’Still no reaction.’ Du Youqian withdrew from his state of Introspection and shook his head.
Even though his Cultivation had reached the Foundation Establishment Peak, he still couldn’t affect the transparent, void-like carving pen in his Dantian.
At most, he could use high-intensity Magical Power to wash over it, causing it to tremble slightly.
But he couldn’t interact with it.
’Could it be that I have to wait until I reach Core Formation to influence it and understand its origins?’
Such a small matter wasn’t enough to make Du Youqian feel dejected.
He got up and left the secret chamber. Luo Jinyu, who had been waiting outside for a long time, immediately came forward and reported, "Brother Yu, I’ve had people monitoring Yin Ruozhen for three months and have also started gathering intelligence on her from the past few years. We haven’t found anything unusual yet. I’m also looking for a suitable candidate to send to her residence to perform Miscellaneous Tasks."
Du Youqian nodded. "Well done. Keep at it. This is a long-term task. Tell the people under you not to let their guard down."
"Understood." Luo Jinyu breathed a sigh of relief, a sense of gratitude for Gu Xiaofang rising in his heart.
When Du Youqian had assigned him this task, he’d been clueless. If not for Gu Xiaofang’s advice, he might still not know how to begin the investigation into Yin Ruozhen.
Du Youqian continued walking outward, and Fang Hua habitually followed him.
"You don’t need to come with me today," Du Youqian said, turning to stop her. "I’m going to visit a Master. That Master... has a minor flaw."
He didn’t say it outright, but the Master was rather lecherous.
Fang Hua, however, understood instantly. Her pretty face flushed slightly as she stopped and said with concern, "Then you be careful."
Du Youqian smiled. "I’m paying a price to ask for that senior’s guidance. It’s just a transaction, nothing to be careful about."
As he walked out of his residence, the disciples he encountered respectfully stepped to the sides and bowed.
Du Youqian didn’t return the gesture, ignoring them as if he hadn’t seen them, appearing extremely arrogant.
The disciples were used to this. Which True Inheritor wasn’t lofty and condescending?
Unconvinced?
If you’re unconvinced, then carve a bloody path to become a True Inheritor yourself.
This was the general environment, and Du Youqian had no desire to be unconventional and play the part of an affable leader.
He strolled leisurely to the entrance of Master Shi Quan’s residence and announced in a clear voice, "Master Shi Quan, this junior, Yu Fei, has come to visit as promised."
As he spoke, he took out a Jadeite Invitation Card. With a flick of his hand, the card flew into the hands of the servant at the door.
In truth, he could have sent the invitation card directly into Master Shi Quan’s hands, but that would have been disrespectful.
"Yu Zhenchuan, please wait a moment. This humble one will go announce you," the servant said, not daring to be slow. He held the invitation card with both hands and trotted inside.
Before long, Master Shi Quan’s hearty laughter could be heard. "Yu Zhenchuan’s grand visit truly makes my humble home shine."
By the time his voice faded, he had already arrived at the entrance of the residence.
This was a tall and heroic-looking Cultivator. His facial features were sharp, and he wore a handsome beard. He had a dignified appearance and an extraordinary bearing.
Du Youqian returned the bow. "Greetings, Master."
Master Shi Quan caught his arm. "Ah, no need for such ceremony. If you don’t mind, just call me Brother He."
Du Youqian feigned reluctance. "How could I? There is a difference in seniority."
Master Shi Quan pretended to be angry. "Why not? You’ve already reached Foundation Establishment Perfection. In as little as ten or twenty years, a hundred at most, you will surely achieve Core Formation. It’s better to start calling me Brother now, to save me the awkwardness of seeing you later."
Du Youqian went with the flow, smiling as he handed over a Storage Treasure Pouch. "Greetings, Brother He. Your junior brother came in a hurry. This is just a small gift, a token of my respect."
"Junior Yu, you’re too kind." Master Shi Quan accepted the Storage Treasure Pouch with a smile, then took Du Youqian’s hand and led him into the residence.
Du Youqian really disliked having his hand held by another man, but it was a gesture of respect and friendliness from Master Shi Quan, so he could only accept it.
As a Core Formation Master, it wasn’t strange for Master Shi Quan to call Du Youqian "junior brother" and act so cordially.
After all, Du Youqian’s Cultivation had already reached Foundation Establishment Perfection, and with his True Inheritor Identity, reaching Core Formation was only a matter of time.
Furthermore, the Core Formation Masters of the Holy Blood Sect were implicitly divided into three tiers.
Those who originated from the Holy Blood Sect and held a True Inheritor Identity before reaching Core Formation—the ones with a pure and proper lineage—were at the top of the food chain.
The next tier down consisted of those who came from the Holy Blood Sect but lacked a True Inheritor Identity, having reached Core Formation without the Sect’s full support. Xi Zhiheng and Feng Xiaoyi, for example, belonged to this group.
The lowest tier was made up of those who came from other sects. After reaching Foundation Establishment, they were recruited by the Holy Blood Sect for their Cultivation Techniques or extraordinary talent, eventually achieving Core Formation within the Holy Blood Sect.
Although they also joined the upper echelon, they weren’t truly trusted and were not permitted to learn the Sect’s foundational scriptures like the *Crimson Scripture of Profound Mystery and Spiritual Mechanism*, the *Red Blood Seven Transitions Technique*, or the *Blood Slaughter Sword Scripture*.
They also had little say in decision-making, belonging to a group that no one particularly cared for.
