44: Chapter 44 Resolving Cause and Effect

A grey-black stream of light tore through the mountains, carrying rolling ghost Qi and piercing death intent, arriving above the valley in an instant. The light dissipated, revealing a figure.

It was none other than the Ghost Hand Taoist.

However, compared to the terrifying Nascent Soul old demon who had wreaked havoc in the Tianqiong Secret Realm all those years ago, he was now vastly different. His frame remained thin and hunched, but the terrifying scar on his face seemed even more hideous. His complexion was an unnatural grey-blue, his eye sockets were deeply sunken, and the ghost fire flickering within them was much dimmer. His aura fluctuated, and while he still maintained the fluctuations of an Early Stage Nascent Soul, he gave the impression of being strong on the outside but weak on the inside, with an unstable Foundation. The originally pitch-black Daoist robe he wore was also tattered in many places, stained with dark blood and strange corrosive marks.

Clearly, the Ghost Hand Taoist had not had an easy time over these years. After chasing Lin Wan back then, only to have him escape through the space-traversing void five elements token, he had later engaged in infighting with the faction of Han Lingtian and Peak Master Yue Lingyun. Furthermore, having likely participated in some secretive, high-cost plans, his Origin Qi had been severely damaged, and he might even have injured his Origin. Yet, that bone-deep resentment and murderous intent toward Lin Wan had not diminished in the slightest; instead, due to his current wretched state, it had become even more twisted and insane.

"Little bastard... it really is you!" The Ghost Hand Taoist hovered above the valley, looking down and staring fixedly at Lin Wan, who was walking slowly out of the Immortal Cave. A rattling, wheezing sound emerged from his throat like an old bellows. "This seat said, with your Luck and those strange methods, how could you have died so easily in the Tianqiong Secret Realm! So you were hiding in the ice and snow of the Northern Plains, acting like a coward! And after learning a few superficial skills, you dare return to the Southern Region to run wild and kill people from my Ice Soul Palace. You really are... courting death!"

It turned out that he had followed the clues from the Ice Soul Palace, tracing the trail all the way here. It seemed he had eyes in the Northern Plains and was in collusion with the Ice Soul Palace. Although Lin Wan had tried his best to hide the fact that he had killed Elder Hanyue in the Abyss of the Northern Nether, he had ultimately left traces that were discovered by those with keen eyes.

"Old demon Ghost Hand, we haven't met in years, yet you are still as persistent as a lingering spirit." Lin Wan stood before the Immortal Cave, his green robes fluttering slightly in the churning ghost Qi. His expression was calm, and only those silver-grey eyes, deep as an abyss, reflected the withered and twisted figure in the air. "The 'favor' of your pursuit back then, today, we shall resolve it all at once."

"Resolve? Hahaha!" The Ghost Hand Taoist laughed wildly, his laughter filled with malice and disdain. "You? A junior who luckily achieved Core Formation, and you think you're qualified to talk about 'resolving' things with this seat? It was my carelessness that let you escape back then. Today, I will extract your living soul, refine your Golden Core, and ensure you never reincarnate, just to vent the hatred in my heart! I will even use your soul to sacrifice and refine my 'Ten Thousand Ghost Banner' to make up for the Origin I have lost!"

Before the words had even faded, he raised his withered right hand abruptly, spread his five fingers, and grabbed at the air toward Lin Wan!

"Ten Thousand Ghost—Soul Devouring Claw!"

"Woooo—!!!"

A shrill ghostly howl resounded through the valley, and the Yin wind roared! A pitch-black ghost claw, as large as a house and formed from countless twisted, wailing Yin spirits and ghost Qi, appeared out of thin air. It carried a terrifying Death Qi that could freeze the Divine Soul and erode vitality, grabbing straight down at Lin Wan! Wherever the ghost claw passed, grass and trees withered, rocks decayed, and even the air became foul and unbearable.

