On a small hillside behind the mountain stood a lone, ancient tree, surrounded by open ground.
When Wang Sen arrived, he saw a hazy figure standing beneath the tree, indistinct and impossible to make out.
"Shadow Illusion Technique?" Wang Sen laughed. "Not many people study that. If I looked into it, I might be able to figure out who you are."
"That would probably disappoint you," Ning Ye replied.
Wang Sen understood. This definitely wasn't part of the other man's publicly known abilities.
Without wasting any more words, Wang Sen got straight to the point. "There's something I'd like your help with."
Ning Ye chuckled. "I haven't even asked you for help, and you're already asking me?"
"As you said, cooperation benefits us both. This will be good for you, too."
"Go on."
Only then did Wang Sen explain.
He had joined the sect a year before Ning Ye and had now reached the seventh layer of the Basic Mental Method. But in truth, Wang Sen also practiced several secret arts of the Wood Puppet Sect. His real strength was probably greater than that of an ordinary cultivator at the peak of the Cang Xiang Realm.
That wasn't the point, though. The point was that, after reflecting bitterly on his situation these past few days, Wang Sen had decided his biggest problem was having no sect backing him.
Having no sect meant not only that he couldn't get extra support, but, more importantly, that he had no one to back him up.
Ning Ye might not be favored by Zhang Liekuang, but aside from Chen Changfeng, he rarely ran into trouble. It wasn't because the Black and White Divine Palace was all harmony and goodwill. It was because he had a master—and that meant he had someone backing him.
The path of cultivation was never peaceful. Bullying was commonplace.
But no matter how rampant it got, people generally didn't bully disciples with sects behind them—unless, say, someone like Xu Yanwen, a disciple of the Heavenly Dipper Sect, picked on a disciple of the Human Demons. That was only natural.
For that reason, Wang Sen had always wanted to attach himself to a powerful master and gain someone to rely on, so he could advance further.
"You want to find a master. What does that have to do with me?" Ning Ye asked.
Wang Sen replied, "Soul-Severing Human Demon lost a disciple. He plans to fill the vacancy, but he doesn't intend to take on a new disciple. Instead, he's going to recruit a few promising people from the outer sect."
Soul-Severing Human Demon Chang Duanhun?
One of the Nine Demons?
The Black and White Divine Palace's Four-Nine Human Demons were divided into the Nine Demons, Nine Lords, Nine Absolutes, and Nine Kings.
Seven Kill Heavenly Blade was one of the Nine Absolutes, while Soul-Severing Human Demon was one of the Nine Demons. He was powerful, and his methods were even more ruthless than Zhang Liekuang's.
When Zhang Liekuang killed someone, at least they had to provoke him first.
Soul-Severing Human Demon needed no reason to kill. In a good mood, he killed a few people; in a bad mood, he killed a few people. When the weather was good, he killed a few people; when the weather was bad, he killed a few people.
For him, killing was a pleasure.
And if it was for pleasure, what need was there for a reason?
Wang Sen said, "I've been working hard to cultivate connections lately, and I've grown fairly close to Song Jiumao, one of Soul-Severing Human Demon's disciples. He recommended me, and I've already made the shortlist. But there are two other candidates, and they're going to be a problem."
"You want me to take care of those two competitors?"
"That's right."
"What's in it for me?"
"If I become Soul-Severing Human Demon's disciple, I'll be able to help you more. And if you kill them, you can reap plenty of benefits from their belongings."
"If I want to kill someone and loot their corpse, I don't need you arranging it for me. And the benefits of you becoming Chang Duanhun's disciple are too vague."
"Then what do you want?"
Ning Ye lowered his head and thought for a moment. "What task has the Wood Puppet Sect assigned you?"
Wang Sen hadn't expected that question and froze for a moment, but he answered all the same. "No specific task. My main priority now is to improve myself. Only once I've risen high enough will I have a chance to make myself useful."
That was true. Without sufficient strength, even if you stirred up storms, you'd make no more than a ripple on a lake.
Ning Ye had done so much, yet the Black and White Divine Palace hadn't even felt a thing.
Of course, unlike Wang Sen, every move Ning Ye made was a stepping stone for his plans. For example, successfully establishing himself in the Inspection Hall had let him keep close tabs on everything happening there, which in turn helped him protect himself.
In this regard, Wang Sen was no match for Ning Ye.
Hearing Wang Sen say this, Ning Ye replied, "You must have some general direction, though. You wouldn't choose Soul-Severing Human Demon just because of Song Jiumao."
Wang Sen hadn't expected Ning Ye to be so perceptive. He had no choice but to say, "A senior the Wood Puppet Sect planted here discovered that the Black and White Divine Palace will launch a major operation before long. It may have something to do with the Wood Puppet Sect, and Chang Duanhun is one of the people in charge. The sect wants me to find out what the operation is for."
Something to do with the Wood Puppet Sect? Chang Duanhun, one of the Four-Nine Human Demons, was in charge?
