Chapter 1156: Yin Ji Restored

The black mist struck the blood droplet and seeped into it strand by strand. In the end, the mist gathered into a mass within the blood, visibly forming a black speck at its center.

Wu Chang's aura settled. Suddenly, all ten fingers began weaving and turning in a dazzling sequence, like phantom lotus blossoms blooming one after another.

The black speck inside the droplet immediately churned into disorder, stirring the entire bead of blood until it began spinning rapidly in midair, faster and faster.

Once the blood was spinning so quickly that its outline had blurred, Wu Chang abruptly clapped his palms together.

Smack!

Then he flung both arms apart and shouted, "Go!"

The blood droplet burst open with a soft rush, turning into countless wisps of luminous shadow that shot into the sky and scattered in every direction before vanishing completely.

Wu Chang's long hair began moving despite the absence of wind. Slowly, he brought his palms together before his chest and intoned over and over, "Return... return... return..."

Everyone watched from the side. For Huang Ban and the others, this was the first time they had seen Wu Chang perform such a spell. It was an eye-opening sight.

Wu Chang murmured "return, return" for about one hour before finally exhaling and lowering his joined hands. He glanced to either side. "I told you it was useless. Too much time has passed. The laws of Heaven and Earth set their limits. His soul has already returned to the unseen and no longer wanders this world. My power cannot summon it back from the underworld."

They had all waited in vain, but no one said much. After all, the man casting the spell had expended the most effort.

Yuan Se raised his eyes toward Huang Ban. "Most of us have barely seen Niu Youdao. You should know him rather well. Can you confirm this corpse is his?"

Huang Ban hurriedly answered with respect, "It should be him."

"It should?" Yuan Se chuckled. "Why do you sound exactly like Lü Wushuang?"

He was always smiling, and with his broad, heavy body he looked every bit the easygoing fat man.

Huang Ban was terrified. He immediately stepped beside the stretcher and dropped to one knee.

First, he picked up the sword lying beside the corpse and held it in both hands for examination. After checking the serial number on the weapon, he put it down again. Then he pulled open the dead man's clothing with both hands, exposing the chest.

A scar across the chest was particularly conspicuous.

Huang Ban touched and inspected it, closed the clothing again, then took the corpse's face in both hands and examined it carefully.

At that moment, someone entered from outside.

Ding Wei had arrived.

The moment he received the news, he had rushed back through wind and dust. Two men followed behind him. With a cloak draped over his shoulders, he strode forward, quickly saluted everyone present, and paid particular respect to his master.

Yuan Se raised a hand, signaling that formalities were unnecessary.

Ding Wei stepped obediently to the side. While Huang Ban continued inspecting the corpse, Ding Wei repeatedly glanced at the dead man's face, his expression somewhat grave.

Lü Wushuang's bright eyes occasionally shifted toward Ding Wei. From time to time, she fixed her gaze on his expression and silently observed his reactions.

After a while, Huang Ban rose. Pointing to the corpse, he explained item by item.

"The dead man's facial features differ slightly from Niu Youdao's, but a person's face naturally looks somewhat different after death, once it has stiffened. When the various sects entered the Sacred Realm, all weapons they carried from outside were confiscated. Their replacement weapons were issued by Misty Pavilion and each bears a serial number. The weapon with this corpse is Niu Youdao's assigned weapon."

"The corpse also has a scar across the chest. When members of the various sects entered the Sacred Realm, they were ordered to change all the clothing they had brought from outside on the spot. My men were present when they changed. I personally saw the scar on Niu Youdao's chest."

"The wound on the back also matches the witnesses' account. It appears he died under the immense power of a Heavenly Sword Talisman."

"Taken together, all these points confirm that the dead man is indeed Niu Youdao. There can be no mistake!"

Ding Wei frowned.

Yuan Se asked again, "Have the witnesses from the scene arrived?"

"They have, they have." Huang Ban nodded repeatedly and motioned for Zhou Tianyu to step forward and answer.

Zhou Tianyu was so nervous that he began stumbling over his words. He explained that he had not witnessed the attack himself and that everything was already over by the time he arrived. Then he pushed forward the two subordinates who had personally seen the incident.

