"Tongtian? The Grandmaster Tongtian?" Liang Xiaoke’s mind reeled with sheer terror. The legendary Grandmaster Tongtian? Even though the zombies were descendants of the Hanba, ever since the destruction of the Wu Clan, nearly all cultivators of the Corpse Path had joined the Jie Sect. In other words, Grandmaster Tongtian was his ancestral master.

"Wuwuwu, Ancestral Master, is that truly you?" A look of pure reverence washed over Liang Xiaoke’s face.

"It is indeed I…" A faint smile touched the Grandmaster Tongtian’s lips as he released the restraint on Liang Xiaoke.

"Ancestral Master above, please accept this bow from your disciple, Liang Xiaoke…" The moment he felt movement return to his body, Liang Xiaoke instantly spun around and dropped to his knees before Grandmaster Tongtian with a thud, banging his head against the floor several times.

Seeing how appropriately Liang Xiaoke behaved, the smile on Tongtian’s face grew even brighter. To demonstrate the compassion befitting an ancestor, he actually stepped forward, intending to personally reach out and help Liang Xiaoke up. Who could have predicted that Liang Xiaoke’s body would suddenly explode into action?

Before Grandmaster Tongtian could even react, a pitch-black dagger materialized in Liang Xiaoke’s hand, plunging directly into the Grandmaster’s heart. This was a wickedly poisonous dagger he had refined over the years using the Nether Qi of the Nine Hells; for most Immortals, even a slight scratch would dissolve their immortal body into a puddle of pus...

"You really think I'm an idiot? Grandmaster Tongtian? How highly esteemed is the venerable Grandmaster Tongtian? Why would he be here? If you were really Grandmaster Tongtian, then I must be the Daoist Hongjun!" Seeing his dagger buried deep in the opponent's heart, Liang Xiaoke erupted in a torrent of curses.

Not only that, but as he raged, he relentlessly hurled Yin Lightning bolts without concern for cost, all while frantically retreating backward.

"Boom! Boom! Boom…" The Yin Lightning exploded continuously, the massive energy nearly consuming the entire gorge. Fortunately, the Zhuxian Sword Formation laid out across the four mountain peaks quickly absorbed the blast.

When the dust from the Yin Lightning explosions slowly settled, the area was completely empty. Seeing this, Liang Xiaoke finally let out a slight sigh of relief.

"Damn it, claiming to be Grandmaster Tongtian? Would Grandmaster Tongtian be foolish enough to fall for such an easy sneak attack?" Standing in the vacant gorge, Liang Xiaoke muttered with feeling.

"You dare call this Venerable one foolish?" Just then, a voice laced with barely contained anger echoed, nearly scaring Liang Xiaoke to death—oh wait, the fellow was already dead.

But every hair on his body instantly stood on end. He whipped around and saw the same captivatingly wicked man suspended in mid-air, showing not the slightest sign of injury?

"You… you… why aren’t you dead?" Seeing the figure standing there completely unharmed, a cry of utter despair almost escaped Liang Xiaoke’s lips. His magic artifacts were useless against this entity, the Great Array of the Five Elements Corpse looked like a mere toy before him, and now, his one precious chance—the dagger he’d meticulously forged for years specifically for a surprise strike—hadn't even managed to scratch one hair on the man. This was simply unbelievable.

"Hmph, this Venerable one possesses the body of a Saint. Do you think you could harm me?" Grandmaster Tongtian’s brow arched, and a surge of power slammed into Liang Xiaoke’s chest, sending him flying backward. He crashed heavily against one of the sword peaks opposite him, splitting the solid rock in two. As for Liang Xiaoke’s body, it was nearly pulverized; at the very least, every bone inside was shattered as he fell heavily to the ground.

Feeling that irresistible force, and hearing the mention of the Saint’s Body, Liang Xiaoke seemed to grasp something.

"Wuwuwu… Ancestral Master above, your disciple was briefly confused and has offended you. I beg Ancestral Master to spare your disciple!" As the man walked toward him step by step, the oppressive, powerful aura pressed down on him. Whether Liang Xiaoke admitted it or not, he knew he stood absolutely no chance against this man.

"Oh? Now you believe?" A trace of a smile touched Tongtian’s lips. Believing? This fellow likely didn’t believe a word of it, despite what he said. Still, he certainly played the part—ruthlessly cunning and devious in pursuit of his goals. To actually manage to bypass his divine sense and land a strike… on that count alone, it was worth keeping the Zhuxian Sword Formation near him.

"I believe, I believe! Your disciple was just muddled earlier. Thinking of how exalted you are, Ancestral Master, why would you concern yourself with a small fry like me, I found it incredible, and I thought someone was daring to offend you, so I risked my life to uphold your venerable dignity…" Liang Xiaoke frantically offered excuses for his earlier actions.

"Hahahaha… Impersonating this Venerable One? Do you imagine anyone in the Three Realms would dare use my title?" Grandmaster Tongtian let out a loud, booming laugh.

Liang Xiaoke froze. That was true. With Grandmaster Tongtian’s fearsome reputation, who in the Three Realms would dare claim his name? Could he truly be Grandmaster Tongtian?

"Furthermore, this Zhuxian Sword Formation is my Sect's ultimate treasure. In your hands, it has slain countless Immortals. Do you truly believe an imposter could command them so easily?" Seeing Liang Xiaoke finally appear to realize the truth, Grandmaster Tongtian continued.

Liang Xiaoke finally understood with a flash of clarity. Yes, the Zhuxian Sword Formation he had deployed outside was like his own backyard to this man. Besides Grandmaster Tongtian, who else was intimately familiar with the formation well enough to walk through it so casually? Moreover, the Four Zhuxian Swords were peerlessly fierce weapons; when had they ever been so docile? Not even towards himself had they been this compliant. Only their true master, Grandmaster Tongtian, could command them so effortlessly!

He had been truly foolish! With all this evidence, why had he doubted him? This was just inviting trouble!

In truth, Liang Xiaoke couldn't entirely be blamed. It was akin to being a die-hard fan of Aoi Sora, obsessing over her classic films day and night, dreaming of intimacy with her. Then, one day, she suddenly appears at the foot of your bed, tells you she is Aoi Sora, and offers to engage in a profoundly intimate friendship with you. Would you believe it?

Your first reaction would probably be to scream "Ghost!" three times, and then immediately pass out…

Or perhaps slap yourself hard across the face a few times to see if you were dreaming…

"Your disciple was ignorant. Please forgive your Ancestral Master…" At this moment, Liang Xiaoke believed with his whole heart that the man before him was indeed Tongtian, the leader of the Jie Sect, even if he still couldn't fathom why Grandmaster Tongtian would appear before him.