions and love, his cultivation progress couldn’t possibly be hindered?”

“Yet you specifically incited him to kill his wife and seek dao…”

“Not only that, when I recently visited the human islands seeking that ancient grave, I found the burial site was actually a dragon cave gathering qi and hiding wind, with mountain spirits and monsters circling about. Anyone buried there, even in death, couldn’t go to the Extreme Domain – their souls would only circle the mountain wilderness, either becoming fierce ghosts or having their spirits devoured by monsters!”

“All Nineteen Continents know Xie Buchen was personally recruited by you from the Nineteen Continents.”

“When burying Jian Chou, you were certainly present. Whether you personally designated this burial site or witnessed it without preventing it, all show your ill intentions, Hengxu – you’re no good person!”

“Moreover, Fudao Shanren was also on the human islands at that time…”

Where did these words come from?

Everyone could understand Qu Zhengfeng’s previous statements, naturally gasping at such horrifying deeds as “killing wife to prove dao” occurring within a renowned righteous sect like Kunwu.

But burying someone in a feng shui cave seemed perfectly normal.

People were momentarily shocked and confused, not grasping the key points.

But hearing this, the mighty cultivators’ minds all flashed with lightning, vaguely understanding what Qu Zhengfeng suspected.

He looked at Hengxu, his gold-woven black robes stern, speaking word by word: “‘Within a hundred years, great calamity will come. There will be one child of startling talent who will emerge on the twenty-second day of the sixth month, taking your place and saving Kunwu from fire and water, turning the tide at the crucial moment’! This is the ‘heavenly secret’ the True Person calculated using the Zhou Tian Star Formation in the past. True Person, have I misspoken?”

The Kunwu Great Calamity!

Very few knew of this matter, but anyone who had heard of it was a person of standing in their respective sects. Now suddenly revealed by Qu Zhengfeng in one sentence, it immediately caused surrounding horror!

Both confusion and shock.

True Person Hengxu had calculated the great calamity in the past, and today Kunwu was a mountain of corpses and sea of blood – wasn’t this precisely fulfilling the tribulation?!

No matter how many calculations, how could one calculate that heavenly secrets and fate ultimately cannot be escaped?

By now, how could True Person Hengxu not see the crux of the matter?

He slowly closed his eyes, only laughing once: “Correct.”

“The student surpassing the teacher, taking your place!” Qu Zhengfeng even showed some lamentation. “You couldn’t even tolerate your junior brother Shen Jihan back then, conspiring and calculating against him, striking and weakening him, causing a thousand Yashan cultivators to perish for your personal desires! After sitting in this Kunwu leadership position for centuries, how could you willingly give up this leadership due to this so-called ‘great calamity’ and hand over the position?”

“You want to resolve Kunwu’s great calamity, but you’re unwilling to relinquish the leadership position, and you won’t tolerate anyone in this world wanting to replace you!”

“So you personally went to the human islands to take Xie Buchen as disciple;”

“So you incited him to kill his wife and prove dao, only to plant inner demons in him;”

“So you had Jian Chou buried in the feng shui dragon cave, because you knew Fudao Shanren was also on the human islands, and your presence would certainly alert him. Following your traces, he would naturally discover Jian Chou. With her soul wandering the wilderness, he could perform resurrection arts. Thus Jian Chou wouldn’t die, and even if Xie Buchen originally had no inner demons, how could he not develop them after seeing her return from death?”

“So your taking Xie Buchen as disciple on the human islands could have been done more secretly, but you neither destroyed Jian Chou’s grave nor even removed that tombstone. All because you hoped that someday, Xie Buchen’s deed of killing his wife to prove dao would be exposed, earning universal condemnation and cutting off his path to replace you, while also serving as a means of control!”

“But you never would have thought that the one to expose you today would be me.”

“You wanted to calculate those heavenly secrets and resolve Kunwu’s great calamity while unwilling to be replaced, never imagining that precisely because of these schemes, you brought about today’s disaster!”

“For personal gain, you harmed a thousand Yashan cultivators!”

“For personal gain, you incited your disciple to kill an innocent person!”

“Now you taste the bitter fruit yourself! Precisely because that innocent person didn’t die and reached Yashan, those who hate you had the opportunity to leave Yashan, attacking Kunwu today and fulfilling this hundred-year great calamity!”

Calculating all heavenly secrets, in the end it was self-entrapment!

No one had expected it would be like this.

Above the entire cloud sea, not a single human voice could be heard for a long moment, only the howling wind passing through, cooling the fresh blood on everyone’s weapons while gradually chilling the hot blood that had surged in everyone’s hearts due to Kunwu’s tribulation.

After the wind passed, only chilling cold remained.

Even Qu Zhengfeng, who had revealed all this, dared not say he felt completely unmoved. On the contrary, he was the most affected!

For the thousand cultivators who died wrongfully for Yashan!

For True Person Hengxu’s profound scheming!

What master-disciple affection – all false from beginning to end.

This Kunwu leader never possessed any passionate heart, only a cruel and cold one!

At this moment, Xie Buchen’s face showed no expression.

Or rather, no one could penetrate his thoughts.

As if he had thought of nothing, yet as if he had thought of much.

After Qu Zhengfeng’s speech, he merely directed his gaze toward True Person Hengxu, his eyes reflecting the clear sky.

