The sky darkened as their group crossed the cracked stone path that led them to yet another nameless village nestled between two mountain ridges. Rain had recently fallen, leaving the soil thick and sucking at their boots as they walked, cloaks billowing in the wind. Mo Tianzun, walking slightly ahead, felt the air prickling with the taint of death—not natural, but laced with foul, lingering magic.
Longxuan walked beside him, subtly letting their shoulders brush. The Liu Twins and Fenglie trailed behind, Fenglan chewing dried meat noisily and Zhenhai looked like he'd rather be meditating in a bamboo grove while Fenglie just want to sleep. Shuiyun and Huayin followed, the latter flipping his silver fan open and closed every few steps with theatrical flair.
"Did you all notice? Not a single living bird or beast since we entered this area," Zhenhai muttered.
Fenglan, chewing noisily, added, "Not even a rabbit poop on the path. Creepy."
Before they could speak further, the village gate creaked open by itself. The houses were intact, lanterns lit—yet not a soul greeted them. Only the strange, pungent scent of herbs and smoke lingered in the air. It looked inhabited... yet dead.
"Something's wrong," Huayin said, his fox tails twitching beneath his cloak. "The energy here is stagnant, but not lifeless. Something puppets it."
They reached the town square, and there they saw them.
Villagers. Still, unmoving.
Each stood in place—at the wells, in front of homes, holding baskets of fruit or wood—and every single one of them had eyes glazed white, skin pale and cold. Like marionettes abandoned by their master.
"Are they... zombies?" Fenglan whispered.
"Not undead," Shuiyun said, his voice low and vibrating with watery resonance. "They are alive, but their spirits are suppressed. Enchanted."
Longxuan frowned. "There's something—or someone—holding this village hostage."
Before they could proceed, a woman emerged from the shadows. She looked human, but her limbs were twisted slightly wrong. Her eyes were hollow, her voice void of emotion. "Leave. This village belongs to the Silent One."
The Liu Twins readied their blades instantly, but Mo Tianzun raised a hand.
"Silent One?" Tianzun asked.
"A god. A false god who is coming," the woman answered, voice shaking. "He sends his will. Makes us see dreams. Makes us sleep while awake."
The ground suddenly shook. Mo Tianzun turned his head sharply. At the edge of the village, a dark sigil flared briefly beneath the soil—a sealing formation. His pupils shrank.
It was of divine origin.
Liu Shengjie.
He knelt to inspect it, fingers grazing the edges. It was old, but still active. Meant to hold... or channel.
Longxuan knelt beside him, concern flickering in his gaze. "What is it?"
"This was carved using divine essence. It's Liu Shengjie's method—binding the spirit of a place to feed on it. This entire village is an altar."
Fenglan whispered, "Feeding on mortals... to become something more?"
"A god of gods," Tianzun muttered. "He's not content with titles anymore. He wants to surpass all heavens."
A pause.
Then—
"GREAT! JUST GREAT!" Huayin exploded, slamming his fan closed. "Why does every time we go somewhere, there are gods trying to ascend by turning villagers into tofu snacks?!"
Fenglan snorted. "You mean zombie tofu snacks."
"I mean—WHO ASPIRES TO DIVINITY THROUGH CREEPY VILLAGES?!"
As Huayin continued to rant, Shuiyun tried to calm him while lightly dragging him by the sleeve.
Mo Tianzun rose and dusted off his robes, his expression stormy but focused.
"We can't break the seal with brute force. We'll need to draw the villagers' spirits back first."
"How?" asked Longxuan.
Tianzun gave a tight smile. "A spirit recall ritual. Luckily, our dramatic fox has a voice that can sing the heavens into bleeding."
Huayin gaped. "Excuse me?!"
"Fox magic works through song, doesn't it? Time to put that pretty voice to work."
And so, to the great annoyance of Huayin—but with secretly delighted glee—the group prepared a makeshift ritual site. The villagers were gently guided into a circle. Huayin stood at the center, singing a melody from the Spirit Realm, his voice weaving around the air like threads of light.
One by one, the villagers' eyes flickered with life. Tears rolled down aged cheeks. A little girl clutched at her mother's skirt and sobbed.
The spell broke.
They were free.
That night, the village held a small feast for the cultivators. The mood was warm, with makeshift lights strung from rooftop to rooftop.
Mo Tianzun sat quietly, sipping his tea beside Longxuan, who—despite everything—slid a hand over his under the table.
"You look like you want to burn the entire heaven down," Longxuan murmured.
Tianzun smiled faintly. "No. Just the false gods who hurt mortals to ascend."
He glanced at the villagers, then at the Liu Twins and their companions laughing across the fire.
"We'll stop him."
Longxuan gently brushed a thumb over the back of his hand. "You're not alone this time."
And for the first time in a long while, Tianzun let his shoulders relax.
Because he truly wasn't.
The journey to stop Liu Shengjie would be long—but he had his blade.
And he had them.