APTnovel Chapter 436: Uninvited Guests
Chapter 436: Uninvited Guests
“Thank you for the pills.”
Chen Yan said to Zhou Jinyun.
“You're too kind, Senior.”
Zhou Jinyun replied.
“Since Chief Zhou has delivered all three bottles of Marrow Cleansing Pills as promised today, then I, Chen, will certainly keep my word.”
Immediately after, Chen Yan spoke slowly.
Standing nearby, Zhou Jinyun remained silent.
“That's internal affairs of the Mirage Palace. I won't interfere, nor will I ask about the reasons.”
“...”
Zhou Jinyun still didn't speak.Four words surfaced uncontrollably in her mind:
Shameless as hell.
As the chief disciple of Weaving Dreams Tower at the Mirage Palace, Zhou Jinyun had naturally met great powers from the upper three realms before.
For instance, the current Palace Master of the Mirage Palace, a Unity Realm cultivator named Mu Kong, along with several other Unity Realm cultivators from Weaving Dreams Tower.
But the highest-ranked upper three realms cultivator she had ever met was that Supreme Imperial Law Elder Shang Ao, a Divine Ability Realm peak cultivator.
In terms of seniority, this reclusive Supreme Authority Elder of the Mirage Palace should be the oldest in the entire sect.
In fact, his seniority within the sect was even higher than that Dao Union Realm late-stage Supreme Pivot Elder of the Mirage Palace, Wu Yi.
The reason was simple.
This Supreme Imperial Law Elder was from Weaving Dreams Tower.
Cultivating the Mirage Palace's secret illusion techniques carried heavy cause and effect, and the result of that cause and effect was that the celestial path for cultivators who practiced those secret techniques would end at the Divine Ability Realm.
To attempt to go further would only lead to death.
Compared to the compassionate Palace Masters and Grand Elders in her own sect, the upper three realms cultivator before her, who appeared to be only fifteen or sixteen years old, was truly shameless.
Because he'd gotten a bargain and was still playing dumb.
But for now, Zhou Jinyun had no way to deal with him. She was just a Martial Spring Realm cultivator, after all.
Chen Yan.
She'd already committed that name to memory. When she returned to the sect, she'd definitely ask those Grand Elders about this person.
But right now, she couldn't go back to the Mirage Palace.
Because across the entire Mirage Palace, aside from those two Dao Union Realm Grand Elders and the Divine Ability Realm peak Supreme Imperial Law Elder Shang Ao, no one could remember the existence of a person named "Zhou Jinyun."
This was also the work of the Mirage Palace's Supreme Imperial Law Elder, Shang Ao.
He believed that the true mastermind behind the missing disciple case at the Mirage Palace definitely wasn't as simple as just the Return-Into-Emptiness Pavilion elder.
Otherwise, Shen Chuan couldn't have committed suicide so easily.
Or rather, whether Shen Chuan had actually committed suicide was still just a guess.
So Shang Ao used Zhou Jinyun as a pawn, using illusion techniques to completely obscure the existence of "Zhou Jinyun" from the minds of all Mirage Palace disciples, allowing her to better investigate this case of over a thousand missing disciples.
Although Zhou Jinyun was only fourteen this year, with only a mid-stage Martial Spring Realm cultivation level, she was naturally intelligent and possessed extremely high talent in illusion techniques.
In fact, Shang Ao believed that Zhou Jinyun's talent in illusions was even greater than his own.
Against cultivators below the Spirit Connection Realm, if it came down to a direct clash, Zhou Jinyun naturally wouldn't be a match for a Qi Sea Realm cultivator.
But using illusions, the situation would be completely reversed.
"Is there anything else, Chief Zhou?"
Seeing Zhou Jinyun still standing there, Chen Yan looked up and asked.
"...No, there isn't."
Zhou Jinyun replied.
"Then please take your leave."
Chen Yan said flatly.
"...Yes."
Zhou Jinyun made another bow toward Chen Yan, then turned and walked toward the exit of Listening to the Waves Pavilion.
"Immortal Master Zhou, go slowly."