Although this strike was made casually, it came from the hand of a Nascent Soul Cultivator, and its power far exceeded that of an ordinary Golden Core, enough to severely injure or even kill a Late Stage Golden Core Cultivator. The Ghost Hand Taoist clearly did not take Lin Wan seriously and intended to use thunderous means to capture and torture him in one fell swoop.

However, facing this awe-inspiring ghost claw, Lin Wan only slowly raised the guixu sword in his hand.

The sword blade was lusterless, its chaotic dark-silver hue appearing even more profound and restrained under the grey sky.

"Five Elements Returning to Ruins, all techniques are empty—Break."

He spat out these words softly, and the guixu sword made a seemingly casual slash toward the incoming pitch-black ghost claw.

"Chii..."

A void sword mark, only a foot long, grey-dark in color, and seemingly capable of devouring all light and sound, extended quietly from the tip of the sword, silently touching the massive pitch-black ghost claw.

There was no earth-shattering explosion, no rolling shockwave.

In the Ghost Hand Taoist's incredulous gaze, his "Ten Thousand Ghost—Soul Devouring Claw," capable of crushing mountains and devouring living souls, dissolved and disintegrated instantly upon contact with that grey-dark sword mark, like snow under a scorching sun! The countless wailing Yin spirits within the claw, as if encountering their natural nemesis, let out even shriller, yet rapidly fading screams, before being completely annihilated and turned into nothingness by the Return-to-Ruins silence intent contained within the grey-dark sword mark!

In less than a breath, the awe-inspiring pitch-black ghost claw had completely vanished, as if it had never appeared. Only the faint lingering Death Qi in the air proved that the terrifying strike had just occurred.

"What?!" The sneer on the Ghost Hand Taoist's face froze abruptly, the ghost fire in his eyes flickering violently, filled with doubt and uncertainty. Although he hadn't used his full strength in this strike, it was by no means something a Golden Core Cultivator could resolve so casually! Especially that "silence" Dao charm contained within the opponent's Sword Intent, which made even his own Divine Soul tremble—it was unheard of!

"You... what kind of sword technique is this?!" The Ghost Hand Taoist hissed, suppressing his contempt for the first time. This brat really was strange! Not only was he not dead, but his cultivation had also risen to the Mid-stage Golden Core, and he had mastered such a strange and powerful sword Dao Divine Ability!

"The sword technique to kill you." Lin Wan's tone remained calm. He took a step, and his figure vanished from where he stood.

The next moment, he appeared ten zhang to the left of the Ghost Hand Taoist. The guixu sword transformed into a chaotic dark-silver streak of light, thrusting straight at his flank! The sword speed was not fast, but it carried a strange, viscous, and heavy sensation, as if the surrounding space had been solidified and suppressed by this single sword strike. Furthermore, a terrifying Sword Intent of all things ending and returning to nothingness locked onto the Ghost Hand Taoist firmly.

"The junior is courting death!" The Ghost Hand Taoist was both shocked and angry. He discovered that he was unable to fully evade the lock of this sword strike! In his haste, the ghost Qi around him erupted, transforming into a thick "Ten Thousand Ghost Shield" composed of countless painful human faces, blocking his side.

"Clang—!"

The guixu sword pierced the Ten Thousand Ghost Shield, emitting a crisp, sharp sound of metal clashing. The grey-dark sword tip made contact with the shield surface of twisted human faces, but instead of a terrifying energy explosion, the countless painful faces on the shield surface, as if encountering their natural predator, instantly froze and twisted, then rapidly turned grey and transparent, finally collapsing and dissipating like a sand tower! At the center of the shield, where the sword tip had struck, a bowl-sized hole with smooth edges appeared. On the edges of the hole, the grey-dark, constantly eroding and annihilating Sword Intent still lingered.

"Pfft!" The Ghost Hand Taoist groaned, retreating three steps, his face turning an even deeper grey-blue. The Ten Thousand Ghost Shield was connected to his Divine Soul, and having it broken in such a strange and overbearing manner, he suffered some backlash. What shocked him even more was that the silence power contained within that grey-dark Sword Intent could so easily restrain and annihilate his ghost Dao Divine Ability! It was as if the Ten Thousand Ghost Soul Devouring Dao he cultivated was naturally inferior before this Sword Intent!

