140: Chapter 14 Yin-Yang Reversal Five Elements Array

An even more pungent, almost eye-watering stench instantly enveloped Chen Zilong.

The odor was a mix of congealed blood, dried bodily fluids, and a certain long-since-rotted, putrid sweetness that nearly suffocated him.

He had to circulate his spiritual power to barely suppress the urge to retch rising in his throat.

The pavilion was divided into small, cramped spaces by faded, damaged screens. Each space contained a bed that looked utterly filthy.

And now, lying on those beds were the corpses of male disciples from various sects.

Just like the Female Corpses outside, their kidneys had also been precisely excised!

The entire Spring Breeze Pavilion had clearly become a bloody slaughterhouse specifically for collecting kidneys!

'Yingxian Pavilion is the heart... Here, Spring Breeze Pavilion is the kidney...'

Chen Zilong subconsciously stroked his chin. His fingertips brushed the freshly scabbed, fine sword wound on his face as his gaze, sharp as a blade, swept over this hellish scene. 'Heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys... corresponding to the Five Elements: fire, wood, earth, metal, water...'

A vague but increasingly clear conjecture sprouted and took shape wildly in his mind. But he needed more evidence to confirm this terrifying hypothesis.

Next, Chen Zilong quickly visited the other three 'famous scenic spots' mentioned in the jade slip within the village.

Or rather, the pillars of shame the Su Family used to whitewash their crimes and cover up their atrocities.

The Dragon King Temple, supposedly built by Su Mu to pray for rain and bless the villagers with favorable weather, looked dilapidated, its incense offerings long ceased.

The corpses discovered here had their lungs (metal) removed.

The Five Grains Field, commemorating Su Mu's 'achievement' of allowing Qingniu Village villagers to eat their fill, was now overgrown with weeds.

The corpses here were missing their livers (wood).

Finally, the Hero's Hall. This hall was the tallest and most ironic of all, built to commemorate Su Mu's 'heroic deeds' of 'leading the villagers to resist the tyrannical Wang Lin'!

And the corpses found here had their spleens (earth) taken!

Heart (fire, Yingxian Pavilion), Liver (wood, Five Grains Field), Spleen (earth, Hero's Hall), Lungs (metal, Dragon King Temple), Kidneys (water, Spring Breeze Pavilion)!

The five viscera correspond to the Five Elements. Five locations, precisely collecting five different organs!

This is absolutely no fucking coincidence!

This is a meticulously designed, interlocking grand ritual!

'Holy shit!'

Chen Zilong couldn't help but curse under his breath, his stomach churning violently.

Having eaten nothing in the morning, he could only dry heave a few times.

The Su Family has truly taken shamelessness and distortion of the truth to the pinnacle!

Using the blood, tears, and bones of their victims to whitewash their own sins for a full thousand years!

With such hatred and resentment, how could it not soar to the heavens!

However, he had finally obtained the answer he sought.

This was no simple murder or creation of panic!

The Tianji Sect was setting up a massive, extremely sinister formation — the Yin-Yang Reversal Five Elements Formation!

He had once seen fragmentary descriptions of this formation in ancient texts collected by the Xuantian Sect.

This formation wasn't meant to suppress evil at all!

Its core function was conversion!

To convert one type of energy or existence into another!

It was a forbidden art that reversed yin and yang, turning truth upside down!

'Five Elements power... the true methods of the three schools... conversion...'

A flash of inspiration struck Chen Zilong's mind like lightning in the dark. All the seemingly scattered clues were instantly connected by an invisible thread!

The Tianji Sect, over a thousand years, used this accumulated millennium of resentment as the catalyst.

Using the Five Elements power contained within the five viscera as the foundation, supplemented by the distinct characteristics of the true methods from the three schools — Daoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism...

What exactly were they trying to convert?

Or rather, what did they want to convert, and into what?

According to the 'original plot' he knew from before his transmigration, this instance was called 'Fate Usurpation'.

Its purpose was to usurp the fate of the child of destiny, Ye Wushuang!

But...

Ye Wushuang is already dead!

