Hao Tian stood at the edge of the rooftop of the tallest unfinished building in Lion City, the night wind howling past his ears. The 27-story height was enough to make an ordinary person dizzy, but he merely squinted his eyes, staring at the residential building across the way shrouded in black mist.
"Are you sure this is the place?" he asked into his Bluetooth earpiece.
A cold voice came through the earpiece: "There's bloodlight on the seventh-floor balcony, and an upside-down bowl on the ninth-floor windowsill—a classic layout for raising a spirit. The house on the far right of the third floor has a yin energy concentration ten times higher than the surrounding area."
Haotian touched the copper coin sword tucked at his waist. Since he began formal cultivation of the *Three Purities Daoist Canon* seven days ago, his sensory abilities had improved dramatically. Now, even without opening his yin-yang eyes, he could detect yin energy fluctuations within a hundred meters.
"Should we break down the door directly..."
"First confirm the victim's condition," Xiao You interrupted him. "Remember, our primary goal is to rescue the child being used as a sacrifice."
Hao Tian nodded and retrieved a rope from his backpack. This was Xiao You's specially crafted "Binding Divine Rope," infused with several strands of her hair, allowing it to extend and contract at will. He secured one end to a concrete pillar, took a deep breath, and leaped off the rooftop.
The sensation of weightlessness lasted only a brief moment. Hao Tian silently recited the incantation from the "Spirit Flight Sutra," and his body suddenly became as light as a feather, drifting toward the target window like a leaf. This was the light body technique mastered by cultivators at the Tongxuan Realm. Three days ago, he had fallen and ended up with a black eye, but now he could control it effortlessly.
The third-floor window was covered tightly with newspapers. Hao Tian hovered against the wall, gathering a thread of spiritual energy at his fingertips to carve a small hole in the glass. A strong stench immediately poured out, nearly causing him to lose his grip.
Through the small hole, he witnessed a spine-chilling scene—a black coffin was placed in the center of the living room, surrounded by forty-nine oil lamps. A gaunt old man sat cross-legged on the coffin lid, sewing a doll with a bone needle. Even more terrifying was the sight of a seven- or eight-year-old boy bound to the sofa, his mouth sealed with tape, and each wrist bearing a scarred cut.
"We've found the child," Hao Tian whispered. "There's also a corpse keeper, currently crafting a substitute puppet."
"The blood sacrifice has completed its first stage," Xiao You said solemnly. "We must interrupt the ritual within the next fifteen minutes; otherwise, the child's soul will be trapped forever inside the puppet."
Hao Tian gripped his copper coin sword. This was his first solo mission; Xiao You was providing remote guidance from the Gu Jin Zhai three blocks away. Over the past seven days, paranormal incidents in the city had surged, forcing them to split up.
"I'll count to three..."
Before he could finish, the old man on the coffin suddenly turned his head, his cloudy eyes staring straight at the window! Before Hao Tian could react, the entire window exploded, shards of glass raining down like a storm!
"Golden light shield!"
Hao Tian hastily formed a seal, and the golden light barrier barely took shape, blocking most of the shards. However, his right arm was still cut by several pieces, and blood trickled down his elbow. The old man let out a sinister laugh and stuck out his black tongue to lick the air.
"Tian Shi's blood... such a tonic..."
He waved his withered claw, and forty-nine oil lamps burst into flames simultaneously, green flames shooting over a meter high. The coffin lid slowly slid open, revealing a small, dark-blue corpse inside—its size matching that of the missing child!
"Beast!" Hao Tian roared, swinging his copper coin sword through the air. The sword's wind transformed into golden light, slashing toward the old man, but it was seized by several small hands emerging from the coffin, torn into shreds!
The old man bit his finger, swiftly drawing symbols on the doll. The boy on the sofa began convulsing, his eyes rapidly turning black.
"He's transferring the soul!" Xiao You urgently said through the headphones, "Use the Thunder Technique to interrupt him!"
