With a few words, Teng Kun shut down Tong Yi's attempt to stir up trouble and quashed Qi Donglin's displeasure as well, displaying the authority of an elder of the Crippled Demon Sect.
The onlookers all dispersed.
"A formal disciple... a candidate counts too, right...?"
A pleased smile tugged at Zhao Changfeng's lips.
He had long since learned that the Crippled Demon Sect had only a little over a hundred formal disciples, barely a tenth of the number of named disciples.
In the sect's eyes, named disciples were merely venomous creatures raised in a jar to weed out the weak and find exceptional individuals with outstanding talent and temperament. Only upon reaching the Primordial Spirit Realm would they become formal disciples and qualify for more resources.
As far as he knew, every formal disciple was entitled to receive a Boundary Ring upon joining.
A Boundary Ring held a world within, allowing its owner to store all kinds of spirit stones and miscellaneous belongings. With one, he would no longer need that chest holding the third-rank spirit beasts.
Once a spirit beast's corpse entered a Boundary Ring, time froze for it, and it would never rot.
Named disciples could collect three hundred spirit stones each month, only thirty-six hundred a year, while every formal disciple received ten times that amount from the sect.
Beyond that, only formal disciples could truly set foot in the Crippled Demon Sect itself, rather than being scattered throughout the surrounding mountains.
With enough merit, they could even exchange it for a Heaven-Crossing Boat that soared through the skies. Even without entering the Freedom Realm, they could rely on a Heaven-Crossing Boat to travel freely across the world.
Pills, artifacts, demonic cultivation arts, and all manner of cultivation resources could be obtained through exchanges.
As excitement surged through Zhao Changfeng, Teng Kun stepped into the house and said blandly, "You two, come inside with me."
Zhao Changfeng and Ruan Meizhen immediately followed.
"Tell me how you discovered there was something suspicious about Song Zejun and his wife."
Teng Kun sat squarely atop the chest holding the third-rank spirit beasts. In his other eye socket, the Brain-Devouring Snake's slit pupils shimmered emerald green as she scrutinized the pair alongside him.
"Master, Song Zejun and his wife killed Junior Brother Zhao's entire family. He's wanted revenge for a long time."
Now a formal disciple, Ruan Meizhen seemed to understand Teng Kun's concerns and revealed the hidden truth first. "Before Zhou Jin left, she disclosed this!"
"She wanted to plant a heart-demon obsession inside Junior Brother Zhao so his demonic cultivation art would turn against him and kill him, but he already knew!"
Betraying one's teachers and scheming to eliminate one's master and his wife might not seem like a big deal to many people, but Teng Kun was now Zhao Changfeng's master.
Any master would have to weigh the matter carefully before truly accepting someone like that as a disciple.
"Hmm? There was more to it than that?"
Teng Kun narrowed his lone eye, his thin, deeply wrinkled face relaxing slightly. "When did you find out?"
Zhao Changfeng sighed softly. "After Master and his wife took away Ning Luo, the youngest, they said his parents had begged them to do it. Afterward... I secretly visited Ning Luo's lineage, but I didn't find a single living soul."
That was a lie, of course.
Considering what Song Zejun and his wife had done, Teng Kun found this only natural. He nodded. "You're a cautious lad."
"Master, what young person with genuine cultivation talent wouldn't want to join a Demon Dao Great Sect like ours?"
With a pained expression, Zhao Changfeng spoke earnestly. "I've quietly observed them all these years. Every new disciple they accepted had something wrong with their circumstances. How could I possibly escape disaster?"
Teng Kun grunted in acknowledgment and stared intently at Zhao Changfeng's face. Only after a long while did he squeeze out a sentence. "You really are fine material."
He had played the fool for years while secretly investigating the truth. Even after learning it, he had endured without acting, waiting all along for a heaven-sent opportunity.
At last, that opportunity had arrived.
In this ordeal, he had personally slain his enemies' children, disposed of fellow disciples who harbored ill intentions, seen through the couple's meticulous schemes, and nearly caused their deaths in Heavenly Shield City.
Even setting talent aside, his temperament, his ability to swallow humiliation and bear a heavy burden, and his unyielding will all marked him as an exceptional talent of the Demon Dao!
