Chapter 401: The Daoist

The strange Daoist stood in the field like a scarecrow, motionless for a long while.

From a distance, a few cultivators approached, cursing as they walked.

“These spirit farmers have really gone rogue…”

“Not easy to deal with.”

“If this keeps up, the Sun family won’t have an easy time…”

“Who knows what the head of the family is planning?”

“Look at how cautious he is around those outside cultivators…”

…

Outside cultivators?

Hearing this, the Daoist sluggishly turned his head and glanced at them.

The Sun family cultivators stopped in their tracks. Seeing his weak aura, shabby clothes, and odd appearance, they questioned him:

“Who are you?”

The Daoist said nothing, only producing a dull sound from his throat—like an old drum leaking air, unable to make a clear note.

“Is he mute?”

“Wearing a bamboo hat and straw cloak… could he be a spirit farmer from Dongshan Village?”

“No way, he has a Daoist robe underneath. Looks like a Daoist…”

“An outsider?”

The Sun family cultivators debated among themselves.

The Daoist, however, silently watched them.

One tall and thin cultivator, hot-tempered, cursed:

“You poor excuse for a Daoist, what are you staring at? Keep looking and I’ll gouge your eyes out…”

Before he finished speaking, the Daoist suddenly lunged at him.

Startled, the tall cultivator threw a punch in haste, but a single strike sent the Daoist crashing to the ground.

Feeling slightly reassured, he sneered:

“I thought you were something special. And this is how you dare touch me?”

He stepped forward, kicking and punching the Daoist while cursing:

“What kind of trash? Daring to hit me?”

The Daoist struggled a few times but couldn’t fight back.

The other Sun family cultivators cheered from the side.

Accustomed to their family’s power, they often bullied others this way—venting their anger while asserting the Sun family’s authority.

After finishing, the tall cultivator sneered coldly:

“Serves you right for not watching where you’re going!”

He kicked the Daoist and turned to leave.

But the Daoist extended his withered hand, grabbing the cultivator’s foot.

The cultivator struggled multiple times but couldn’t free himself. Anger flared, and he drew his knife, severing the Daoist’s hand in one chop.

Yet at the break, only decayed flesh remained—no blood at all.

Feeling a mix of disgust and unease, he scrutinized the Daoist.

The Daoist’s face was ordinary, but his eyes were pitch black and hollow, like the eyes of the dead.

A single glance made the cultivator dizzy.

His Sea of Consciousness churned, and a sharp headache made him nauseous.

At the same time, it felt as if some invisible, sticky substance crawled onto his head, moving along his forehead and diving into his Sea of Consciousness.

Within his Sea of Consciousness came a sucking sound—like something was feeding…

The tall cultivator’s nausea intensified.

But the discomfort lasted only an instant.

Moments later, he felt nothing.

The pain lingered, leaving him puzzled.

Gradually, his pupils darkened, and his eyes lost all doubt.

The Daoist on the ground slowly slumped, no longer struggling, lifeless.

The other Sun family cultivators froze:

“Sun Ji, did you just kill him?”

“Dead is dead. It’s not like I haven’t killed someone before,” the tall cultivator Sun Ji said coldly, his voice slightly hoarse.

“Same as usual.”

“Fine.”

The others stood guard by the road, wary of passing cultivators.

Sun Ji dragged the Daoist’s body to a nearby cliff and threw it down.

Before discarding the body, he tore off the Daoist’s robe and kept it.

The others exchanged glances.

“You’re taking a dead man’s robe?”

“Got used to it.”

They were stunned. “What nonsense are you talking about?”

“Used to it?”

“You wear a dead man’s robe?”

“Try it yourself if you don’t believe me.”

Without waiting for a response, Sun Ji put on the robe.

Tall and thin, the dirty, worn robe hung loosely, exposing hands and feet—a strange, ill-fitting appearance.

Like a scarecrow in the field wearing human clothes.

The other cultivators looked astonished.

One Sun family cultivator said:

“You actually dare to wear it? Unbelievable.”

Sun Ji remained indifferent.

“Time’s not early. Let’s go back.”

The others glanced at the sun still high in the sky and felt it wasn’t late, but after killing someone—even a nameless Daoist—they preferred to return home to lay low.

“Fine.”

They started walking back.

After a while, Sun Ji said:

“I think we took the wrong way.”

