Legacy of a Rogue Cultivator

Following this, Zheng Que opened the second bag. It resembled a dark blue pouch with a swirling pattern, and it was also a Storage Bag. The space inside was slightly larger than the first, though not by much.

Inside this Storage Bag lay seven or eight translucent crystals. These crystals resembled the clear quartz from his past life, though they were filled with flocculent inclusions, making them appear impure. Their appearance had clearly been shaped by human hands, as they were uniform in size and radiated a dense aura of spirit energy, though this aura was laced with wisps of chill.

Zheng Que took one of the crystals out and examined it carefully in his hand. He quickly recognized it as a Spirit Stone.

They could be used for cultivation and also served as currency among cultivators.

However, just like the ambient spirit energy of this world, the Spirit Stones contained not only a vast amount of spirit energy but also a significant amount of Yin Energy.

When cultivators used Spirit Stones for cultivation, they had no choice but to absorb the spirit energy and Yin Energy together.

This had no effect on him, but for ordinary cultivators, absorbing an excessive amount of Yin Energy usually did not end well.

Zheng Que placed the Spirit Stone back into the Storage Bag and opened the third bag. This one was slightly more exquisite, resembling a silver-gray pouch embroidered with a cluster of crafted green bamboo. The space inside was as large as half a room.

Inside the bag were four thumb-sized jade stones. Despite the passage of a long time, they still emitted a warm, gentle luster.

These were Jade Slips, objects used by cultivators to record information. They were similar to books, but far more efficient to use.

Zheng Que immediately took out one of the Jade Slips, pressed it against his forehead, and channeled his Spirit Power. A complex stream of information instantly flooded into his mind.

The next moment, the expression on his face froze.

This Jade Slip recorded a cultivation technique.

The name of the technique was Life Planting Technique.

Yes, this was the very technique he was currently practicing!

The technique his Master had taught him was actually the same as the one passed down by the town mayor's ancestors!

Thinking of this, Zheng Que took out the second Jade Slip. Just like before, he pressed it to his forehead and began to view its contents.

Soon, the information in the Jade Slip turned into a torrent, pouring into his mind.

This Jade Slip recorded two techniques: Ghost Controlling Technique and Spirit Eye Technique.

Zheng Que gripped the Jade Slip, his expression shifting. The techniques his Master had taught him also overlapped with the Jade Slips left behind by the town mayor's ancestors. This was too much of a coincidence!

He took a deep breath and picked up the third Jade Slip to examine it.

This third Jade Slip contained three techniques: Pure Yang Technique, Blood Qi Technique, and Spirit Descent Technique!

After finishing the contents of the third Jade Slip, the expression on Zheng Que's face went rigid.

This...

Once could be a coincidence, and twice might also be a coincidence, but for every single technique to overlap...

Any normal person could see the problem here!

As he pondered, Zheng Que quickly calmed down. He recalled the "causality" his Master had mentioned to him back then...

The first time he encountered a Call-Sound Ghost, his Master had told him that the causality between master and disciple was only enough for the other party to help him once.

Then there was the time Qing Li gained sentience. His Master had clearly seen that there was something wrong with Qing Li, yet showed no intention of investigating it—also because he did not want to get involved in the "causality" surrounding it.

Combining these two incidents, it became clear that what his Master had passed on to him back then was not his Master's own legacy at all!

Instead, his Master had taken the cultivation opportunity that already existed in this town and delivered it into his hands ahead of time!

His Master had long known that Changfu Town would be destroyed and, not wanting to be tainted by too much "causality," had taught him things that were not his own!

With his thoughts racing, Zheng Que took a deep breath and, with a solemn expression, began to examine the final Jade Slip.

The content of this fourth Jade Slip consisted of the fundamentals and relevant common knowledge regarding alchemy, talisman-making, and artifact-crafting. These were also things his Master had been willing to teach him at the time, only he hadn't chosen them back then...

"Yin Gathering Technique..."

"Only the Yin Gathering Technique did not appear here."

"But this technique feels useless..."

"No!"

"A cultivator with such profound cultivation like my Master would not do anything meaningless."

"Either my current cultivation is not high enough to unleash the true power of this Yin Gathering Technique, or..."

"It is the key to breaking the calamity I am currently facing!"

"This might be a technique meant to deal with the Evil Shadow Play!"

Thinking of this, Zheng Que slowly exhaled. The calamity of the Evil Shadow Play had already passed; whether the Yin Gathering Technique could actually counter the Evil Shadow Play was something he could only guess at for now.

If this guess was true... then was his Master acting so covertly to avoid causality?

Or was there some other reason?

With his thoughts reaching this point, Zheng Que temporarily pushed aside his various doubts, placed the four Jade Slips back into his Storage Bag, and then picked up the final bag.

This last bag was distinctly different from the previous three Storage Bags. It felt ice-cold to the touch, with a texture that felt somewhat unreal, almost void-like, as if it were a mass of cold mist. It was pitch black all over.

Zheng Que channeled his Spirit Power to open it. The next moment, a dense surge of Yin Energy erupted from the bag, transforming into black mist that instantly filled the room.

The temperature of the entire underground secret chamber plummeted immediately.

Zheng Que was slightly stunned. He looked into the bag, but it was pitch black inside, and he could see nothing at all.

At this moment, Qing Li, who was hanging from the doorway, spoke up immediately: "This Yin Energy belongs to ghosts whose souls have been scattered."

"This bag is filled with ghosts."

Filled with ghosts?

Zheng Que snapped back to reality, then turned his head to look at Qing Li and asked, "Then can you crawl into this bag?"

Qing Li sneered and retorted immediately, "You human brat, why don't you try crawling in yourself?"

"So many ghosts have died inside; what kind of status do I have? Why would I go in there!"

Hearing this, Zheng Que frowned and then looked at the Bronze Tripod nearby.

Ever since it had made a series of thumping sounds earlier, the ghost inside the tripod seemed unable to gather its strength and had remained quiet ever since.

There was a ready-made ghost right here. He could catch it and put it into the bag to test whether this was a talisman tool meant for dealing with ghosts, or a container specifically designed to store them.

Thinking of this, he immediately asked, "What is the cultivation level of the ghost in this alchemy furnace?"

Qing Li continued to swing back and forth in the doorframe, unbothered. "Its Yin Energy is only at the first level of Tongue-Pulling Hell, but its actual realm doesn't seem to be."

"The ghost is too weak right now. We'll have to let it out to see for sure."

First level of Tongue-Pulling Hell?

He could handle that by himself!

While pondering, Zheng Que immediately tucked away the Storage Bag and walked over to the Bronze Tripod.

Swish!

He ripped the talisman off the lid.