Ning Ye lowered his head and pondered for a moment. "Wait here."
As he spoke, the shadow vanished.
Wang Sen was at a loss, but he could only wait.
At the same time, Ning Ye's mind entered the Thousand Mechanism Hall, and he activated the Kunlun Mirror.
Ning Ye couldn't find out about an operation involving the Four-Nine Human Demons while it was still being planned. But since the plan had already been set, it belonged to the past, and that made it much easier for him to use divination to deduce its details—provided his opponent hadn't used a spell to conceal them.
Fortunately, the Black and White Divine Palace hadn't taken many precautions to keep this operation secret. People from the Immortal Sect rarely had any sense of confidentiality. Unless something was of the utmost secrecy, they generally only bothered to conceal treasures, resources, and the like.
That was why it was difficult for Ning Ye to investigate the Thousand Mechanism Hall Fragment, but relatively easy to find out about trial content and operational details.
A moment later, Ning Ye understood what had happened. After thinking it through, he left the Thousand Mechanism Hall and returned to Wang Sen.
"Does the Wood Puppet Sect have a secret branch in Muliu Town?" he asked.
Wang Sen was shocked. "What did you find out?"
Muliu Town lay on the border between the Tian and Mo Continents, though it technically belonged to the Ink Continent. The Wood Puppet Sect had secretly established a branch there, a fact even Wang Sen didn't know. But he was a guarded man and wouldn't admit it so easily.
Ning Ye continued, "The Black and White Divine Palace has already discovered that secret branch. Chang Duanhun is going there to wipe it out."
Wang Sen was puzzled. "Why would they send Chang Duanhun himself to deal with a branch?"
"Because the Wood Puppet Sect discovered a secret realm there, and there's a Soul-Parasite Ancient Tree inside. It'll mature soon."
A Soul-Parasite Ancient Tree?
Wang Sen immediately understood. That was a valuable treasure, especially for the Wood Puppet Sect—it was premium material for making high-grade puppets.
No wonder they had established a branch there. No wonder Chang Duanhun was going in person. The branch's leader had to be powerful.
Ning Ye said, "I've found out what you needed to know, and I can kill the men for you, too. As for my terms... I want a share of the Soul-Lodging Ancient Wood."
Wang Sen looked troubled. "Well..."
"If I hadn't uncovered this, the Soul-Lodging Ancient Wood wouldn't have belonged to the Wood Puppet Sect. The local branch leader might even have died as a result. But now that you know, you can prepare in advance, and the ancient tree will certainly be yours. You've made a great contribution. It's not unreasonable to ask for something in return."
"That's true, but I am a member of the Wood Puppet Sect. That's not how you make a request."
"Then that's your problem. Don't tell me you can't even handle something this small."
"Well... Fine. I'll do my best."
"The names."
Three days later.
Two corpses were found at the foot of the mountain. They belonged to Wang Sen's two competitors.
Judging by the scene, it seemed they had fought each other to the death. Since both had been competing to become Soul-Severing Human Demon's disciple, there was a motive, too.
And just like that, Wang Sen officially became Soul-Severing Human Demon's disciple.
When he heard the news, Wang Sen stood stunned for a long time.
He had imagined all sorts of ways Ning Ye might kill them and come up with every sort of excuse to clear himself of suspicion. He hadn't expected things to end this way.
Combining what he'd witnessed that night with what had happened, Wang Sen finally confirmed one thing.
Illusions!
The person secretly contacting him had to be highly skilled in illusion techniques. That lined up perfectly with what had happened at Huaiyin Mountain.
To make two people at the seventh layer of the Heart Method turn on each other and die meant the illusion techniques had reached an astonishing level. Though the other man kept insisting his abilities weren't publicly known, he might not be able to conceal such skill entirely.
Without a word, Wang Sen began compiling his own list of suspects. Ning Ye, too, made the list, since he possessed the Floating World Bead.
It wasn't that he wanted to betray anyone. It was just that the other man knew who he was, while he didn't know the other man. That left him far too much at a disadvantage.
Wang Sen didn't like being at a disadvantage.
Nobody liked being at a disadvantage.
A month later, a shocking piece of news came back.
Three Human Demons of the Black and White Divine Palace led a team to attack the Wood Puppet Sect's branch in Muliu Town, only to walk into an ambush laid by the Wood Puppet Sect. Two of the Four-Nine Human Demons died on the spot, and countless disciples were killed or wounded. Only Soul-Severing Human Demon escaped with his life. His newly accepted disciple, Wang Sen, risked his life to protect him. Despite his grievous wounds, he endured one peril after another, shook off their pursuers, and carried Soul-Severing Human Demon all the way back to Nine Palaces Mountain.
That same day, Soul-Severing Human Demon announced that Wang Sen's trial period was over. He officially accepted him as a personal disciple and bestowed upon him the Duanhun Blade Scripture. For a time, Wang Sen was the talk of the town.
Half a month later, Ning Ye received his gift.
A segment of Soul-Lodging Ancient Wood.
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