His men were nervous too, but they finally managed to recount the entire course of events clearly and in detail.

One of them had taken part in pursuing the assassins and also gave a detailed account of how the killers had escaped during the chase.

Once he had heard everything, Yuan Se dismissed the men. The corpse was carried away as well.

After the lesser figures withdrew, Wu Chang suddenly gave a cold snort. "It seems some people truly do not take us seriously. Who knows how many things are being done behind our backs."

Luo Qiu replied, "Weren't you the same back then?"

Wu Chang swept him with an icy glance. "You have a problem with that?"

Luo Qiu flicked both sleeves, clasped his hands behind his back, and turned fully to face him.

Granny Xue sighed. "Enough. I'd actually like to see the two of you fight until one of you dies, but neither of you dares truly start. Why put on such ugly airs? Deal with the matter in front of us first. This has become utterly lawless. Who is the killer, and how do we investigate?"

Lü Wushuang suddenly said, "Fatty Yuan, come speak with me privately."

She turned and walked away, casting another glance at Ding Wei's reaction as she left.

"A beauty invites me. Excuse me for a moment." Yuan Se's whole body of flesh jiggled as he followed after her like a rolling ball.

The others watched them go with cold eyes, having no idea what the man and woman intended to discuss behind everyone's backs.

One was male and the other female, one strikingly beautiful and the other grotesquely fat. They met in an open space in a side courtyard.

After listening to Lü Wushuang murmur to him for a while, the ever-smiling Yuan Se stopped smiling.

"Lü Wushuang, you can't speak carelessly about something like this. This disciple of mine is very obedient. He's the successor I've chosen to inherit my mantle. I'm still counting on him to let me live comfortably in the future. Don't go sowing discord between master and disciple."

"Is that so?" A hint of mockery appeared on Lü Wushuang's face. "Whether I'm speaking carelessly or not, investigate and you'll know. He's your man, and with his status and position, others cannot easily interfere while you protect him. Otherwise, I would investigate him myself."

"I'll emphasize this one more time: Niu Youdao told me this before he died. I'm merely passing the information to you. Believe it or don't."

She continued, "There's something else I should remind you of. Hong Yunfa died before he or his people arrived, and the spy planted inside Myriad Beasts Sect disappeared before they arrived as well. Don't you find that suspicious?"

A sharp light flickered in Yuan Se's eyes...

A short while later, the two returned to the main courtyard.

Yuan Se was smiling again. He crooked a finger at Ding Wei, calling his disciple over, and instructed, "You're the one controlling Misty Pavilion now. Good that you've returned. I trust the way you handle matters, so I'll leave this case to you."

"Someone actually dared carry out a public assassination inside the Sacred Realm. This case cannot end up like Hong Yunfa's, still without a clue after all this time. You must arrest the killers and bring them to justice as quickly as possible. Give everyone an explanation!"

"Yes!" Ding Wei cupped his hands and accepted the command.

"Go, go. Get back to your work." Yuan Se waved one plump hand.

Ding Wei took his leave.

The moment he returned to Wentian City's central district, he immediately gathered the relevant personnel and began questioning them closely about everything surrounding the assassination.

...

Inside the underground palace, every preparation had been completed.

At the center of a stone chamber stood a jade couch. A beautiful silver fox lay curled upon it in sleep.

Holding a Wuliang Fruit that radiated spiritual red light, Hei Yun looked solemnly to both sides and gave a slight nod.

Four of the twelve Fox Clan Elders immediately stepped forward and took positions around the four corners of the jade couch. Together they slowly extended both palms.

Four streams of hazy white demonic power, visible to the Dharma Eye, flowed toward the sleeping silver fox. Supported by those four forces, the silver fox gradually floated into the air.

Once she was held steadily aloft, all four Elders nodded toward Hei Yun.

Hei Yun curled all ten fingers around the shell of the Wuliang Fruit and pulled hard.

Crack.

The shell split into two halves.

A pulp like glowing red molten lava immediately began to flow from within. The moment it left the shell, the fruit pulp blazed with red light so intense that it dyed everyone and everything in the entire stone chamber crimson.

