Ge Huolang had subdued Fei Zhong in the blink of an eye, using deception and a sneak attack.
Of course, even in a fair one-on-one fight, the greedy, treacherous Fat Monster would not have been a match for Ge Xian.
He simply didn't want to alert anyone or waste much effort, so he'd resorted to trickery.
Unlike Fox Woman Qiu Niang, Fei Zhong had little value to him. Ge Xian couldn't be bothered to go to the trouble of hypnotizing and controlling him, and he didn't want to lug around dead weight. So he directly used the demon art Soul Searching, brutally churning the man's brain to mush and extracting all the useful memories.
As it turned out, he'd even stumbled upon an unexpected gain.
First, Fei Zhong's Fat Monster bloodline, combined with the Pot Heaven Technique, could produce a powerful demon art. It could devour large numbers of flesh-and-blood creatures and refine them into "grease," which could be stored in a pot and released against enemies. In an instant, the grease could flood an entire area, trapping any enemy caught in it so they couldn't move, while the grease corroded and melted them.
This demon art was truly underhanded, perfect for ambushing enemies.
Ge Xian had always cultivated with the principle of wasting nothing. Almost without hesitation, he ordered Fei Zhong to "refine himself."
Amid a gurgling sound, the hill-sized heap of marbled fat before him turned into thick, yellow grease in the blink of an eye. With a splash, it flowed into a jade pot.
A strange artifact had been forged!
Watching this happen with his own eyes, Ge Huolang tucked the oil pot into the Hidden Treasure Pouch and marveled:
"Looks like the many Evil Spirits and Strange Objects in this world might not all have come about by accident."
"Quite a few of them must have been refined this way, right?"
"If I run into a troublesome enemy later, I can bring out this oil pot. Even if it can't kill them, it'll disgust them thoroughly. Wonderful."
Acquiring a new strange artifact made Ge Xian happy for a moment.
Then he fell into thought again.
It was because of the second thing he'd learned from Fei Zhong's memories.
The Myriad Laws Soul Searching Department!
Now he understood why that old greaseball Fei Zhong had turned down a position in the Political Investigation Department and would rather forgo a promotion than join this new bureau.
"The Dayuan Dynasty's current prime minister, Tuotuo, is a Manifestation Realm expert. He can even summon the spirit god he worships, the Myriad Laws Celestial Pivot Prime Minister, who is said to possess all knowledge."
"He saw that Dayuan was showing signs of collapse and had reached the end of its reign. Even the Myriad Laws Sect's spirit gods were placing their bets everywhere, trying to support a new dynasty."
"To save the Imperial Court, Tuotuo decided to spend a tenth of the national treasury's resources establishing a new bureau: the Myriad Laws Soul Searching Department."
"Besides the Inner Territories, which are directly administered by the Central Secretariat, the Dayuan Dynasty has Ten Great Provinces, with one department established in each."
"It has enormous authority. Not only can it inspect and control local jurisdictions, it also has some power to mobilize troops. The Soul Searching Department Chief Envoy and deputy envoy can report directly to the Imperial Ear, sending petitions straight to Tuotuo, and even to the emperor."
"More importantly, the department will also be responsible for containing and subduing the Evil Spirits and Strange Objects, Demonic Creatures, and other monsters causing havoc across the land. It also has the authority to make recommendations to the Imperial Court and the Myriad Laws Sect about enfeoffing new spirit gods."
"Search the supernatural world to its limits! Enfeoff spirit gods! Thus, it is called the Myriad Laws Soul Searching Department."
As these secrets came to light, Ge Xian could almost hear his own heart stir.
He was still a peddler.
But there were no fewer than four places that suited him and offered broad prospects.
At first, he'd been weighing which Rebel Army was most worth joining. By comparison, Zhu Hongwu had been far ahead.
But now the question was open again.
"The Dayuan Dynasty is too deeply entrenched in its decline to be saved. It's bound to fall."
"But judging by the current situation, even if the rebels bring down the dynasty and establish a new one, it'll take at least a decade or more."
