C60 The Source of Evil

Deaf Zhang collapsed in front of me. Observing his face, which was at once naïve and foolish, there were times I simply couldn't muster any anger.

The pain was so intense that I couldn't stand anymore, and it seemed the Evil Taoist's moment of triumph had arrived.

Yet, the Evil Taoist wasn't as wildly triumphant as one might expect. Instead, he was considerably more cautious, speaking calmly, "I never imagined that after more than two centuries, it would be you two rascals forcing me to resort to this move again. You should feel honored."

"Cut the crap! We're on the brink of death, and you talk of honor?!" I retorted, fuming with anger.

Confronted with my tirade, the Evil Taoist surprisingly opted for silence. It appeared he was truly intent on killing us this time, his usual mockery gone.

His expression turned incredibly complex, a mix of cunning, excitement, trepidation, and anticipation.

The Evil Taoist held the Yin Tiger Talisman aloft again, but this time the black aura it emitted was not fleeting. Instead, it grew stronger, spreading ominously, as if darkness was engulfing the dwindling light.

I had no idea what would come next, but as the darkness crept towards me, it was unexpectedly absorbed by me once more...

Upon witnessing this, the Evil Taoist abruptly cut off the talisman's power. He seemed to lose his mind, leaping beside me in a frenzy.

His eyes widened, a fervent surprise shining in their eerie green depths. He fixated on my body and murmured in astonishment, "You... The power within you can counterbalance the Yin Tiger Talisman! Could it be that your body harbors..."

The Evil Taoist's words brought back the revelation from my dying adoptive father. He had warned of something within me that must never fall into the wrong hands!

A realization dawned on me. Perhaps the uniqueness of my constitution was due to that very thing inside me!

My adoptive father, known as the Half Immortal, had only divined the destinies of thirteen individuals who had defied fate on my behalf, and it had cost him dearly. His eyes were scorched, his life's cultivation spent, and he perished, his body dissolving into blood.

Is it because my fate is so unique and my origins so complex? Or is it the miraculous and astonishing entity within me? Perhaps it's a combination of both factors?

This question has plagued me day and night, an enigma I've been unable to unravel. The Evil Taoist before me seems to hold some of the answers, compelling me to cry out, "What exactly is inside me? Tell me, so I can die with some understanding!"

The Evil Taoist continued to gaze at me intently, murmuring, "Fifteen years ago, the masters of the Supernatural World, including Venerables of the same stature as the current Heavenly Master, converged on Hundred Ghost Slope. One of their objectives was to seize the object within you!"

"What?!" I was astounded to learn that the object inside me was one of the catalysts for the incident that occurred fifteen years ago!

The excitement in the Evil Taoist's voice grew as he rambled on, "The item inside you is a treasure coveted by all, sought after at any cost, even if it means sacrificing their lives to possess it!"

"I'm asking you what that thing is!" I yelled.

"Hahaha... How fortunate I am," the Evil Taoist laughed maniacally. "After a grueling fifteen-year search, I thought I'd have to wait until the next opening of the Ghost Gate in the sixty-year cycle to find this treasure. Yet, here it is, coming right to me!" He seemed utterly oblivious to my pleas.

Desperately, I struggled to stand, to resist, to flee! Never before had I felt such an overpowering will to survive. I refused to resign myself to a passive death; I wanted to live and uncover all the answers.

Eventually, the Evil Taoist's frenzy subsided. He fixed his eyes on me and declared, "Since you can now withstand my Yin Tiger Talisman, I have no choice but to reveal my ultimate weapon!"

With those words, he summoned the power of the Yin Tiger Talisman once more. Darkness descended upon Hundred Ghost Slope, swallowing light, sound, and life itself.

In that moment, I noticed the moon turning blood red, and from all around, the sounds of clashing weapons and the cries of warhorses echoed from Yin Spirit Mountain.