Watching from the side, Niu Youdao drew a deep breath of the strange fragrance, which instantly left his mind unusually refreshed. His attention remained fixed on the Fox Clan's every movement as he observed how a Wuliang Fruit was used.

The flowing red pulp suddenly seemed to come alive. Under Hei Yun's spiritual control, it moved like a red spirit-serpent toward the silver fox, found her lips, then slowly streamed into her mouth.

When the inside of the shell had been completely emptied and all of the pulp had entered the silver fox's belly, the red light filling the chamber abruptly vanished.

Hei Yun lowered his hands.

The four Elders channeling demonic power began moving their hands in coordinated patterns, driving that power into the silver fox's body.

Niu Youdao watched for a while. Judging that the process would not produce an immediate result, he shifted his gaze to Hei Yun's hands. He tugged lightly on Hei Yun's sleeve, pointed toward the empty shell, and gestured a question.

Hei Yun understood. Niu Youdao was asking whether the shell had any use.

He shook his head and said quietly, "The shell is useless. The medicinal power is all in the pulp."

Niu Youdao held out a hand and took the shell.

Its color had already turned brown and all spiritual quality had vanished. He flexed it between his fingers. The shell was not extraordinarily hard, but it was extremely tough. Without using cultivation, it would have been fairly difficult to tear apart.

About two hours later, red light suddenly appeared in the chamber again.

This time it was not as intense. The glow was gentle.

Niu Youdao watched closely and saw red light flowing out from within the silver fox's body. It moved along her fur like slow streams of luminous liquid, repeatedly washing toward the tips of every hair.

The sleeping silver fox had turned a lustrous pink beneath the flowing glow.

At that moment, Hei Yun called out, "Change!"

The four Elders had not actually exhausted their demonic power. Hei Yun was simply being cautious.

Four more Elders immediately stepped beside the jade couch. Together they extended both hands and sent their demonic power into the silver fox from a distance.

Only once the newcomers had fully taken over the circulation of power within the silver fox did the first four Elders dare stop. They slowly withdrew to the side, then sat cross-legged along the wall and entered meditation to recover.

Another two hours later, Hei Yun ordered another change.

Not long after the new group took over, the red glow across the silver fox's body suddenly contracted inward.

Only one place remained illuminated: the scar between her brows.

The red glow at the scar grew stronger and stronger. It seemed as though every trace of red light inside her body had gathered there, until finally it condensed into a pulsing point of radiance.

The light continued flashing without end.

Two hours later, the Elders changed again. The first group of four returned and took over.

They maintained the rhythm of changing every two hours. Niu Youdao was patient and remained beside Hei Yun, watching the entire process.

After roughly sixteen to eighteen hours, Niu Youdao noticed that the scar between the silver fox's brows had gradually vanished. Beneath the red glow, a closed vertical eye had formed in its place.

Only then did he truly understand the Wuliang Fruit's ability to reshape the physical body. The sight broadened his horizons, and inwardly he marveled again and again.

Another four hours passed.

At last, the silver fox floating curled in the air began to move. Her curled tail swayed gently, and her four limbs slowly stretched out.

Suddenly, the vertical eye between her brows opened.

A beautiful, glasslike eye appeared. The flickering red light vanished at once, drawing entirely into that eye.

Immediately afterward, her two closed eyes snapped open as well.

Awake at last, the silver fox remained suspended in midair and slowly looked around the chamber.

Delight burst across Hei Yun's face. The idle Elders were no different.

"Stop. Move aside!" The hovering silver fox spoke in a clear, graceful voice.

The four Elders channeling power immediately withdrew their cultivation together and stepped back.

The silver fox turned in midair.

As though in an illusion, her form transformed in an instant into that of a woman dressed in flowing white gauze. Her skirts drifted around her as she turned lightly through the air and descended onto the jade couch.

Standing above everyone, she looked down with a face both gentle and warm, graced with an effortless, captivating charm.

Hei Yun and the assembled Elders immediately dropped to one knee, overwhelmed with joy.

"Clan Chief!"

[End of Chapter 1156]