Chapter 140: Reversal (Part Two)

This was the moment when the ancient city was being established, bustling with activity everywhere—walls and houses under construction. Fang Yue was in no rush to head in any particular direction; instead, he traced the timeline of the city backward.

The statue of the noble lady in Bridgeback Village originated from this very ancient city.

The noble lady statue was deeply connected to the Shadow Walker.

Fang Yue felt that by observing the city’s founding, he might glean more information about the Shadow Walker.

As he wandered through the city, a supervising official noticed him and approached with several soldiers.

“This is a restricted construction site. What are you doing wandering around here?” the official demanded. Had Fang Yue not carried an extraordinary aura, he would have been seized on the spot.

Fang Yue remained silent and directly released his innate energy.

“So, you are a Master of Innate Realm. Pray tell, Master, what brings you here?” The official’s tone softened upon sensing the powerful innate energy emanating from Fang Yue.

A Master of the Innate Realm was a formidable identity anywhere.

Still, the official only showed a bit of courtesy; his vigilance remained intact.

“I wish to meet the official in charge here,” Fang Yue said.

“Well…” The official hesitated. The person overseeing the city’s construction was sent from Yunzhou’s provincial capital. While not extremely high-ranking, he was not someone just anyone could meet.

If Fang Yue had not revealed his status as an Innate Master, the official would have driven him away immediately for such a bold request.

“May I know your purpose in visiting Master Wen? Please state it clearly so I can relay the message,” the official said.

“The noble lady statue,” Fang Yue replied slowly.

Unexpectedly, the moment he uttered these words, they seemed imbued with a strange power. The official’s expression changed drastically.

Within seconds, the entire construction site fell silent; not a sound could be heard. Everyone turned to look at Fang Yue with blank, peculiar gazes.

Sensing the anomaly, Fang Yue realized that his mention of the noble lady statue struck a nerve far greater than he had imagined. He had only asked casually but did not expect such a strong reaction from the city’s inhabitants.

Just as Fang Yue prepared for whatever might come, the grayish-white scene before him suddenly shifted. The ancient city dissolved into a barren wasteland.

The timeline had automatically reversed again.

This reversal spanned several years, skipping the city’s founding era and landing several years prior.

“Are you reversing time? What are you trying to hide? Does the noble lady statue conceal some secret?” Fang Yue spoke into the empty air, knowing the Shadow Walker could hear him.

In truth, Fang Yue himself was not overly interested in whether the statue held secrets, but if it did, he could use this to lure the Shadow Walker out of hiding.

Judging by raw strength, the Shadow Walker far surpassed Fang Yue.

Direct confrontation risked death.

After speaking with no reply, Fang Yue invoked his Illumination Divine Technique, peering into the bronze mirror to locate the Shadow Walker.

“The terrain and surroundings where she hides are vastly different from the present. Could it be that I need to trace back several hundred or even a thousand years?” Fang Yue pondered as he observed the mirror’s images.

“This trip, I have slain five spirits and crushed a human-faced flower, earning over thirty thousand merit points—equivalent to killing an ordinary innate-level ghost,” he reflected, retracting his divine technique with a hint of hesitation.

In this haunted place, the situation was unfavorable; who knew at what point in time the Shadow Walker lurked?

If she hid tens of millions of years ago, who could find her?

Better to leave her to the experts of the White Cloud Palace.

Still, with many ghosts around, he could kill a few more before leaving to gain additional merit points.

Just then, Fang Yue spotted a cloaked swordsman riding a horse, passing through the wasteland from afar.

His aura was thick with deadly yin energy—undoubtedly a ghostly creature.

Fang Yue did not hesitate. Drawing his treasured sword, he leapt forward and unleashed a Long Wind Sword Technique, aiming at the rider.

This Long Wind Sword Technique was partially innate.

Now, having refined it to its third level, it carried the element of wind.

However, since Fang Yue primarily cultivated the flame attribute with his Flame Palm, the Long Wind Sword was somewhat weaker in power, especially against ghosts.

Still, encountering the swordsman stirred his hunting instincts, prompting the use of the swift wind technique.

The wind-element sword attack was naturally fast and precise.

The swordsman barely had time to react before the blade reached him.

He leaned backward to dodge the fatal strike that would have severed his head.

However, his conical hat was sliced in two by Fang Yue’s sword.

The sword was about to strike again, but the two halves of the hat, as if alive, whistled fiercely and flew toward Fang Yue.

He had no choice but to retreat his sword and unleashed another Long Wind Sword Technique, the sword energy weaving through the air, shredding the flying hat fragments.

With two sharp sounds, the hat was torn to pieces, dissolving into gray-white mist.

Such a small amount of worldly resentment, Fang Yue was too lazy to collect it with his Purple Jade Gourd.

Surprisingly, the swordsman did not seize the opportunity to counterattack but instead urged his horse forward.

Fang Yue would not allow a hunted prey to escape. Employing his lightness skill, his figure flew like the wind, outrunning the galloping horse.

He unleashed another Long Wind Sword Technique; sword energy filled the air like a forest, engulfing both the swordsman and his mount.

The swordsman leapt away in midair, but his horse was shredded by the wind-infused sword energy, dispersing into gray-white mist.

Now Fang Yue could see the swordsman’s face clearly—a triangular visage with vertical pupils, unmistakably a raccoon demon.

The raccoon swordsman roared and swung his blade at Fang Yue.

The two clashed, sword techniques flashing in a fierce duel.

Though the raccoon demon also possessed innate-level cultivation, he was clearly a weakened version, no match for Fang Yue.

Only because Fang Yue insisted on a sword duel did the demon manage to hold out a while longer.

But soon enough, Fang Yue struck him down with his long sword.

“Merit points +18,000,” Fang Yue said, using the Purple Jade Gourd to absorb the worldly resentment released by the raccoon demon’s demise.

The battle had drained much of Fang Yue’s energy; he was slightly breathless.

Even a weakened innate-level warrior was not easy to handle.

Of course, half of his breathlessness was feigned.

After resting briefly, Fang Yue surveyed the surroundings.

The wasteland was flat with roads crossing through—likely one reason a city could be built here later.

However, due to his killing of six ghost creatures, six spots in the area now appeared shrouded in gray mist.

As the scene shifted, the previously empty places turned into chaotic gray haze.

Fang Yue extended his sword tip into the mist; it silently dissolved without a trace.

“If the sword can dissolve, then how could my flesh and blood survive here?” he thought.

After some consideration, Fang Yue resumed running, continuing to reverse time.

After a short run, he paused again, having traveled several years earlier.

He saw a group of people gathered in an open space, worshipping a stone statue with reverent devotion.