Soul Locking Soup

A Black Robe Person, leaning on a cane made of deadwood, with an extremely pale complexion, stood not far in front of Lu Xiaotian. The Black Robe Person noticed someone behind him and turned around first.

It was the Black Robe Old Man! Lu Xiaotian's hands and feet instantly turned cold. However, the old man seemed to be seriously injured; his face was even more haggard than before, and he was missing a leg. The only difference from when Lu Xiaotian left a few months ago was the addition of several black bags at his waist.

"You're still in the valley? Good, very good. Cough, cough."

The Black Robe Old Man's eyes lit up when he saw Lu Xiaotian. As he moved, his injuries flared, causing him to cough violently, and a faint trace of blood seeped from his abdomen.

"El... Elder Geng!"

Lu Xiaotian inwardly despaired. If the Black Robe Old Man discovered that only a few of the little green insects in the Cave Mansion remained after cannibalizing each other, he didn't know how furious he would become. However, seeing that the Black Robe Old Man had lost a leg, Lu Xiaotian couldn't help but take two steps back, feeling an urge to flee.

"Come back!" The Black Robe Old Man's eyes were incredibly sharp. He saw Lu Xiaotian's intention to escape at a glance and beckoned him from afar.

What is happening? Lu Xiaotian felt a surge of panic. His body was bound by an immense force, and he was involuntarily drifting toward the Black Robe Old Man.

The Black Robe Old Man pulled Lu Xiaotian close and asked, "Why are you trying to run away when you see me? Am I that scary?"

"I... I..." Lu Xiaotian stammered a few times, afraid to tell the truth.

"Never mind. You really want to learn spells, don't you? Before, I didn't want to take a disciple. But now, I'm seriously injured and probably won't last long. I still need someone to inherit my legacy. Are you willing to be my disciple?" A flicker of surprise crossed the Black Robe Old Man's face. He grabbed Lu Xiaotian's wrist and said with a pleasant expression.

"Take me as a disciple?"

Lu Xiaotian looked astonished. Before, the Black Robe Old Man only assigned him menial tasks and wouldn't even speak more than a few words to him. Now, he was saying he wanted to take him as a disciple. While he was overjoyed, a hint of doubt also lingered in his heart.

"That's right. I don't have long to live. If I don't take a disciple now, am I supposed to take all my skills to the grave with me?"

The Black Robe Old Man coughed up a few more wisps of blood. That Fourth-tier Spirit Talisman was truly potent. He had used all his might to withstand most of the attack but was still hit by two arrows. Losing a leg wasn't fatal; what truly made it difficult for him to continue was the arrow in his abdomen, which had already injured his internal organs. Let alone a cultivator at Qi Refining Great Perfection, even a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator would find it fatal without a top-grade healing Spirit Pill.

"Yes, Master, this disciple greets Master." Lu Xiaotian was overwhelmed with emotion. He never expected the Black Robe Old Man to be willing to take him as a disciple at this moment. He bowed down to perform the kowtow.

"Enough, enough. Spare me the formalities. Quickly take your master back to the Cave Mansion. My time is short. If we don't hurry, I'm afraid there won't be enough time to teach you anything." The Black Robe Old Man held Lu Xiaotian's wrist, preventing him from kowtowing.

"Yes, Master. No, but I haven't been back for nearly two days. Those Shadow Ants, I'm afraid..." Lu Xiaotian had originally planned to leave directly. However, now that the Black Robe Old Man was willing to take him as a disciple, he decided not to hide it any longer and directly admitted his mistake.

"A few Shadow Ants are nothing. We can cultivate another batch if they die. Let's go back first."

The Black Robe Old Man shook his head. Lu Xiaotian was slightly surprised. His master's attitude had changed so much.

"Then I'll carry you back, Master." Although Lu Xiaotian was surprised, he finally felt relieved, thinking that being a disciple must be different from being a Menial Laborer.

"No need. Just follow me." The Black Robe Old Man shook his head.

Before he finished speaking, Lu Xiaotian felt a gentle breeze pushing him from behind. The Black Robe Old Man tapped his cane on the ground, and they floated several feet forward, his movements incredibly agile.

Lu Xiaotian was secretly amazed. His master was truly formidable. He channeled his Method Power, and each step could only cover about half a foot. Yet, his master, despite being severely injured and missing a leg, carried him forward, covering about three feet with each step. Now that he had formally become a disciple, he felt their relationship was much closer than before, so he asked, "Master, what spell are you using? It's so powerful. Will I be able to learn it in the future?"

"You will learn it in the future, and you'll be even more powerful than me. I'm injured, don't talk." The Black Robe Old Man panted heavily and said.

Hearing his master's heavy voice, Lu Xiaotian quickly shut his mouth and remained silent.

The distance of five to six li was not far with such rapid travel. In a moment, the Cave Mansion, blocked by stones, appeared before them.

The Black Robe Old Man waved his hand, and a gust of wind blew, scattering the stones in front of the Cave Mansion. Lu Xiaotian watched in awe. Just as he was about to speak, he remembered his master's instructions and swallowed his words.

"Quick, go boil a bucket of water. Once the water is hot, pour this bottle of medicine into it." The Black Robe Old Man handed Lu Xiaotian a small medicine bottle, spitting out a mouthful of blood. The journey just now had consumed a lot of his energy, and his injuries had worsened.

Seeing that the Black Robe Old Man's injuries had reached such a severe state, Lu Xiaotian quickly nodded and followed his instructions. Water had already been prepared in the Cave Mansion. Soon, he boiled a bucket of water as the Black Robe Old Man instructed and then, as instructed, moved stones to block the entrance again.

"Heaven is not destroying me. I've finally made it in time. If I hadn't met this brat, I might have truly perished in this valley," the Black Robe Old Man sighed in relief, muttering to himself.

"Master, the Cave Mansion has been re-blocked." Lu Xiaotian said, clapping his hands.

"Mm, sit in the bucket." The Black Robe Old Man nodded and said with a kind expression.

Under the lamplight, Lu Xiaotian hesitated. He felt the Black Robe Old Man's gaze on him was a bit strange, but he couldn't pinpoint why.

"Aren't you going in?" the Black Robe Old Man urged.

He's already accepted me as a disciple, so he probably won't do anything. If I mess up, I'll just get whipped again. Lu Xiaotian thought to himself and sat in the bucket as instructed. As soon as the medicinal water touched his skin, he felt a jolt of surprise. It felt as if his pores were being sealed. Immediately after, his entire body felt as if it were being pricked by countless steel needles, causing intense pain. He cried out and instinctively tried to get up and out of the bucket.

At this moment, the Black Robe Old Man's withered fingers pressed on his forehead, rendering him immobile. Simultaneously, he let out a cackling laugh, his face turning sinister as he shrieked, "My good disciple, how do you like the taste of your master's Soul Locking Soup?"

"You... what do you want to do to me?" Lu Xiaotian didn't understand what Soul Locking Soup was. He only saw that the Black Robe Old Man in front of him had completely changed into a sinister and terrifying face. He asked with a shiver, realizing at this moment that the Black Robe Old Man's intention in taking him as a disciple was likely malicious. However, he had no idea what the old man's true plan was.