Teng Kun was thoroughly pleased.
"Master, Junior Brother Zhao killed nearly a hundred low-rank demon spirits, and even two third-rank demon spirits!"
Ruan Meizhen had firmly taken Zhao Changfeng's side. She said excitedly, "If he hadn't killed that first third-rank demon spirit, I probably wouldn't have survived!"
This truly gave Teng Kun a tremendous shock. He demanded sharply, "Is that true?!"
He stared straight at Zhao Changfeng, while the little snake named Lin'er likewise revealed astonishment in her slit pupils.
Zhao Changfeng nodded. "It's true."
Teng Kun drew a breath, already sensing something amiss. "Ruan Meizhen, go outside first."
Ruan Meizhen grew nervous, knowing what Zhao Changfeng would face next. But she dared not disobey and obediently withdrew from the dim house.
Zhao Changfeng was also extremely nervous, yet he smiled calmly.
What was coming could not be avoided. He knew he would never escape Teng Kun's inspection.
Sure enough.
Teng Kun's primordial spirit flew out from between his brows and entered Zhao Changfeng's body, examining his two dantians in turn and focusing on the two illusory azure Small Cauldrons.
"What art produced these cauldrons?"
Having discerned something of their workings, Teng Kun could not help asking.
"I obtained it from a rogue cultivator in the Desert. It's called Heavenly Heart Demon-Seeding. It draws other people's obsessions and heart demons inside, refining an unusual power while also tempering my own mind and will."
Zhao Changfeng answered honestly.
"A fine demonic cultivation art."
Teng Kun nodded lightly without probing further. "Its grade is probably quite high."
Arts that refined the seven emotions and six desires, harvested people's malicious thoughts, devoured souls and refined essence...
There were many similar demonic cultivation arts. Old Devil Teng's vast experience kept him from finding it particularly surprising.
"The late Yuanqi stage. The next step is full perfection."
"The sea of spiritual qi in your lower dantian is also much broader than most people's. Song Zejun and his wife truly squandered a heaven-sent treasure."
Teng Kun shook his head. After pondering for a long while, he asked, "What exactly happened during the escape from Tamu Town? What were you thinking at the time?"
Zhao Changfeng concealed nothing, recounting how Tong Yi had coveted the Earth Yin Cold Spring and how Chen Jian had enlisted him in a plan to turn the tables and kill their attackers.
But the number of demon spirits had far exceeded their expectations. Knowing they could not cope, everyone had been forced to retreat.
For the first time, Teng Kun grinned. "So... you originally intended to kill Tong Yi and the others? Then wipe out the rogue cultivators and the City Guard Army? And blame all their deaths on the demon spirits?"
Zhao Changfeng complained with a bitter expression, "Tong Yi was dead set on killing us, and they belonged to the Primal Demon Temple. We wanted to kill them first, but couldn't let anyone find out, so we had no choice but to account for everyone."
Teng Kun gave a strange chuckle and praised him repeatedly. "Good! Well done! So what if they're from the Primal Demon Temple? As long as no one finds out, kill them and be done with it!"
By now, the more he looked at Zhao Changfeng, the more he liked him. He truly cherished this talent.
The Turbid Stone was an unusual treasure from the Unordered Zone. Hidden inside Song Ziyan at the time, it had actually evaded his senses.
With his cultivation at full perfection of the Six Tribulations Realm, other high-grade artifacts-even the Soul-Pacifying Bead-would have struggled to escape his perception, without his needing to send his primordial spirit into each person's body to inspect them.
That very object had concealed the mastermind. Without Zhao Changfeng sending a message through Chen Jian's Yin Ghost, he might have fallen into the trap.
If that high-rank demon spirit had possessed him, its rank would have risen another step. It could then return to the Crippled Demon Sect in his body, and those inhuman beings the sect had suppressed for years would surely escape.
At that thought, Teng Kun still felt a chill down his spine. Naturally, his gaze toward Zhao Changfeng grew even gentler.
"You've rendered a great service. Once we return, I'll report everything truthfully to the sect master. You certainly won't be treated poorly."
Teng Kun finally said.
"Master said we'll leave after dark."
Ruan Meizhen entered the room with countless questions on her mind, but held them back because Chen Jian and Cui Pinyuan were also present.
