Longevity Chronicles

Tao Qian suddenly revealed the form of the Bo Dragon body, and together with the Divine Skill "Silent Divine Thunder" he had refined last night, his might became even more terrifying than that of a True Bo Dragon.

Not only did he instantly kill that group of savage Taiping Soldiers, but he almost devoured Lian Yulou, the True Inheritor of the Evil Sect.

To outsiders, it seemed that way, but through the eyes of Lian Yulou, the situation was quite different.

"This Bo Dragon is possessed!"

Lian Yulou, with a face full of heavy makeup, frowned tightly; having narrowly escaped from the dragon's maw, he should have counterattacked.

But he hesitated for just a moment before making a different decision.

After giving Tao Qian a deep look, he swept his sleeve, and the Evil Silk dancing in the sky suddenly formed a net, wrapping up the Bo Dragon that Tao Qian had transformed into.

Everyone thus regained their freedom, but they didn't have time to do anything; they could only watch helplessly as Lian Yulou, the True Inheritor of the Evil Sect, deployed another peculiar magic skill.

The bright red costume shed, revealing a pale meat worm that grabbed the enticing Rashamon Girl, and in a flash, burrowed into the void and vanished from sight.

Such an escape technique!

It was unprecedented, and Tao Qian, who had just shattered the Evil Silk with his claws and Divine Thunder, couldn't help but be stunned.

Of course, what truly astonished him

was still the Records that were continuously bursting forth in his mind at this moment.

He had originally thought this to be a meticulously planned robbery and assassination directed at the Ninth Prince, who held a grudge against the Western Capital Army.

But the actual truth was something even Tao Qian could never have guessed.

The first complete Record to emerge was that of the several dozen savage soldiers.

[Name: Heavenly Demon Slave.]

[Record Type: Cultivator.]

[Record: The Taishang Demon Sect possesses a Secret Technique called "Soul Swapping Technique," which can exchange the bodies and souls between different people, perfectly inheriting everything from one another, including the Soul's aura and Divine Power Skills. These dozens of individuals are all Heavenly Demon Slaves under the Taishang Demon Sect, subjected to this technique to replace the bodies of several dozen genuine Taiping Soldiers.]

[Note 1: This technique is exceedingly perfect, capable of deceiving various Prediction and Calculus Methods, such that even with the bodies in hand, one cannot uncover the truth.]

[Note 2: Since the replacement bodies belong to Heavenly Demon Slaves, their master can readily think a thought to cause these dozens of individuals to die instantly, destroying their bodies and erasing all traces.]

...

As these Records and notes flowed past, Tao Qian, if he were not a fool, would immediately realize the implications.

This catastrophe was a conspiracy through and through.

"Taishang Demon Sect, Ninth Prince."

"These soldiers were actually dispatched by the Ninth Prince; he sent people to impersonate Taiping Army soldiers to abduct his own princess. What could he possibly be aiming for?"

"And how does Lian Yulou, the actor who is a male concubine of the Prince of West Capital from the Taiping Army, fit into this?"

No sooner had Tao Qian begun to wonder than the Records belonging to that True Inheritor from the Evil Sect surfaced in his mind.

Perhaps it was the influence of the tribulation energy or perhaps the state of Lian Yulou, the True Inheritor of the Evil Sect, was amiss.

In any case, Tao Qian was confronted by the most intricate and detailed Record information he had ever seen.

As he quickly skimmed through it, Tao Qian's eyes bulged out, clearly shocked by even more startling secret news he had discovered.

[Record Name: Lian Yulou.]

[Record Type: Cultivator.]

[Record: This individual is one of the current True Disciples of the great Demon Sect, the Evil Sect, from Huaiyang. Originally an actor, he caught the eye of a local Clan Leader on his first performance, and after days of pursuit, his affection was reciprocated. Imagining himself favored, he wished to be taken in as a consort and become part of the household; an idea that anyone would consider a fool's dream, yet surprisingly it was granted by the Clan Leader. With such a decision, the Clan Leader's authority was wholly lost, and Lian Yulou was hence despised by the Leader's Consort and other concubines, enduring daily beatings and bullying. The Clan Leader initially made every effort to care for him until one night, apparently too overwrought, he died in Lian Yulou's bed. Strangely enough, upon the Leader's death, Lian Yulou discovered that he, in a man's body, was pregnant.]