"In other words, a bureau with as much power as the Myriad Laws Soul Searching Department can still rake in riches for at least seven or eight years. This is the Dayuan Dynasty's last struggle, after all. The resources it can bring to bear are far beyond what other bureaus or the various Rebel Armies can match."
"If I could worm my way in and secure a good position, wouldn't that be..."
"Especially since I've already earned the favor of Bai Fugui, a top-tier second-generation heiress. According to Fei Zhong's memories, she should be able to use her status and Auspicious Beast bloodline to become the deputy envoy of the Jiangzhe Province Soul Searching Department."
"If I follow her and become a clerk or a warehouse guard, that wouldn't be asking too much, would it?"
As he mulled it over, Ge Xian could already picture himself guarding the Soul Searching Department's treasury.
On the one hand, he'd embezzle, line his own pockets, deceive his superiors, and turn public wealth into private gain.
On the other, he'd wait until the time was ripe, then plunder the treasury clean before joining Zhu Hongwu. By then, his cultivation would be impressive, and he could either maneuver among the powers or live free and easy. Either was possible.
A splendid "career plan" appeared in his mind. This fellow was far bolder than Fei Zhong, who'd only wanted to lie low and pilfer a little.
But just as he was dreaming big, the cool, clear voice rang out once more from Sunset Mountain:
"Fellow cultivators, the Martial Arts Competition for Marriage has temporarily concluded."
"The Eight-armed Buddha Master Xuanxin, Immortal Guye, and the Ming Cult Young Sect Master Zhang Shenji have all defeated my daughter."
"Master Xuanxin has no interest in women and has therefore withdrawn. My daughter herself doesn't know whether to choose Immortal Guye or young Zhang Shenji, so we'll put it off for now and let the three of them decide among themselves."
"Next is the Guǐ Wǔ Tournament. I invite all fellow cultivators to speak freely and demonstrate every kind of martial art."
"Also, I ask that cultivators who do not practice martial arts leave Sunset Mountain."
"It's not that Li Wa is stingy with the Mortal Transformation Secret Technique. It's that the technique has a peculiar power. It greatly benefits martial cultivators who hear it, but obstructs the Dao Path of cultivators from other lineages, provoking Inner Demons and reviving Vicious Habits. To avoid creating evil karma, please leave the mountain at once."
"In one hour!"
"Li Wa will demonstrate the Mortal Transformation Secret Technique and help the senior cultivators among you enter the Mortal Transformation Realm."
Her words stirred up quite a commotion.
There were indeed quite a few cultivators of other lineages mixed in on Sunset Mountain.
They'd been enjoying the spectacle and were looking forward to hearing the so-called secret technique, only to be suddenly driven down the mountain.
Naturally, they were unwilling and started making a scene.
Unfortunately, there were very few of them, and they had no grounds to argue. They were all low-ranking cultivators from minor lineages; not a single one belonged to the Myriad Laws Sect or any of the great Holy Lands. Before long, the frenzied Guǐ Wǔ Cultivators drove them down the mountain amid a storm of curses.
At the sound of Li Wa's voice, Ge Xian shuddered.
"It's here!"
He cursed inwardly, then quietly made his way toward a spot he'd chosen earlier.
Not down the mountain, but up on it.
The Dragon Transformation Technique wasn't as simple as diving into a river and getting started.
He had to choose the lay of the land and the flow of the water, then seize the momentum, Call Wind Summon Rain, and raise the waves. Only then could he transform from a river dragon into a true dragon and ride the surging waters all the way to the sea.
If he started halfway along some random stretch, the waves would die down and the clouds would disperse. The river dragon would perish, and the dragon would lose its form.
Several mountain streams already converged on Sunset Mountain, cascading into waterfalls and tributaries that flowed into the Qiantang River. Ge Xian soon found a hidden cliff. If anything looked wrong, he could leap straight into a tributary and build momentum to transform into a dragon.
After hiding himself, Ge Xian didn't waste a moment. He took out the Immortal Lord Yinglong Scroll.
Without a second's hesitation, he turned straight to the Visualization Diagram.
He didn't dare wait until the last moment to look at it. Cramming at the last minute didn't work that way.
