Oath Sha

Fang Huai had no choice but to make the oath as instructed.

He could only feel that some unseen restraint had been placed on him. Just thinking about the consequences of breaking it sent a piercing pain through his sea of consciousness.

Feng Wuwang waved for the two of them to leave, then gestured toward Luo Heng and another cultivator.

"You two have done great service by recommending new blood to the Ascension Society. Starting this month, your supply of Blood Jade Leaf will be increased."

He paused, then suddenly raised his voice until it rang through the hall. "The Corpse Sha Sect is now weathering a storm, losing battle after battle to the Mystic Sword Sect. We may not survive the day!

"In these troubled times, only strength can give us a foothold!"

His voice carried a power that stirred people's hearts. "And all we can do is bring more people into the Ascension Society. That way, we'll receive more Blood Jade Leaf and cultivate faster.

"When the day comes that the Mystic Sword Sect attacks, we'll have a better chance of surviving, whether we fight their cultivators or flee the sect.

"Perhaps one day, we'll even attain Foundation Establishment and touch the threshold of the Golden Core!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a cultivator asked, "Hall Master, can we really attain Foundation Establishment? Can we really form a Golden Core?"

Feng Wuwang's eyes swept over them as a wave of pressure bore down. "Is there really such a thing as being born with a Golden Core or Foundation Establishment?

"We cultivators must fight heaven for our fate! Now that we've joined the Ascension Society, every one of us can become a true immortal!"

The crowd fell into dead silence, then erupted with astonishing fervor. "Now that we've joined the Ascension Society, every one of us can become a true immortal!"

"There's no such thing as being born with a Golden Core or Foundation Establishment!"

"One day, we'll trample those Heaven Spirit Root and Dual Spirit Root cultivators underfoot!"

"..."

The crowd grew more and more impassioned. People clenched their fists, and some even wept as they cried out:

"We're willing to brave fire and water for the Ascension Society!"

Fang Huai clicked his tongue inwardly. Feng Wuwang's speech was the top-tier version of Blue Star's multi-level marketing schemes.

But the mood had already reached this point. It would be downright odd if he didn't join in and shout a few lines.

"I will become an immortal and look down on all living beings!"

Seeing that his words had had the desired effect, Feng Wuwang waved his hand, and the crowd gradually quieted.

"You two newcomers, state your names and the peaks you belong to."

"Fang Huai, Skinning Peak."

"Liu Ye, Beast Taming Peak."

"Now that you've joined the Ascension Society, you must follow its rules. Members must live in pairs, support one another, and share information.

"Liu Ye, you'll live with Junior Brother Cheng Rui. You can decide where for yourselves."

Following Feng Wuwang's gaze, Liu Ye saw a round-faced male cultivator with a full beard smiling and gesturing at him. He couldn't help swallowing.

"I..."

"Do you have a problem with my arrangement?" Feng Wuwang's tone suddenly turned harsh.

"No, no." Liu Ye felt like he wanted to die.

"Fang Huai..."

Hearing Feng Wuwang call his name, Fang Huai tensed at once.

He pleaded with every god and Buddha he could think of, praying he wouldn't get another Senior Brother Cheng Rui.

"Junior Brother Fang, I've arranged for you to live with a Skinning Peak disciple who's away on a mission. He should return to the sect around the next monthly meeting.

"For now, you'll have to make do on your own. If you run into trouble, you can ask Junior Brother Luo Heng for help."

Hearing this, Fang Huai secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

At least for this month, he wouldn't have to face his new roommate, whose background he knew nothing about.

The Ascension Society's monthly meeting didn't last long.

After asking everyone how they'd been, Feng Wuwang had the Blood Jade Leaf for the month distributed, then dismissed the members.

Following Luo Heng's example, Fang Huai struck the wall three times hard, then five times lightly. A familiar whirlpool of sand appeared above his head.

He sealed his seven apertures, leaped up, and entered the vortex.

The world spun around him...