Hao Tian pinched the Thunder Seal with his left hand and held the sword pointing to the sky with his right. Without Xiao You's assistance, the Thunder Technique凝聚ed much more slowly. The old man took the opportunity to control the small corpse in the coffin to crawl out. Five infant corpses crawled along the walls like spiders!
"Five Thunder Generals, Train General—"
The first infant corpse had already pounced forward, its sharp teeth mere inches from his throat. Hao Tian dodged sideways, but the incantation was interrupted, and the lightning technique backfired, causing him to bleed from his mouth and nose. The other four infant corpses seized the opportunity to block all his retreat routes, their withered claws reaching out simultaneously!
At the last moment, Hao Tian suddenly recalled an emergency technique recorded in the *Three Purities Daoist Canon*. He bit his tongue, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the copper coin sword:
"Heaven and Earth have no limits; borrow the power of the universe!"
The ancient coins on the sword flew apart, transforming into thirty-six gleaming copper coins that rained down on all sides. The infant corpses let out piercing screams, and where they were struck by the coins, green smoke rose. The old man grunted, and the doll in his hand fell to the ground.
Hao Tian seized the opportunity to charge forward, thrusting his sword toward the old man's heart. The old man hastily blocked the attack, and his emaciated arm emitted a metallic clang. Upon closer inspection, the old man's skin was covered in fine scales—he was not human at all!
"You fool, you seek death!" The old man roared, tearing open his robe to reveal a skull the size of a fist embedded in his chest. Green flames blazed from the skull's eye sockets, spewing a foul-smelling black smoke.
Hao Tian couldn't dodge in time and was engulfed by the black smoke. Instantly, darkness enveloped his vision, and the sound of countless ghostly wails filled his ears. His skin felt as though it were being devoured by countless ants, and his spiritual energy flowed with great difficulty.
"This is the poisonous mist of the zombie demon!" Xiao You's voice seemed to come from a great distance, "Recite the Purification Mantra!"
Hao Tian endured the excruciating pain, forming the hand seals and reciting the mantra: "Supreme Star of the Heavens, respond without pause..."
As he recited the mantra, the spiritual energy within his body began to slowly purify the toxins. But the old man had already picked up the doll, and the bone needle pierced the doll's crown—once that needle went in, the boy's soul would be permanently sealed!
In this critical moment, Haotian did something疯狂. He withdrew all his defenses, channeled all his remaining spiritual energy into the copper coin sword, and then threw it!
"Sword control technique?!" the old man screamed in terror, "This is impossible!"
The copper coin sword turned into a golden light and pierced the old man's shoulder, pinning him to the wall. The doll and bone needle fell to the ground, and the boy's convulsions stopped immediately. The old man struggled to pull out the sword, but found that the blade was scorching hot like a branding iron and couldn't be touched.
"You... you're not an ordinary Taoist master..." the old man stared at Haotian in horror, "The bloodline of Zhang Daoling... wasn't it already..."
Haotian didn't give him a chance to finish, striking the old man's crown with a palm strike. Black smoke poured out of the old man's seven orifices, his body quickly shriveling up, until he became a skeleton covered in human skin.
Forty-nine oil lamps extinguished simultaneously. Hao Tian staggered to the sofa and tore off the tape covering the boy's mouth. The child's eyes were vacant, but his breathing was steady. He quickly checked and found that his soul had not yet left his body.
"It's done," he reported, panting, "The child is fine."
"Hurry up and leave!" Xiao You suddenly exclaimed, "The police are heading that way!"
Hao Tian startled, only then noticing the sirens in the distance. He picked up the boy and was about to jump out the window when he suddenly noticed the skull on the old man's chest writhing eerily.
"Wait, there's something..."
"Don't worry about it! Leave immediately!" Xiao You almost shouted, "You can't expose yourself now!"
Hao Tian hesitated for a moment, but still jumped out the window with the boy in his arms. Just as he grabbed the rope, a deafening explosion erupted behind him! The entire room was blown to pieces, and the shockwave flung him directly onto the roof of the building across the street.
In the final moment before losing consciousness, Haotian saw a green flame rise from the rubble, shooting toward the northwest like a meteor—exactly where the mall was located.