[Note One: With the Clan Leader's death, Lian Yulou instantly lost his protection. Coupled with the scandal of a man becoming pregnant, he was set to be secretly executed by the wealthy family the very next day. However, for reasons unknown, the executioner, after hearing Lian Yulou's pleas, had a change of heart and secretly took him in. After a ten-month pregnancy, he gave birth to a meaty blob. This flesh ball, upon seeing daylight, split open and from within, flew out a scroll titled 'Desire Sin Scripture,' which is in fact a volume of the 'Evil Scripture' from the Demon Sect, the chapter on desire.]

[Note Two: After a ten-month pregnancy, giving birth to the Desire Sin Scripture, assisted Lian Yulou to unravel a thread of prenatal mystery, vaguely realizing that in a past life he was an expert of the Evil Sect in the Demon Path. Now reincarnated, he must pass through nine Evil Tribulations to regain his Dao cultivation. He is currently undergoing the first tribulation.]

[Note Three: Having obtained the Heavenly Book and practiced the Evil Technique, Lian Yulou soon reverted to the demeanor of a Demon Path intermediary. That very night, he slaughtered the wealthy family and set out to seek his second tribulation… Soon Lian Yulou realized that with each tribulation he passed through, he had to ensure the death and destruction of the one who helped him through, in order to achieve perfection. Yet he himself was also caught in the tribulation, bewitched and confounded, unable to evade it.]

[Note Four: This constitutes a major technique of the Evil Sect, with the belief that 'all creatures harbor desire, and where there is affection, there is sin.' In the following ten years, Lian Yulou passed seven tribulations and was quickly brought back to the Sect by his former chief disciple, now an Evil Sect Elder, where he took his place as a True Inheritor. Afterward, he descended the mountain again to face the world and undergo the final tribulation. Upon completion of this last tribulation, Lian Yulou's accumulated cultivation and mana from many lives fully returned. He then went into seclusion for a hundred years, which could lead him directly into Ultimate Happiness and allow him a glimpse into the mystery of the Daoist Transformation Realm; this is the true reason for his reincarnation and cultivation anew.]

[Note Five: Prince Xiao Chenzhou of the Taiping Army in West Capital is the person entangled with him in desire and is the focus of his Ninth Tribulation. After entering the world, Lian Yulou was quickly influenced by the secret techniques and became fully immersed in his role, developing a perverse love with Xiao Chenzhou, openly revealing his identity as a True Inheritor of the Evil Sect. He supported Xiao Chenzhou with all his might, until recently Lian Yulou realized that Xiao Chenzhou had betrayed him, repeatedly spending nights in other's quarters and growing increasingly cold toward him.]

[Note Six: Lian Yulou, turning love into hate, coincidentally had his background glimpsed by the Ninth Prince, Zhu Qi, and they hit it off instantly. Lian Yulou collaborated with Zhu Qi to act out a play, representing the Western Capital Army, publicly kidnapping Princess Zhao... Zhu Qi will use this as a pretext to persuade Rashamon Country to send troops in support, coupled with his own Demon Army and several other allies, to jointly annihilate the Western Capital Army....]

[Note Seven: ???]

[Note Eight: Marked by tribulation energy! Exemption possible!]

Within the nearly ruined Jin Mansion, the surviving cultivators saw that the Bo Dragon was still maintaining its original form, simply assuming it was still on high alert.

Little did they know that, at this moment, Tao Qian was experiencing a total overhaul of his three core beliefs, a shock to the very foundation of his understanding.

He had thought that with his many experiences in Southern Yue, combined with what he had seen and heard within the Mountain Gate, he would not be surprised by any odd occurrences once he entered the world.

That was until just now, when he caught a glimpse of the secrets buried in Lian Yulou.

"Don't exempt it!"

Almost subconsciously, Tao Qian seemed to realize something and suppressed the urge of his abnormal soul to purge the trace of evil aura from his body.

At the same time, his thoughts surged rapidly, clarifying the situation.

"That is to say, the bloodshed and robbery that just occurred were orchestrated by the Ninth Prince, Zhu Qi himself."

"The dozens of brutal soldiers were disguised as the Taiping Army using the secret techniques of the Demon Sect."

"Subsequently, it was Lian Yulou, who holds a weighty status, who acted and abducted the Rashamon Girl in public."

