"Humph!"

The sudden, inexplicable misstep was alarming, but Hu Ma was highly skilled and reacted quickly.

Sensing the imbalance beneath his feet, he instantly shifted his strength, forcefully stamping down to break through the rabbit hole. With a single stride, he kicked up a cloud of mud and sand, aiming for the black shadow's face.

His Executioner's Blade was equally perceptive, careful not to touch him. It trembled, missed, then spun into a precise and ruthless strike at the black shadow.

Normally, he'd try to gauge his opponent's strength first.

But this time, unsure of who he faced, he could only rely on his Shou Sui skills, fighting speed with speed.

"Ouch..."

The black shadow clearly hadn't expected Hu Ma's swift counterattack and was taken aback. "Just a little Shou Sui in the Fu, how can he be so fierce?"

He cried out, his tattered, almost black sheepskin coat already in his hand. He flung it forward, scattering embers and sparks from the nearby fire pit toward Hu Ma.

Simultaneously, he wrapped the black coat around himself.

Hu Ma ignored the sparks, which were blown away by the force of his own qi. But his vision blurred. When his blade struck, it met only the soft give of the sheepskin coat.

"What sect's skill is this?"

Hu Ma was slightly surprised, finding his opponent bizarre.

"Ouch, has he encountered someone from the Dao Zai Sect?"

As the thought formed in his mind, a voice spoke up—Master Ping.

"Dao Zai?" (Calamity Thief)

Hu Ma had suspected as much, and now, prompted by the reminder, he scanned his surroundings while urgently asking, "How do I deal with them?"

"Run!"

Master Ping said, "Members of the Dao Zai Sect are jinxes. Run when you encounter them! If you're fast enough, you won't be tainted by bad luck!"

Hu Ma, while cautiously observing his surroundings, growled, "I'm asking how to kill them!"

"Easy to kill!"

Master Ping said from within Hu Ma's mind, "The Dao Zai Sect doesn't have much skill. One slice to the neck, and they're guaranteed dead."

"Did I need you to tell me that?"

Hu Ma was momentarily annoyed, then heard Master Ping suddenly change his tone, urgently saying, "You have to be quick when dealing with the Dao Zai Sect. The longer you drag it out, the harder it is to win."

"Also, there's a taboo. You can't talk to members of the Dao Zai Sect. They specialize in sealing the heart aperture. If you speak, you might fall for their tricks, letting evil qi enter your heart and be controlled by them."

"Of course, in other sects, being tricked means certain death. No one can save you, no matter how skilled. But we Shou Sui can swap hearts, so there's still hope."

Another voice immediately followed, "Heh, our Shou Sui skills are the best."

"..."

"..."

"Stop messing around, this isn't the time..."

Hu Ma thought urgently, suddenly dodging something.

Looking closely, he saw countless bizarre branches extending from all directions. It was a demon forest, man-eating but lacking intelligence. Sensing living beings, it reached out with its branches to grab them.

Dense and endless, they were like ghostly hands reaching out. Looking around, the dark forest was filled with eerie atmosphere, concealing unknown dangers.

Layers upon layers pressed in.

Hu Ma's instincts screamed. Without hesitation, he plunged the Executioner's Blade into the ground, placed his hands on his ribs, and roared.

The Five Thunder Golden Toad Howl shook his internal organs, unleashing a wave of yang energy that shattered the branches around him. He even heard screams.

The demon trees' very bodies were injured by the yang energy, but their movements made it even harder for Hu Ma to find his target.

In his years of wandering the martial world, Hu Ma had gained much experience and seen many sects' skills. But the Dao Zai Sect was different. They rarely appeared in the martial world, and he'd never seen anyone learn their skills, so he had no experience against them.

And Master Ping, though answering every question, couldn't offer any useful advice besides warnings.

Seeing Hu Ma's Five Thunder Golden Toad Howl, they chimed in, "This technique is crude, not refined. Let us improve it for you."

"Brother Hu Ma, I've got him..."

Just then, a clear voice rang out.

Hu Ma turned sharply and saw Little Hong Tang emerging from the shadows. She was hugging someone's leg, pulling him toward them. It was the black shadow who had seized the opportunity to hide. He seemed surprised and struggled desperately.

"It has to be Sister Hong Tang!"

Hu Ma was overjoyed. He clasped his fist in his palm, performed the Four Ghost Greeting, and charged forward with a gust of yin wind.

