Granted a Cultivation Method

After leaving the tent, Su Liuyue did not linger for a moment. She stepped onto her flying sword and headed straight for the battlefield.

In the camp, Qin Yu stared blankly at the sword light as it vanished.

"Damn, didn't we agree to come out and talk? Why'd you run off?"

Shaking his head, Qin Yu summoned his flying sword and followed her. It wasn't that he had to talk to her; he was mainly worried that she wouldn't be safe on her own.

She was his junior sister, after all. It was only natural for him, as her senior brother, to keep an eye on her.

Inside the Ten Thousand Souls Banner.

Over the past two days, Shen Ge had devoured several Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment Yin souls. His overall strength had risen once more, and his cultivation had now reached the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage.

Just as he was rejoicing at how quickly his cultivation was growing, a force pushed him out of the Ten Thousand Souls Banner.

After a moment of confusion, Shen Ge looked around. Though it was strange, he was certain he was inside something resembling a Mongolian yurt. A man in black robes was also sitting nearby, presumably the owner of the Ten Thousand Souls Banner.

He had to admit, the man looked pretty stylish. With white hair and blood-red markings, he had an indescribable bearing. If he were on Blue Star, those girls would fantasize about him to death.

But Shen Ge knew exactly what he was, so he neither spoke nor moved recklessly. Instead, he deliberately put on a foolish look, as though he had little intelligence.

Mo Shang had watched every move the Yin soul made. Seeing him pretend to be a fool when he was clearly quite intelligent piqued his interest.

He slowly raised a hand and reached out with a finger.

Watching the finger approach him, Shen Ge immediately panicked. It's over, it's over, it's over! Has he figured out I'm not completely dead and decided to finish me off? Or have I eaten too much lately and made him unhappy? Help! Somebody save this poor kid!

Though all sorts of thoughts churned through his mind, Shen Ge forced himself not to move.

After all, running or staying made no difference. If he stayed, he might still live, since everything he was thinking was only guesswork. But if he turned and ran, there was no need to think about it: he would definitely die. His soul might even be torn apart and fed to those Yin souls in the end.

A black light emerged from Mo Shang's fingertip and entered Shen Ge's forehead in the blink of an eye.

The moment the black light appeared, Shen Ge reflexively squeezed his eyes shut.

He couldn't help it. He was scared-scared he wouldn't be able to stop himself from running.

After a short while, what he had imagined still hadn't happened. Instead, a Cultivation Method called the "Yin Cold Instruction" had appeared in his mind.

"Stop playing dead. I know you're quite intelligent."

The voice interrupted Shen Ge before he could continue examining the Cultivation Method. He opened his eyes to find the man staring at him, making him shudder in fright.

What do I do? What do I do? Should I answer? What should I call him? Calling him Master feels so embarrassing!

While Shen Ge was thinking about that jumble of things, Mo Shang spoke again. "I didn't expect you to retain your intelligence."

"But that works out well. Since you're so intelligent, you can become the main soul of this Ten Thousand Souls Banner."

The main soul?

Isn't this too fast?

Although Shen Ge had set his sights on becoming the main soul, it had only been a few days, and he was already going to be the main soul? Wasn't he supposed to work his way up step by step?

Noticing the confusion in the Yin soul's eyes, Mo Shang said, "Of course, you're still too weak right now. I'll give you half the Yin souls in the Ten Thousand Souls Banner to devour. You won't take the position of main soul until you advance to the Foundation Establishment Late Stage."

Hearing this, Shen Ge's heart burst into bloom, and he nearly cheered.

In other novels, cultivating to the Foundation Establishment Peak took at least several decades, but he might reach it in less than two months.

Though he had lost his physical body, his cultivation speed was practically rocket-powered.

"Thank you for nurturing me, Master. From now on, this servant will surely brave life and death for you and slay powerful enemies."

Hearing the Yin soul speak, Mo Shang raised an eyebrow, seemingly a little surprised. Although he knew this Yin soul was quite intelligent, he hadn't expected him to be intelligent enough to communicate. Could it be that his intelligence hadn't been damaged at all?