When he opened his eyes again, he was in Miasma Valley. But he hadn't appeared beside the dead tree and blue stone.

He raced toward the exit under cover of darkness, only for a wave of pressure to suddenly strike him, sealing off all his spiritual power. At the same time, a giant net dropped from the sky.

"Immortal-Catching Net?"

Fang Huai was shocked. Why would anyone be carrying an Immortal-Catching Net to capture people on the outskirts of Miasma Valley?

"Which fellow disciple is playing a joke? Official disciples aren't allowed to kill each other within the sect. Don't you fear being punished by the Law Enforcement Hall?"

"Is it me who doesn't fear the Law Enforcement Hall, or you?"

A figure emerged from the shadows. From the looks of it, she was a female cultivator.

The woman was holding a male cultivator by the collar. After sensing him, Fang Huai realized he was also a member of the Ascension Society.

Fang Huai glanced over and couldn't help frowning.

[Jiang Miao]

[Qi Refining, eighth level]

[Sha Qi Infusion (white)] [Corpse Sha Possession (red)]

After several years, the woman who regarded human life as worthless had appeared again—and she had reached the eighth level of Qi Refining.

What was strange was that [Sha Qi Infusion] and [Corpse Sha Possession] were appearing on the same cultivator.

Fang Huai had originally thought they were two stages of Sha Qi invading the body. It seemed that wasn't the case.

"Fairy Jiang, long time no see," Fang Huai said.

"Who are you?"

Jiang Miao stepped closer, lifted his chin with her index finger, and leaned in to sniff him. "Fang Huai? The Fang Huai I brought out of the Human Puppet Hall?"

"That's right. I'm Fang Huai."

Jiang Miao sneered. "I've been lying in wait for the Ascension Society scum, and I never expected to find you.

"I thought you'd become a capable cultivator. I didn't expect you to rely on something so addictive."

Jiang Miao came from the sect leader's faction. From what she'd said, the sect already knew about the Ascension Society and Blood Jade Leaf, and was secretly capturing its members.

Jiang Miao wasn't a fool. Trying to deceive her would be no different from seeking death, so Fang Huai had no choice but to explain.

"Fairy Jiang, I stumbled onto this pirate ship by accident. In my heart, I'm loyal to the sect."

"Loyal to the sect? Then tell me where the Ascension Society meets."

"It's at..." Fang Huai started to answer, but suddenly felt a deadly threat deep in his sea of consciousness. He immediately remembered the Oath Sha.

His heart lurched. Fortunately, he stopped himself in time. Otherwise, he would certainly have died.

He checked the labels on his body and discovered that [Oath Sha (red)] had appeared automatically.

"Fairy Jiang, I'm under the Oath Sha. I really can't say," Fang Huai explained.

"Oath Sha?" Jiang Miao said with a laugh. A black glow appeared at her fingertip. "You mean this? I can do it too."

Fang Huai immediately had a bad feeling.

Seeing his expression change, Jiang Miao moved her finger, and the black glow burrowed into Fang Huai's sea of consciousness.

She smiled. "Swear right now that if you sincerely joined the Ascension Society, you'll immediately have your soul scattered!"

Fang Huai's heart pounded. Once he'd calmed himself, he slowly spoke.

"I, Fang Huai, swear here and now: if I sincerely joined the Ascension Society, I'll have my soul scattered immediately."

After speaking, he forced down his nerves and met Jiang Miao's gaze. Only when he was sure the Oath Sha wouldn't take effect did he finally relax.

"How boring."

Jiang Miao pouted. "That was my first time using the Oath Sha. I thought I'd get to see how someone under its effects died, but you actually survived."

At the same time, she pressed her palm to the head of the man bound by the Immortal Binding Rope. "Soul Searching Technique!"

"Argh!"

The man let out a scream and immediately had his soul scattered.

Jiang Miao didn't find any information. Surprised, she said, "I didn't expect using the Soul Searching Technique on someone under the Oath Sha to trigger it too. This makes things difficult."