Ascension Ceremony

The next day, when Fang Huai arrived at the Skinning Room, Luo Heng showed him no special attention.

Only when it was time to clear the area did he shoot Fang Huai a meaningful glance.

Fang Huai took the hint, deliberately slowing his pace and dawdling until he was the last one left.

Once the crowd had dispersed, he stepped forward to thank Luo Heng.

"Thank you for the treasure, Senior Brother! After using it yesterday, my cultivation efficiency improved significantly—even faster than in the sect's Cultivation Room."

Luo Heng smiled. "Fang Junior Brother actually trusted me that much! Tell me, after using that Blood Jade Leaf, aside from faster cultivation, did you notice any other reactions?"

Fang Huai pretended to ponder. "There seemed to be some hallucinogenic effects. In a daze, I felt like I had become an immortal or a patriarch. Is that normal?"

"Normal, perfectly normal!"

Luo Heng nodded in satisfaction after hearing this, walked up to Fang Huai, and suddenly grabbed his wrist.

Fang Huai's heart tightened—had his disguise been seen through?

He quietly gathered spiritual power at his fingertips, ready to respond to any unexpected turn of events.

Luo Heng said, "You speak as if it's true, but whether you actually used my good intentions or just accepted them in spirit, I need to verify it myself."

Violent spiritual power surged into his meridians, sending a chill through Fang Huai's heart.

For one thing, he hadn't touched the Blood Jade Leaf at all yesterday, and Luo Heng's spiritual probe might easily uncover that deception;

for another, two Corpse Meteor Insects, one large and one small, were lurking inside him. If such strange insects were detected, the consequences would be dire.

Yet, inexplicably, when the spiritual power swept over the two insects, it passed right through them as if they didn't exist.

Could these insects evade spiritual detection?

Fang Huai had no way of knowing, but since the Corpse Meteor Insects could suppress the Poison Miasma Gu Insects and had illusion-breaking effects, a few more miraculous traits wouldn't be too far-fetched.

After about five breaths, Luo Heng withdrew his spiritual power, a look of apology on his face.

"It seems Junior Brother Fang hasn't deceived me—you really did use the Blood Jade Leaf. From now on, we're on the same side.

Don't blame me for being cautious, Junior Brother. There were some incidents before that cost the Ascension Society many members, so I have to be careful."

"Fang is not one to be ungrateful. Senior Brother treats me well, and I can't wait to repay you—how would I dare deceive you?"

Fang Huai spoke flattering words, but his heart was full of doubt.

Ascension Society?

He'd never heard of such an organization.

He suppressed his confusion, feeling mostly relief at having escaped disaster.

If Luo Heng had discovered he hadn't used the Blood Jade Leaf, he would almost certainly have turned hostile and struck to kill, leaving no chance for explanation.

As for why Luo Heng had misjudged, it was probably because Fang Huai had been eroded by Blood Jade Insects back in the Nanze Zheng Family.

"Junior Brother Fang, you must never speak of using the Blood Jade Leaf to anyone. Otherwise, both of us will be soul-drawn and soul-seized by the sect!" Luo Heng said gravely.

Fang Huai frowned. "I thought you gave me a celestial herb, but now it feels like I've boarded your pirate ship."

Luo Heng laughed. "You haven't boarded a pirate ship—you've boarded an immortal ship, a divine ship, a lucky ship to the shore of eternal life.

Who comes to the Corpse Sha Sect to cultivate without wanting to break through their shackles and become the supreme being?

But with talents like ours, we'll never even touch the threshold of Foundation Establishment before we die. Better to take a gamble and join the Ascension Society."

"Ascension Society? What kind of organization is that?"

In just a short time, Luo Heng had mentioned it twice. The name didn't sound reliable—it even seemed like a cult.

Luo Heng's eyes flickered as he patted Fang Huai's shoulder. "Before joining, your fate was to become a bleached bone in Miasma Valley. After joining, you'll walk the path to immortality."

Fang Huai was now certain Luo Heng had been brainwashed. Immortal ships, divine ships—if such good fortune existed, how could it ever fall to them?

