The room once again fell into a dead silence.

Bai Yuan hadn’t expected that what Long Ao wanted was the Earth Spirit he had taken from the body of that stoic man.

Though he didn’t know how Long Ao had gotten this information, he had no intention whatsoever of bringing out the Earth Spirit for a trade.

After all, he had long since cooked the Earth Spirit into Earth Spirit Soup.

"I have not."

Bai Yuan slowly shook his head.

Long Ao stared intently at Bai Yuan’s expression, unwilling to miss a single detail.

Soon, he sighed to himself.

’This junior brother of mine is a good actor. I can’t find a single flaw in his facade.’

The man was Dong Wanjun’s disciple, so Long Ao naturally didn’t dare to use force. Dong Wanjun was on Wan Jun Peak right at this moment. If Long Ao were to make a move, not even the Peak Master of Spring Thunder Peak could save him.

"You truly don’t have it?" he asked, his voice dark and heavy.

Long Ao’s eyes narrowed, the smile vanishing from his face.

He had no choice. That small vial was too important to him.

Even at the risk of offending Bai Yuan, he had to get it back.

The Celestial Heart Sect might be in decline now, but it was once the greatest sect in the world. As a Preacher for the Celestial Heart Sect, Long Ao knew better than anyone that the sect was, in fact, a worldly manifestation of the Demon Sect. It was similar to the Soul-Chasing Tower; one could even say they were two branches of the same Demon Sect.

The Soul-Chasing Tower’s methods were harsh and direct, while the Celestial Heart Sect’s were much gentler.

They would first convert people into believers, then have them willingly offer themselves as sacrifices.

And the small vial he sought contained the Spirits of Will, accumulated over many years at that Celestial Heart Sect mission point.

Bai Yuan maintained a calm and composed demeanor.

"I don’t."

He paid no mind to the threat in Long Ao’s words.

This confidence, of course, came from his strength. As someone who cultivated a myriad of techniques, it was only natural that he was virtually invincible among those at his level.

Long Ao wasted no more words.

"Very well. I won’t trouble you any further."

He turned and left without the slightest hesitation.

Of course, Bai Yuan didn’t believe for a second that he would give up so easily.

As a Spirit Cooker, he knew all too well the value of that small vial of Earth Spirit. The fact that Long Ao had come to his door demanding it meant he was clearly aware of the Earth Spirit’s properties as well.

But now that it was in his hands, there was no reason to return it—and no way to, either.

After Long Ao left.

Only then did Zhu Qiang cautiously step forward. "T-Ten-Household, that Senior Brother Long didn’t seem too happy."

Ever since he’d learned what Bai Yuan was capable of, he couldn’t help but stutter whenever he saw the man.

He had just run into Long Ao on his way out, which was why he asked.

"It’s nothing."

Bai Yuan waved his hand dismissively.

This was Huanglong Prefecture; he had every right to be confident.

「A month passed in the blink of an eye.」

Besides clocking in for duty at Xiaohe Town each day, Bai Yuan also took on numerous bounty missions.

He had even raised his Spirit Cooking skill all the way to the Master level in one fell swoop.

Master-level Spirit Cooking was truly extraordinary. It could fuse spirits of different attributes into a single soup, increasing its effects several times over.

If a skill like this were to become known to the outside world, it was hard to imagine the storm it would create.

Bai Yuan, of course, understood the implications, which was why he had never revealed his identity as a Spirit Chef to anyone.

Old Dong was not one to sit idle.

The turmoil over the traitor within the Divine Mansion Sect had just subsided, and he was already impatiently charging off to the borders of Huanglong Prefecture.

Rumor had it that some of the factions over there were getting restless.

Aside from the Soul-Chasing Tower, what truly made Old Dong wary were the powers in Ling Province that were on par with the Divine Mansion Sect.

...

「South of Huanglong Prefecture City, in a small alley overflowing with sewage.」

A small, dilapidated hut on the verge of collapse.

CREAK—the rickety wooden door was pushed open.

Long Ao walked into the small courtyard, his hand on his saber and his face expressionless.

He seemed very familiar with the place.

He walked straight across the courtyard, stopping before a small, roofless hut.

"Old Kui, I have a job for you," he called out softly.

Shortly after he spoke, something in the corner of the hut began to tremble. It was a person!

The man was so completely covered in dust that he blended in perfectly with the ruined furniture. It was impossible to spot him without looking closely.

Long Ao’s expression remained unchanged; he was long accustomed to this sight.

No one knew this eccentric old man’s real name anymore. They just called him Old Kui.

Old Kui had once been an infamous name in Huanglong Prefecture. He had single-handedly slaughtered the entire population of a county town, an act for which he was hunted by the experts of the Divine Mansion Sect.

Everyone thought he was dead, but what they didn’t know was that Old Kui had secretly joined the Celestial Heart Sect long ago.

He was the one who handled much of the Celestial Heart Sect’s dirty work.

"Heh... heh..."

A bloodcurdling laugh escaped Old Kui’s lips. The hair on his head was extremely sparse, with only a few pathetic strands clinging on stubbornly. Paired with his unique laugh, the sight was all the more terrifying.

Long Ao said, "Kill someone."

"Who?"

"The Ten-Household of Xiaohe Town, Bai Yuan."

"His realm?"

"Should be a Strong Internal Martial Artist, but he has the ability to kill a Blood Refining Martial Master. He’s Dong Wanjun’s disciple."

Upon hearing the name Dong Wanjun, Old Kui’s expression finally turned serious.

He couldn’t afford to be careless with anything related to Dong Wanjun.

He had been forced to seek refuge with the Celestial Heart Sect all those years ago, and Old Dong’s machinations had played no small part. If Dong Wanjun hadn’t acted, he wouldn’t be in this current state, neither human nor ghost.

"Alright."

Old Kui didn’t waste words.

He shook his body from side to side, sending dust cascading off him. RUSTLE.

Seeing Old Kui about to head out,

Long Ao added, "I’m going with you."

Old Kui was strong, and Bai Yuan was just a Strong Internal Martial Artist. These seemed to be facts. If Old Kui made a move, there was no reason for Bai Yuan to survive.

Yet for some reason, Long Ao still felt uneasy.

’That junior brother of mine, whom I’ve only met once, is just too unpredictable.’

He had waited a month for Dong Wanjun to finally leave Huanglong Prefecture.

He had to succeed this time; no mistakes would be tolerated. That was why he’d hired Old Kui.

"Suit yourself."

Old Kui paused for a moment. After hearing Long Ao, he scoffed and strode out of the courtyard.

’No matter how strong a Strong Internal Martial Artist is, he’s still just a Strong Internal Martial Artist.’

’Even if that brat Bai Yuan is hiding his strength, I’ve killed at least ten Blood Refining Martial Masters myself.’

’That little whelp named Long is just too timid.’

Old Kui couldn’t help but sneer at Long Ao internally.

’The people of the Celestial Heart Sect are cowards. Always so hesitant and timid. It’s pathetic.’

’He’d been with the Celestial Heart Sect for ten years. If their Sect Leader wasn’t so powerful, he’d have been tempted to betray them long ago. Maybe joining the Soul-Chasing Tower would be a good alternative.’

Long Ao’s face darkened as he watched Old Kui stride away.

It was a pity. Although he was a True Disciple of the Divine Mansion Sect, he wasn’t a major figure like the Yellow Robe Sect Leader of the Celestial Heart Sect in Huanglong Prefecture. He had no way to control an untamable person like Old Kui.

’Still,’ he thought, ’this time, it’s two Blood Refining Martial Masters taking action. My dear Junior Brother Bai... he has to die this time, right?’