Chapter 258: Chapter 158: Reunion with an Old Friend

The bindings on the puppet were released, yet the hand gesture of the Ghost Shadow Puppet remained unchanged. Zhou Cang glared angrily at the puppet and kicked it.

“…” Suspicion grew in Yu Ziyu’s eyes.

“How can you be sure this is Li Jizhou’s puppet?”

Zhou Cang’s expression froze, and he appeared slightly embarrassed.

He had already left, but while being wary of the three people, he happened to notice the puppet’s gesture.

The dead memories of Zhou Cang suddenly awoke!

During childhood, both he and Li Jizhou lived in the slum area of the Outer City District.

Because Li Jizhou was gifted with a Divine Soul stronger than ordinary people from a young age, he was intelligent and wise, not only seen by nearby adults as a future immortal but also adored by a crowd of children.

On the other hand, Zhou Cang was the resolute type, fierce and loyal, and thus led a group of kids as their leader.

The two sides often quarreled and competed like children.

There was constant rivalry between Zhou Cang and Li Jizhou.

Zhou Cang mocked Li Jizhou for having Lin Caiwei trailing behind like a shadow, while Li Jizhou occasionally teased Zhou Cang for how he looked when urinating.

“Cough, cough, it’s a unique gesture agreed upon by myself and Li Jizhou during our childhood!” Zhou Cang smiled awkwardly.

Yu Ziyu nodded slowly, subconsciously mimicking the gesture.

Zhou Cang felt even more embarrassed upon seeing this.

Li Jizhou sat in his small courtyard in Guzhu City, watching their actions through the puppet, and couldn’t help but laugh heartily.

After a moment, he began directing the puppet to move.

Only then did Yu Ziyu and Zhou Cang come to their senses, observing the Ghost Shadow closely.

“Li Jizhou actually has such a trump card! It seems Master’s words were not groundless!”

“This lucky bastard really has some good fortune!”

Both individuals were utterly shocked.

After the shock passed, Yu Ziyu addressed the Ghost Shadow, “Do you recognize us as friends?”

The Ghost Shadow nodded.

“Are we acquaintances?” Yu Ziyu asked further.

The Ghost Shadow nodded again, then hesitated slightly, and without waiting for Yu Ziyu to continue the question-and-answer exchange, it began writing on the ground with its finger.

“…” Yu Ziyu felt somewhat awkward, realizing his earlier behavior lacked judgment.

“Yu Jie, Old Zhou, I’m trapped here, head east for ten thousand miles and let the puppet lead, we’ll speak on the way.”

Upon seeing the writing on the ground, Yu Ziyu felt delighted.

“Okay!”

With Yu Ziyu, who was at the Middle Stage of Golden Core and had extensive battlefield experience, guiding them, the dangers in the northeastern part of the swamp were substantially reduced.

The route, which originally needed a month to traverse, was covered in just over twenty days.

As Yu Ziyu’s group approached, Li Jizhou awakened the Divine Soul seed in the puppet substitute, subsequently allowing his main Divine Soul aura to descend.

Almost instantly, the control over the Ghost Shadow Puppet shifted to the puppet substitute, and the closer it got to the puppet, the stronger its might became.

“Ji Zhou!”

Seeing Li Jizhou sitting on the withered tree, Yu Ziyu felt a sense of relief.

Zhou Cang approached and punched Li Jizhou in the chest, “Your luck is really big; even with the Nascent Soul Demon God chasing you, you’re fine.”

Li Jizhou smiled helplessly, “Thanks to the Teleportation Talisman, otherwise you would never have seen me.”

“It’s my fault for not being careful, which caused harm to you,” Yu Ziyu said with a touch of remorse.

Li Jizhou also held doubts in his heart, “Why would Yu Jie say that? You fight strongly against evil, being on the front lines; I admire you immensely, facing far more dangers daily than I do.

I’m just aiding from behind, contributing minor support, so what is that?

Let’s not speak such words in the future.

May I ask Yu Jie, how is it that three years ago the Demon God knew of me, and why did it come after me?”

Yu Ziyu did not hide, conveying everything Cyan Pine True Monarch had said back then.

“Divination Secret Skill? Severe backlash…” Listening to the explanation, Li Jizhou’s years of doubts dissolved.

Regarding the severe backlash faced by the Quasi-Fourth Tier Divination Master, he speculated it might be due to the Reincarnation Treasure Mirror.

Nonetheless, after carefully considering, Li Jizhou’s heart felt no ease; instead, he sensed a layer of crisis.

According to Yu Ziyu, the opponent was not just pursuing him because of the Tier Three Celestial Thunder Talisman.

It also divined the matter about the Corpse Nourishment with the Southern Domain Spirit Vein, positioning him as the first culprit responsible for revealing this.