"Impossible! What is this power?! It can actually restrain my Ten Thousand Ghost Dao?!" The Ghost Hand Taoist was shocked and angry, a flash of greed appearing in his eyes. If he could seize this sword Dao Legacy, his strength would surely increase greatly, and he might even be able to make up for his Origin and rise to a higher level!

"Ten Thousand Ghost—Heaven Swallowing!"

He let out a sharp cry, no longer testing the waters, and raised both hands abruptly! Above his head, ghost Qi gathered crazily, transforming into a pitch-black vortex with a diameter of over ten zhang, constantly rotating, and seemingly connected to the infinite Hell inside! From within the vortex, countless hideous ghost shadows, skeletons, and severed limbs surged out like a tide, emitting earth-shattering ghostly wails and howls, carrying the terrifying power to devour all vitality and defile all things, rushing madly toward Lin Wan! Wherever it passed, the world lost its color, and even light was swallowed.

This was one of his trump card Divine Abilities, its power far exceeding the previous ghost claw, enough to threaten a peer Nascent Soul! He wanted to spare no cost and end the battle quickly, capture this strange junior, force out the sword Dao Legacy, and then extract his soul and refine his spirit!

Facing this sky-covering, all-devouring tide of ten thousand ghosts, the silver-grey light in Lin Wan's eyes also brightened to the extreme. He could feel that this ghost Dao Divine Ability had faintly touched the edge of some "Law," and it seemed to have some similarities with the black Qi in the wound of the Northern Nether Ice Flood Dragon—both were negative powers leaning toward death, decay, and devouring.

And this, was the best whetstone for the "Return-to-Ruins" Sword Intent!

"Five Elements rotation, Void Realm silence, Returning to Ruins—Heaven Opening!"

Lin Wan did not retreat but advanced instead, facing the devouring tide of ten thousand ghosts. He held the sword with both hands, raising the guixu sword high above his head. The chaotic dark-silver Golden Core energy within his body, the power of the Void Dao Seed, and the intent of the initially awakening sword spirit were all unleashed without reservation, pouring entirely into the sword blade!

"Hum—!!!"

For the first time, the guixu sword emitted a clear, melodious sword hum that seemed capable of severing space and time! On the chaotic dark silver blade, those starlike silver specks suddenly erupted with unprecedented, brilliant light. Intertwining, they faintly formed a miniature, constantly birthing and dying nebula phantom around the blade! A terrifying Return-to-Ruins Sword Intent—vast, desolate, all-encompassing, yet containing ultimate annihilation—surged into the sky, reflecting the heavens above the valley into a state of Chaos!

The next moment, Lin Wan slashed down with his sword!

There was no flashy sword light, no overwhelming momentum.

There was only a single guixu sword Mark, merely a zhang long, chaotic in color, containing the birth and death of nebulae, and appearing capable of both creating the world and ending all things, slowly descending from the tip of the sword toward the sky-covering Myriad Ghost Torrent.

Wherever the sword mark passed, space silently split into a thin, constantly twisting and mending pitch-black fissure, as if the world itself had been sliced open by this sword strike.

"Roar—!!!"

The Myriad Ghost Torrent, the moment it touched this guixu sword Mark, was like encountering its true natural nemesis, letting out an unprecedented shriek filled with fear and pain! Countless ghost shadows, skeletons, and severed limbs melted, disintegrated, and annihilated like snow under a scorching sun, transforming into the purest Yin Qi that carried an aura of deathly silence, which was then swallowed and assimilated by the sword mark, becoming a part of its power!

The rotating pitch-black vortex was split in two by the sword mark and collapsed with a roar! Behind the vortex, Ghost Hand Daoist's face was revealed, filled with disbelief, extreme horror, and... a trace of fear that reached deep into his marrow.