"Moreover, the crime was committed in the territory of the Jin family, who are staunchly loyal to the Ninth Prince. With many notable figures and cultivators as witnesses, the blame could not be more conclusively placed on Xiao Chenzhou—irrefutably fastened to him, with no possibility of removing it."

"Following this, the Ninth Prince will use this as a pretext to wipe out the Western Capital Army."

"However, the Record that follows is a question mark. Evidently, there is more secrecy hidden inside. Destroying Xiao Chenzhou is not the Ninth Prince's true aim?"

At that thought, Tao Qian inexplicably remembered the Records he had glimpsed from He Sen, the leader of the Changchun Society.

Undoubtedly!

Huang Chong, one of the saint heirs of the Alchemist Organization, must also be one of the Ninth Prince's allies.

Adding to that, the father of Zhang Baisui, the great warlord Zhang Jiudeng.

And there was the army of Rashamon Country!

And the most fundamental of all, the Taishang Demon Sect.

With all these powers combined, it was impossible that their purpose was merely for a Western Capital Army, or just Xiao Chenzhou.

As Tao Qian thought more and more that something was amiss and felt he was close to touching the root of a disaster conspiracy,

suddenly, numerous cries and howls erupted.

Among them, one was particularly loud.

Tao Qian opened his eyes and saw within the ruins of Jin Mansion, strewn with severed limbs and bloodied bodies,

Jin Tianyang, the Jin Family Patriarch, had miraculously survived.

But at this moment, he was in a terrible state, completely lacking the forbearing presence of a conniving hero from before. He stumbled along, staggering over the bodies of the Jin family in the ruins while wailing, appearing almost insane as he headed toward the parlor area.

When he realized that his only daughter, Jin Xiuju, was unharmed, his face abruptly relaxed.

The madness in his demeanor slightly eased.

However, under Tao Qian's observation, as Jin Tianyang let his guard down, the vital energy that had been gathered in his body dispersed in an instant.

His Dao Foundation was rushed and forcibly enhanced, inherently weak and vulnerable.

After Lian Yulou's intervention, those brutal soldiers deliberately inflicted severe injuries on Jin Tianyang but did not kill him, to make the act more credible.

Jin Tianyang should have collapsed and died on the spot upon seeing the ruin of his life's work.

It was only because he was concerned about the life and death of Jin Xiuju that he had stubbornly rushed over.

Upon seeing that his only daughter was safe, Jin Tianyang's spirit relaxed, and his Dao Foundation immediately crumbled; he had but a short hour to live.

At that moment, Jin Tianyang himself realized it as well.

Perhaps it was the terror of imminent death that made this cunning Jin Family Patriarch swiftly regain his wits. After rushing over, he first made sure Jin Xiuju was safe and then started frantically inquiring from the surviving cultivators in the parlor about everything that had happened.

Quickly, after listening to the whole process and upon hearing that the Ninth Prince's Princess had been abducted, the entire person was stunned.

Whatever he thought of, his eyes narrowed, flashing a frightening glimmer within.

He then suddenly turned his head, a trace of hope lingering in his eyes, and looked toward Tao Qian and Fairy Yunrong.

Completely disregarding the presence of other cultivators, as if a terrifying entity was chasing him, this Jin Tianyang actually dragged Jin Xiuju over to Tao Qian and Fairy Yunrong swiftly.

Without caring for their reaction, Jin Tianyang spoke urgently in secret transmission:

"Fairy Yunrong, Mr. Jin Lin."

"I know my Jin family owes no favors to you two; rather, that you two deigned to stay here is already a blessing for the Jin family."

"This calamity that my Jin family now faces brings us to the brink of annihilation."

"There are no intact eggs under an overturned nest. I, Jin Tianyang, have lived long enough without much regret, so if I die, I die. But Xiuzhu is still young; she cannot die."

"In shame, Jin Tianyang begs, willing to repay you with years of savings, to ask you two for a favor."

"Please take Xiuzhu to her betrothed, Zhang Baisui. If the Zhang Mansion is willing to take in Xiuzhu and fulfill the marriage agreement, you two benefactors are free to leave at any time."

"If Zhang Baisui breaks the engagement, I only ask that you two benefactors take Xiuzhu away from Demon City, choose a place of peace, and let Xiuzhu live out the rest of her life in anonymity."

After saying these words, Jin Tianyang collapsed to his knees with a thud.

His head striking the ground again and again, in his capacity as the family head, he offered a grand tribute to the two cultivators.