"..."
Ding Chunqiu's expression was solemn as he knelt on one knee before the ancestor of the Coffin Bearers. All the other players from the "All Villains" guild knelt behind him.
"There's no need to worry," Tan Xin said with a playful smile. "Although you have nourished my Coffin Bearer clan with your flesh and blood, I will never let you suffer a loss. From now on, whatever magical artifacts, weapons, spirit stones, secret manuals, and other items you need for your cultivation, if our Coffin Bearer lineage has them, you will have them. I will also personally train you as my direct disciple."
"Thank you, Master!"
Ding Chunqiu furrowed his brow and almost kowtowed to the ground. He said in a deep voice, "We will be eternally loyal to the Coffin Bearer lineage and eternally loyal to you, Master!"
"Understood," Tan Xin said, a slight curve to his lips. "Ding Chunqiu, I am taking you as my direct disciple. Your remaining subordinates will be taken as direct disciples by the various elders and protectors. You must remember, once you join my Coffin Bearer sect, you can never regret it. Otherwise, no matter how far I have to travel, I will hunt down the traitor, either refining you into a僵 (jiang) or a鬼 (gui), as you prefer."
Ding Chunqiu's body trembled slightly. "Yes, Master, this disciple remembers!"
The next second, a chime echoed through the heavens and earth. Finally, Ding Chunqiu successfully became a disciple once more.
"Ding!"
System prompt: Congratulations to player [Ding Chunqiu] for successfully becoming a disciple of the ghost race member [Tan Xin] (Ten Realm Ghost Cultivator). Rewards: Level +1, Charm +2, Ghost Race Faction Reputation +50000, Gold Coins +10000!
...
For a moment, all the players from the All Villains guild, including Ding Chunqiu, Ji Mo Zhi, and Qiu Qian Ren, were startled. Tan Xin, the ancestor of the Coffin Bearers, was only at the Tenth Realm, yet the disciple reward was the same as for Lu Xiu Yuan at the Eleventh Realm. Did this mean that Tan Xin's cultivation foundation was actually comparable to Lu Xiu Yuan's?
Ding Chunqiu rose, touching his right fist with his left hand, looking full of ambition. Having successfully become a disciple again, a new journey was about to begin!
He acted very sensibly, stepping forward and cupping his fists in a bow before Tan Xin. "Master, please accept the flesh and blood of your disciple."
Tan Xin's lips curved upwards. He lightly raised his hand, and a vortex of blood color flowed into his palm, drawing the essence of Ding Chunqiu's flesh and blood from a distance. In moments, Ding Chunqiu's current experience points dropped by more than 50%. Fortunately, he had just leveled up from the disciple reward. He couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat. Tan Xin then raised his hand, sharing the absorbed flesh and blood essence with the flying 僵 (jiang) behind him and the vengeful spirits in the coffin. He laughed, "You are teachable, Ding Chunqiu. Cultivate well under your master, and a great future awaits!"
"Yes, Master!"
Ding Chunqiu smiled slightly and ordered the others to bow and become disciples to the elders and protectors of the Coffin Bearer lineage, all cultivators in the Middle Five Realms. Soon, the IDs of the 400+ people who followed Ding Chunqiu all turned blood-red again. However, this time, they were no longer in the demon race faction but had switched to the ghost race faction. The next second, the scene before them was quite terrifying. A group of Coffin Bearers flew forward, biting the necks of the disciples, madly absorbing their flesh and blood essence. Many female players' faces turned pale with fright. This mode was truly unplayable for some.
But there was no alternative. Most of these female players were playing with their boyfriends, who were undoubtedly scoundrels from all walks of life. They already felt that they could do anything they wanted in the game, which was why they joined the All Villains guild. Even if these women couldn't accept it, they had no choice, as it was their own decision.
Not long after, the group of "masters" were full and satisfied. Ding Chunqiu then led everyone to find several NPCs from the Coffin Bearer lineage to repair their equipment and replenish their potions. He then turned his horse and said in a deep voice, "If we want to survive in this chaotic world, each of us must PK and kill at least one White Emperor City player every day. Otherwise, relying solely on leveling up will not sustain our masters' absorption of flesh and blood. We have no retreat; we can only fight to live, grow stronger against stronger opponents. Let's go. Our leveling range from now on will be between the Washing Sword River and the Snow Domain Heavenly Lake. We won't provoke large guilds like Star River, Azure Dragon, or Wu Wang. We'll just prey on small and medium-sized guilds."
Everyone was pleased. Finally, after Lu Xiu Yuan was killed, they saw hope again.
...
Late at night.
On the bank of a small river east of the Fusu Great Wall, Lin Zhao began to fish. Fish after fish took the bait, but they were mostly small fish, yellow bone fish, crucian carp, and the like. Undoubtedly, these fish were not suitable for making porridge; they were either too greasy or had too many bones, which would likely be uncomfortable for Miss Lin to eat. Lin Zhao thought that since he was asking someone for a favor, his sincerity must be genuine. Thus, he continued to fish, determined to catch a black fish that was most suitable for making fish slice porridge, and it had to be a large black fish more than a foot long.
Just then, the news of Ding Chunqiu successfully becoming a disciple drifted through the air. Lin Zhao frowned, feeling a bit helpless. Ding Chunqiu's group was quite persistent; they were clearly determined to be villains. He looked at the calm water surface, his mind already contemplating whether he should find a way to deal with the Coffin Bearer lineage as well if Ding Chunqiu continued to commit evil, to end it all.
