Volume 2 Chapter 8
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Volume 2 Chapter 8: Spirit Purging
"Now, can you speak?" Xu Qingfan asked casually, twiddling a vibrant flower that had appeared in his hand, seemingly unbothered by Immortal Master Li’s earlier sneak attack.
Faced with the provocation of a three-year-old child, some might get angry, but Xu Qingfan prided himself on his tolerance. Though Immortal Master Li seemed almighty to ordinary people as a cultivator, to Xu Qingfan, with his late stage of the Qi Refining Stage abilities, he was akin to a three-year-old child.
"Your cultivation is quite impressive, defeating my ‘Spirit Control Object’ so effortlessly." Seeing Xu Qingfan suddenly appear in front of him, cold sweat trickled down Immortal Master Li’s face as he forced a smile despite his pale demeanor.
"Not bad," Xu Qingfan replied calmly. "You should first tell me about your background."
Seeing Xu Qingfan’s calm expression, unaffected by his words, Immortal Master Li grew more anxious and forced a smile, saying, "Can’t you, as a fellow cultivator, let me go this time?"
"Why don’t you start by telling us about your background? How did you learn the cultivation method of the Spirit Purging Cult?" Xu Qingfan asked calmly.
As Xu Qingfan was speaking, a dark green venomous snake suddenly sprang from Immortal Master Li’s broad robe, shooting towards Xu Qingfan like an arrow. In mid-air, the snake opened its mouth, its four fangs glinting coldly in the moonlight.
"Hmph…!" Xu Qingfan frowned slightly but showed no other emotion. He raised his hand, and the brilliant flower he had been playing with shot rapidly towards the oncoming snake.
Upon collision, there was a loud explosion, and the dark green snake was blasted into pieces, flying backward and landing on the ground far away.
After the smoke cleared, Immortal Master Li was seen lying heavily on the ground, his face even paler from the shockwave of the explosion. Meanwhile, Xu Qingfan stood quietly in place, seemingly unaffected by the violent explosion.
"If you don’t behave, next time this flower will hit you instead. Remember, human patience has its limits," Xu Qingfan said softly, creating another Explosive Flame Flower between his fingers, looking calmly at the fallen Immortal Master Li.
Overwhelmed by Xu Qingfan’s absolute power, Immortal Master Li had no choice but to surrender.
As Immortal Master Li slowly recounted his experiences, Xu Qingfan finally learned the origins of the man before him.
It turned out that Immortal Master Li was once a novice monk in an obscure temple. Though he had taken vows, his worldly desires remained. One night, forty years ago, he attempted to steal from the temple’s ancestral tomb, hoping to find ancient items to sell for money. During that grave robbery, he discovered a fragment of the Spirit Purging Sutra.
Astonished, Immortal Master Li began practicing the secret methods described in the "Spirit Purging Sutra." However, this sutra was only a fragmented piece, and Immortal Master Li’s talent wasn’t exceptional. Thus, he only reached the late stage of the Qi Refining Stage. Two years ago, feeling his skills had somewhat improved and lacking materials in the temple to create a "Spirit Control Object," he descended the mountain to seek opportunities. It was then he met Zhang Hai and his son and noticed the wealth of the Zhang family. He devised a plan for Zhang Hai to become the master of the Zhang family, deceiving him by claiming he knew a method to refine the "Gold Transforming Worm," which could turn stones into gold, tricking Zhang Hai into gathering materials to refine the "Six-winged Golden Beetle."
Hearing Immortal Master Li’s description, Xu Qingfan suddenly understood why Immortal Master Li, despite knowing some cultivation methods from the "Spirit Purging Sutra," was unaware of the Spirit Purging Cult. He even made the error of refining multiple "Spirit Control Objects" at once. If Immortal Master Li had focused on refining just one "Spirit Control Object," he still wouldn’t be a match for Xu Qingfan, but he would have been much more challenging to deal with.
After listening to Immortal Master Li’s account, Xu Qingfan felt a slight stirring in his heart and asked, "Do you still have the fragmented piece of the ‘Spirit Purging Sutra’ with you?"
Upon Xu Qingfan’s question, Immortal Master Li’s eyes lit up slightly, as if he understood Xu Qingfan’s thoughts. His face regained some color, and he said, "I have hidden the ‘Spirit Purging Sutra’ in a very secretive place. But you, taoist friend, have witnessed its power; it is indeed remarkable, capable of transforming all things in heaven and earth for personal use. If you, taoist friend, spare me, I will gladly hand it over. The place where the ‘Spirit Purging Sutra’ is hidden is extremely secretive, and I am the only one who knows it."
Hearing Immortal Master Li’s words, Xu Qingfan frowned slightly and said calmly, "Using Taoist techniques to harm people is unforgivable, so it is necessary to strip you of your spiritual power. However, I can guarantee your life will not be in danger."
Hearing Xu Qingfan’s words, Immortal Master Li’s expression became slightly firm, and he said, "If you, taoist friend, refuse to spare me this time, I cannot reveal the location where the ‘Spirit Purging Sutra’ is hidden."
Seeing Immortal Master Li’s firm attitude after regaining some confidence, Xu Qingfan wasn’t in a hurry. He simply smiled slightly and softly asked, "Do you know that in the cultivation world there is a technique called ‘Heart Search Technique’?"
"No, I don’t." Immortal Master Li shook his head blankly, already faintly guessing Xu Qingfan’s next words, and his face grew even paler.
