Far away on Nine Yin Mountain, Su Changqing had no idea what his own sect was up to.
He knew even less that a Divine Ability he had suddenly thought to test had caused such an enormous disturbance that people mistook it for a Heavenly Treasure descending from the heavens, and the news had reached his sect, creating a ridiculous misunderstanding.
At that moment, he was making his way toward the heart of Nine Yin Mountain's mountain range.
When he entered a dense forest, he found it strangely quiet, even though a place like this ought to have been crawling with demonic beasts.
Faced with such a situation, he instinctively sensed that something was very wrong here.
Always cautious, he naturally trusted that instinct. He immediately used the Heaven Concealment Method, hiding himself among the lush branches as even his spiritual energy fluctuations gradually faded away.
The Heaven Concealing Art, improved through Unrivaled Insight, had become an ultimate concealment technique.
Even when wielded by Su Changqing, who was merely at the ninth layer of Qi Refinement, an expert in the Nascent Soul Realm might fail to discover him unless they searched with complete focus. Ordinary cultivators in the Foundation Establishment Realm or Core Formation Realm had no chance of detecting his presence.
More remarkably, if the Heaven Concealing Art were cultivated to its pinnacle, it could truly conceal one from the heavens and vanish without a trace, to the point that even the Heavenly Dao could not perceive one's existence.
After using the Heaven Concealing Art, Su Changqing cautiously moved through the treetops. After traveling for quite some time, he finally heard two voices.
And those two voices did not belong to demonic beasts, but to actual people!
"I can't walk anymore. Let's rest for a while!"
One person said.
"No! If the sect master finds out that the two of us were slacking off, he definitely won't spare us!"
The other replied.
"You really don't know how to use your head. If you don't say anything and I don't say anything, who would know we were slacking off? Go on if you want. I'm resting."
"Ugh!"
The two went back and forth for a while before finally stopping.
Seizing the opportunity, Su Changqing stealthily approached through the branches. Only when he drew near did he make out the features of the two people speaking.
Both wore black, with black masks covering their faces and concealing their appearances. They did not look like good people.
Demonic Cult members?
Su Changqing frowned slightly. There was no need to think too hard about it. With such bizarre attire, the two were most likely members of the Demonic Cult. However, they appeared to be ordinary disciples, each only around the seventh or eighth layer of Qi Refinement.
But why would Demonic Cult members appear here?
As Su Changqing watched them, he silently pondered the question. It became the thing he was most curious about.
The two leaned against a tree and sat down. As they talked, they quickly gave him the answer and dispelled his doubts.
"Do you think this damned place really has an Ancient Fierce Beast, the Kui Ox?"
One of them asked.
"How would I know? The big shots in the sect said the Kui Ox appears in this place and sent so many of us here to find it. Then it must be here. What, were you planning not to come?"
The other answered.
Kui Ox?
Hidden among the branches, Su Changqing immediately recalled the Ancient Fierce Beast Kui Ox described in the story. It emerged once every three thousand years and possessed incomparably terrifying strength.
The Ghost King Sect's master, the Ghost King, had subdued it with the Dragon Subduing Cauldron and intended to use it to complete the Four Spirits Array. After the righteous factions stopped him, the Kui Ox flew into a rage, becoming impossible for anyone to oppose. In the end, Zhang Xiaofan revealed his might before all and sealed it away.
Why would the Kui Ox appear on Nine Yin Mountain?
Su Changqing furrowed his brows, unsure whether he should feel glad or miserable. He had finally left the mountain to search for the Desolate Orchid Water Lily, only to encounter this group from the Demonic Cult—and now the Kui Ox as well.
With his current Cultivation Level, he was definitely no match for either of them.
But with the Heaven Concealing Art to aid him, Su Changqing decided to take a risk and investigate exactly why these Demonic Cult members had come looking for the Kui Ox.
After resting for only a short while, the two rose again and headed deeper into the mountains. Su Changqing moved through the branches, closely following behind them.
Sure enough, the farther inward they went, the more Demonic Cult members he saw. Though all wore black, the decorations on their robes differed. Su Changqing soon realized that this was not the work of a single Demonic Cult sect, but a joint operation by several such sects.
As the number of people grew, Su Changqing could not stay too close to the front. He could only gradually widen the distance and wait for another opportunity.
Suddenly, Su Changqing saw a Demonic Cult disciple leave the group and head into the forest.
There it is!
Seeing the opportunity, Su Changqing decided to take a risk and hurriedly followed.
"Urinating wherever you please. Really uncivilized."
The Demonic Cult disciple who had left the group was relieving himself beneath a tree. Su Changqing immediately leaped down from the tree, smiled faintly, and spoke to him.
"Who are you?!"
Startled by Su Changqing's sudden appearance, the Demonic Cult disciple jolted. Seeing Su Changqing dressed in white, he knew at once that Su Changqing was not a fellow member of the demonic path.
He was just about to shout for help when Su Changqing's gaze sharpened. The longsword in his hand flashed with white light and slashed out, cutting his throat with a single strike.
Before he could even shout, "Someone, help!" his eyes widened as he collapsed. Until the moment he died, he could not understand how relieving himself in the open had cost him his life.
Su Changqing stepped forward, stripped off his clothes, cleansed them with spiritual energy, and put them on himself.
Fortunately, he had carefully selected this unlucky victim. Their builds were not too different, and the Demonic Cult disciple's black robes fit him perfectly.
This Demonic Cult disciple had only been at the fourth layer of Qi Refinement. With the Heaven Concealing Art, Su Changqing could disguise his Cultivation Level as the fourth layer of Qi Refinement. Together with the mask concealing his face, he was confident no one would discover him.
Now, Su Changqing had gained the identity of a "Demonic Cult disciple." With that identity as cover, he could blend into the Demonic Cult's ranks and obtain more information.
"Old Chong, what the hell were you doing? Why did taking a piss take so long?"
After Su Changqing emerged from the woods, someone immediately came over, patted his shoulder, and complained.
"It was a big one."
Su Changqing smiled awkwardly and answered in the same manner these Demonic Cult members spoke.
"Enough, enough. Hurry up! The sect master is already waiting for us ahead. If we're late, we'll be in for it."
Sure enough, with several layers of concealment in place, the man truly did not notice that his companion had been replaced. He dragged Su Changqing toward a cave, while the dozens of Demonic Cult disciples nearby also failed to notice anything unusual about "Old Chong."
Su Changqing remained exceedingly cautious. He spoke as little as possible while silently surveying the surrounding environment.
Before you continue