Now he'd gathered his mind and spirit. Even if the Visualization Diagram caused some kind of change in him, his innate will could suppress it temporarily and buy him time to react.
Ge Xian had expected to see an ancient painting of the legendary Yinglong Spirit God.
But strangely, there was nothing of the sort.
Instead, he saw a mass of shifting, murky Spirit Mist, without color or form, shadow or body.
No matter how hard he looked, he gained nothing.
"How am I supposed to visualize this?"
"Could it be that I have to..."
Ge Xian quickly guessed the reason: he was currently in a human body.
To visualize Yinglong, he had to look with a dragon's body.
Understanding came in an instant. Ge Xian still didn't manifest the Evil Dragon Manifestation. Instead, he simply started reading from the beginning.
The scroll wasn't complicated. It took him only a few dozen breaths to read the whole thing.
Not only did he completely learn the Water Summoning Incantation and Mist Summoning Incantation he'd glimpsed earlier, he also made a new discovery.
It left him both delighted and regretful.
"Sure enough, one of the dragon race's most powerful spirit gods lives up to its reputation. This Immortal Lord Yinglong Scroll is probably no less rare than the Candle Dragon Scroll Shi Er mentioned earlier. It far surpasses the superior Visualization Methods for other dragons, such as the Azure Dragon, Coiled Dragon, and Yellow Dragon—not to mention the middle- and lower-grade methods."
"That's right. Visualization Methods are divided into grades, too."
"Training with different Visualization Methods leads to vastly different lengths of the Dao Path, depths of foundations, and strengths of divine abilities. The difference is as great as heaven and earth. Take the Dragon Transformation Chapter from earlier, for instance. Very few dragon cultivators could endure the nine stages. The reason I refined the Evil Dragon Manifestation so smoothly later was naturally in part due to my nine stages of dragon transformation."
"Now it's the Visualization Method's turn."
"The scroll says the Dragon Transformation technique also has different grades."
"The lowest grade is to find an ordinary river, reveal one's dragon form, perform the Water Summoning Incantation, visualize Immortal Lord Yinglong, then build up momentum and transform into a dragon."
"For the middle grade, one must find a vast Water Vein—in other words, a great river capable of easily changing the landscape—and begin the transformation at its source. A dragon made this way will surely be a prodigy. It will surely gain its Innate Divine Ability early, roam freely between heaven and earth, and command the submission of all dragons."
"For the highest grade, one must use the Heavenly River and Earth Marsh as its foundation to build up momentum and transform into a dragon... But with the changes in heaven and earth, both veins have vanished and no longer exist as they did in ancient times. This method has been lost; no dragon in the world can cultivate it."
"So if I use the Qiantang River to transform into a dragon, I'll probably be using the lowest-grade method."
Holding the scroll, Ge Xian looked regretful.
There was nothing he could do. Though the Qiantang River was a famous, mighty river in Jiangzhe Province, it didn't meet the scroll's standards.
Besides, he couldn't get to the river's source anytime soon. Even if he could, he couldn't start there. The journey would be too long, with too many variables.
Starting here would at least count as a place where Water Veins converged. With the Qiantang River's fame and the strength of its currents, success shouldn't be a problem.
"Tsk, tsk. By the scroll's standards, I'd have to go to a treacherous, mighty river or a muddy, surging one... I doubt many dragon cultivators throughout history have dared to do that. It'd be no different from courting death."
"Fine, the Qiantang River it is. Having something is better than nothing. If I use the Dragon Transformation Technique without a Visualization Method, I won't know what sort of dragon I'll become in the end. Since I can't control it, there's a good chance I'll turn into a misshapen freak."
"Besides, I may not have to risk using this technique at all. I've passed the intelligence on to all sides. Liu Futong, Zhang Shicheng, Zhu Hongwu, and Bai Fugui—not one of them is a pushover. How could they let such a vast territory as Jiangzhe Province fall into the hands of the Eternal Life Cult?"
"They'll surely stir up trouble and make the Eternal Life Cult pay dearly, while also bringing down Yelü Tianzheng."
