Star-Fall Gorge, the woodland near the Purple Rot Marsh. The scent of damp humus permeated the forest. A male cultivator dressed in tattered grey Taoist robes was sticking his rear out as he parted a clump of shrubs. His name was Liu San, the most common type of rogue cultivator found in the Star-Fall Gorge. People like him embodied the saying, "Fortune favors the bold."

  At this moment, he spotted a small blade of grass at the root of the shrub—entirely emerald green with natural cloud-like patterns on its leaves, swaying in the wind. Although its age seemed a bit lacking, it could still be exchanged for thirty to fifty low-grade spiritual stones at the market.

  He took out a jade shovel and was about to dig. Suddenly, a chill rose from his tailbone without warning. Liu San’s neck stiffened as he turned around, and then he saw a man.

  Ugh.

  An incredibly ugly man. The man’s stature was exceptionally tall and straight, but his face was so hideous that one look made a person want to vomit up their dinner from the night before. His features were squeezed together in a total lack of proportion, and his skin was excessively white, possessing a sickly, morbid pallor.

  Most unsettling were his eyes. The left eye was a normal black pupil, but the right was a void of darkness, devoid of any spark of life. And when Liu San’s gaze fell upon the man’s back, he nearly wet himself on the spot. On the man's back was a massive, pitch-black coffin!

  This was definitely an evil cultivator who toyed with corpses. The opponent did nothing but stand there, yet the invisible pressure made Liu San unable to even conceive the thought of resistance.

  "Fellow Daoist, I’m asking for directions."

  Chen Gensheng was actually feeling a bit irritable. In terms of quality, this Ethereal Dao-Body was indeed top-tier. The spiritual energy flowed endlessly like silk, and the physical body was strong to the extreme—not to mention the Heavenly Spirit Root aptitude, which made him feel thoroughly refreshed every time he circulated his technique.

  However, the Star-Fall Gorge was simply too vast. Since crawling out of the God-Burial Pit, he had been wandering aimlessly for nearly a month. Along the way, he saw either mountains that looked the same or trees of identical shape, offering no novelty. Stumbling upon this living thing today was at least a relief from the boredom.

  "Pre... Senior... where do you wish to go?"

  "Out."

  Out? Liu San froze. "Does Senior mean... leaving the Star-Fall Gorge?"

  Chen Gensheng nodded, then added impatiently, "What’s the fastest way."

  Liu San’s heart felt like dead ash. Who exactly is he? If I tell the truth, will he kill me to silence me? But if I point him toward a dead end... if he finds out...! No, I must find a foolproof plan!

  Watching Liu San’s conflicted expression, Chen Gensheng suddenly found it somewhat amusing.

  "I’m not robbing your belongings, nor am I taking your life. Why do you fear me so?"

  He spoke in a flat tone without any fluctuation, yet to Liu San, it sounded terrifying. Fear you for what? Fear your horrifying ugliness? Fear the coffin on your back? Or fear that lifeless eye that doesn't belong to a living person?

  Liu San opened his mouth, but no matter how he tried, he couldn't utter a word; his heart was filled with frantic panic. Seeing this pathetic display, Chen Gensheng seemed somewhat disappointed. He extended one of his middle hands and lightly tapped the coffin on his back, producing a dull thud.

  "Inside this coffin is merely a corpse-puppet."

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  The coffin lid suddenly slid open an inch on its own. Li Simin didn't come out, but an enormous, pitch-black toad head poked through the gap, its eyes landing curiously on Liu San. The Essence-Marrow Toad croaked a few times, and a faint, foul-smelling sha-qi drifted out with its breath.

  Chen Gensheng frowned. He raised one of his lowermost hands and tapped the coffin again.

  "This is my spirit beast. Usually, it’s used to handle sha-qi and corpse-qi; it is very gentle."

  The Essence-Marrow Toad seemed to understand the command and somewhat reluctantly pulled its head back. The coffin lid closed tight once more.

  "Now that I’ve asked for the way, you only need to point me in the right direction, and we’ll be even—each going our own way. I am a most reasonable man."

  Liu San raised a trembling hand and pointed toward the east, his voice faltering.

