Taking the Calamity

"No wonder Master Dong loved lecturing!"

Zhang Xuezhou received so many gifts that his hands were sore from receiving them all.

Moreover, the gifts he received were quite substantial.

The least useful item was the military tally given to the Lan clan by Tuturlan. This tally could mobilize two thousand men, but Zhang Xuezhou really didn't need it, so it was ranked among the least useful.

This includes the Venerable One's valuable possessions, such as array stones, spiritual objects, raw materials for Law Treasure, and sect secret manuals, as well as the cherished items taken by each of the eight mages, including elixirs, Incantation Technique materials, spells, and powerful medicines.

Everyone was waiting for Hongku to hand over the complete message, and few dared to play any tricks, lest Hongku leave anything behind. The reason for this was simply that their gifts were not generous enough.

"Everyone, now we will move on to the most important part, the follow-up teachings!"

Zhang Xuezhou carried the gifts into Hongku's room. He used magic to stuff the gifts that could be stuffed into a pouch, and wrapped the rest in cloth.

After dealing with all the gifts, he returned to the stone table to preach.

I don't know how much everyone else gained, but Zhang Xuezhou certainly gained a lot.

At least his understanding of the Yang Soul Transformation Technique has increased considerably.

Compared to a cultivator like him who had never even reached the Divine Ability Realm, the Venerables and Dharma Masters certainly had a much broader perspective, which allowed everyone to barely understand the Dharma spoken by the Venerables.

As for the later part of the Yang Soul Transformation Technique, it was, as usual, obscure and difficult to understand, causing even Venerable Black Mountain to frown.

"This technique, in one sense, leads to the left, seemingly to another path; yet in another sense, it seems the latter is more suitable for our cultivation?"

After reciting the text, Venerable Black Mountain was filled with doubts.

"Your Excellency need not worry," Zhang Xuezhou said with a smile. "This technique will vary depending on individual understanding, and it also involves human cultivators and Demon Cultivator, so the subsequent parts will also present different interpretations!"

"I see," the Venerable White Bone nodded, "No wonder I was a little confused earlier!"

"Both human and Demon Cultivator can learn this technique. Its extraordinary Technique Method is beyond our comprehension," Venerable Black Mountain sighed. "We can only pick up scraps from others' work!"

"I don't even know if I'll be able to pick it up!"

The Venerable White Bone cupped his hands in greeting and then stood up.

After listening to the sermon, he and Venerable Black Mountain did not engage in any debate with the crowd, and subsequently left the Black Stone Courtyard.

Then Venerable Yellow Sand and Venerable Weaver Emperor exchanged glances, and after looking at the many Dharma Masters, they also stood up, clasped their hands in greeting, and retreated.

"It seems that the Venerable Ones are wary of us," Dharma Master Hongyi said quietly.

"Their advantage lies in the length of their cultivation, resulting in greater knowledge and deeper cultivation. However, in terms of the progress of their cultivation, they may not be as advanced as we are," said Master Hongnong. "Rather than discussing and explaining this technique to us so that we can learn it, they will naturally keep some things to themselves!"

"Without a venerable one to lead the way, this technique becomes much more difficult," Master Honggui said.

"We still have Venerable Hongku," said Master Hongyuan.

"I have finished my sermon. You may discuss this among yourselves. I will not say any more!"

When the monks looked at Zhang Xuezhou with expectant expressions, Zhang Xuezhou could only wave his hand.

The trouble caused by the internal strife within the Yedie River Holy Land was something Zhang Xuezhou had not anticipated. He thought he could thoroughly understand the Yang Soul Transformation Technique, but he did not expect that Venerables such as Black Mountain and White Bone had concerns and did not want to discuss it in public.

After considering his identity as a fraud, Zhang Xuezhou had no choice but to give up.

He waved his hand, indicating that the monks could discuss freely, but the monks looked around at each other and none of them offered any good advice.

Whether due to competition, a genuine lack of understanding, or insufficient knowledge to determine the truth, the monks eventually looked at each other, bowed respectfully, and took their leave.

