Kushi County, Burial Soul Mountain, the Corpse Soul Sect.
The grayish mountain was shrouded in dark clouds year-round, never seeing the sun, and the paths were rugged and treacherous.
Jian Huaishuang and Piao followed Jiang Ziang as they stepped onto the mountain path.
However, the dense Yin Qi and the faint stench of decay permeating the air caused Jian Huaishuang to knit his brows tightly.
"This is the Corpse Soul Sect?" Jian Huaishuang asked.
Jiang Ziang nodded with a complex expression.
"Indeed. The sect is heavily guarded, so please be patient."
As they moved deeper along the mountain path, it was just as Jiang Ziang had said. At regular intervals, they saw Corpse Soul Sect disciples dressed in uniform.
Some sat cross-legged, surrounded by Yin Qi as they used pottery jars to condense malevolent ghosts.
Others held Soul-Summoning Banners, waving them toward the void as if ferryng the souls of the departed.
Jian Huaishuang’s gaze swept over them.
These people bore a striking resemblance to the White Jade Sword Sect disciples who had been tainted by ghost Qi back in White Jade City.
Both were using inhuman power to twist their own forms and abilities.
But unlike the White Jade Sword Sect, the eyes of the Corpse Soul Sect disciples were not filled with chaos; instead, they were firm and clear, showing none of the numbness of a puppet.
Though they were shrouded in Nie, they seemed to follow a certain conviction.
Jian Huaishuang couldn't help but feel a bit of doubt. Had he been too hasty in accompanying Jiang Ziang to the Corpse Soul Sect based on his words alone?
However, he wasn't overly worried; he still held the trump cards bestowed upon him by his Lord.
Jiang Ziang pointed to a cluster of sparse dwellings at the foot of the mountain. "A small number of commoners still live nearby, a few hundred people in total, self-sufficient."
Jian Huaishuang’s gaze fell upon those dwellings. Smoke rose from the chimneys of the hundreds of households, yet he sensed not a trace of vitality.
He keenly noticed that the villagers moving in and out were almost all elderly, weak, sick, or disabled. There were no young men or women to be seen.
Their faces wore a heavy layer of fatigue and numbness from long-term oppression. Occasionally, when they glanced toward the Corpse Soul Sect, their eyes held a deep sense of awe and fear.
This did not look like ordinary protection; it looked more like... they were being raised like livestock.
"Did they stay here voluntarily?" Jian Huaishuang’s voice was very soft.
"It was their choice.
"The rules of the Corpse Soul Sect state that mortals may live here and receive the sect's protection, but in exchange, they serve as the nourishment for the sect’s ghost-control techniques. They came willingly..." Jiang Ziang lowered his head, his voice raspy.
Seeing Jian Huaishuang’s confusion, he moved to explain but then hesitated.
"Nourishment?" Jian Huaishuang frowned slightly, catching the keyword immediately.
"Yes. They were all originally citizens of Kushi City."
Jiang Ziang forced a smile and said no more, simply leading the two toward the sect's main hall.
Along the way, Corpse Soul Sect disciples occasionally cast curious glances. When they sensed the unique aura emanating from Jian Huaishuang, their eyes showed a hint of reverence.
Jian Huaishuang stopped asking questions and merely took a long, deep look at the villagers and the disciples.
When they reached the mountainside, a mountain gate constructed from massive black stones appeared before them. Upon it were inscribed three powerful, bold characters: "Corpse Soul Sect."
Beyond the gate lay the sect's Grand Altar.
The halls were towering and majestic, clearly possessing a far deeper foundation than the former White Jade Sword Sect.
Jiang Ziang led Jian Huaishuang to the Sect Master’s hall.
Inside, there was no golden splendor, only a solemn gloom.
Upon a bone seat piled high with white skeletons sat a haggard middle-aged man.
His appearance was ordinary and his eyes looked weary, yet his entire body radiated a suffocatingly powerful aura.
His body was somewhat deformed, with one leg firmly chained to the bone seat, as if he were physically impaired.