He died not long ago.

He died in a very bizarre manner, twisting off his own head.

He didn't even leave a trace, not a single speck remained...

Wait!

Ye Wushuang is dead, but his corpse...

Or rather, the 'things' he left behind after death...

For example, his heaven-and-earth-favored 'fortune'?

Or his special, nearly indestructible 'fate origin'?

Chen Zilong's eyes widened abruptly, his pupils contracting sharply!

An extremely bold, even crazy idea struck him like a heavy hammer!

'So that's it! That's how it is!!'

He was so agitated he almost cried out, his voice trembling.

Everything made sense now!

The Tianji Sect's true target probably wasn't simply occupying territory or cultivating some evil technique.

They wanted to...

Resurrect?

Or more accurately... recreate a Ye Wushuang?!

Using this thousand-year resentment as the power to distort reality, the Five Elements conversion power to reshape the foundation, and the three schools' true methods to harmonize and stabilize it...

Forcibly defying heaven to change fate, to 'manufacture' anew a child of destiny who had died, whose soul might have even scattered?!

But the next second, a bone-chilling cold shot from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.

It made his scalp tingle instantly, and his back was immediately soaked with cold sweat.

His clothes clung tightly to his skin, icy cold!

If his speculation was true...

Then Lu Bingyun and the others, currently at the ancestral hall preparing to use the corpses of disciples from the Haoran Academy, Jinguang Temple, and Qingyun Sect as Formation Eye materials to attempt setting up that so-called 'Three Talents Demon Suppression Grand Formation'...

That was no Demon Suppression formation at all!

That was likely the final step of this vast, evil ritual, the key core Formation Eye!

Senior Sister Lu and the others were essentially moving the potential explosive bomb to the very center with their own hands!

They were in grave danger without even realizing it!

'Not good! Senior Sister Lu! Xiaoxiao! They're in danger!'

Just as his mind was reeling, his spiritual power surging wildly within, and he was about to take action—

A cold, sharp sword aura, filled with resolute killing intent and boundless malice, attacked without warning, like a venomous snake striking from the blind spot behind him!

Fast as lightning, vicious and ruthless!

Every hair on Chen Zilong's body stood on end at that moment. His heart felt as if gripped by an invisible hand!

Almost purely by the instinct honed through countless brushes with death, and the automatic protective glow flashing from the five thunders heavenly heart armor he wore, he threw himself violently forward and to the side!

The movement was clumsy, but it was the only possible life-saving choice in that split second!

*Swish!*

Despite his reaction being at its absolute fastest, a jade-green, almost tangible watery sword aura still grazed past his cheek!

The sharp sword wind stung his skin. A burning pain flared on his left cheek as a thin line of blood appeared, beads of blood slowly seeping out.

Chen Zilong rolled on the ground and rose into a half-crouch, ignoring the wound on his face.

His expression was ferocious, his gaze blazing as he looked toward the direction the sword aura came from.

Not far away stood a stunningly beautiful woman with a graceful figure, holding a bishui sword flowing with emerald light. It was Ye Xishui!

But now...

This once-familiar face wore an eerie smile he had never seen before—a mix of condescending mockery, triumphant glee at a plan succeeding, and bone-chilling killing intent.

That twisted smile distorted her originally delicate features, making her appear strangely alien and terrifying.

Chen Zilong's heart sank to the depths, icy cold.

He stared fixedly at her, as if trying to see through her, grinding out his question word by word through clenched teeth:

'Ye Xishui'?!

'No, it's Fellow Daoist Lin Yue of the Qingyun Sect, right.'

'Or perhaps, This humble Chen should call you... Village Chief's daughter?!'

'Or maybe, the Tianji Sect's... true sect master?!'

'Ye Xishui' listened to his ice-cold questioning, the smile on her face gradually widening.

It finally turned into an unrestrained, crazed howl of laughter.

The laughter echoed through the empty ruins, particularly grating:

'Hahaha... Chen Zilong, you really are clever!'

'And quick to react!'

'What a pity, you realized it too late!'