Chapter 50: The Student Surpasses the Master

"Ahhh! Are you insane? Let go, now!"
Suddenly, a heart-wrenching male scream shattered the silence.
Everyone turned to look and saw a female disciple, her eyes bloodshot, fiercely biting down on a male disciple’s arm.
The young man screamed in agony and kicked her away.
A chunk of flesh had already been torn from his arm, blood gushing forth in a gruesome display that sent chills down everyone’s spine.
“She’s gone mad, too! Quick, let’s tie her up!”
An older disciple shouted at once, signaling the others to help subdue the frenzied girl.
Yet, to everyone’s horror, several more disciples suddenly lost their minds, including the man who had earlier lost an ear to a bite. They became like wild, rabid beasts, attacking and biting anyone they saw.
In an instant, the air was filled with screams and curses as chaos erupted.
“Hurry, bind them as well!”
The disciples of the sect fell into utter disarray.

Inside the RV, Wu Qianqian peered out the window and witnessed the chaos unfolding among the sect disciples.
“Come quickly, something seems to have happened over there.”
At her words, Jiang Yan and the others crowded to the window to see for themselves.
Jiang Yan watched in growing dread as he saw the horrifying scene of people biting one another among the disciples.
Was he witnessing a live-action zombie movie?
Once again, he questioned: was this truly the world of cultivation?
Scanning the crowd, he spotted Lin Yurou.
“I’ll go check it out,” Jiang Yan said to the others inside.
Ji Chuxue warned him, “Be careful, Six.”
“Don’t worry, Senior Sister,” he replied.
Without another word, he affixed a portable barrier talisman to himself, gripped his sword, and stepped out to investigate.

A male “zombie” in white sect robes lunged at Jiang Yan, who deftly dodged aside.
Damn, this disciple looked nothing like a human anymore.
His eyes and cheeks were flushed red, veins bulging across his neck.
Several male disciples rushed over and tied him up.

Jiang Yan moved forward to check the man’s breath, and as he’d suspected, there was none.
It seemed this disciple was already dead.
Drawing his sword, Jiang Yan prepared to finish him off, but Li Ziyun arrived and stopped him.
“What are you doing?” Li Ziyun snapped.
“What else? I’m getting rid of this monster!”
Jiang Yan didn’t mention the word “zombie,” suspecting these people wouldn’t understand the concept.
“You! He’s a person, not a monster! How can you kill him?”
“He’s already stopped breathing. If you don’t believe me, check his pulse yourself. He’s no longer human, but a monster.” Jiang Yan replied.
Li Ziyun indeed checked the man’s breath and pulse, and, just as Jiang Yan had said, found no life.
Staggering back in shock, Li Ziyun muttered, “How could this be…”
How could a living person suddenly die? And if so, why was he still moving?
“Don’t be reckless, I’ll report this to the Dao Master.”
With that, Li Ziyun hurried off to inform Dao Master Xuanqing of his discovery.
Once the crazed disciples were all restrained, the chaos gradually subsided.
After hearing Li Ziyun’s report, Dao Master Xuanqing selected several disciples and instructed, “Go check the breath and pulse of those who have been bound.”
The chosen disciples quickly obeyed.
“Dao Master, we’ve checked. None of them are breathing and their pulses are gone,” they reported upon returning.
Dao Master Xuanqing’s face revealed nothing, but his heart grew heavy. The sudden loss of ten more disciples was wholly unexpected.
Jiang Yan overheard their words and thought, as he expected, those tied-up disciples had likely already been infected.

Suddenly, Lin Yurou’s voice called out, “Jiang Yan, it’s been a long time.”
Jiang Yan turned to see her and smiled, “It has indeed. Actually, I came over to warn you.”
Surprised, Lin Yurou asked, “Warn me about what?”
“Did you see those crazed disciples?” Jiang Yan asked.
Lin Yurou replied with a touch of sadness, “Yes. One of them is my senior sister.”
“You heard they’ve already passed away, right? They must have been infected. Anyone caught or bitten by those monsters will be infected, and the infected, once they turn, will attack and infect others.
So, you must be extra careful—stay alert.” Jiang Yan advised.
“Thank you for telling me, Jiang Yan.”

“As for the others, I’ll leave it to you to warn them. I’ll return now.”
Seeing his purpose fulfilled, Jiang Yan headed back to the RV.
Lin Yurou considered his words, then decided to tell Dao Master Xuanqing.
Dao Master Xuanqing was surprised that Jiang Yan had figured it out.
He made a swift decision: since those crazed disciples had become monsters, they could not be allowed to remain.
Gathering ice in his palm, he launched several icicles with unerring precision into the heads of the bound disciples.
In an instant, they were beheaded, their bodies collapsing to the ground.
Jiang Yan and his companions witnessed it all from the RV.
“Wow, Dao Master Xuanqing really is incredible!” Wu Qianqian exclaimed in awe.
Jiang Yan thought, Truly the “Iceface” Dao Master—his techniques are just as cold. But those icicles looked really useful!
Too bad he didn’t have an ice spiritual root. Otherwise, as a destined hero, he’d look so cool using that move.
Jiang Yan asked curiously, “Does anyone among us have an ice spiritual root?”
Wu Qianqian quickly replied, “I do, I do! Just like Dao Master Xuanqing.”
“Fifth Senior Sister, can you use attacks like his?”
Wu Qianqian shook her head, “No. I wish I could.”
“You must have more confidence in yourself, Fifth Sister. Think about it—Dao Master Xuanqing is already so old, but you’re still young. If you cultivate diligently, one day you’ll surpass him.
As the saying goes, ‘Indigo blue is extracted from the blue plant, but it is bluer than blue itself.’” Jiang Yan encouraged her.
Wu Qianqian didn’t quite understand the blue-and-indigo reference but felt he was right.
As long as she cultivated hard, she could be as powerful as Dao Master Xuanqing!

Back among the sect disciples, Dao Master Xuanqing spoke coldly, “They have all turned into monsters. Has anyone here been bitten or scratched by them?”
In truth, a few disciples had been accidentally scratched.
None dared to speak up, fearing they would share the fate of those who had been bound.