Chapter One Hundred and Eleven: Descent into Madness

From a distance, the largest square was already ringed by a dense crowd. Almost every disciple who should have been in class had rushed over to see what the uproar was about.

I jogged toward it, the clamor growing louder with every step. By the time I reached the edge of the gathering, the sound of weapons had already broken out.

I hurried into the crowd, only to witness an unbelievable sight.

Shi Lei was now shrouded in black mist. His eyes had lost their pupils, and his whole body looked as gaunt as a skeleton.

He had not been like this at the dining hall around noon. What had happened to him?

At that moment, someone beside me said, “I heard long ago that this guy was practicing some wicked art. Looks like he’s gone mad from it.”

“Yeah, but why haven’t the elders come yet?”

“They should hurry up and kill him. He’s revolting.”

So this was what it looked like to lose one’s mind in cultivation. I had heard the term many times before, but this was my first time actually seeing someone in such a state. It was certainly an eye-opening experience.

Shi Lei heard the murmurs around him and rasped at the disciples in that hoarse voice of his, “I’ll kill you all... every last one of you...”

As soon as the words left his mouth, he yanked a broad heavy sword from behind his back and brought it down on a disciple.

I could even see a veil of black mist wrapped around the blade. He was clearly beyond saving.

Just as the disciple was about to be cleaved in two, I could not stand by and watch. I unleashed a bolt of thunderous force, striking Shi Lei’s heavy sword squarely.

The blade jerked off course and slammed into the ground.

I was just about to draw my own blade when a deep voice slowly rolled in from afar.

“Stop!”

The next moment, a group of people entered from the side, led by Elder Yuan.

Over the past few days, Elder Yuan’s power had surged, and he had already reached the Spirit Lotus Realm. He looked far more vigorous than before.

With him were the other two Grand Elders and several ordinary elders.

Elder Yuan looked furious, his presence oppressive and powerful beyond measure.

Seeing Elder Yuan only made Shi Lei more enraged. After all, the two of them had carried their long-standing enmity for quite some time.

“Shi Lei, you actually practiced forbidden arts and brought ruin upon the sect. Today, I will make you vanish to dust.”

The moment Elder Yuan finished speaking, Shi Lei burst into a twisted, sickly laugh.

“You?” he sneered.

Then Shi Lei struck first. The elders on the other side all drew their weapons as well, and a battle was about to erupt.

Some of the disciples had already begun to retreat. After all, when experts exchanged blows, a stray strike could easily injure them.

I, however, stood where I was, frowning at Shi Lei.

After falling into that demonic state, although his cultivation level still had not reached the Spirit Lotus Realm, his speed and strength were already on par with Elder Yuan’s.

At this point, only Elder Yuan and the two Grand Elders, both already in the Spirit Lotus Realm, could truly contend with him. The others could only lend support and muddle through.

But in the end, Shi Lei could not withstand the combined assault of three Spirit Lotus experts and was kicked flying.

After hitting the ground, he sprang back up at once and grabbed a nearby student, using him as a hostage.

“Come on,” Shi Lei snarled. “Come any closer.”

To be fair, most of the elders of Heavenly Sun Mountain still cared about their disciples. With a student held hostage by the deranged Shi Lei, none of them dared act recklessly.

Seeing that the elders had not moved, Shi Lei, though insane, was not stupid. One hand clamped around the student’s throat, he began backing away.

Only after he had retreated several hundred meters did Shi Lei let go of the student and flee wildly into the distance.

I shook my head, then jogged over and helped the injured disciple to his feet.

The younger student had only a bloody imprint around his neck and no other injuries, which finally put me at ease.

By the time I returned, Elder Yuan was still discussing matters with the other elders, likely preparing a search for Shi Lei’s capture.

After a while, Elder Yuan noticed me standing nearby and walked over.

“In the future, you must not rush out on your own. The gap between you and him is far too great. Do you understand?”

I knew he was thinking of my safety, so I obediently nodded.

After that, Elder Yuan left with the other elders, and the surrounding disciples also dispersed.

I glanced once in the direction Shi Lei had fled, then returned to the dormitory.

That was only a small episode, of course, and it would not stop me from going to Giant Wolf Mountain tomorrow night.

By the time I got back to the dormitory, it was already past seven. I sat on the sofa and watched television for a while before deciding to turn in early.

I always felt half-dead in the mornings, so today I intended to sleep a little earlier.

After showering and taking care of a few scattered chores, I lay down and went to sleep.

In less than five minutes, I had slipped smoothly into dreamland.

The next morning, just after five o’clock and before the bell had even rung, I woke up.

I changed clothes, washed my face, and headed downstairs.

Just outside, I ran into Luan Teng. To my surprise, that fellow had risen even earlier than I had and was already done with breakfast.

“Hey, up pretty early,” I said.

Luan Teng nodded and then lowered his voice. “Did you hear? Shi Lei went berserk yesterday and caused a huge scene in the square.”

Of course I knew. I had been there myself.

“Yeah. So what?”

Luan Teng went on, “After Shi Lei fled last night, the Grand Elders called together every teacher and elder in the sect and searched all of Heavenly Sun Mountain through the night.”

Elder Yuan certainly handled things with decisive efficiency. Otherwise, how could he have become the most respected Grand Elder in the sect?

“Did they find him?”

“No. I heard they didn’t even find a single hair. Shi Lei seemed to vanish into thin air, but there’s no doubt he’s still somewhere on Heavenly Sun Mountain.”

I nodded. Where could Shi Lei possibly be hiding now? In any case, it was no concern of mine. As long as I could obtain the token tonight, I would thank the heavens.

Soon after, the bell rang, and the square filled with more and more people.

This time, no one was discussing cultivation or gossip. Everyone was guessing where Shi Lei had gone. He had made such a splash that almost the entire sect knew about it.

After a while, the chief martial instructor arrived. He looked as though he had also been busy all night, with dark circles under his eyes.

“Everyone! There will be no morning drills today. Also, all disciples are excused from class today. You may go back.”

At that announcement, every disciple burst into cheers. After all, being free from class was incredibly tempting.

As soon as he finished speaking, I led Luan Teng back toward the dormitory building. The others also dispersed noisily, some heading to the dining hall, others back to their rooms.

When I returned to the dormitory, I took out the Heaven-Traveling Finger Technique. To be absolutely certain, I had to master the Five Thunder Art until I knew it by heart.

I practiced all morning, planning to test it on the way to the dining hall at noon.

After stretching my back, I left the dormitory. At that moment, Luan Teng from the neighboring room also came out and poked his head over.

“Brother Yao, where are you going?”

This guy was like some kind of little follower, trailing after me wherever I went.

“To eat,” I said.

After I spoke, Luan Teng went back inside to change clothes, and I stood there waiting for him for several minutes.

A little later, he came out dressed and ready, and the two of us headed for the dining hall together.

At noon, the place was as crowded as ever. After the two of us had eaten a simple meal, we prepared to wander over to the square.

I walked to the very center of the square and told Luan Teng to move aside. Knowing that I wanted to try a new move, he stood nearby with an eager look on his face.

After taking a deep breath, I rapidly began forming hand seals.