Master Ping sensed it and immediately shouted, "What kind of rough work is this? Not refined, not wonderful! We have to improve it for you!"

"Just shut up!"

Hu Ma had initially wanted to keep Master Ping around because they were useful, hoping to learn more skills to protect himself.

But now he was getting annoyed. Was it time to digest them?

After the greeting, the yin wind slammed into the person whose leg Little Hong Tang was holding, causing him to shiver and his face to turn ashen.

But he was still struggling, clearly wanting to escape. However, Little Hong Tang's grip on his leg was like a mountain, impossible to shake off.

He was filled with indescribable horror: "What kind of little ghost is this?"

During the delay, Hu Ma had already drawn his blade and rushed forward. The person steeled his heart, raised his hands high, and slammed them together.

As Hu Ma's blade approached, he kowtowed deeply to Hu Ma, his forehead touching the ground:

"I was wrong!"

"Great master, spare me..."

"..."

"Huh?"

The reaction was entirely unexpected. The Executioner's Blade didn't stop, but its side struck him on the head.

"Bang!"

Half of his head was slammed into the ground by Hu Ma, and he lost consciousness without a sound.

...

...

At the moment when the black shadow in the forest was knocked unconscious by Hu Ma, in the Da Yang village, Iron Hand Peng and his disciples, who had been dazed, suddenly shuddered and woke up, their eyes filled with horror:

"Damn it, how did we get bewitched..."

"..."

But now, no one paid attention to them, all staring blankly at the fire pit.

They saw that Second Master's lower body was engulfed in flames, obscuring his legs. His entire body was illuminated by the fire, his expression indescribably mysterious.

As he walked forward, the fire in the pit blazed so intensely that those nearby couldn't help but step back. But Second Master's expression was normal. The fire and smoke around him swirled together, vaguely revealing a shadowy figure.

The figure was mysterious, with glimpses of golden light, as if possessing a sacredness that inspired instinctive awe. Just a glance evoked heartfelt respect, as if an ancient aura washed over and cleansed the soul.

And the figure was now supporting Second Master, step by step, as he walked across the fire pit toward Iron Hand Peng.

"That's... that's..."

Words couldn't describe the shock of those who witnessed this. Some suddenly noticed that the incense sticks brought from the old fire pit were bent, as if the ancestors in the pit were kowtowing.

"Has the Sky God manifested?"

Amid the shock, the old clan leader finally reacted after a long time.

Tears streamed down his face, and he knelt on the ground.

Starting with him, the clan members from various villages knelt down one after another. This kneeling was not for Second Master, but for the manifested shadow.

"Brother Yang, we should also pay our respects."

Even Master Sun and the others were shaken to their senses and hastily followed the villagers, bowing respectfully, their bodies trembling slightly.

Having learned many skills and seen too many bizarre things in the martial world, they were witnessing the most awe-inspiring sight in this remote village.

While everyone bowed, Second Master slowly walked across the ten-zhang-long fire pit.

As he stepped out of the pit and stood before Iron Hand Peng, Iron Hand Peng collapsed, his eyes struggling to look up at Second Master, but he dared not meet his gaze.

Everyone watched closely and clearly. Second Master's bare feet were without burns or injuries. Even his rolled-up trouser legs and coarse cloth clothes were unharmed, without a single burn mark.

A miracle!

So many eyes were watching, clearly and undoubtedly. He hadn't relied on any secret skills or tricks. He was just an ordinary old man who, through his virtue, had walked across the fire pit step by step.

"Divine blessing, walking on fire barefoot..."

The elders of the village were most moved, their faces filled with tears. "Our village has produced a sage..."

Villages lacked great knowledge and rarely produced people with extraordinary abilities. But someone who had answered a divine sign and walked across the fire pit was a sage in their eyes.

Second Master, as if still dazed, slowly turned to look at the fire pit, as if looking at a dream.

When he came to his senses, he realized that everyone around him was bowing to him.

They had bowed to him before, but that was out of respect for Hu Ma's master, for Hu Ma's sake.

But now, they were bowing to him.

He was overwhelmed with emotions, unable to speak. He suddenly reacted and turned to kneel before the pit of flames.

It was as if he had suddenly understood something through this act of walking on fire. His eyes were slightly red, and the grievances in his heart seemed to pour out as he whispered, "Mountain Deity, you've always been watching over us..."

"Villagers, it's time to worship the mountain..."