Chapter 30: The Curse

In the space of a single night, Mu Yuan reaped immense benefits. He grasped the true meaning of Eternal Life, merged the Dragon King’s Dynamic Force with the Longevity Art, and the Longevity Sword itself now resided within his dantian. Like a large, gleaming Golden Core, it allowed him to wield abilities typically reserved for the Core Formation Realm – condensing his vital energy into tangible weaponry!

The downpour lasted for two whole hours. As the rain ceased and the clouds parted, Mu Yuan was preparing to leave when Zha Ying rushed in. He said Yuan Longtai wished to invite Mu Yuan to his home, wanting to apologize formally for his rash attack the previous day!

Mu Yuan didn’t refuse. Remembering Yuan Longtai’s Flying Golden Corpse, he still felt considerable envy. Leng Fenghai and that sword-controlling expert from last night were both cultivators at the Spirit Refining stage. Working together, they still couldn’t subdue the Golden Corpse! It was proof of its power. Mu Yuan guessed that even if his own cultivation were twice as strong, he probably wouldn’t be its match!

However, with the Longevity Sword in hand, Mu Yuan held a significant advantage. The Longevity Sword’s sharpness far surpassed that of ordinary flying swords; cutting through gold or iron would be trivial. Against a genuine Qi Refinement Practitioner, they might withstand it with elusive swordplay using Sword Qi. But that Flying Golden Corpse relied solely on superb martial arts and a diamond-hard body! Faced with a truly powerful weapon, it would likely be hampered.

Zha Ying led Mu Yuan towards Yuan Longtai’s home. The two-hour downpour hadn’t turned the village paths muddy. Feilong Village, though a remote mountain settlement, had streets paved with blue stone. The heavy rain actually washed away all the dust and debris left by that night’s fierce battle. Only the damaged, dilapidated houses along the roadside still bore witness to the previous night’s struggle.

Over the large expanse of Feilong Village, the distance from Zha Ying’s home to Yuan Longtai’s was five or six miles. An ordinary person walking such a distance would take at least half an hour. But the villagers of Feilong were accustomed to this; many kept tame mounts. Setting off from Zha Ying’s place, they rode a rather strange beast called a Brocade Deer. Standing roughly six feet tall and five feet long, its body was covered in scaly plate armor that felt cool and surprisingly soft to the touch. It ran faster than a steed, making it an excellent mount.

It was only a short while before they reached Yuan Longtai’s home. Seen in broad daylight, it was quite different from the night. There was a rather spacious main gate. Standing before it, Mu Yuan could sense a mysterious, surging power inside, though it was faint and hard to notice.

Yuan Longtai was already waiting at his doorway. Seeing Zha Ying bring over a handsome, albeit slightly thin, youth who nonetheless emanated a feeling of vibrant, overflowing power, he immediately knew this was last night’s rescuer. He quickly stepped forward with a welcoming smile. “Zha Ying, is this young master the hero who saved us last night? Truly, heroes emerge in their youth! Looks like we old men must admit we’re past our prime!”

With the clouds and rain gone and the sun shining, Mu Yuan finally saw Yuan Longtai, the leader of Feilong Village and chief of this place, who had been absent during the previous night’s battle. He looked about forty, though his temples were already greying. His build was imposing – the phrase ‘tiger-like frame’ popped into Mu Yuan’s head instantly, feeling perfectly apt. He had a broad face, a straight nose, large, piercing eyes, and bulging muscles exuding explosive power. He didn’t look like the aged village chiefs Mu Yuan had seen elsewhere; he seemed more like a warrior!

The two men exchanged fist-in-palm salutes. Mu Yuan was a little surprised to see Yuan Longtai perform the ritual quite formally, which contrasted with his rough-hewn appearance.

Yuan Longtai led them inside to the main hall. With mutual respect and Zha Ying facilitating conversation, their talk was pleasant. Mu Yuan shared some descriptions of the Central Plains and simple methods of Qi Refinement for health preservation. Whereas Yuan Longtai, Zha Ying, and these frontier people skilled in breeding Gu insects and refining corpses had some combat power, they knew nothing about techniques for preserving health and extending life. Commanding corpse puppets and Gu insects was like modern people using guns – not only did it fail to aid longevity, but constant exposure to poisonous insects and Yin entities greatly drained their life force. Most died in their forties or fifties. Hearing Mu Yuan explain health-preserving methods now, they listened carefully as if hearing dawn bells and evening drums, profiting immensely!

Yuan Longtai was the most expert in Feilong Village at raising Gu insects and refining corpses. He also took the opportunity to explain some of the clever details to Mu Yuan. The ingenuity and mystery of the Gu insects and Flying Corpses further enlightened Mu Yuan about their secrets, giving him more defensive methods against these arts best suited for covert assassination – techniques that could even trap Qi Refinement Practitioners unaware.