Still, she could tell that Teng Kun had left in a good mood. Zhao Changfeng had clearly passed the test.
She very much wanted to ask Teng Kun why he had revealed her entanglement with Xu Lang, but his imposing authority frightened her too much to ask even that.
"We're leaving too. May we... never meet again!"
Chen Jian's expression was cold, as though he could not bear to stay another moment.
During this trip to Tamu Town and the demon spirit calamity in Heavenly Shield City, he had suffered grievous losses. He had put in both time and effort, yet gained only a few low-rank Demon Cores. By any reckoning, the losses outweighed the gains.
Zhao Changfeng, by contrast, had not only advanced by leaps and bounds but also won Old Devil Teng's favor and was to be admitted as a formal disciple by special exception.
As for his own merit in sending the message through his Yin Ghost, Old Devil Teng had promised nothing, merely giving him a slight nod.
Chen Jian could not fathom Teng Kun's intentions and did not know whether he would receive his rightful reward after returning to the sect.
Feeling dispirited, he turned the matter over in his mind and ultimately blamed Zhao Changfeng for it all, secretly resenting him for exposing his identity.
With their departure imminent, Zhao Changfeng smiled brightly, clearly in excellent spirits. "Senior Cui, what do you plan to do next?"
Cui Pinyuan lowered his head slightly. "I don't dare return to Tamu Town."
"Now that the Earth Yin Cold Spring has been exposed, Tong Yi will surely seize it. Besides... who knows whether the demon spirits will launch another attack?"
After a pause, he glanced at Chen Jian. "I'll leave with Brother Chen."
Zhao Changfeng turned toward Chen Jian with a smile. "Brother Chen, we've fought shoulder to shoulder, after all. Could you agree to one request?"
Without even hearing the details, Chen Jian flatly refused. "No."
As though he had not noticed Chen Jian's displeasure, Zhao Changfeng kept his warm smile and continued on his own. "Brother Chen, in my eyes, you're an exceptional talent of the Demon Dao. There's so much about you worth learning from. In the future... we should stay close. The path of cultivation is rough, and perhaps we can look out for one another someday."
Chen Jian gave him a sidelong glance, shook his head, and said coldly, "There's absolutely no need."
Seeing that nothing would sway him, Zhao Changfeng grew a little annoyed. Finally dropping all pretense, he said solemnly, "Senior Cui went through mountains of blades and seas of fire alongside us. I beg you to treat him well, Brother Chen!"
Cui Pinyuan stared at Zhao Changfeng in bewildered surprise, unable to understand why he cared so much about him.
Suspicion showed in Chen Jian's eyes. "What does his life or death have to do with you?"
"Brother Chen, if anything happens to Senior Cui anytime soon, I'll announce to everyone that you've long since reached the Three Calamities Realm!"
Zhao Changfeng snorted and threatened him openly. "The only people who know you're at that realm are the four of us in this room! If I spread it everywhere, forget about hiding your cultivation to turn the tables on your opponents!"
Seeing how serious he was, even confronting Chen Jian for his sake, Cui Pinyuan was moved beyond words. He stammered, "Brother Zhao, I... I really don't know what to say."
At that moment, Cui Pinyuan only regretted having been so stingy before. He should have given Zhao Changfeng those two third-rank spirit beasts for free!
They had met by chance, like drifting duckweed, yet Zhao Changfeng treated him this way, letting him feel a warmth he had not known in years.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!"
Chen Jian was beside himself with rage.
If not for the oath he had sworn earlier, and the fact that Old Devil Teng was still in Heavenly Shield City, he might have been unable to resist blasting Zhao Changfeng to death on the spot, sparing himself the increasingly irritating sight of him.
Zhao Changfeng smiled. "I don't care what you think. If Senior Cui dies anytime soon, I'll consider it your doing whether you did it or not!"
Chen Jian found him utterly unreasonable. Unwilling to waste another word, he turned and walked out of the house.
Seeing that Chen Jian was about to leave the city, Cui Pinyuan bowed deeply to Zhao Changfeng. When he raised his head, his eyes were already red, and he declared forcefully, "Brother Zhao! I, Cui Pinyuan, will never forget this kindness!"