——————
Haotian opened his eyes to see the familiar dome of the Gu Jin Zhai. The back of his head ached as if it were about to split open, and he tasted blood in his mouth. He tried to sit up but found his entire body wrapped in bandages, resembling a mummy.
"Don't move," Xiao You said, carrying a bowl of medicinal soup. "Three ribs fractured, left lung punctured, spiritual energy depleted. You're lucky to be alive."
Hao Tian obediently drank the soup, its bitterness causing his face to contort. "That child..."
"He's been sent to the hospital. His memories have been processed." Xiao You set down the bowl and suddenly slapped him on the side of his face that wasn't injured. "Who told you to use sword technique?! That's an advanced technique only masters of the Taoist realm can use!"
Hao Tian was stunned by the slap. "The situation was urgent..."
"So urgent you didn't even use a communication talisman?" Xiao You flung a crumpled yellow talisman at him. "Where's the life-saving talisman I gave you?"
Hao Tian finally remembered the talisman in his pocket. He had been too nervous to think about it at the time. He shifted his gaze nervously but caught a glimpse of a gruesome wound on Xiao You's right wrist.
"Your hand..."
Xiao You quickly pulled down her sleeve: "It's none of your business."
Silence spread throughout the room. Hao Tian noticed that Xiao You's complexion was paler than usual, with heavy shadows under her eyes. He suddenly recalled the records in the "Three Purities Daoist Canon" about the "shared fate talisman"—if two people's spiritual energies are connected, when one is severely injured, the other will also...
"That corpse keeper has a skull-shaped magical artifact on his chest." Haotian changed the subject, "It flew toward the mall after the explosion."
"The soul artifact avatar of the Demon Lord." Xiao You's expression grew solemn, "It's collecting pure souls to restore its power. Tonight's operation has already alerted them; things will be even more dangerous from now on."
She walked to the bookshelf and took down a bamboo scroll: "Starting today, you will study this."
Hao Tian took the scroll, which was written in cinnabar ink with the title "The Complete Treatise on the Nine Heavens Thunder Technique." Compared to the fragmented texts he had studied before, this scroll was significantly more complete, with several methods for arranging thunder arrays recorded at the end.
"A high-tier earth-grade thunder technique..." Hao Tian sucked in a breath, "At my current cultivation level..."
"There's no time to follow the proper steps." Xiao You interrupted him, "The Demon Lord has already noticed you. The next time you encounter them, it won't just be minor figures like the Corpse Keepers."
She suddenly began to cough, with golden blood seeping between her fingers. Hao Tian tried to support her, but she gently pushed him away.
"I'm fine," Xiao You wiped away the bloodstains, "Starting tomorrow, you must also come to train during the day. As for the mall..."
"I've already resigned," Hao Tian said, "My side profile was captured by surveillance cameras while saving someone today. Going back to work would be too dangerous."
Xiao You nodded and turned to fetch the herbs. Hao Tian noticed that she limped slightly on her left foot as she walked, clearly injured. Thinking that the injury might be related to him, a sharp pain pierced his heart.
"By the way..." Hao Tian hesitated for a moment before asking, "The old man said before he died that Zhang Daoling's bloodline had already... He didn't finish. Do you know what he meant?"
Xiao You's back stiffened noticeably. "Just the ramblings of a dying man." Her voice was as cold as ice. "Get some rest. Start your cultivation tomorrow at dawn."
She hurried away, but Hao Tian had already noticed—when she mentioned Zhang Daoling, the lotus pattern on the back of Xiao You's neck turned blood red.
——————
Over the next three days, Haotian immersed himself in thunder technique cultivation. The *Complete Treatise on the Nine Heavens Thunder Technique* was far more intricate than he had imagined, not only detailing various thunder incantations and hand seals but also the corresponding spiritual energy circulation pathways. By the evening of the third day, he could already凝聚 a thunderball the size of a basketball, powerful enough to shatter half a meter of granite.