"’Heart Search Technique’ is a Taoist spell commonly used by high-level cultivators to interrogate lower-level cultivators. This spell allows the high-level cultivator to clearly obtain the memories of the lower-level cultivator," Xu Qingfan said serenely, paying no attention to Immortal Master Li’s increasingly pale expression. "However, this Taoist spell has a major drawback: the lower-level cultivator’s mind and spirit suffer tremendous damage after being subjected to the ‘Heart Search Technique.’ But maybe you’ll get lucky. Perhaps after I use the ‘Heart Search Technique’ on you, nothing adverse will happen. Would you like to try?"
Hearing Xu Qingfan’s faint smile as he spoke, Immortal Master Li, having lost his final hope, collapsed to the ground, unable to utter another word.
Seeing the hollow despair in Immortal Master Li’s eyes, a slight smile appeared on the corner of Xu Qingfan’s mouth. He knew his earlier lies had completely shattered the final defense within Immortal Master Li’s heart.
The "Heart Search Technique" is naturally found in the cultivation world, but it requires at least the skill of the Condensed Core Stage to perform, which Xu Qingfan’s current abilities are still far from sufficient. Moreover, with Xu Qingfan’s nature, even if he had this ability, he wouldn’t have the heart to use such a cruel technique.
…
The secret hiding place known only to Immortal Master Li was actually within his own robe.
Immortal Master Li’s "Spirit Purging Sutra" was even more worn than Lu Huayan’s "The Formula of Wither and Flourish" had been; its pages, tinted with an ancient yellow from the ravages of time, seemed to crumble at a touch. It bore many worm-eaten marks, making it look battered, and the last few pages were completely missing, as if someone had torn them out. Judging by the tear, it was done a very long time ago, clearly not by Immortal Master Li.
However, even though it was just a fragment, Xu Qingfan was quite satisfied. It was said that the "Spirit Purging Sutra" was a method of refining and enhancing other objects before assimilating them, thus offering great power and lessening the talent requirement for the practitioner. Xu Qingfan knew that, given his aptitude, unless something unexpected happened, his greatest achievement in this life would likely stop at the late stage of the Lingji Stage. Perhaps this "Spirit Purging Sutra" might provide him with another path.
"Is this what they call a legendary chance?" Xu Qingfan thought quietly to himself, looking at the partial "Spirit Purging Sutra" in his hand.
However, Xu Qingfan decided not to practice the "Spirit Purging Sutra" for now. Cultivating in the cultivation world is not something that can be done carelessly, as different attributes and philosophies can often lead to conflicts. Lu Huayan had died from Qi deviation for forcibly practicing "The Formula of Wither and Flourish," and Xu Qingfan would never forget that.
"Taoist friend, you promised to spare my life after I gave you the ‘Spirit Purging Sutra.’" At this moment, Immortal Master Li’s somewhat panicked voice interrupted Xu Qingfan’s thoughts.
Seeing Immortal Master Li’s face full of despair and fear, Xu Qingfan nodded and said, "Of course, I always keep my word."
As he spoke, a tender green Blade Grass suddenly formed at Xu Qingfan’s fingertip, piercing Immortal Master Li’s "Spiritual Sea Acupuncture Point" before he could react, instantly destroying his cultivation.
With a scream of agony, Immortal Master Li’s face instantly aged. The previously glowing face became covered with wrinkles, and the once thick and neatly arranged white hair thinned significantly in a short time, transforming him into a worn-out old man.
After seeing Immortal Master Li’s appearance, Xu Qingfan shook his head slightly. People are like this, knowing that losing their cultivation drastically shortens their lifespan. Even if they survive, they won’t live long, yet still choose to cling to life. Only a few have the courage to face death.
After sighing for a moment, Xu Qingfan turned his attention to Zhang Hai and his son, who were huddled in the corner in fear.
Seeing Xu Qingfan’s gaze fall on them, Zhang Hai and his son had no choice but to approach Xu Qingfan uneasily. They fearfully said, "Umm… Immortal Master, we father and son haven’t done anything wrong. We were merely deceived by this evil taoist into helping him collect materials. We didn’t know he was causing harm to the world. Fortunately, Immortal Master, your wisdom unveiled his deceitful facade. We both thank you immensely."
Saying this, Zhang Hai and Zhang Hu bowed deeply to Xu Qingfan, expressing relief as if a long-held grudge had been finally settled.
Observing Zhang Hai’s eagerness to distance himself from Immortal Master Li and recalling his previous reverence towards him, a flicker of disdain crossed Xu Qingfan’s eyes. Yet he calmly said, "Rest assured, I will not harm ordinary people."
"That’s good, I knew that the Immortal Master is as open-hearted as the sea and wouldn’t mind us mere mortals," said Zhang Hai with a relieved smile after hearing Xu Qingfan’s words, flattering him. Zhang Hu quickly agreed from the side.
But Xu Qingfan paid no attention to their flattery, pointed at them, and shouted softly, "Freeze!"
With Xu Qingfan’s command, Zhang Hai and his son were horrified to find they could no longer move. While Zhang Hai cried out in terror, Zhang Hu remained calm and asked, "Immortal Master, what do you mean by this? Didn’t you say you wouldn’t harm mortals?"
"Even though I won’t harm mortals, your acts of greed and murder are true. I will have Zhang Long report you to the authorities. To prevent your escape before that, I am using some necessary means," Xu Qingfan said calmly.
After speaking, Zhang Hai and his son realized that Xu Qingfan, who had been standing in front of them, suddenly vanished along with the previously lifeless Immortal Master Li. Only a faint sentence echoed in the room.
"Turning stone into gold? There’s no such good fortune in this world. It’s good to have dreams, but don’t have delusions. Don’t let them cloud your judgment or lead you to commit unforgivable acts. Remember, what you do is always watched by the heavens."