As Zhou Jinyun passed by Su Hongzhen, Little Su lifted his head to glance at her twice, then said to her.
Zhou Jinyun's steps paused for a moment. She turned her head and shot a glare at Su Hongzhen beside her, then continued walking forward and stepped out of the gate of Listening to the Waves Pavilion.
"..."
Sitting cross-legged nearby, Su Hongzhen frowned slightly, then looked puzzled as he reached up and scratched the back of his head.
Sitting in the courtyard, Chen Yan also rose from the stone table. He stored those two bottles of top-grade Marrow Cleansing Pills from Wind Ravine Valley into his sleeve of his plain white daoist robe, then walked toward the house.
Time to get down to business.
Now that Chen Yan's cultivation had truly reached the Body Forging Realm late-stage, if he were to cultivate normally until he reached the Qi Circulation Realm, it would probably take about two and a half months.
But with those two bottles of Marrow Cleansing Pills, it would be different.
One month would be more than enough.
As for Su Hongzhen...
Before stepping into the house, Chen Yan turned back to look at Su Hongzhen, who had just taken a Marrow Cleansing Pill a few breaths ago.
At this moment, the thirteen-year-old boy had his brows tightly furrowed. His face flushed red one moment, then turned deathly pale the next, and his muscles and bones emitted crisp cracking sounds.
"Big brother, what's happening to me?"
Su Hongzhen asked, confused.
"It's nothing. You're just about to break through to the Body Forging Realm late-stage."
The young man in plain white daoist robes said softly, then turned and stepped into the house.
If it were just about speed in breaking through to the Qi Circulation Realm, Little Su would probably be faster than him.
Chen Yan thought to himself.
...
Jiangdu Prefecture, Kang Mansion.
Kang Keyang... no, Kang Zongdan was sitting cross-legged in the gazebo at the center of the courtyard, his eyes lightly closed.
Thin strands of spiritual energy swirled around him.
And beside his knee lay the sheepskin that Protector Huang had given him, on which was recorded the fragmented Lian Ti cultivation method.
And the latter half of the "Soul-Stealing Possession" technique.
As for the first half, Kang Zongdan had already learned it sixty years ago.
A Body Forging Realm cultivator couldn't perform a technique that only cultivators at the Qi Sea Realm and above could use.
Therefore, he needed to rely on that "evil artifact," the sheepskin.
And he also needed to gather a massive number of souls to complete the possession of Kang Keyang.
In the end, Kang Zongdan succeeded.
Suddenly, a strand of spiritual energy seemed to be attracted by something and surged toward the top of Kang Zongdan's head.
Then, that strand of spiritual energy drilled in through his crown.
Kang Zongdan first felt a chill at the top of his head, then a warm current flowed through his crown and into his meridians, extremely comfortable.
What had actually entered his meridians wasn't spiritual energy, but true qi that he had refined from it.
With that first wisp of true qi flowing through his meridians, the subsequent refinement of spiritual energy became much smoother.
From that moment on, Kang Zongdan had officially stepped into the Qi Circulation Realm.
"Martial Master Kang!"
A flustered voice came from outside the Kang Mansion's gate.
Immediately after, several figures dressed in coarse linen clothing entered the mansion.
Kang Zongdan opened his eyes. As true qi began to circulate through his meridians, this nearly fifty-year-old middle-aged martial master's entire spirit and energy lifted noticeably.
"What are you here for?"
Kang Zongdan said in a deep voice.
"We're here to tidy up your mansion for you. Look at all these weeds growing here!"
The pale, thin man in the lead, dressed in coarse linen, said.
"I don't believe I hired anyone to help me clean up, did I?"
Kang Zongdan scrutinized the man standing at the front. Though he was dressed in coarse linen, no matter how he looked at him, he didn't appear to be the type for rough labor.
"Of course, you didn't hire us."
The pale, thin man said with a grin, then a flicker passed through his eyes:
"Mr. Zheng sent us."
"Meow~"
On the high wall nearby, a tabby cat sat leisurely, licking its front paw.
Only the sound of wind rustled by.