"Barely passing," Xiao You remarked, surveying the scattered debris on the ground. "But it's still far from sufficient to confront the demonic overlord."
She wore a high-collared cheongsam today, concealing her neck completely. Hao Tian noticed that the wound on her wrist had not only failed to heal but had spread to her forearm, with golden blood vessels forming peculiar patterns beneath her skin.
"Your injury..."
"It's none of your business," Xiao You turned and walked toward the library, "There's a mission tonight. Let's identify a few targets first."
Several files were spread out on the octagonal table in the center of the library. Hao Tian leaned in to look. They were records of missing children from the past month, each with a red circle drawn around their photos.
"These children..."
"They've all been turned into soul artifacts." Xiao You pointed to one of the girls with pigtails, "She was the first. She should already be the vessel for the demonic overlord's avatar."
Hao Tian's heart trembled. The girl smiled innocently, looking no older than five or six. "When do we act?"
"At midnight." Xiao You opened a secret compartment and took out a bronze box, "Here, take this first."
Inside the box was a long sword, entirely silver-white, with cloud patterns engraved along the blade. Near the hilt were two ancient characters: "Jinglei."
"What is this..."
"The Jinglei Sword, the sword worn by the Tang Dynasty Taoist master Sima Chengzhen." Xiao You gently stroked the blade, "It's more suited for thunder magic than your copper coin sword."
Haotian took the sword and immediately felt a surge of thunderous power flowing through his arm into his dantian. The sword blade automatically emitted a blue-white electric glow, illuminating the entire room.
"It's too valuable..." He instinctively tried to return it.
"It's an heirloom of the Taoist lineage." Xiao You held his hand, "It's simply returning to its rightful owner."
Her fingers were as cold as jade. The moment they touched, a scene flashed through Hao Tian's mind—an ancient mansion in a downpour, a white-clad woman handing this sword to a blurry figure. When their fingers touched, the sky erupted with thunder...
"What's wrong?" Xiao You withdrew her hand, and the vision immediately faded.
Hao Tian shook his head. "Nothing... just a sense of déjà vu."
Xiao You gave him a deep look and turned to fetch other magical artifacts. Hao Tian took the opportunity to inspect the sword hilt and indeed found a line of small characters on the inner side: "Gifted to Hao Tian's disciple, Master Xuan Zhenzi."
Xuan Zhenzi? Isn't that Grandfather's Daoist name? But this sword looks at least a thousand years old...
"It's time to go." Xiao You's voice interrupted his thoughts. She had brought her full set of equipment today—a bronze bell at her waist, an oil paper umbrella on her back, and a string of prayer beads wrapped around her wrist.
Hao Tian suddenly remembered something: "Wait, today is the 14th day of the lunar calendar?"
"Yes, what's wrong?"
"The news said there's a total lunar eclipse tonight." Haotian pulled out his phone, "Starting at 11 PM and lasting until after 1 AM."
Xiao You's expression changed abruptly: "The blood moon hangs in the sky... The demonic overlord will definitely take this opportunity..." She quickly calculated with her fingers, then suddenly grabbed Haotian's wrist, "The plan has changed—we're going to the mall now!"
"Why suddenly..."
"Today is the 30th anniversary of the Demon Lord's sealing!" Xiao You had already dashed out the door, "It's using the Blood Moon's power to break the seal!"
As the two rushed downstairs, Hao Tian noticed the moon in the sky had begun to turn red. Even more eerie was that the streets were completely deserted, even the streetlights had gone out, and the entire city seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep.
"It's too quiet..." Haotian gripped the Thunder Sword tightly, "Where did everyone go?"
"They're in their dreams." Xiao You's voice was tense, "The Demon Lord is casting a nightmare spell. Ordinary people will sleep forever. Hurry up, we might be too late!"
As they rounded the final corner, Hao Tian sucked in a sharp breath. The distant shopping mall was shrouded in a massive black fog, within which countless distorted, agonized faces could be faintly discerned. Most terrifying of all, the black fog was taking the shape of a gigantic hand, slowly reaching toward the blood-red moon in the sky...