  "Go... go east. Keep going. First cross the Purple Rot Marsh, then climb over three mountains, and you will see a transport formation." He swallowed hard, his eyes full of dread as he hurriedly added, "But that formation is guarded by people from the Jade Tripod Sect. I heard them talking; it seems they are looking for someone named Xiao Bai, saying he’s a traitor to their sect."

  "Many thanks, Fellow Daoist, for the directions."

  Chen Gensheng responded. Suddenly, the flesh on his upright back split open to the sides, and a centipede emerged from his spine. Immediately after, a pair of brilliant insect wings unfurled from the centipede's carapace, each wing wider than a door.

  A violent gust of air erupted, flipping the surrounding bushes. The ground was plowed into two deep furrows, and he had already transformed into a streak of pitch-black light, soaring into the sky.

  Chen Gensheng had zero interest in the life or death of the cultivator behind him. The spiritual energy within the Ethereal Dao-Body was truly inexhaustible. He had been flying for several days now, yet the spiritual energy showed no sign of depletion; it was even slowly increasing on its own.

  "Simin, tell me, how can there be such an unreasonable stroke of good fortune in this world?"

  He looked down at the land below. The cultivator named Liu San was honest enough; the directions were spot on. Behind the three sky-piercing peaks ahead, on a vast plain, there was indeed an exceptionally active energy node. That was the location of the transport formation.

  Chen Gensheng retracted his wings and slowly descended from the air. At the entrance of the transport formation, several disciples in Jade Tripod Sect attire were leaning listlessly against stone pillars, yawning one after another.

  The leader was a Foundation-stage cultivator holding a jade slip. He looked down at it from time to time and then looked up boredly to scan the passing cultivators.

  Chen Gensheng walked out of the forest with the coffin on his back. His hideous appearance, combined with that black coffin, immediately drew the attention of everyone in the market area. But the Jade Tripod Sect disciples acted as if they hadn't seen a thing.

  A Qi-Refining disciple nudged the napping senior brother next to him with his elbow. "Hey, look at that person..."

  The senior brother lifted an eyelid, glanced at Chen Gensheng, and then lazily lowered his head again. "What’s there to look at? Whoever he is, as long as it’s not that traitor Xiao Bai, I don't care if he’s carrying a coffin or a turtle shell—just let him through."

  "But... the sect ordered us to strictly inspect all departing cultivators..."

  The senior brother sneered. "How long have we been guarding this ghost of a place? We haven't even seen Xiao Bai’s shadow, but we deal with these dirt-poor rogue cultivators every day. Inspect? Can we inspect out a few low-grade spiritual stones? Is it enough for us to buy a jar of wine?"

  "The higher-ups just talk, while we run our legs off. Why should we bother following along?"

  The slight caution in Chen Gensheng’s heart completely vanished. He felt these Jade Tripod Sect disciples were somewhat endearing. This was how the cultivation world should be: minding one's own business and avoiding unnecessary trouble.

  He strode toward the transport formation. The other cultivators in the market instinctively cleared a path for him. Carrying the large coffin, Chen Gensheng walked to the entrance of the formation under everyone’s watchful eyes.

  The Foundation-stage senior brother finally looked up and gave him a proper appraisal.

  "Ahem." He cleared his throat and handed over the jade slip. "Name, origin, purpose for entering the Gorge, and reason for leaving."

  Chen Gensheng fished out a few low-grade spiritual stones from his storage ring and placed them on the senior brother’s jade slip.

  "Fellow Daoist, what is the meaning of this?"

  Chen Gensheng fished out a few more stones. "I have a poor memory; I’ve forgotten my name and what I came here for."

  The senior brother’s breathing grew rapid.

  "I only wish to leave this place."

  The senior brother swept the jade slip and the spiritual stones into his sleeve and barked at the junior brothers who were still dazed behind him. "Are you blind! Can't you see this Fellow Daoist needs to use the transport formation!"

  "Fellow Daoist, this way, please, this way!" He made a welcoming gesture, his attitude as humble as a shop waiter. "Safe travels, take care, and feel free to come again."