Their host and guests enjoyed themselves immensely. Unnoticed, noon approached. Yuan Longtai had servants prepare food, urging both Zha and Mu to stay. During the meal, Yuan Longtai brought out the village’s homemade Candleflower Wine, supposedly brewed with a plant whose blossoms resembled candles. It was deliciously sweet, carrying a smooth, fragrant scent. Mu Yuan wasn’t usually fond of alcohol, but even he couldn’t resist downing nearly half a jar of it.

The Candleflower Wine wasn’t immediately harsh, but its lingering effect was mighty. By the time lunch was ending, Mu Yuan felt slightly tipsy, his mind growing foggy. He immediately circulated his Tidal Flow technique, vaporizing the alcohol in his system. As the tipsiness receded, his eyesight cleared again, earning admiring looks from Zha Ying and Yuan Longtai.

After the meal, servants served tea and desserts. It was surprising to see such refined etiquette in this remote borderland, scarcely different from the Central Plains. Then, Yuan Longtai cleared his throat and spoke with a smile, “Brother Mu, your cultivation is extraordinary. There’s a matter where I might seek your help. May I?”

“Oh?” Mu Yuan felt a little surprised and responded, “Chief Yuan, you possess a refined Golden Corpse and potent Silkworm Gu, both first-rate fearsome guardians. What task could possibly require my meager assistance?”

Yuan Longtai smiled bitterly. “Brother Mu, there’s no need to be so modest. Though formidable, the Golden Corpse and Silkworm Gu are useless for my personal cultivation. Let alone that. The place I need to go… icy winds blow, and deadly poison mists spread thickly. I lack the means to protect myself and cannot go there safely. Hence, I must ask Brother Mu to lend me your strength.”

Intrigued by his words, Mu Yuan asked with a smile, “Chief Yuan, may I ask what this matter is? If it is within my power to assist, I certainly will not withhold my aid.”

A look of nostalgia crossed Yuan Longtai’s face, his voice suddenly turning low. “This matter is actually connected to the origins of Feilong Village. Even Brother Zha doesn’t know this.”

As he said this, even Zha Ying was drawn in.

Yuan Longtai began speaking slowly. “The ancestors of our Feilong Village were also cultivators. They belonged to the Wu Clan branches specializing in refining corpses and nurturing Gu. But the most famed Divine Ability of the Wu Clan… was their art of curses.”

“Curse?” Mu Yuan murmured. He had heard of curse magic but never witnessed it. Not just him—many esteemed seniors in the Qi Refining Cultivation World had only heard the name and never seen the real thing. Deep down, Mu Yuan was somewhat skeptical about curses.

The four major schools—Daoist, Buddhist, Demonic, and Confucian—all employed talismans and chants. But those were merely means to manipulate Primordial Qi; while profound, the idea that mere words could injure or kill someone thousands of miles away still stretched beyond Mu Yuan’s imagination.

Seeing the hint of skepticism on Mu Yuan’s face, Yuan Longtai wasn’t offended. He chuckled, “Brother Mu, I suppose you also find these intangible curse arts hard to believe? That’s understandable. During the great war between Immortals and Demons in ancient times, curse arts were feared for their sheer unpredictability and near-impossible defense. Both factions united to wipe out the Wu Clan’s curse masters almost entirely. Since that time, curse arts have only existed in legend, long vanished from the world. Over time, people simply stopped believing they were real.”

Mu Yuan nodded to show he understood. Yuan Longtai continued, “I only saw records of this in ancient writings left by our ancestors. Back then, as Immortals and Demons hunted them down together, the Wu Clan curse masters were nearly exterminated. A very few escaped the chase and survived. But they were left terribly frail, their lives flickering. With no other choice, they hid. Their curse lore itself was concealed somewhere within these mountains.”

Dragon’s End Valley lay within a vast, winding range of mountains. This mountain chain stretched endlessly, immense in scale, and was known to people of the Central Plains as the Hundred Thousand Mountains—a place traditionally inhabited by barbarians and outcasts. While ‘hundred thousand’ was an exaggeration, thousands of peaks still existed here. If one truly hid within them… it would likely be impossible to find!

“From the texts my ancestors left, I also uncovered a record pointing to where this curse lore was hidden. For many years I’ve wished to venture deep into those mountains to retrieve this Divine Ability bequeathed by our forebears. Sadly, my power fell short. Meeting an enthusiastic helper like you now, Brother Mu, emboldens me to try. I don’t want our ancestors’ sacred art to go to waste.”

“Agreed!” Mu Yuan said with enthusiasm. “I’m deeply curious about this legendary curse art and have always wished to witness it. To think such an opportunity lies before me! Of course I wouldn’t want to miss it. When the time comes, I shall safely escort you into those mountains.” Mu Yuan took full responsibility, readily agreeing to the request.