Strange occurrences had befallen Hantan Village, with consecutive drownings. The master summoned to perform rituals was also found dead in the water.
With the master's unnatural demise, the villagers deemed the water monster too malevolent. Those with any means began to relocate, preparing to flee the area.
As the village teetered on the brink of collapse, the village chief, at a loss, convened a meeting. He urged the villagers to pool their remaining funds to invite someone more capable.
Ultimately, they managed to secure the services of a lay disciple from Longhu Mountain. This individual, well-traveled and possessing some cultivation, was astonished upon his arrival at Hantan Village. He discovered that the village's feng shui had undergone a drastic change.
The Hantan Pond, for reasons unknown, had inexplicably transformed into a natural Yin-gathering formation!
The lay disciple from Longhu Mountain could sense that something lay hidden within the water. However, unlike the deceased master, he was more discerning and aware of his own limitations. He understood that the entity in the pond was beyond his capabilities. Consequently, he immediately reported the matter to Longhu Mountain.
Longhu Mountain took the situation very seriously and dispatched two Taoist priests to assist the villagers in dealing with the water monster.
However, the outcome was grim: one of the Longhu Mountain Taoist priests perished, while the other was severely injured. The latter succumbed to his injuries not long after.
Before his death, he managed to inform his fellow disciples that the water harbored a water ghost, and that the drownings were all the work of this malevolent entity!
Enraged by the loss of his disciples in such a cursed place as Hantan Village, Sect Leader Zhang Daoyun could no longer stand idly by. He personally led a contingent to Hantan Village.
After extensive investigation, Daoist Master Zhang Daoyun concluded that the perpetrator of this series of strange events resided within the water, or more precisely, beneath the Hantan Pond!
Daoist Master Zhang then prepared to descend into the water himself to ascertain what lay within.
However, during his investigation, the Daoist Master was attacked in the water. He sustained severe injuries and was forced to retreat shamefacedly back to Longhu Mountain.
Upon his return to the mountain, he began to feel unwell. He realized that residual corpse poison seemed to be present within him.
Corpse poison is a terrifying affliction for ordinary individuals. It is a composite toxin formed from the bacteria, viruses, microorganisms, and toxins present in a corpse after death, and even some malevolent energies.
Initially, Zhang Daoyun and his disciples did not take the corpse poison too seriously.
Longhu Mountain, with its millennia-old heritage, considered demon slaying and evil vanquishing its core mission. They had dealt with countless zombies and possessed extensive experience in treating corpse poison.
However, this time, the situation proved dire. Despite numerous attempts, the disciples of Longhu Mountain found that the corpse poison within their Sect Leader was utterly irrecoverable.
Fortunately, Longhu Mountain adhered to the orthodox Taoist lineage, practicing profound Taoist cultivation techniques. Sect Leader Zhang Daoyun, in his desperation, exerted his full strength to resist the poison with his cultivation, thereby preventing its further spread.
Yet, a person's internal energy is finite, while the ingested corpse poison continuously replicated, depleting Zhang Daoyun's vital essence.
The rate at which Zhang Daoyun's vital essence could be restored was far outpaced by the rate at which the poison replicated!
Zhang Daoyun did not wish to inform his daughter of his injury. However, several female disciples of Longhu Mountain were close friends with Zhang Caifeng. They secretly divulged the information to her, prompting Zhang Caifeng to rush back to Longhu Mountain.
Upon witnessing her father's condition, she knew the situation was dire. She immediately contacted Ling Tian, who then appeared at the scene.
Zhang Caifeng led Ling Tian to a quiet room located at the summit of the mountain. Even before approaching the room, Ling Tian could detect a strong medicinal aroma mingled with a foul, fishy odor emanating from within.
As they entered the room, Ling Tian observed several other Taoist priests. One of them, an elder nearing ninety, a venerable figure of the Taoist path, was examining Zhang Daoyun.
This elder, with his brows furrowed and a look of deep concern on his face, was named Zhang Sanqi. He was Zhang Daoyun's martial uncle and the most skilled medical expert on Longhu Mountain. He had extensively researched corpse poison, yet even this expert seemed somewhat helpless in the face of Zhang Daoyun's ailment.
Ling Tian's gaze immediately fell upon Zhang Daoyun, who lay on the sickbed. To his astonishment, Zhang Daoyun's complexion was ashen, his eye sockets sunken, his lips tinged with purple, and his face bore a peculiar greenish hue.
Furthermore, a faint aura of death seemed to linger around his forehead!
Ling Tian concentrated his vital energy into his eyes, activating his Heavenly Eye divine ability. His gaze penetrated Zhang Daoyun's body, revealing a strange energy within, relentlessly destroying his life force.
Zhang Daoyun was desperately using his internal energy to resist, thereby preventing this energy from invading his heart and brain. Otherwise, he would have long since met his demise!
"Martial Uncle, how is my senior brother's condition?"
The speaker was a stout Taoist priest. This priest had a ruddy complexion and smooth, tender skin, appearing to be only in his fifties.
The Taoist robe he wore was different in style from those of the other priests, and its fabric clearly indicated its high quality.
This individual was named Zhang Daolan, Zhang Daoyun's junior martial brother.
Although Zhang Daolan was inferior to Zhang Daoyun in martial arts and Taoist magic, he was exceptionally adept at management and wealth accumulation.
He had been a rival to Zhang Daoyun in the past, also aspiring to the position of Sect Leader. However, the previous Sect Leader of Longhu Mountain deemed Zhang Daolan to be excessively avaricious. While appointing him as Sect Leader might lead to a significant leap in the sect's financial resources, it also carried the risk of him leading the sect astray.
Zhang Daolan, while feigning sorrow and concern, inwardly wished for Zhang Daoyun's swift demise. After all, with the next generation of Longhu Mountain disciples not yet fully developed, Zhang Daoyun's death would make him the most likely successor to the position of Sect Leader.
Daoist Master Zhang Sanqi sighed, "Alas, the situation is grim. Daoyun may not last much longer. It would be best to summon Caifeng and prepare her for the inevitable, to make arrangements for the funeral."
"There's no need for that. Why make arrangements? My father will be fine!" Zhang Caifeng's voice suddenly rang out.
Zhang Daolan frowned and turned to look at Zhang Caifeng.
"Niece Caifeng, I understand this reality is difficult for you to accept, but your father's injuries are indeed very severe, and his time is running out!"
"Martial Uncle, I have already invited a divine physician. With his assistance, my father's injuries will surely be properly treated!"
Zhang Caifeng stated icily.