As these thoughts surfaced, Ge Xian felt a little more at ease.
He went over everything carefully from the beginning, made sure he hadn't missed anything, then crouched on the cliff and listened to the waterfall plunge down as he waited quietly for the great upheaval to come.
One hour!
It wasn't all that long. Ge Xian had excellent patience. He quietly reined in his aura and heightened his senses to their limits.
He figured that the moment anything changed, he'd run first.
But as he waited, he didn't hear any movement from the various factions. Instead, he suddenly sensed a great many auras that made him restless, as though his peculiar habits were about to flare up again.
He stealthily looked toward their source and immediately saw a strange scene:
Between the hidden, secluded temples and monasteries not far from the waterfall, countless Ancient Tomb Sect Disciples had appeared, each as cool and distant as the Cold Fairy. They carried vessels such as Bronze Cauldrons, Jade Plates, glazed bowls, and gold and silver basins, darting through the air with ghostly movements along hidden passageways toward the depths of Sunset Mountain.
Every vessel held pieces of flesh, their shapes indistinct.
Through the heavy spray, Ge Xian could faintly smell wisps of strange fragrance and stench. None of them smelled alike, but every aura was extraordinary.
A realization surged into his mind:
"The Dao Qi contained in each piece of flesh is different, and none of it is ordinary."
"If I swallowed it all, I could possess hundreds of kinds of Dao Qi Exotic Power in an instant."
"Is it for building the Flesh Altar? But no, Qiu Niang said earlier that the altar was already built on the day the Ancient Tomb Sect took Sunset Mountain."
"The Eternal Life Cult... no, Li Wa is hiding another secret, even from the Lu Hualong Couple."
At this thought, Ge Xian's face stiffened and his brows furrowed.
He was the sort to secretly plot against others from behind the scenes. Nothing annoyed him more than an unexpected twist.
This was undoubtedly one.
Yet for the moment, he couldn't do anything about it... Wait. Hold on.
Ge Xian was about to get annoyed when he suddenly spotted someone he knew. His eyes lit up.
He slipped out of his hiding place in a few quick steps, avoided the Ancient Tomb Sect Disciples' notice, and quietly hid again in a covered corridor.
Just then, a mature woman in flowing white robes, her face as cold as her bearing, was carrying a Jade Plate through the corridor toward the mountain's depths.
Suddenly, a familiar voice came from behind her:
"Sister Wang?"
At the sound of his call, the Wang Family Eldest Daughter-in-law stopped at once.
She turned around abruptly and, sure enough, saw a handsome young peddler with an innocent look on his face rushing toward her in delight.
At the sight of Ge Huolang, her face first brightened with joy, then darkened. A chilling killing intent began to flicker in her icy eyes.
This whole scene!
Ge Xian acted as if he didn't see a thing.
In truth, he sensed that the Wang Family Eldest Daughter-in-law's bearing had changed completely, and her cultivation had advanced from the Dao Entry Realm to the Foundation Establishment Realm.
As for what she'd had to pay?
Ge Xian already had a guess. This sister had liked him quite a bit before, and she'd absorbed plenty of Qi Fragrance from him. If he'd wanted to, he could have charmed her a little and won her over. But that wouldn't work now. If he went near her, she'd probably try to kill him on the spot, just because he'd seen this.
His guess came true the next moment.
As Ge Xian hurried toward her, the Wang Family Eldest Daughter-in-law didn't greet him with a smile. Instead, an Ice Needle flashed with cold light, enough to take his life.
What astonished her was that the young peddler, who was only in the Dao Entry Realm, stumbled halfway through his approach and just happened to avoid the Ice Needle she hadn't thought he could detect.
In a few steps, he collided straight into her arms.
Before she could make another move, she felt his burning hands clamp around her cold body. At the same time, a potent Qi Fragrance surged into her, making her limbs go soft and leaving her unable to resist.
The next instant, a pair of cold, gloomy Gray Eyes appeared right before her, dark as the dust of a grave.
After that, there was no more.
Her cold, pretty face melted in the blink of an eye, turning into a flushed, rapturous expression as all her desires were satisfied.
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