Not long after, with a ripple in the water, a large fish finally took the bait. After a frantic reel, the scene of a black fish thrashing its tail appeared on the water surface. Lin Zhao's heart leaped with joy. But just as he was ecstatic, the bamboo rod snapped with a "crack," unable to withstand the strength of the black fish. In an instant, Lin Zhao, holding the broken bamboo rod, gritted his teeth in anger.
"Shua!"
A wisp of sword light flew out from the Cloud Sword Lake, it was the flying sword Hao Ran. The next moment, Hao Ran's divine ability "Fang Cun" was activated, instantly engulfing the black fish in the water into Lin Zhao's small world. The river water instantly dried up, and the black fish, at least half a meter long, thrashed on the riverbed. Lin Zhao frowned, thinking it would have been easier if he had known this would happen.
He raised his hand, grabbed the black fish, and knocked it unconscious with a palm strike. Then, he dispersed the Cloud Sword Lake, took a few steps forward across the water, and leaped onto the flying sword Hong Ye, heading directly to Lin Wan Hua's residence.
Under a green lamp, Lin Wan Hua was still nurturing sword qi for the Illumination Sword Talismans. Her pretty face was slightly pale. Continuously nurturing over 600 Illumination Sword Talismans was indeed no small feat. Fortunately, Lin Wan Hua was at the Fusu Great Wall, which was like being in a small world that integrated her own sword dao. At this moment, Lin Wan Hua was comparable to a Thirteenth Realm Great Sword Immortal. Therefore, while continuously nurturing over 600 Illumination Sword Talismans was tiring, it was not unbearable.
Lin Zhao entered the courtyard carrying the black fish and showed it to Lin Wan Hua, smiling. "Wait a moment!"
"Mm-hmm~~~"
Lin Wan Hua looked over, her pretty face filled with smiles, wishing time could stop at this moment.
Not long after, the fish slices were prepared, and Lin Zhao began to busily work by the stove. He tended the fire himself and stirred the porridge in the pot. Soon, accompanied by the bubbling sounds, the fish slice porridge exuded an unforgettable aroma. He poured the fish slice porridge into a large sand pot and placed it on the table in the courtyard to cool slightly. Then, he served porridge to Lin Wan Hua and ate a little himself.
"Lin Zhao..."
Lin Wan Hua sipped the porridge in small mouthfuls, her beautiful eyes looking at him. "Do you know that the world is about to undergo great changes?"
"I don't know, but I can see some clues."
"Oh?"
Lin Wan Hua couldn't help but chuckle. "Tell me."
"Mm."
Lin Zhao said in a deep voice, "Firstly, the Mo family ancestral court dispatched the giant tortoise celestial boat to build the Sword Suppressing Tower, claiming it was to lock down the sword dao fortune of the human world. This is certainly for some purpose, though I don't know the specifics. Secondly, you and Xiao Jiu'er are both peak Twelfth Realm sword cultivators, able to break through at any time, yet you have delayed. I suspect it's for some reason. Thirdly, the demon race has implemented a strategy of 'mobilizing the world,' with countless demon cultivators migrating south in what appears to be a disorganized manner. However, it has undeniably made demons almost omnipresent north of the Fusu Great Wall, which is also for some purpose."
"..."
Lin Wan Hua gazed at him deeply with her beautiful eyes. This man was extremely thoughtful, far more complex than he appeared. He must have been like this back then, thinking much more than others. And in the end, it was precisely he who turned the tide, holding back the four northern tribes beyond the Fusu Great Wall for a hundred years. Such a person should be the backbone of humanity, as described in legends.
"Anything else?" she asked with a smile.
"The migration of the ghost race to the east."
Lin Zhao frowned. "First, the Coffin Bearer lineage appeared in the Snow Domain Heavenly Lake, and then other ghost race cultivators began to appear. The eastward migration of the ghost race is no longer a secret. Therefore, my final inference is that humanity's construction of the Sword Suppressing Tower and suppression of Twelfth Realm sword cultivators' realms are actually clearing the way for someone. The demon race's southward migration of cultivators is also to leave the fortune of the demon world to someone. As for the eastward migration of the ghost race, it is likely also a gesture of making way. Perhaps, the human, demon, and ghost races will all produce a world-shattering sage. Is that the case?"
"..."
Lin Wan Hua pursed her red lips. Her guess was already quite close, with only slight deviations.
She didn't answer Lin Zhao directly but said softly, "Lin Zhao, I might have to take a trip in a while."
"Ah?"
Lin Zhao was startled. "Where to?"
"The Ghost Realm."
Lin Wan Hua smiled. "To do something that must be done. Your Xiao Jiu'er will also be going with me."
Lin Zhao frowned. "It must be extremely dangerous, right?"
"Mm."
Lin Wan Hua did not deny it. "Perhaps we will never return. But there is no choice. We are the top Twelfth Realm cultivators of the human race; only we can go. It wouldn't be possible for anyone else."
Lin Zhao felt a strange sadness. "If Xiao Jiu'er encounters danger, can you help her?"
"Yes."
Lin Wan Hua nodded, a beautiful smile on her face. Then, she lowered her head to drink the porridge, but as she sipped, her eyes slightly reddened, almost to tears... You only ask me to help Su Qing Jiu if she's in danger. If I, Lin Wan Hua, were to face a mortal peril, who would help me?