Without words, yet surpassing many words.

Others read far too much from this seemingly concealing-nothing gaze…

“Everything is self-inflicted. The True Person has devoted himself wholeheartedly to Kunwu, committing countless unconscionable deeds! Everything your Kunwu stands upon, everything your disciples enjoy, is all stained with the blood of a thousand Yashan cultivators! Today I slaughter your Kunwu, watching these half-number of cultivators die innocently – does the True Person feel heartbroken?”

Destroy everything you don’t want destroyed, kill everything you don’t want killed!

But deliberately leave what you least want to face before your eyes!

Qu Zhengfeng’s words, sentence by sentence, revealed unconcealed hatred.

True Person Hengxu’s body began trembling violently.

When he had revealed the various conspiracies from eleven cycles ago and the calculations behind taking Xie Buchen as disciple, he had remained composed. Only Qu Zhengfeng’s statement now, like a blade tip coated with deadly poison, easily pierced through him!

Making him mad, making him crazed!

“My Kunwu’s affairs don’t need an outsider like you to interfere! What qualification do you have as a mere evil demon?”

Grinding his teeth, his eyes had turned red!

At this moment, True Person Hengxu didn’t seem like someone severely injured. His attack was like thunder – pointing two fingers at his temple, he actually used this tottering, remnant body to forcibly activate the Evil-Slaying Seal!

“Seeking death!!!”

The eight-cornered dark blue chess board instantly appeared above the cloud sea. Streams of spiritual light rapidly gathered. True Person Hengxu formed hand seals and was about to unleash that world-shocking strike that had once slain Shao Ji and killed the Kun Peng!

With the Yashan Sword in hand, how could Qu Zhengfeng retreat?

He raised his sword and rose, willing to gamble his life and death to battle Hengxu!

But someone was faster than him—

In that lightning flash, no second color remained in heaven and earth.

Crimson sword light filled people’s vision like blood.

Swift and fierce, even True Person Hengxu wielding the Evil-Slaying Seal couldn’t react in time. The entire massive chess board was instantly shattered by the sword light, and True Person Hengxu himself was struck by the sword light’s residual force. His weakened frame, barely sustained under severe injuries, had absolutely no resistance!

“Bang!”

A tremendous crash!

He was directly blasted out of the crowd, crashing into the Hall of All Heavens, bringing down half the snow-white walls, heavily smashing into the long-motionless Zhou Tian Star Formation.

Blood instantly scattered, covering his robes.

Where was True Person Hengxu’s former composed appearance? He only fell from the formation, crashing to the ground!

He struggled to open his eyes, looking toward where the sword light had originated.

The crowd scattered like tide, each person’s face bearing indescribable scrutiny and shock. At the end of the human tide stood that female cultivator.

That female cultivator…

Named “Jian Chou.”

Gone was her simple moon-white robe of the past. Now in this robe gathering all the realm’s spiritual beauty, she appeared even more inviolably stern.

Her pale face was ice-cold throughout.

No one knew when she had arrived, how long she had stood at the crowd’s edge, or how much she had heard. Even the mighty cultivators present knew nothing and couldn’t see through her cultivation!

With True Person Hengxu severely injured, she was at this very moment the undisputed strongest force in all the Nineteen Continents!

Everyone’s gaze focused on her, yet none dared make a sound.

Just moments ago, they had heard tales related to her, and now seeing her appear in person brought indescribable feelings.

Xie Buchen stood in place, looking at her.

Qu Zhengfeng also remained silent.

Only now did the remaining Kunwu cultivators belatedly react. No matter what circumstances might exist, the disposal of Kunwu’s leader was not for outsiders to handle. As a junior from Yashan, Jian Chou’s brazen attack on True Person Hengxu had broken all rules.

The cultivators shouted in unison and drew their swords toward her!

But Jian Chou merely pressed down with one palm, blocking these hundreds of cultivators. Her surging palm force actually sent them flying several zhang away, and the weaker ones directly spat blood!

Complete and utter domination!

This made the other group of Kunwu cultivators who had also wanted to draw swords suddenly stop, intimidated by her terrifying strength. For a moment they showed some outward strength but inner weakness, shouting at her: “What does Fellow Daoist Jian Chou intend to do?”

What did she intend to do?

Jian Chou only felt these words sounded somewhat familiar, as if she had heard them not long ago. But the one who had spoken those words then wasn’t a Kunwu cultivator, but herself.

Her brows and eyes were calm, her heart surprisingly numb.

She didn’t glance at these people even once, only turning her gaze to look at Qu Zhengfeng, looking for a very long time.

Heavenly winds stirred the surging cloud sea.

Qu Zhengfeng remained silent.

No one knew why Jian Chou was looking at him or whether she wanted to say something, but in the end she said nothing at all.

She calmly withdrew her gaze.

Closing her eyes slightly, as if wanting to calm some emotion.

Then, passing by Xie Buchen’s side and stepping over her own tombstone, she grasped Yixiantian and step by step climbed the stairs. Standing in the ruins of the Hall of All Heavens, she looked toward True Person Hengxu who was struggling to rise against the Zhou Tian Star Formation, slowly saying: “If the True Person demands qualification, others may lack it, but I should finally have it. Gratitude and grievances end today. Jian Chou has no other intention – only to take the True Person’s life blood to honor all souls wrongfully killed by the True Person!”