Justin Shang, his face stern and upright, emerged from the Grand Emperor Pavilion and transformed into a streak of light, heading directly toward the Swordmaking House.
"Greetings, Sect Leader!"
"Sect Leader Shang!"
"Good day, Sect Leader!"
Along the way, disciples and elders of Shushan Sword Sect greeted him with respect, their eyes filled with admiration and reverence. Although the formal ceremony to inaugurate him as Sect Leader had not yet occurred, word had spread from the Elders Pavilion, and all members of Shushan knew of Justin's sacrifices and dedication to the sect. His carefully cultivated image of righteous valor and selflessness had made him widely beloved.
Justin responded with a polite smile, without any air of superiority. Shortly afterward, he arrived above the Swordmaking House, gazing down with a calm expression. The area was quiet, devoid of any sign of life.
"What a waste," he thought. "If only I'd obtained the Codex of the Gods sooner, I could have captured this Heaven's Deficiency individual right under my nose."
Regret flashed through his mind. Slowly, Justin's Primordial Spirit emerged from within him, its presence powerful and searching.
"This blind man's remains should be somewhere near the Swordmaking House," he mused, his expression indifferent as his Primordial Spirit swept over the area. Suddenly, he noticed something strange. His gaze focused, a look of surprise appearing on his face.
Within the abandoned cave of the Swordmaking House, a figure sat cross-legged, appearing to be in the middle of cultivation. The figure, though somewhat aged, retained a serene aura. Most strikingly, his face bore shut eyes—it was a blind man.
"Still alive?"
"That's impossible…"
Justin was taken aback. He immediately realized that this figure was none other than the blind man who had once resided at the Swordmaking House. By all logic, he should have long since died from natural causes.
"How is he still alive?" he wondered.
"Could it be…"
Justin, having reached his current status, possessed a keen intellect. Though he had not investigated Jason Chu in detail, he had accumulated plenty of records on Sarah Qin, knowing she often visited the Swordmaking House. Jason, born with Heaven's Deficiency, had no real hope of cultivating. To live this long, he would have had to reach the Xiantian (Innate) stage at the very least.
It seemed…
A hint of interest glimmered in Justin's eyes as he considered the implications. Sarah Qin, the icy prodigy of Shushan, might have a unique bond with this blind man. This cold and aloof girl, always indifferent to others, had apparently formed an unexpected connection.
Far from being a problem, this development was actually a fortunate turn for Justin. However, his eyes narrowed suddenly, becoming sharp.
"Something's not right."
"My father himself investigated thoroughly, and he's a Longevity Ninth Layer practitioner. There's no way he would've missed anything," Justin murmured, his suspicion growing.
"Furthermore, this blind man's aura doesn't resemble the Xiantian (Innate) stage at all. It feels more like that of an ordinary person."
A sense of unease gnawed at him. He could detect no cultivation base from the blind man, which was highly unusual for someone who had survived this long. But Justin's confidence didn't waver.
"Whatever secrets this blind man might hold, I'll capture him directly and interrogate him," he thought. Without hesitation, Justin extended his hand, channeling his powerful magic. His fingers bent, his hand resembling a mighty claw as he gathered his strength, preparing to seize his target. The force of his grasp seemed to envelop the entire area as it struck downward, swift as lightning.
If all went as planned, he would capture the blind man with ease.
"Hm?"
But then, Justin's voice broke the silence in shock. His pupils contracted—the blind man he had thought securely within his grasp had vanished. Despite his Longevity-level cultivation, he couldn't sense even the faintest trace of the blind man's presence. It was as though he had simply disappeared from existence.
"What do you want with me?" Jason Chu's calm voice sounded in Justin's ear.
"Something's off about you!" Justin's gaze hardened, his voice low and commanding. For reasons he couldn't explain, a chill ran down his spine, his scalp tingling and his back drenched in cold sweat. It was a sensation he only experienced when facing an elder at the Heavenly Gate stage.
But how could that be possible?
The figure before him was just a blind man, born with Heaven's Deficiency, lacking even a hint of cultivation talent.
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