However, by simply sitting there, he commanded an unfathomable majesty.
Jian Huaishuang’s heart jolted.
The peak of the fifth-stage Essence Devouring stage—only a step away from the sixth-stage!
But what made him even more wary was the dense shroud of Nie surrounding the man.
It was not the common Nie born of mere slaughter, but a near-material sin created by large-scale manipulation of life and death, twisting the laws of heaven and earth.
Yet his eyes were exceptionally clear and his mind resolute, not like someone who engaged in mindless cruelty.
This contradiction left Jian Huaishuang feeling profoundly perplexed.
Could it be related to the ghost path he cultivated?
After all, controlling corpses and ghosts were arts that defied the natural order; there was always a price to be paid.
"Sect Master," Jiang Ziang bowed and respectfully introduced them. "This is Fellow Daoist Jian Huaishuang and Lady Piao."
Mo Yuan slowly opened his eyes. He waved his hand to signal Jiang Ziang to withdraw, his gaze falling on Jian Huaishuang and Piao without any hint of surprise.
"I have already heard the news Ziang sent back. I presume you two are the ones."
Mo Yuan did not put on any airs of a Sect Master. He sounded like an ordinary middle-aged man, his voice low and raspy.
His gaze swept over them, lingering for a moment on Piao’s face, which was almost entirely covered by insectoid features, then glancing at Jian Huaishuang’s face—which was so pale he didn't look alive—and the faint aura of an evil spirit he emitted.
Yet Mo Yuan did not change his attitude because they were inhuman. Instead, he let out a soft sigh.
"You both are witnessing a sorry sight. This old man’s time is running out. My body is decaying, and I will soon transform into an eerie monstrosity. My limit is near. To have the help of two such extraordinary individuals at this time... it must be the will of heaven."
Mo Yuan’s frankness and self-deprecation took Jian Huaishuang by surprise.
He had expected Mo Yuan to be secretive about it or show hostility, but he hadn't expected him to be so direct.
After all, ordinary immortal sects would never show a friendly face to demonic or eerie beings.
"The Sect Master is too kind," Jian Huaishuang returned the salute with a neutral tone.
"We have come only to uncover the truth behind the copper poison. If we can contribute even a little to the people of the world, then this trip will not have been in vain."
Piao just stood there silently, not saying a word, as if she were an outsider and everything happening had nothing to do with her.
Mo Yuan said no more. He slowly raised his hand and summoned several elders and inner disciples.
"Follow me to Kushi City first. Once we are there, I shall resolve your doubts."
A hidden teleportation array within the Corpse Soul Sect was activated. Around the array, talismans and bones were laid out in a complex pattern.
A piercing white light flared, twisting the space and instantly swallowing everyone in the hall.
When they reappeared, they were inside Kushi City.
The inner city of Kushi was still just as Jian Huaishuang had seen it last time—a wasteland.
Not far away, a massive black stone tower stood silently like a sword piercing the sky.
The Soul-Suppressing Tower.
And dozens of knocking ghosts were already waiting not far from the Soul-Suppressing Tower, standing perfectly still like a disciplined army awaiting orders.
"Is that the source of the copper poison?" Jian Huaishuang looked at the Soul-Suppressing Tower and couldn't help but ask.
Mo Yuan turned, his weary eyes falling on Jian Huaishuang with a hint of surprise.
"You recognize the Soul-Suppressing Tower?" Mo Yuan’s tone was calm, yet it held a trace of inquiry. "Judging by your attire and your learning, you must have been a disciple of an immortal sect before you died, right?"
Jian Huaishuang corrected him expressionlessly, "I am not dead yet."
Upon hearing this, Mo Yuan let out a rare, hearty laugh that echoed across the fields, dispelling much of his fatigue.
"Ha ha ha ha! Having dealt with the dead for too long, I misspoke. My apologies.
"Though I do not know which prestigious sect you hail from, your master must surely be a leader among the immortal sects. It is truly a blessing for our way of humanity."
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