"No—!! This is impossible!! What kind of sword is this?! What kind of Dao is this?!" Ghost Hand Daoist let out a desperate roar, crazily urging his remaining Yin Qi to set up layers of protective shields before him, while simultaneously retreating violently, trying to escape.

However, that guixu sword Mark, appearing slow, seemed to lock onto space and time, ignoring distance. The moment he retreated, it had already silently swept across his body.

Ghost Hand Daoist's retreating figure suddenly froze.

He looked down at his chest.

There, a grayish sword mark containing the birth and death of nebulae slashed diagonally from his left shoulder to his right abdomen, nearly cutting him in half. At the wound, there was no spurting blood, only a gray, deathly silence. His flesh, bones, and even the Nascent Soul and Divine Soul within him were rapidly... returning to nothingness and annihilation at a speed that could not be understood or stopped.

"Re...turns...to...Ruins..." A rattling sound came from Ghost Hand Daoist's throat, and the ghost fire flickering in his eyes quickly dimmed, finally extinguishing completely. His gaunt body, like a weathered sand sculpture, began to disintegrate and dissipate inch by inch from the sword mark, turning into ashes that filled the sky, scattering with the wind, leaving no trace behind.

Even the Storage Pouch and Magic Treasure on his person did not escape, returning to annihilation together.

Only the broken flagpole of the "Myriad Ghost Banner" and a few pieces of high-quality Yin-attribute Ore, seemingly made of special Materials, resisted part of the erosion of the Guixu power, falling from the ashes and clattering onto the ground.

The Peak Master of Qingyun Sect's Xuanyin Peak, the Nascent Soul Early Stage Ghost Hand Daoist—had fallen!

He had been thoroughly slain by Lin Wan with a single sword strike, "Guixu Opening the Heavens," his body and soul destroyed, leaving him not even a chance for Reincarnation.

In the valley, there was dead silence. Only the mountain wind howled, whipping up a few ashes from the ground.

Lin Wan slowly sheathed his sword, his face pale as paper, his aura withered, his internal Pill Origin nearly exhausted, and waves of weakness coming from his Divine Soul. That sword strike "Guixu Opening the Heavens" just now had almost drained all his strength, and had also placed a considerable burden on his Divine Soul and Void Dao Seed. Yet, his eyes were calm, even carrying a trace of relief.

The Karma that had entangled him for many years was finally settled today.

Once Ghost Hand Daoist was dead, Xuanyin Peak would surely be shaken, and a huge uproar would rise within the Qingyun Sect. But he did not regret it. This person was sinister and ruthless, having repeatedly tried to put him to death, and was an unstable factor within the Sect; he deserved to die. Moreover, given the strength and potential he had now demonstrated, coupled with the support of Peak Master Yue Lingyun, the Sect might not necessarily turn against this "five elements sword core" Genius with a boundless future just for a dead, ill-reputed Nascent Soul Early Stage Cultivator. At most, there would be some games and compromises regarding interests.

He adjusted his breath for a moment, swallowed a few Medicinal Pills, and recovered a sliver of spiritual power before walking forward to pick up the few items on the ground that hadn't been completely annihilated. The broken pole of the Myriad Ghost Banner was a top-grade material for refining ghost-path Magic Treasures and could be used to trade for or refine other treasures. Those few pieces of Yin-attribute Ore were also of great value.

After doing this, he glanced toward the direction of the Qingyun Sect's mountain gate, a flash of complexity in his eyes, which quickly vanished.

Now was not the time to return. The death of Ghost Hand Daoist would inevitably trigger a chain reaction. He needed time to digest what he had gained from this battle, raise his cultivation to the Golden Core Late Stage, and perhaps even attempt to break through to the Nascent Soul stage. Moreover, the opening of the Guixu Sea was imminent, and he had to head to the "Tiannan Ruins" as soon as possible to prepare for entering the Guixu Sea.

"Leave here first."

Lin Wan did not linger, his figure turning into a chaotic dark silver sword light, soaring into the sky, and with a few flickers, he disappeared at the end of the horizon.