The two apprentice mages exchanged a glance, then bowed and stepped back.

For them, the Yang Soul being stored within the body is the first part of cultivation. It's not a big problem if they don't understand the later parts, since they are far from the Divine Ability Realm. Knowing them wouldn't be of any use to them anyway. They will learn as they cultivate, and they will gradually understand and learn.

Blackstone Villa quickly returned to its deserted state.

Zhang Xuezhou pushed open the door, which had been gnawed through by the five poisonous creatures, with a creaking sound.

He pondered for a while before quickly packing his luggage.

"Mani Mani Gurun Bai!"

After a series of ritualistic incantations, the palm-sized bone horse, which had been freed from the control of the Venerable White Bone, suddenly emitted a faint blue light in his hand.

When Zhang Xuezhou Law Power his magic, the bone horse quickly manifested the body of a normal horse, and the thin layer of skin covering the bone horse inflated like an air sac.

"Hiss!"

After exhaling a breath of cold white air from its nostrils, the Technique Method horse neighed once.

Zhang Xuezhou didn't care whether Hongku had returned or not. Riding this horse, he was the coolest guy around. As long as the Venerable White Bone didn't leave any backdoors or use this White Bone Horse to curse him, ordinary Venerables and Dharma Masters wouldn't be able to catch up with him.

Driving the bone horse out the door, Zhang Xuezhou then rode down the mountain with a clattering sound.

"Disguise and deception?"

In the Dao Palace atop the high mountains of the Yedie River Holy Land, the Dao Lord wore a strange expression.

Several miles apart, Daojun naturally couldn't see through the disguise.

However, at present, only two people and two demons can explain the Yang Soul Transformation Technique. The two demons are Venerable and Nine Spirits Yuan Saint, while the two people are Dao Lord and Zhang Xuezhou.

It's impossible for Hongku to be among them.

Despite disguised as Hongku, Zhang Xuezhou could not fool Daojun's eyes.

Daojun even got to listen to the debates between the audience members and the Dharma Masters, and gained a lot from it.

"His luck in the Xieluosi River Holy Land should have been exhausted, as evidenced by the aftermath of his Yang Soul's transformation. It's impossible for him to have taken so many things with him in the Yedie River Holy Land. But Non-Self hadn't cursed him to death, who... could it have been Hongku? Or would someone else have attacked Hongku, causing him to take the blame for Hongku!"

Inside the Dao Palace, the Dao Lord's gaze shifted back and forth.

He put down the newly transcribed Yang Soul Transformation Technique and made several calculations with his hands.

When the feeling of having no results from his calculations came over him, Daojun couldn't help but mutter something under his breath.

"Fortune tellers are the most troublesome!"

Whether he was deducing Zhang Xuezhou or Hongku, he was clearly encountering interference.

However, he was unwilling to seriously delve into physiognomy, since few physiognomists live long lives, and he did not want to make things worse for himself given his current predicament of being plagued by Incantation Technique and misfortunes.

Moreover, physiognomy is not something he can learn well just by wanting to. Given that he is not particularly fond of traveling around, this basically prevents Daojun from mastering physiognomy.

His ineffective deductions were obvious, which meant that Hongku must have tampered with Zhang Xuezhou's body, rendering his rather rudimentary physiognomy calculations useless.

Unless invited by the Lord of the Sacred Land or there is some major event, Dao Lords generally do not leave the Dao Palace.

He paced back and forth in the Daoist palace several times, thought about it again, and ultimately did not leave the Sacred Land.

Like the demons under his command, the Venerable Masters under him were also good at internal strife but useless in external battles, and few could help him.

As for who was targeting Hongku, and who Hongku wanted to kill, their lives and deaths were indeed of little significance to him.

"There's a reason why fortune tellers die young. With all your scheming and manipulative ways, how could you not die young!"

Muttering something, Daojun pointed at himself.

A sudden inspiration struck him, and his soul trembled as a faint, indistinct body materialized outside his body.