The Taoist priest's words sent chills down my spine, sending a shiver down my spine to the top of my head.

Master Zhang Qingxiao paused for a moment, seemingly experiencing considerable emotional fluctuation.

After a moment, he said with a wry smile:

"Speaking of which, that thing used to be from the same lineage as us."

"In ancient times, most Taoist priests cultivated Taoism in order to achieve longevity and immortality."

"But all those who have achieved a certain level of spiritual cultivation know that there is a predetermined fate in the world, and destiny cannot be defied. When one's lifespan is exhausted, one should return to dust and ashes."

I nodded; I knew all of what Master Zhang Qingxiao was saying.

In ancient times, Taoist practitioners primarily cultivated themselves for the purpose of achieving longevity.

Very few people would choose to become a Taoist priest in order to uphold justice.

"However, there are some people who, despite having attained a certain level of cultivation, insist on defying fate and seeking immortality, ultimately falling into the demonic path."

At this point, the Taoist priest took a deep breath.

"Those who fall into the demonic path are called skinners, or more euphemistically, faceless ones! The ghost Taoists you see are very likely to be the successors of this lineage, or rather, monsters created by this lineage's evil magic."

"The skinner?"

As I slowly considered those three bloody words, a chill inevitably rose within me, and my spine went cold.

"They don't think that skinning people helps them achieve immortality, do they?"

I couldn't help but ask.

To my astonishment, the Taoist priest slowly nodded.

"The origin of this lineage is unknown, and even we Taoists have no record of it."

"But one thing is certain: they have gone mad! They believe that the human body is the greatest obstacle to imprisoning the soul and hindering the attainment of enlightenment, but at the same time, it is the best vessel to carry the essence of Tao and magical power."

Upon hearing this, I was terrified and exclaimed in horror:

"To peel away one's own skin, break free from the shackles of flesh and blood, and control the skin with the soul, is to be able to glimpse the Great Dao? What a madman!"

As a second-rate cobbler, I am well aware of the absurdity and horror involved.

“It’s not as simple as just peeling off one’s own skin.” Daoist Zhang Qingxiao shook his head, his tone growing increasingly somber.

If they were simply peeling off their own skin, although it would be grotesque and terrifying, few people would care about them, and it wouldn't be considered that they had fallen into evil.

"Their distorted doctrine holds that the physical bodies of people with different destinies and different levels of cultivation contain different paths and powers."

“Through some extremely evil ritual, the skin of the victim is peeled off while they are still alive, and then it is tanned and sewn up using secret methods. The skin is then worn on one’s own body or refined into various evil magical artifacts.”

Upon hearing this, not only me, but also Luo Tianhe and Li Huai turned pale.

Especially Li Huai, who thought about his special destiny, knew that if he dared to go there, this thing would definitely target him!

Li Huai couldn't help but grimace; his fate was just too miserable!

Not only is he destined to be a lone star, but all sorts of evil and wicked people are particularly fond of his fate.

No wonder everyone says that people with my kind of fate don't live long. It's no wonder I'm not expected to live long!

When I recall the layers upon layers of human skin Taoist robes worn by that ghostly Taoist priest, I can't help but feel my hair stand on end.

How many people's skin has that guy peeled off? How deep is his cultivation?!

But I really can't understand how this method could possibly work!

As a second-rate cobbler, I know all too well what the word "skinning" means!

In our line of work, we emphasize "sewing up the corpse and mending the soul, calming the spirit and pacifying the evil."

We must treat the deceased's body with reverence, and be especially careful when stitching up the flesh, striving for completeness and peace, so that the deceased can pass away with dignity.

This "skin-peeling man" actually skinned living people alive and regarded it as a method of spiritual practice!

"This is absolutely absurd!"

I couldn't hold back for a moment and cried out.

"The skin and the soul are like the relationship between a house and its inhabitants. Forcibly removing the skin is like demolishing a house. The inhabitants inside will be lucky if they don't resent you, how can you possibly attain enlightenment through this? This is clearly a self-destructive evil technique that will not even bring peace to a ghost!"

Upon hearing this, the Taoist priest's smile became even more bitter.

“In the eyes of traditional Taoists and cobblers, this is undoubtedly putting the cart before the horse and is impossible.”

"But they used some kind of evil magic to be able to peel off a person's skin, along with the life force attached to it—that is, their lifespan—and their soul imprint, completely and slowly, while the person is still alive!"

In an instant, my pupils contracted, and my body began to tremble uncontrollably.

To skin someone alive—that must be an extreme form of pain.

The victim must be filled with resentment, and if no one else intervenes, he might turn into a vengeful ghost.

However, in the face of that evil cultivator, they wouldn't even have the chance to transform into vengeful ghosts; instead, their resentment would become the best nourishment for the skinning thieves.

The Taoist priest sighed and spoke again:

"That's not the most painful part. After the victim's skin is peeled off, the evil cultivator won't spare the remaining bloody and mangled flesh either!"

The Taoist priest paused, a hint of reluctance flashing in his eyes.

"Due to that horrific ritual, after being skinned, the victim loses consciousness and becomes a writhing lump of flesh. The fragmented soul within is collected by the caster and used to forge other evil artifacts, or simply as an adhesive when stitching up new skin!"

After hearing what the Taoist priest said, I couldn't help but take several steps back.

My heart was filled with a monstrous wave of horror and fear.

"The Taoist robe you saw then, stained with dark brown blood,"

The Taoist priest looked at me, his eyes sharp.

"That color is the scab that is formed over many years by the blood of countless victims, which has been soaked, dried, and soaked again, layer upon layer!"

“Every stitch and every thread on those surfaces may be imbued with endless wails of agony! Chen Yan, think about it, you cobblers sew up corpses to give the dead dignity. But they sew up human skin in pursuit of immortality!”

My palms were sweating profusely. If what the Taoist priest said was true, they could obtain a portion of a person's lifespan each time they peeled off their skin.

In this way, they can achieve a twisted form of immortality.

I suddenly raised my head and stared intently at Daoist Zhang Qingxiao:

"Master, I don't believe that such a heaven-defying act can truly achieve immortality. There must be some terrible side effects!"

Upon hearing this, Daoist Zhang Qingxiao nodded and said:

“That’s right, you’re very perceptive. Their defying nature can’t possibly achieve true immortality!”

"Although they can continue to live, the resentment ingrained in their human skin and their personality will subtly influence them!"

"Ultimately, they will not become themselves, but rather become a combination of the victim and his personality."