“No, we didn’t.”

Sun Ji pointed in another direction:

“That’s the way back.”

The others realized he was right.

“Drank too much.”

“Really went the wrong way.”

They followed the new path.

But at the end…

Was a steep cliff.

Below was a bottomless abyss.

They continued chatting as usual, walking home, until they reached the cliff—and fell into the void, leaving no bones behind.

Even falling, their faces still bore smiles.

Unaware of death approaching.

Only Sun Ji stopped at the cliff’s edge.

He glanced indifferently at the abyss, then turned toward Qianjia Town and the conspicuous Sun family estate, walking there slowly.

Wearing the ill-fitting robe, hands and feet exposed, his pace began natural, then became uneven.

Cultivators on the road found him strange but dared not ask.

Sun Ji reached the Sun family estate, then Sun Yi’s study.

Inside, Sun Yi was still studying the Profound-Earth Array, troubled.

After a while, frustration overwhelmed him.

Still no progress.

How to master a first-grade eleven-rune array?

How could that kid have learned it?

Why, despite my Foundation Establishment, can I not understand it after so long?

Sun Yi grew anxious.

If he couldn’t learn it, he couldn’t use arrays to control the spirit farmers.

Without the farmers supporting them, the Sun family would eventually deplete resources and decline.

“Or… strike at the root, destroy the spirit fields?”

A cold glint flashed in his eyes.

Destroy the spirit fields, destroy the Profound-Earth Array.

Without the array, the farmers, unable to form arrays themselves, would still depend on the Sun family.

But the array belonged to the Sun family ancestors.

Destroying it would violate ancestral teachings.

Sun Yi hesitated, conflicted.

At that moment, someone knocked.

Annoyed, Sun Yi ignored it.

Yet the knocking continued.

Knock… knock… knock…

Monotonous and mechanical.

Who dares knock at the Sun family estate in Qianjia Town?

Suppressing his anger, Sun Yi said: “Come in!”

The door opened slowly. Sun Ji stepped in, wearing the dirty, worn, slightly small robe.

Sun Yi froze, then exclaimed:

“What the hell are you wearing?”

Sun Ji remained silent.

Frowning, Sun Yi sensed something was wrong. “What are you here for?”

Sun Ji still said nothing.

Sun Yi moved to speak, but Sun Ji suddenly drew a waist knife, swinging at him.

But Sun Ji was only at the Qi-Refining stage—how could he match a Foundation Establishment cultivator like Sun Yi?

Sun Yi grabbed the blade with his bare hands, channeled spiritual power, twisting it like iron.

He then struck Sun Ji with a palm surge, sending him flying.

Sun Ji’s chest was crushed by the Foundation Establishment power. He slumped, coughing blood.

Sun Yi snorted, stepping forward, grabbing Sun Ji by the collar:

“You traitor! Who told you to try to kill me?”

Sun Ji tried to speak but only coughed up blood.

“Who gave you such benefits that you dared attempt this?”

Sun Yi glared coldly. “Speak!”

Sun Ji could not respond. His eyes darkened, pupils dilated, whites fading.

Gradually, his eyes became completely black and hollow.

Sun Yi felt sharp nausea and pain in his Sea of Consciousness, frowning, then slowly relaxed.

He dropped Sun Ji to the floor, ignoring him, returning to his chair.

Sun Yi sat dazed in the candlelight.

He began recalling things, as if searching through memories.

“Profound-Earth Array…”

“Earth Sect Absolute Array, first-grade eleven-rune… such a treasure, yet lost here…”

“Mister Zhuang…”

“My… good junior brother…”

“Weak aura… injury unlikely to heal…”

“Hmm, Old Kui is also here…”

“Taken a disciple? Not like you…”

“Bai… Bai… senior sister’s child?”

“Still sentimental…”

“What are you doing here?”

“Drawing the Profound-Earth Array?”

“Mind your own business…”

“That’s all?”

Sun Yi murmured softly as he pondered.

Suddenly, he froze:

“No, no, I forgot something…”

“Not forgotten, someone doesn’t want me to know…”

“What did I forget?”

Sun Yi grabbed his head in pain, then suddenly remembered:

“Another disciple? Another disciple?”

“How could there be another disciple?”

“Who is it?”

“Why can’t I recall?”