Master Shi Quan, He Yu, was a genius from a Fourth-class Sect, the Qixia Sect, who had been famous for his Array Dao from a young age.
After reaching Foundation Establishment, he was recruited by the Holy Blood Sect because he had the potential to become a Tier Three Skill master.
Later, he successfully broke through to Tier Three in the Array Dao as he had hoped, also succeeded in Core Formation, and attained long life.
He Yu was a smart man. He knew he was an outsider and was very clear about his position.
Therefore, in front of a True Disciple like Du Youqian, who was destined to become part of the highest tier of leadership, he put on no airs and even acted somewhat sycophantic.
After leading Du Youqian into the residence and seating him, they exchanged a few pleasantries before getting to the main topic.
Du Youqian began to ask for guidance on matters related to the Array Dao.
Although he had already exchanged for a Tier Three Inheritance, self-study was no match for the speed of learning from a famous master.
After teaching for a while, He Yu sighed, half in flattery and half in sincerity, "Junior Yu, your talent in the Array Dao is truly exceptional and enviable."
Du Youqian understood everything he had just taught instantly and was even able to extrapolate further principles.
Du Youqian said with a smile, "That’s because Brother He is a good teacher. You explain profound concepts in simple terms, clearly and without any obscurity. It shows that Brother He’s understanding of the Array Dao is far, far superior to mine."
He Yu stroked his beard and laughed. "This is the result of my two hundred years of accumulation. How can you compare to me? When you reach my age, Junior Yu, your attainments in the Array Dao will surely far surpass mine. You never showed any talent for Arrays in the Sect before, only to suddenly reveal Tier Two Peak mastery during the grand competition. Considering your age at the time, it was truly astonishing and terrifying."
"You flatter me, Brother."
Du Youqian was no longer afraid of exposing his proficiency in Cultivation Techniques.
With his current status, position, and strength, which blind Core Formation Master would dare force him into manual labor?
So this time, he planned to openly raise his Array Dao, Alchemy, and Artifact Refining skills to Tier Three.
After explaining the theory, He Yu gave a personal demonstration. He took out some precious materials to set up a Tier Three Lower Grade Array. Because the Array wasn’t activated, the materials wouldn’t be consumed.
He Yu explained as he performed the Array Formation, his instructions meticulously detailed.
Of course, he didn’t complete the Array Formation entirely; he still held something back.
Every Array Master has their own unique techniques when it comes to Array Formation, so it was only natural for He Yu to hold back.
Du Youqian knew that He Yu was intentionally doing him a huge favor.
Although he had given He Yu some gifts, their value couldn’t possibly compare to a Tier Three Array Master giving a personal, detailed demonstration and explanation.
For several days in a row, Du Youqian went to Master Shi Quan He Yu’s residence to study Arrays. He felt his progress was gratifying; he was likely only a paper-thin barrier away from Tier Three.
Du Youqian estimated that his mastery of Arrays could break through to Tier Three at any moment.
As long as he attempted to set up a Tier Three Array, he could verify what he had learned, integrate his knowledge, and naturally advance to become an Array Master.
As for where to set up this Tier Three Array...
A Tier Three Array was incredibly precious.
Setting it up at his own residence would be a complete waste.
After some consideration, Du Youqian boarded his Flying Boat, left the Holy Blood Sect, and flew south.
The Flying Boat descended on Soul-shaking Mountain in the Wu Kingdom.
Fang Hua followed Du Youqian off the Flying Boat, sized up their surroundings, and couldn’t help but ask, "Fellow Daoist Yu, does this mountain hold some special meaning for you?"
Du Youqian smiled but said nothing.
Outside the Array enveloping the Daoist Temple, a troop of one hundred soldiers was stationed.
This was clearly a deployment by Du Yuxi and Du Yuhuan to protect their "Land of the Dragon’s Ascension."
Du Youqian paid them no mind. As long as he didn’t reveal himself, there was no way they could discover him.
He walked straight to the old Daoist’s grave and played a tune.
The wind carried the faint sound of the zither to the soldiers’ ears. Many of them looked nervous and tightened their grip on their weapons, but they didn’t cry out.
Others, who had been mentally prepared, simply stopped to listen to the beautiful melody that, though faint and intermittent, seemed to pierce the soul.
When they were stationed here, they had been instructed.
They might encounter strange things during their post, but they were to pay them no mind.
Their only job was to prevent ordinary people—such as fugitives from the mountains, hunters, or bandits—from getting close.
So, even though the sound of a zither in this desolate place was strange, they didn’t need to do anything. They just went about their usual duties.
"What’s this song called? It’s beautiful. I’ve never heard you play it before."
Fang Hua had been by Du Youqian’s side for decades, so she had naturally heard him play the zither many times.
But this was the first time she had heard this particular piece.
"The Smiling, Proud Wanderer." Du Youqian put the zither back into his Storage Treasure Pouch and walked over to Long Ruzhen’s grave.
Because Fang Hua was beside him, he didn’t say anything to Long Ruzhen.
He just tidied up the grave a little.
From certain traces, it was clear that Liao Minmin came here often to sweep the grave and leave offerings.
Her most recent visit was half a month ago at most.
Du Youqian sighed softly. ’She’s a good child, still remembering her promise from all those years ago.’
’This sentiment is enough.’ He wouldn’t go so far as to demand that Liao Minmin actually build a hut and live by the grave.
The peach tree was also growing well, with lush branches and deep roots.
If it continued to grow like this, nourished by Spiritual Qi, who knew if it might gain sentience after ten million years.
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter
