In the warmth of a room filled with a strange milky fragrance, Master Xiao, who once fiercely battled the Beautiful Corpse Bodhisattva, now wore a look of astonishment, uncommonly losing her composure a bit.
Tao Qian completely understood Master Xiao's thoughts at the moment, for the sinister plan she revealed was utterly beyond belief.
Therefore, Tao Qian did not respond further but instead took a step back and pointed to Hong Youhu, whose life and death were not his own, saying, "Master, please cast your spell; within his Divine Soul, there may be more secrets."
In fact, before Tao Qian even spoke, Master Xiao had already taken action.
With just a thought, the 'meatball-like' Hong Youhu began to float up; the merciless Master Xiao, devoid of any gentleness and filled only with killing intent, touched a point on his forehead.
"Infant Spirits Soul-searching Technique!"
The familiar name of a Divine Skill came from Master Xiao's mouth.
Tao Qian had once seen the Immortal Infant Tong Dudu use this technique, but at that time, it could only capture some minor Evil Cultivators.
Now, Tao Qian saw the true power of this method.
Hong Youhu, who was restrained, woke up in an instant, but he couldn't do anything before a pair of brutal hands seemed to invade the inside of his soul, tearing it into many fragments.
Irrelevant memories dissipated into nothingness, while memories related to the conspiracy transformed suddenly into vivid and detailed scenes, instantly filling the room.
Even the dialogues in these scenes were revealed, more detailed and closer to the nature of the conspiracy than the Extraordinary Perception Tao Qian had triggered.
Tao Qian and Master Xiao began to watch and listen simultaneously.
The more they saw and heard, the angrier and more astonished Master Xiao's expression became.
Tao Qian, on the other hand, appeared as if his eyes were opened to new sights; after witnessing phenomena in the Cultivation World like "Ghost Country's Royal Marriage," he now saw some cultivators' cold and brutal pursuit of their interests.
Of these, what most caught Tao Qian's attention were naturally the two main culprits:
The Governor of Southern Yue, Ji Xianxian, who was also the popular favorited concubine "Concubine Ji's" brother and the Third Prince's uncle and a Sealed Territory Governor leading hundreds of thousands of modified troops capable of slaughtering Immortal Gods.
The Mysterious Saint, Qin Wuxiang, Ji Xianxian's current strategist, who had also handed the peculiar Great Lifebook Scripture to the former to gain absolute trust. Even in Hong Youhu's memory, Ji Xianxian was actually controlled by Qin Wuxiang, and all plans were orchestrated by him.
The former had an unexpectedly ordinary appearance, even somewhat short and unattractive, but a pair of dark, hawk-like eyes left a deep impression on Tao Qian.
As for Qin Wuxiang, his face was unseen; even in the memories of his loyal subordinates, he constantly wore a bronze mask that blocked all prying eyes, merely revealing a vague figure of a young man with an upright posture and an extraordinary air about him.
"Collaborating with the Devil God Army... to nurture reputation and foster strength from within chaos, causing great turmoil throughout Southern Yue, and millions of common people suffering disasters, all to restore the long-lost Great Lifebook Scripture 'Emperor's Shocking Book'... So that's how it is, Ji Xianxian with his wolfish ambitions, coaxing that fool Third Prince to join the Ten Thousand Infant Sect, just to lull us."
"This guy's real aim is to monopolize Southern Yue, using it as a base in chaotic times, and to compete with other Sealed Territory Governors and the Chaotic Army Demon Party."
"Where did that young devil Qin Wuxiang emerge from, a Saint of a mysterious sect... Joining the mortal world with other Saints, picking individuals with Dragon Qi to train as Emperors? Which sect in the Cultivation World possesses such ambition and strength?"
Before Tao Qian could summarize for himself, Master Xiao, who had watched all the conspiratorial scenes in Hong Youhu's Divine Soul, couldn't help but mutter to herself, summing it up roughly.
Although there were still many secrets unknown.
For instance, the specific details of the cooperation with the Devil God Army, the specific roles of the Beautiful Corpse Bodhisattvas, and the origins of the mysterious Qin Wuxiang, among others.
Nevertheless, it was enough for Master Xiao to see clearly the source of the current chaos in Southern Yue.
The next moment, she saw Master Xiao raise her hand to collect.
All the scenes in the room transformed into a small orb of light and fell into her jade hand.
With this "evidence," Master Xiao's expression did not improve much.
Although Tao Qian, with his low Cultivation Realm, could not intervene in such high-level contention, it did not take much thought for him to reach a conclusion: Ji Xianxian's collusion with the Devil God Army had thrown Southern Yue into total chaos, and the Ten Thousand Infant Sect had completely lost the initiative. Unless the Ten Thousand Infant Sect possessed the power to annihilate those two forces, they could only temporarily swallow this bitter fruit.
Of course, all this was temporarily irrelevant to Tao Qian.
He, relying on his abnormal soul, accidentally glimpsed this conspiracy, and by passing it to Master Xiao, had already exerted great effort.
Master Xiao thought the same.
After putting away the evidence, her expression softened slightly, and with an unusually serious look, she turned to Tao Qian again.
There was a rare eagerness in her eyes, but ultimately it turned into regret.
"You, junior, are indeed peculiar. You have good talent and it seems your chances and fortune are also extraordinary."
"It's a pity your Dao Heart is already firm; indeed, there is no fate between us as master and disciple."
"I am aware of your plans, but unfortunately, I cannot inform you of the location of the Spirit Treasure Sect Mountain Gate, nor can I directly send you away from Southern Yue."
"As for why I cannot? Once you advance to the Qi Refining Realm through the Sublime Dharma, you will naturally know the reason."
"However, you have indeed accomplished much merit and have greatly aided me, so it would not be right for me to be too stingy."
"Thus, I give you two choices: one is to gift you a powerful Magical Treasure that can slay those in the Foundation Establishment and even the Transcend Mortality Realm; the other is to provide you with an excellent and absolutely safe place for seclusion, which can allow you to quickly enter the Qi Refining Realm."
As soon as Master Xiao's words fell, Tao Qian smiled and made his choice.
Had it been another cultivator, most would have chosen the first option.
But Tao Qian did not even hesitate, firmly saying, "Return to Master, Tao Qian wishes to enter the Qi Refining Realm this time."
Hearing this, Master Xiao seemed to have anticipated it, and she gently smiled, extending her slender jade fingers into her bosom.
When he re-emerged, he was holding a smooth oval stone, egg-shaped and emanating an extraordinary aura.
Before Tao Qian could express his confusion, he heard Master Xiao say,
"This is the 'Infant Mother Fetus Stone,' a unique treasure of the Ten Thousand Infant Sect."
"After you obtain it, you can visualize a peaceful place of your own, imprint it inside this stone, and then throw the stone. The stone will give birth to the place you envisioned, merging it with reality. In the face of this illusory and real blend, even cultivators of the Cavernous Mystery Realm won't detect it immediately. If combined with the Infant Mother Origin Pearl I gave you earlier, you should be able to enter the Qi Refining Realm within half a month."
"If you seek perfection, it is best to first find a pre-existing place to visualize. Just make sure never to choose a location within Seeking Immortal County where there are crowds, to avoid mortals accidentally entering your cultivation site."
"This treasure can only be used once, and its effect lasts for thirty days."
"How to use it, you must consider for yourself."
During these words, accompanied by a soft, warm touch, Tao Qian found the smooth stone already in his hand.
Simultaneously, he and the two youngsters were ushered out of the warm room by a sweep of Master Xiao's sleeve.
The last thing he heard was a piece of advice, "This master is in urgent need to return to the Mountain Gate, hence I will not keep you any longer. The chaotic era is approaching, and your Tao heart is quite robust. Your nature is different from those cultivators who cultivate without compassion or humanity. I hope that on the day you attain Dao, you will not perish halfway."
The next morning, dawn had not yet broken.
Tao Qian officially closed Chengyou Bookstore and said goodbye to the shop owners Jia Qiang and Li Sanyu, as they took their families on separate paths.
The two shop owners were taking their families on an early morning ferry to Southern Yue Province to seek refuge with relatives.
Initially, when Seeking Immortal County was sealed off by the Demon Suppression Army during the "Human-faced Worm Disaster," no one could leave, but after Xiao Meiniang led a group of righteous experts to a triumphant second raid on Iron Buddha Temple, the blockade was lifted.
Although Seeking Immortal County seemed safe now,
anyone with connections was trying to evacuate, mostly heading to the provincial city.
Especially after hearing that various areas in Southern Yue had fallen into chaos and even into the hands of the Chaotic Army Demon Party, many wealthy families rushed to relocate to the provincial city.
Everyone knew that other areas in Southern Yue might face great disasters, but the provincial city was mostly safe.
Tao Qian knew internal conspiracies but was powerless to determine the safest place within Southern Yue.
From Hong Youhu's memories, it could be known that the entirety of Southern Yue would fall into chaos and face great disasters. Only Seeking Immortal County and the provincial city, due to their different utilities, should maintain some order of peace before the final battle began.
As for what would happen to the provincial city after the final battle?
Even Tao Qian couldn't guess. He also couldn't offer better advice, such as fleeing to other major provinces—who else knew if other major provinces didn't harbor conspirators or brutal great demons like Ji Xianxian, Qin Wuxiang, Tang Xianzong, and Beautiful Corpse Bodhisattva?
"The chaotic era is impending. Not just this large province of Southern Yue will soon be void of peace."
"According to those loose cultivators who travel far and wide, even the territories of the Imperial City are filled with strange happenings and frequent disasters."
"Who knows how long the Longevity Heavenly Dynasty can last? But everyone knows, there aren't many good years left."
As he pondered these, Tao Qian, leading Little Age and Lian Jing'er, arrived in the mountains outside Seeking Immortal County.
He avoided both populous areas and places teeming with demons, continuously scanning for the most suitable place to seclude himself in cultivation.
Initially, his goal was the old place, Tiger Worry Gully.
However, as they approached, the three realized that the territory had truly been occupied by a nest of tiger demons and a "Jiao Demon" that had mutated from a human cultivator. The two groups seemed to have conflicts and frequently fought, causing quite an uproar.
With no other choice, Tao Qian had to lead the two youngsters elsewhere.
Because they needed to avoid both human and demon presence, their options were indeed very limited.
The wealthy families in Seeking Immortal City were fleeing, but the people from surrounding counties and towns believed this area had just defeated demons and had a large military presence, so it was extremely safe. Thus, they moved their families here to take refuge.
The roads and official roads in the mountains were teeming with people, bustling with activity.
In the wilderness of the mountains, due to the "Summoning Demons Order" issued by Beautiful Corpse Bodhisattva, often came evil cultivators, magicians, and various kinds of demons, employing all sorts of divine skills.
Tao Qian and the two youngsters nearly got discovered several times.
Tao Qian originally wanted to use the soft jade given to him by Master Xiao earlier, which could continuously wield the Small Innate Nascent Soul Escape Technique and head deeper into the mountains. However, that was risky. After all, from Hong Youhu's memories, he knew that Tang Xianzong's Devil God Army was hidden among those endless mountains.
What if, by great coincidence, Tao Qian and the two little ones ran straight into the Devil God Army?
Would they survive? Probably not.
Just as Tao Qian's thoughts drifted, his gaze inadvertently glanced over, and the sight he caught made him stop in his tracks.
It was a hidden area, quite inconspicuous—a not very tall mountain distanced from Seeking Immortal County and even further from Iron Buddha Temple. Within a hundred miles, there was only a village long abandoned and uninhabited.
A stream flowed out from the mountain, narrow at first but gradually widening, with no cluttered trees on either bank, just patches of peach blossom forests, fresh grass, and falling blossoms.
A burst of spiritual light suddenly surged up, irresistibly occupying Tao Qian's mind.
Even in his mind, there appeared chanting voices from his previous life.
"The most suitable place for Tao Qian to visualize and cultivate in seclusion seems to have been found."
Tao Qian suddenly smiled slightly and declared resolutely.
ps: This chapter should be worth a monthly ticket, brothers and sisters.