Scripture of Days Past

Han Ying’s tails pierced through the air like thrusting spears, quickly overwhelming Yang Ling’s defenses. They tore several bloody wounds into his body and sent him tumbling through the air.

After scrambling to his feet, Yang Ling realized that he had stumbled into the secluded courtyard where Chu Qiguang often cultivated on his own.

Where’s the granite boulder?

An astonished look appeared on Yang Ling’s face as his gaze fell upon the small pile of rock fragments on the ground where the giant boulder had once stood.

Is that all that remains of the boulder? Who could’ve done this? Was it Chu Qiguang? No, that would be absurd!

Before he could follow that train of thought any further, Han Ying pounced at him again.

As the battle wore on, Yang Ling was forced further and further onto the back foot. Just as Han Ying was about to swoop in for the kill, a figure suddenly sprang onto the battlefield. A saber flashed through the air, sending tufts of fox fur flying in all directions.

Yang Ling turned and discovered that Song Ming had joined the battle.

It seemed that Han Ying didn’t want to take any risks. As soon as she found herself facing two fifth-state adversaries, she retreated and quickly disappeared into the distance.

Yang Ling heaved a sigh of relief. As the adrenaline drained out of his body, he was left feeling so sore and weak that he could barely remain on his feet.

”Are you alright?” Song Ming asked.

”I’ll live,” Yang Ling replied with a wry smile. ”How did you find me?”

”Some of the trainees saw you come this way,” Song Ming explained. ”Can you still walk? If you can, come to the archive building with me. I saw some fiends heading in that direction.”

Yang Ling was naturally aware of the importance of the archive building, so he nodded before setting off with Song Ming.

Han Ying poked his head from behind a nearby wall, watching the two depart as she sneered, ”I’ll let you live for now, but if you’re heading to the archive building, then you won’t be alive for much longer anyway.”

Once Yang Ling and Song Ming were out of sight, Han Ying emerged from behind the wall and also set off for the archive building.

All of the Demon Vanquishing Department soldiers he encountered along the way were torn to pieces by his formidable tails, and the closer he drew to the archive building, the less resistance he encountered.

Before long, he arrived at the rendezvous point with Yi Shuang and the undying divine general.

At that moment, Yi Shuang was staring at the peaceful archive building from afar with a puzzled look on his face.

Why isn’t anything happening inside the archive building? Lin Lan hasn’t gone out of control? But I should’ve already gotten to her through Chu Qiguang!

He couldn’t make sense of the situation, but at this point, it was already far too late to turn back. He had no choice but to forge ahead.

Following Han Ying’s arrival, Yi Shuang decided to abandon his original plan and break into the archive building by force with Han Ying and the undying divine general.

However, Han Ying still had some reservations.

”Is the Heavenly Fox Tale really on the second floor of the archive building?” he asked suspiciously. ”I just interrogated several people from the Demon Vanquishing Department, and all of them told me that it’s not there.”

The Heavenly Fox Tale was said to be a classic written by the first fox fiend to have ever reached the Dao Comprehension state.

”How many people in the Demon Vanquishing Department have been to the second floor of the archive building?” Yi Shuang scoffed. ”I’ve already copied a few passages for you to read, haven’t I? Surely you could tell that they were genuine excerpts. As we agreed, all you have to do is help me seize control of the archive building, and the Heavenly Fox Tale is yours.

“Once you obtain the Heavenly Fox Tale, your chances of reaching the Dao Comprehension state will increase severalfold. However, if you don’t take advantage of this opportunity, you’ll never get another chance to enter the Demon Vanquishing Department’s archive building.”

Yi Shuang’s words quickly dispelled Han Ying’s doubts, and the trio advanced toward the archive building together.

Along the way, they encountered Yang Ling and Song Ming.

”Yi Shuang?” Song Ming exclaimed in surprise, but his surprise quickly turned to cold fury when he saw Yi Shuang’s companions. ”So you were working with the enemy all along? No wonder they managed to catch us completely off guard. I suspected that there had to be a mole on the mountain, but I never thought it would be you.”

”I’m going to loot the second floor of the archive building,” Yi Shuang declared, making no effort to hide his intentions. ”For old times’ sake, I can spare the two of you if you get out of my way.”

Song Ming and Yang Ling had already drawn their sabers.

”You’re crazy!” Song Ming spat through gritted teeth.

”I’m the crazy one? You’re the crazy ones! All of you who believe in the Profound Origin Dao Lord and still follow the emperor’s orders...”

The bell hidden inside Yi Shuang’s sleeve suddenly began tinkling as he spoke. As it turned out, he had never intended to spare Yang Ling and Song Ming. He had merely made a false promise to lull them into a false sense of security so that he could catch them off guard with a surprise attack.

As soon as the bell rang, the living corpse behind Song Ming sprang into action, appearing behind hum in the blink of an eye.

Song Ming reacted very quickly, spinning around and swinging his saber through the air. At the same time Yang Ling attacked the living corpse from the other flank.

The two of them worked together seamlessly, closing in on the living corpse in unison, one from the left and the other from the right.

Yang Ling knew that Song Ming’s saber and movement techniques were superior to his own, and he was confident that with the two of them working together, the living corpse would surely be cut to pieces.

Once we take care of this living corpse, I’ll take some pills, then it’ll be Yi Shuang and that fox fiend’s turn next!

Yang Ling and Song Ming exchanged a glance, and that fleeting moment of eye contact was enough to understand each other’s intentions.

In their eyes, the demise of the living corpse was already a foregone conclusion. However, their unwavering confidence quickly turned to shock and disbelief as the living corpse stomped a foot forcefully onto the ground with a thunderous roar.

The earth trembled beneath Yang Ling and Song Ming’s feet, momentarily throwing them off balance, and the living corpse quickly seized the opportunity. It lashed out with both claws, unleashing layers of gale force as it made a grab for Yang Ling and Song Ming’s demonslaying sabers.

This living corpse knows martial arts? Yang Ling thought with a stunned expression. And it’s even capable of producing gale force? How is that possible?!

This living corpse was completely unlike any that Yang Ling had ever seen.

As soon as the living corpse’s gale force made contact with Yang Ling and Song Ming’s sabers, both weapons shattered instantly. The living corpse then stepped forward and reached for Song Ming, its fingers as deadly as five daggers.

Even though the living corpse possessed a body of flesh, its fingers were somehow even more powerful and destructive than their demonslaying sabers.

Song Ming was sent flying by the explosion of gale force, and blood erupted from his body before he crashed heavily to the ground in a lifeless heap.

Yang Ling could hardly believe his own eyes. Song Ming was a superior martial artist to him, yet even he had been no match for the living corpse!

Yang Ling could sense that the living corpse had shifted its gaze to him, and he couldn’t help but shudder in fear.

The living corpse picked Yang Ling up like a helpless infant, then began making its way toward the archive building.

All the while, Han Ying had been observing the living corpse with a wary expression.

To think this is only a living corpse subordinate of Laymen Evergreen’s... I doubt any cultivator below the Dao Comprehension state stands a chance against it.

”Why spare him?” Han Ying asked as he turned to Yi Shuang. ”Do you still feel some attachment to him as your former colleague?”

”Ha! What a joke!” Yi Shuang scoffed coldly. ”The archive building is full of traps. I’m only keeping him alive because I need someone to trigger those traps for us.”