Chapter 126: The Heaven-Cursed Demon Clan and Heaven-Desolate Island

Master Shangheng said, “This Soul-Seizing Technique man mentioned ‘several hundred years ago,’ but how many years exactly? Five hundred? Seven hundred? Or nine hundred? I recall you began training with me on the mountain when you were twenty. After establishing a solid foundation, you started practicing the immortal arts and illusions, which took considerable time. You stayed on the mountain training with me for over nine hundred years without ever descending. It was only about fifty or sixty years ago that I allowed you disciples to go down alone to recruit people for establishing the Qingfeng Kingdom. Could it be that during these last fifty or sixty years, when you went down to gather forces, you crossed paths with this Soul-Seizing Technique man? That cannot be right, since he spoke of events from several hundred years ago, not merely decades past!”

Xuan Zhe pondered for a moment and replied, “Master, what you say is indeed correct. Since I came up the mountain at twenty to train with you, I have never descended until those fifty or sixty years ago when you sent us disciples alone to recruit. Moreover, in these decades, I have not engaged in combat with anyone. How then could I have met or fought this Soul-Seizing Technique man?”

Master Shangheng considered this and said, “Perhaps this Soul-Seizing Technique man never truly fought you. Maybe he saw you practicing centuries ago somewhere and thus knew of your abilities from that time. That would explain why he recognized you on the battlefield today, yet you did not recognize him.”

“You are right, Master. It is very possible that this Soul-Seizing Technique man secretly watched me practice hundreds of years ago and learned of my skills from that era. Since he was spying on me without my knowledge, he could recognize me, but I could not recognize him. If that is true, it means this Soul-Seizing Technique existed in the world centuries ago, and this man began cultivating or had even mastered this bizarre technique long ago. The legend that the Soul-Seizing Technique was lost is merely a falsehood.”

“Indeed. If so, this Soul-Seizing Technique man started cultivating or successfully mastered this strange art centuries ago and has remained undetected by the world all this time. It shows how cunning and deeply hidden he is. Such a person is the hardest to confront,” Master Shangheng said.

“Master, do you know which sect created this Soul-Seizing Technique? Does that sect still exist today?” Xuan Zhe asked.

“Well, to understand who mastered this Soul-Seizing Technique, we must investigate the sect that created it. As I recall, about six or seven hundred years ago, there were rumors that cultivating this technique required the blood of various personalities or beasts. During cultivation, the collected blood would be placed into an alchemical furnace, into which the Three-Flavors True Fire was blown at the base, boiling the blood. Then, certain intoxicating substances were added and mixed with the boiling blood, continuing the process. The essence of the blood and the intoxicants would vaporize, and the refined blood qi would be captured and stored in another vial, then frozen in a specially made ice pool to form pills. Once ingested and absorbed into the bloodstream, the cultivator would use true qi to transport the essence to the left hemisphere of the brain, sealing it there.”

“Later, when encountering a target person or beast to control, the cultivator would channel the blood soul essence from the left brain through their mouth, blowing the qi onto the target. Upon inhaling this essence, the qi would search the target’s brain for compatible personality blood qi and inject the cultivator’s consciousness elements into the target’s personality. Thus, the cultivator could dominate the target’s mind.”

“Because this technique requires the blood of people with various personalities or beasts, it is exceedingly cruel. Cultivators driven by personal greed often committed inhumane acts, so few dared to practice it. Furthermore, if the cultivator mishandled the process, they risked losing themselves to madness. Also, due to the complex blood essence absorbed, male or female cultivators who mastered this technique became infertile. Hence, very few pursued this art.”

“It is said this sinister technique was created by a demonic sect called the Heavenly Curse Sect. Legend has it that their base was on a place called the Desolate Heaven Island, located seven to eight thousand li from the inland of the Wild Continent. Though its name implies barrenness, the island is anything but—it enjoys abundant rainfall, warm seasons, and hosts many exotic flowers, plants, and trees unseen elsewhere. The flora grows lush and vigorous, and fierce giant beasts roam freely, making the environment perilous.”

“The founder of the Heavenly Curse Sect was a man named Yang Qitian, a strange and violent individual who delighted in researching deadly martial arts, spells, and poisons. He chose Desolate Heaven Island as the sect’s base primarily because of the unique flora suitable for concocting various poisons and narcotics, and the large population of fierce beasts. After refining poisons and narcotics, he would capture giant beasts in the forests and inject them with these toxins to study their effects—the time needed to incapacitate or kill them, and so forth.”

“Additionally, the island’s remote location and dense wilderness made it an ideal place to build their sect without interference from righteous factions. For over a century, the sect operated in secrecy, unknown to outsiders except for their members.”

“However, at one point, a mysterious disease began to spread in a region called Linghuang County in the Wild Continent’s inland barbarians’ territory. Adults afflicted by this bizarre illness would uncontrollably shift between laughter and rage. When laughing, they might climb high places and leap off, often dying or suffering severe injuries. When enraged, they would lash out, shouting and attacking others or themselves with weapons, sometimes biting and clawing indiscriminately. Even some giant beasts in nearby mountains exhibited similar symptoms, attacking humans and animals alike.”

“Due to the unknown nature and cause of this disease, and the lack of effective treatments, the people of Linghuang County lived in fear, avoiding markets and fields during the day and unable to sleep safely at night. The sixth king of the Barbarian Nation, Zhao Songren, upon hearing of this, sent royal physicians to investigate. Yet none could find a cure.”

“Realizing the gravity of the situation, King Zhao posted a royal decree promising the position of chief royal physician to anyone who could cure the disease. Soon after, a doctor named Yang Jiutian accepted the challenge and remarkably cured all patients within ten days. The king was delighted and fulfilled his promise, appointing Yang Jiutian as chief royal physician. When similar outbreaks occurred later—even spreading to soldiers in the military camps—Yang Jiutian again cured them all. The king came to regard him highly, decreeing that his descendants could inherit his official position and that his entire family would hold minor official posts within the nation. After that, the disease disappeared.”

Xuan Zhe reflected briefly and said, “Master, after all that, it seems this disease has little to do with the Soul-Seizing Technique.”

“You ask well. I have yet to tell you the key point. Though the disease was cured, no one except the royal physicians who accompanied Yang Jiutian knew how or with what medicine. Curious peers tried to uncover his secret. Eventually, through a contact in the palace medical staff, it was revealed that Yang Jiutian did not use herbs or needles, but cured the patients by chanting spells. Even the afflicted beasts recovered simply by him reciting incantations over them.”

“Master, do you mean that the patients in Linghuang County were not suffering from a rare disease but were afflicted by the Soul-Seizing Technique cast by the Heavenly Curse Sect? And those beasts as well? Yang Jiutian’s method was to use the sect’s own spells to dispel the technique, thus curing them?”

Master Shangheng continued, “After news of Yang Jiutian’s spell-based cures spread, it caused quite a stir among the medical and cultivation communities on the Wild Continent. Usually, treatment involved herbal medicines, elixirs, or channeling internal energy to boost resistance. Using incantations alone was unprecedented. This made Yang Jiutian a figure of great mystery, prompting various factions to send spies to track and investigate him.”