He wondered if, the day Luo Heng's gu insects erupted, he'd regret it enough to slap himself.

Fang Huai asked, "So why did you choose me?"

"Simple. The worse your talent, the more the Blood Jade Leaf boosts you. You have no spiritual root at all—after using it, you'll soar to the heavens."

"You've told me the benefits for me. Now, what about the benefits for you?"

Fang Huai didn't believe Luo Heng was being kind to him for no reason.

Back then, when he'd fainted by the roadside, Luo Heng had sold him off like cargo. Now, being so generous with treasures and pointing the way to Foundation Establishment—there had to be an ulterior motive.

"Heh, I won't hide it from you, Junior Brother."

Luo Heng's eyes gleamed as he looked at Fang Huai like a treasure. "The leaves distributed each month are limited, but if you recruit someone into the society, you get extra leaves. And if you recruit a Qi Refining cultivator with no spiritual root like you, the extra leaves are doubled!"

Sure enough, pyramid scheme tactics worked just as well in the cultivation world.

Most of the disciples in the Corpse Sha Sect were those with three spiritual roots or fewer, stuck in a state of slow cultivation for a long time.

Once they tasted the benefits of the Blood Jade Leaf, they'd become addicted to the feeling and frantically recruit others into the society.

After all, as cultivators, everyone dreamed of becoming an immortal or a patriarch.

If there were a shortcut to success, even knowing it was a trap, people would still fight tooth and nail to climb up.

But he had no idea what special use a spirit-rootless cultivator could have for the Ascension Society.

Fang Huai could clearly feel that the Corpse Sha Sect had been eroded to the point of crumbling; perhaps before long, its foundation would become unstable.

Though he was caught up in a massive conspiracy, after their frank conversation, Fang Huai's days in the Skinning Room had become much easier.

When allocating demonic beasts, Luo Heng would prioritize giving him ones with low difficulty and abundant blood qi.

When conflicts arose, regardless of who was right or wrong, Luo Heng would unconditionally side with Fang Huai.

But the good days didn't last long. Luo Heng stopped him again: "Today at the Hour of the Boar, I'll bring you into the society."

Fang Huai narrowed his eyes: "Is it possible that I don't need to join, and just work as your field operative?"

Luo Heng let out a low chuckle, resting his hand on the demon beast skeleton on the skinning table. With a slight squeeze, the bone crumbled into dust.

"Gather at the eighth entrance southeast of Miasma Valley at the Hour of the Boar. If you're not there by then, I guarantee you'll be lying on the skinning table tomorrow."

Luo Heng and Fang Huai slipped into Miasma Valley under the cover of night.

Wrapped in loose robes, they moved while scanning their surroundings, wary of being followed.

Fortunately, aside from the occasional fiendish Sha Corpse, there were only low-level demonic beasts around.

But as they ventured deeper into the valley, the normally desolate Miasma Valley began to fill with furtive black shadows.

Those shadows were heading toward the same destination as them—a green stone beside a gloomy withered tree in the middle of the valley.

"Don't speak recklessly later. Do exactly as I tell you," Luo Heng said sternly.

Fang Huai nodded: "I'll follow Senior Brother's orders."

Luo Heng tapped the boulder three times lightly, then five times heavily. A sand-and-soil vortex immediately appeared before the stone.

"Jump!"

With that, Luo Heng leaped in without waiting for him.

Fang Huai hesitated for a moment, but seeing the shadows drawing closer behind him, he sighed softly and jumped in as well.

It was his first time encountering a sand-and-soil-type teleportation entrance, and he had no experience to rely on.

The moment he stepped in, a violent spatial tearing sensation engulfed him. Countless grains of sand drilled into his nose and mouth, grinding against him unbearably.

By the time he thought to seal his seven orifices, it was already too late. He gave up and let the sand and mud pour in.

After about ten breaths, he was finally spat out by the vortex.

Lifting his head to look around, he found himself in a dim hall. At the same time, Luo Heng's gloomy voice came through:

"Lower your head. The Hall Master is coming!"