Chapter 302 - 205: Successive Breakthroughs, Disciple Candidate

Cultivating with Ancient Techniques was more difficult, and progress was slower.

This was a consensus among nearly all Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

Pei Yingyao’s suggestion that Li Chang’an switch to a New Technique was, of course, for his own good.

But she didn’t know.

Li Chang’an cultivated a top-tier Ancient Technique; it was nearly impossible for any New Technique to be better than the Ancient Wood Evergreen Technique.

Pei Yingyao added, "That brute Chu Xiong is dead. You don’t have to worry about him causing you any more trouble."

"I already know. Elder Pei, my condolences."

"That brute damaged his mind with Body Refinement. A day like this was bound to come sooner or later."

Pei Yingyao sighed softly. She wasn’t sad, just a little regretful.

According to her,

Chu Xiong hadn’t always been this way.

His mind had been damaged by Body Refinement, and the other senior brothers and sisters of the Yellow Crane Mountain Lineage had filled his head with a great deal of nonsense, which was why he became the man Li Chang’an had met.

As a Golden Core Dao Lineage, the disciples of the Yellow Crane Mountain Lineage had always been somewhat arrogant and brazen.

Pei Yingyao was something of an outlier among them.

"Back then, our youngest junior brother’s philosophy on cultivation immortality was quite similar to mine. But he vanished without a trace and has yet to return. I don’t know where he went."

She began to reminisce about old times.

This was the first time Li Chang’an learned that Huang He Master actually had a fourteenth disciple.

He had always thought Murong Kang was the youngest.

No wonder.

Pei Yingyao had previously referred to Murong Kang as "Thirteenth Junior Brother," not "Youngest Junior Brother."

Today, perhaps feeling emotional, Pei Yingyao spoke of many internal matters of Yellow Crane Mountain.

She even mentioned the time Huang He Master was ambushed and nearly killed by a former friend.

"When my Master was young, he betrayed his own friend over a Golden Core opportunity. That’s what led to the recent ambush. He was severely injured and has yet to recover."

"In fact, he’s betrayed more than just one friend. He’s betrayed many people..."

"Forget it. I shouldn’t be telling you these things."

Pei Yingyao sighed suddenly and changed the subject.

She warned Li Chang’an.

He must not spread these stories, or it would bring a fatal disaster upon him.

Li Chang’an immediately promised he would take these secrets to his grave.

...

「That evening.」

Li Chang’an returned to Changqing Mountain.

He went back to his Cave Abode, took out the Venerable Soul Banner, and released Chu Xiong’s soul from it.

"Daoist Chu, we meet again."

"Li Chang’an!"

Chu Xiong’s face was grim with disbelief.

For this entire period, he had struggled in agony and torment almost every single day.

He couldn’t believe he had fallen into the hands of a nobody like Li Chang’an.

From beginning to end, he had never even given Li Chang’an a second glance, certain that he would one day capture him and force him to his knees to beg for mercy.

But now...

Everything was the complete opposite of what he had imagined.

Li Chang’an sat deep within the Cave Abode, his expression placid as he asked calmly,

"Daoist Chu, I’m somewhat interested in the many secrets of Yellow Crane Immortal City. Why don’t you tell me about them?"

"In your dreams!"

Chu Xiong roared, his attitude still defiant.

Hearing this, Li Chang’an casually waved his hand, and an Evil Soul flew out of the Soul Banner.

"What’s going on? I told you to properly tame this fellow. Why has there been no progress?"

"JIE JIE JIE! I was afraid of torturing him too much. If I’d tormented him until his soul dissipated, it would have been difficult for you to interrogate him."

The Evil Soul took the form of an old man and cackled twice.

Li Chang’an said coldly, "No need to worry. Torture him as you please. It doesn’t matter if his soul dissipates."

"Excellent!"

The Evil Soul instantly transformed into a crimson monster with a savage grin and dragged Chu Xiong’s soul back into the Venerable Soul Banner.

Immediately after, Chu Xiong’s shrill, miserable screams echoed from within the Soul Banner.

’It takes a soul to deal with a soul, I suppose.’

Li Chang’an nodded slightly, letting the Evil Soul do as it pleased.

This Evil Soul hadn’t submitted to him at first.

But after being suppressed by the Venerable Soul Banner, it had no choice but to work for him.

「A few days later.」

A weakened Chu Xiong was released by Li Chang’an.

His soul was now almost translucent, on the very brink of dissipating completely.

"Daoist Chu, we meet again."

"Li Chang’an! Stay away from me!"

Chu Xiong shrieked, his expression panicked.

He recoiled again and again as if he had seen the most terrifying monster in the world.

Li Chang’an was very satisfied with this display.

Afterward, he began his questioning again.

This time, Chu Xiong answered every question without omission. Terrified of being tortured again, he told Li Chang’an everything he knew.

However, he truly was a bit of a simpleton and didn’t know many of Yellow Crane Immortal City’s secrets.

However, regarding Murong Kang, he did reveal one piece of valuable information.

"Junior Brother Murong... he’ll inexplicably disappear for a few days every so often."

"I was a guest at his home once and happened to meet some strange visitors. The auras they gave off made me very uncomfortable. They didn’t seem like Cultivators from Zhao Country."

Hearing this, Li Chang’an grew thoughtful.

’Could those people who made Chu Xiong uncomfortable be Demonic Cultivators?’

’Murong Kang is very likely cultivating the top-tier Demon Technique, the Demon Planting Technique. It would be normal for him to collude with Demonic Cultivators.’

Unfortunately, this was all Chu Xiong knew.

He didn’t know anything more.

’What an idiot.’

Li Chang’an was a little disappointed and tossed him back into the Soul Banner.

「In the days that followed.」

He remained firmly seated on Changqing Mountain, repelling several attacks from Demon Beasts.

As for the Huanghe Alliance, they had been keeping a much lower profile recently, developing in silence and taking almost no action.

...

「Half a year later.」

On Changqing Mountain, the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Power stirred unnaturally.

A Spiritual Power vortex over a hundred zhang in diameter rapidly took shape.

"Is someone undergoing Foundation Establishment?"

The Peak Masters of the other three peaks all cast their gazes over.

Down below in the Marketplace, countless Loose Cultivators also stopped what they were doing, looking up at the Spiritual Power vortex in the sky with envy or shock.