Chapter 142: Uncle Dog Returns

“Whoosh!”

A figure clad in earth-yellow dashed in like a gust of wind, landing swiftly before a massive black stone.

With hands clasped behind his back, he glanced around and wore a puzzled expression. “Huh? Strange, where’s that brat? Hmm… Could it be that he recklessly tested his sword and was struck down by the sword aura?”

Though he was puzzled, little did he know that Liang Yan inside the jade bottle was even more shocked.

“It’s him!”

The visitor was none other than Uncle Gou, a man whom Liang Yan had encountered a few times before. Liang Yan had always been wary of him because he was the only cultivator on this journey whose cultivation level he couldn’t ascertain.

Moreover, Uncle Gou was cold and indifferent, showing neither sorrow nor joy, unlike Yun Xuzi and the others who, despite their superior cultivation, had fatal weaknesses.

“Back then, when I stood up for Nangong Xiaomei and fought Fan Xunmei of the Tanshan Sect, Uncle Gou was his personal bodyguard. Unexpectedly, later when Siming Mountain Palace was opened, Uncle Gou transformed into some founding ancestor of the Kaoyan Sect. In any case, his identity remains a mystery, and his power is unfathomable,” Liang Yan thought with some apprehension.

Uncle Gou glanced around a few times, seemingly searching for Liang Yan’s figure. After a while, he shook his head slightly. “That brat might really have been shattered.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he took out a transparent orb from his waist, about the size of a bowl’s mouth. Inside, a faint, blurry figure was visible.

Uncle Gou’s face remained expressionless as he tapped the orb gently. A series of cracking sounds followed, and countless spider-web-like fractures appeared on its surface.

With a bang, the orb shattered completely, and a figure tumbled out.

This person’s hair was disheveled, his steps unsteady. After only a few faltering strides, his legs gave way, and he collapsed to his knees.

Liang Yan, hidden inside the jade bottle, focused intently.

The kneeling man wore a scholar’s robe and bore the appearance of a venerable elder with white hair and a youthful face. Were it not for his current disheveled state, he might have resembled an immortal hermit.

“Huh? Why does his face look somewhat familiar?”

Liang Yan furrowed his brow, tapping his forehead suddenly. “Of course, Fan Xunmei of the Tanshan Sect!”

The man’s features bore a seven-tenths resemblance to the Fan Xunmei who had died by Liang Yan’s hand, though he appeared considerably older.

“Heh, a long journey tires one out. Thank you for your efforts, Elder Fan,” Uncle Gou said lightly, looking at the man kneeling before him.

“Hmph! You shameless traitor! You secretly plotted against our Tanshan Sect! Cough, cough… My poor legitimate grandson also fell victim to you!”

“That’s not true!” Uncle Gou shook his head, swaying slightly. “I never intended to harm your grandson. His death was due to his own lustful ways. It has nothing to do with old dog here.”

“You’re talking nonsense!” the man on his knees shouted angrily.

Uncle Gou sighed. “Believe it or not, I originally saw his extraordinary talent and wanted to take him as my disciple, so I stayed close to observe. But unexpectedly, I later found an even better candidate. Naturally, I had no time to care about Fan Xunmei’s fate.”

“Dog traitor! You harbored sinister intentions, hiding your true cultivation within our Tanshan Sect, and you dare claim it was to take disciples? I, Fan Tanshan, was truly blind to trust a wretched dog like you!”

Uncle Gou’s face remained impassive. “If you hadn’t blamed me for your grandson’s death, perhaps I could’ve enjoyed a few more carefree days. But I must thank you—if you hadn’t revealed your strength, I wouldn’t have realized that the Yuan Magnetic Sword I sought within Tanshan Sect all this time wasn’t a treasure, but a type of constitution!”

With that, he showed no desire to say more. Raising his hand, he formed a spell gesture. A ray of earth-yellow spiritual light shot directly into Fan Tanshan’s body. Sweat beaded on the elder’s forehead, his lips turned dry, and his limbs trembled uncontrollably.

“What have you done to me, dog traitor?”

Uncle Gou remained expressionless, indifferent to Fan Tanshan’s cries. Chanting steadily, his fingers continued weaving seals. Suddenly, he raised his left hand.

Four yellow talismans flew out spontaneously, igniting without wind around Fan Tanshan.

“Ah!”

Fan Tanshan screamed pitifully. Uncle Gou’s spellwork continued unabated. With another finger pointing, a tiny yellow sword formed from spiritual light shot from his fingertip, piercing Fan Tanshan’s brow.

As the little sword vanished, Fan Tanshan’s scream abruptly ceased. His eyes grew dim and vacant, as if his soul had been lost.

Suddenly, a vigorous ring of blue spiritual light erupted around him. As it appeared, Fan Tanshan’s face aged rapidly—from his once white-haired, youthful countenance to a visage covered in wrinkles within moments.

The blue light twisted and morphed in midair. Guided by Uncle Gou’s spell, it shot out like a spiritual beam as thick as a water pipe, striking the black stone ahead.

Once as steady as Mount Tai, the black stone began to tremble slightly under the blue light’s influence.

“This is promising!”

A rare smile flickered across Uncle Gou’s deathly pale face, though it looked more like a grimace.

“It seems the Yuan Magnetic Sword constitution really has some trick to it!”

He changed his spell formation, thrusting both hands forward and channeling his spiritual power to the utmost. Bang! Bang! Two palm strikes landed on Fan Tanshan’s crown.

“Show me all your strength!”

As Uncle Gou exerted himself, Fan Tanshan’s face twisted grotesquely, no longer resembling a living man. Yet the blue light emanating from him grew ever thicker.

With a rumble, the black stone finally uprooted itself and wobbled, flying toward Uncle Gou.

“Hahaha! Hidden Edge Divine Stone, a millennium apart, you are finally mine!” Uncle Gou’s face betrayed a rare fervor. Usually inscrutable, even he showed such unrestrained emotion.

At that moment, countless strange ancient characters appeared on the black stone’s surface.

With their appearance, the stone began to spin rapidly in midair. A mighty sword aura swept the surroundings, clashing fiercely with the blue spiritual light. For a time, they stood locked in stalemate, neither advancing.

“Black Lotus Sword Classic!”

Uncle Gou’s expression changed drastically, instinctively wanting to retreat.

But moments later, he regained composure, murmuring, “It’s but an unclaimed artifact; why should I fear it?”

His face hardened as he pressed both hands on Fan Tanshan’s head. Biting his own tongue, he spat a drop of blood onto the blue spiritual light.

The blue light surged intensely. Bathed in this glow, the black stone, though still resisting fiercely, lost control and slowly drifted toward Uncle Gou once more.