He needed to find a safer, more hidden place for closed-door cultivation to digest the insights from the battle with Ghost Hand Daoist, especially a deeper understanding of the "Guixu" Sword Intent. At the same time, he also had to make full preparations for heading to the "Tiannan Ruins."

Less than an hour after Lin Wan left, several powerful auras swept over rapidly from the direction of the Qingyun Sect's mountain gate, descending upon this valley.

The person in the lead was none other than the Qingyun Sect Sect Head, True Monarch Daoxuan! Following behind him were Peak Master Yue Lingyun, Han Lingtian, and several Golden Core Elders from other peaks. Looking at the palpitating Return-to-Ruins Sword Intent remaining in the valley, and the last trace of deathly silence belonging to Ghost Hand Daoist that had not yet completely dissipated in the air, everyone wore solemn expressions, their eyes filled with shock.

"Junior Brother Ghost Hand... has fallen." True Monarch Daoxuan was silent for a moment before speaking slowly, his voice devoid of joy or anger. "The Sword Intent remaining here... is domineering, annihilating, and contains the supreme true meaning of Guixu... It is absolutely not any sword Dao Legacy of our Qingyun Sect. The person who struck... their strength... likely has already touched the threshold of the Nascent Soul stage."

A flash of excitement and gratification crossed Peak Master Yue Lingyun's eyes, but he quickly concealed it and said in a deep voice, "Sect Head Senior Brother, it seems that the child Lin Wan is not only alive, but his strength has advanced by leaps and bounds, reaching an unimaginable height. To be able to kill Junior Brother Ghost Hand (though Ghost Hand was injured), his combat power is likely not weaker than an ordinary Nascent Soul Early Stage Cultivator. This is the fortune of our Qingyun Sect!"

Han Lingtian also stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Sect Head, Junior Brother Lin and Junior Martial Uncle Ghost Hand had old grievances; settling this Karma this time is within reason. Now that the Guixu Sea is about to open, it is a time when people are needed. Junior Brother Lin possesses the Five Elements Sect Legacy and has formidable strength; he should be a leader for the Sect in exploring the Guixu Sea and fighting for Opportunities. I hope the Sect Head will see clearly and not let the death of Junior Martial Uncle Ghost Hand chill the hearts of the loyal."

The other Elders looked at each other; some showed wariness, some were thoughtful. Ghost Hand Daoist's reputation within the Sect was already poor, and he had many enemies. Now that he had been killed by a younger Disciple, although it was shocking, not everyone felt sorry. Especially now that the Sect was facing such a major event as the Guixu Sea, a Lin Wan with formidable strength and infinite potential was clearly of far greater value than a dead, ill-reputed Ghost Hand Daoist.

True Monarch Daoxuan's gaze swept over the crowd. After pondering for a long time, he finally said slowly, "The matter of Junior Brother Ghost Hand will be suppressed for now. Announce to the outside world that he went out to train, encountered a strong enemy, and unfortunately fell. As for Lin Wan... since he already has the power to protect himself and is loyal to the Sect (with Peak Master Yue Lingyun and Han Lingtian vouching for him), let him be. The Guixu Sea is about to open, and the Sect will issue a decree to summon all Disciples and Guest Elders above the Golden Core stage to gather at the Tiannan Ruins to explore the Guixu Sea together. If he is willing, he may come to find you."

This was a tacit acknowledgment of Lin Wan's strength and status, and minimized the impact of Ghost Hand Daoist's death.

"Sect Head is wise!" Peak Master Yue Lingyun, Han Lingtian, and the others bowed.

True Monarch Daoxuan took one last look at the Sword Intent remaining in the valley, a flash of deep meaning in his eyes, then flicked his sleeves and led everyone back to the mountain gate.

A storm that could have triggered internal Chaos in the Sect was thus temporarily suppressed. But the undercurrents were already surging.

Everyone knew that an era belonging to "Lin Wan" might truly be about to arrive. And a greater storm was quietly brewing in that distant Guixu Sea.