"What's your name?"

From Mo Shang's reaction just now, Shen Ge could tell that he probably shouldn't have spoken. It was Mo Shang's earlier remark about his high intelligence that had made him think the man already knew everything. Otherwise, he would never have been foolish enough to expose himself.

But it was too late to say anything now. Since that was the case, he might as well smash the cracked pot. Rather than evade the issue, he would be better off increasing his value and earning greater rewards.

"Master, this servant has no name? I hope you will bestow one upon me."

No name?

Was he lying, or had his intelligence just emerged?

Should I search his soul and see?

As Mo Shang's gaze grew increasingly hostile, Shen Ge shivered with cold. It felt as if a giant hand had seized his entire soul, and he suffered as though he were drowning.

Looking at the Yin soul trembling uncontrollably all over, Mo Shang shook his head in disdain. Forget it. This was fine as it was. What could he find by searching such a little thing's soul anyway? He would only damage its intelligence, and the loss would outweigh the gain.

In any case, the Yin soul's life and death were his to decide with a single thought. Did he dare turn the heavens upside down?

"From now on, your name is Mo Yi. For the time being, you'll serve as a branch soul and control one thousand Yin souls."

Forcing down his disgust, Shen Ge fawned, "Thank you for bestowing this name, Master. This servant will not disappoint you."

He had no choice. Under another man's eaves, one had to bow one's head. Besides, someone else now held even his chance at reincarnation in his grasp.

As a brick hauler of the new era, Shen Ge might not have known much else, but he had learned a thing or two about speaking like a man to men and like a ghost to ghosts.

After all, anyone who wanted to get ahead had to learn a little of the art of conversation. Otherwise, if a few words from you killed every conversation, how were you supposed to get promoted and earn a raise?

Mo Shang did not reply. He simply waved his hand and drew Shen Ge back into the Ten Thousand Souls Banner.

"Fighting has already broken out at Fallen Phoenix Slope. Damn it, the flames of war are spreading further and further. If this continues, I'm afraid I won't be able to keep my life. I need to give more thought to a way out. The Blood Devil Grotto might be an option..."

As a protector of the Devil Creek Sect, Mo Shang knew his sect's overall strength very well.

Aside from the sect master, Li Yu, who was at the Nascent Soul Middle Stage, all the other elders and protectors were at the Golden Core stage.

All told, that amounted to one Nascent Soul and twenty Golden Cores.

On the other side, besides the Spirit Moon Sect's master, Ziyang, who was at the Nascent Soul Early Stage, there seemed to be a grand elder at the Nascent Soul Middle Stage. That alone made them stronger than the Devil Creek Sect, not to mention their nearly thirty Golden Cores.

In a head-on fight, the Devil Creek Sect could be said to stand no chance at all.

"No, I should wait a little longer. The odds of winning may be slim, but what if we succeed? If I run now, won't I miss out?"

"At the very least, I should wait until we start losing before I leave."

After all, the benefits would be enormous if they won. Though Mo Shang was only a protector and wouldn't receive much in the way of tangible benefits, he had to look at the long term.

Once the Spirit Moon Sect was destroyed, all the resources of the Flowing Cloud Kingdom would belong to the Devil Creek Sect. There would also be one less sect competing for the surrounding secret realms and the like. Those intangible benefits were what he needed.

Inside the Ten Thousand Souls Banner, Shen Ge looked with disgust at the Yin souls surrounding him. He had thought he would have to work hard for a long time before he could try being a little squad leader, but unexpectedly, he had reached that position in one step and even risen another rank.

But he couldn't be happy about it. Becoming a branch soul meant he would have to go out and fight. Just thinking about the methods of those immortal cultivators made him shudder: flying swords, fireballs, talismans, lightning. Wouldn't a single touch be enough to send him to his death?

That year, at eighteen, he was promoted to branch soul of the Ten Thousand Souls Banner.