The Merchant Alliance and Demon Sect have already deemed him a major enemy.

With the divination failure, they might overly elevate their assessment of him, making it hard to avoid higher-level figures being summoned against him.

“Could that influential figure behind them make a move?”

That would most certainly not be a good omen!

Li Jizhou sighed silently; upon discovering the second Golden Corpse in the Liang Kingdom years ago, he was worried such a result could occur.

Constantly vigilant, he thought he was being quite cautious.

Unexpectedly, he got involved in the vortex.

He even became a key target for the opposition.

This left him feeling somewhat helpless.

Yet, he had no regrets.

If he hadn’t revealed the Corpse Nourishment matter at the Southern Domain Spirit Vein to Ye Jingyu,

would Ye Jingyu have been able to uncover this secret?

Would the Wuxiang Sect have launched full-scale action?

The matter of the Demon Sect in the Wei Kingdom would not be exposed either.

The sects and factions in the Yan Kingdom wouldn’t unite so readily against the Demon Sect.

And listening further to Yu Ziyu’s description of the current battles between the two sides, the Southern Domain nations have transformed into the main battleground, with the Righteous Army destroying five Golden Corpses over the past three years, preventing five small and medium cultivation countries from having their Spirit Vein main vein depleted.

Spearheaded by the Yan Kingdom’s Profound Celestial Sect and other major sects, they launched surprise attacks on the Wei Kingdom’s Demon Sect, killed many Demon Cultivators, rescued numerous prisoners from the Demon Sect’s farms, weakening the Demon Sect and strengthening the Righteous Army.

Thus, Li Jizhou, at least, no longer worries about possibly reborn in the Wei Kingdom’s Demon Sect farm in his next life, where he would remain imprisoned for life.

Furthermore, according to Yu Ziyu, the opposition only divined him being in Qingyin Valley at that time, without knowing his identity or background.

At present, hiding in the swamp with toxic fog shielding any magical detection makes it harder for them to locate him.

“Ji Zhou, what do you plan to do now?”

“What does Yu Jie suggest?” Li Jizhou asked in return.

Yu Ziyu pondered slightly.

Cyan Pine True Monarch once mentioned that Li Jizhou might be the decisive force. Before that, his safety must be ensured.

Yu Ziyu didn’t fully understand, but she firmly believed in Master’s statement.

“I suggest temporarily cultivating in the swamp; although perilous, it’s full of opportunities, perhaps allowing for elevation,

This place lies northeast of the swamp, proving less dangerous than the western part. Coupled with my current strength and your talisman skills, we can manage.

Additionally, two thousand miles ahead lies Guzhu City, whose City Lord has old ties with our Sect Leader and is quite formidable in strength.

If the Demon Sect pursues, we might rely on them.”

Li Jizhou did not object, asking suspiciously, “Is the Demon Sect still hunting me?”

“Indeed, according to reliable information, it was Demon Sect’s Worm Demon that acted in Qingyin Valley long ago, who hasn’t returned since; it’s likely they received a must-kill order for you!

Moreover, in our searches through the southern cities of the swamp over the past three years, we’ve found others also looking for you.”

“Understood, Yu Jie, it’s up to your arrangements!” Li Jizhou ultimately nodded.

Afterward, Li Jizhou collected the Ghost Shadow Puppet and joined the two heading toward Guzhu City.

Throughout the journey, Zhou Cang didn’t miss a chance to tease Li Jizhou, but refrained from questioning about the Ghost Shadow Puppet.

A matter so evidently linked to great fortunes and personal secrets was not something to be taken lightly. He understood the stakes.

A month later, the trio reached Guzhu City.

“This is the Wuxiang Mask from our sect, crafted by the founding patriarch. It absorbs others’ aura and blood, being a rare treasure for disguise. Only those who attain great feats have a chance to receive one. This time, Master specifically sent me to give you one.” Before entering the city, Yu Ziyu handed a mask to Li Jizhou.

It was back when he was given a mask as Master Han in the Wei Kingdom with Yu Ziyu, and later when Cyan Pine True Monarch saw through the puppet substitute, Master Han went offline, departing after returning the mask to Yu Ziyu.

He was now granted another mask.

Without hesitation, Li Jizhou promptly wore the mask.

At the instant the mask was placed on, seated firmly within Guzhu City, Li Jizhou was suddenly alert.

Now that he reached the Middle Stage of Golden Core, having cultivated the Evergreen Skill for over a hundred years,

The moment he donned the mask, an even more apparent aura interacted with the fourth ring within his Dantian.

“This Wuxiang Mask indeed has some connection with my Evergreen Skill’s fourth ring!”

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