I beg the Celestial Master for a method to kill souls!

But he dared not linger any longer.

This was his weakest moment.

A slight mistake and he would be successfully possessed by that old bald donkey.

If that brat managed to strike him again...

"Zhou Ran, this debt, this old man remembers!"

Daoist Lingxu glared venomously at Zhou Ran.

Then, he fiercely slapped his chest, spitting out a mouthful of vital blood.

Blood Escape!

His entire body transformed into a streak of bloody light, shattering the rock wall and fleeing toward the downstream of the underground river.

The underground cavern finally fell silent.

Only the sound of falling rubble and the turbulent flow of the dark river remained.

"Zhou Ran!"

Lin Qingxue rushed toward the riverbank regardless of everything.

Splash.

A pale hand grabbed the rock edge of the bank.

Zhou Ran, completely soaked, climbed onto the shore in an extremely wretched state.

Zhou Ran plopped down onto the wet rock, gasping for breath.

He felt like his entire skeletal frame was about to fall apart.

Especially after forcibly bearing the soul power of Ye Futian Ye Futian just now; his meridians felt like they were being pulled back and forth by countless blunt knives.

Zhou Ran inspected his own body internally.

Inside his Dantian, the demonic core had vanished without a trace.

His Sea of Consciousness was completely empty.

"Master?

Old man?"

No response.

After searching meticulously, he finally discovered a dark shadow.

The soul body of Ye Futian had shrunk by over ninety percent at this moment.

It had turned into a dim, lusterless little black sphere, hovering in a corner.

Zhou Ran grinned.

"This is what you call seeking wealth amidst danger."

He had bet correctly!

This Ye Futian truly cherished his life more than he did.

In order to preserve his physical body, he had indeed squeezed dry all the spiritual energy Zhou Ran had accumulated recently.

The current Ye Futian was in a deep slumber.

Let alone possession, he probably couldn't even transmit a divine sense.

"This Ye Futian taught me without holding back, which means he wasn't afraid of his techniques being passed on."

"In his plan, this body of mine was probably long considered his possession."

Zhou Ran let out a long breath, feeling an unprecedented sense of ease in body and mind.

"When this Ye Futian wakes up, I'll feign offering him some treasures that nourish the soul, and trick him into revealing the cultivation path after the Golden Core stage.

By the time he regains the ability to possess, I will probably have reached the late stage of Foundation Establishment."

Zhou Ran got up and stretched his limbs.

Although his body was in excruciating pain, and several bones were broken, these were trivial matters.

As long as this body remained under his control, everything could be discussed.

"Cough, cough..."

Not far away, a weak cough sounded.

It was the old Daoist Zhang Xuansu, who had been slapped into the rock wall by Daoist Lingxu.

Supported by several disciples, he was laboriously inching his way over.

The Old Celestial Master's hair was disheveled, and the purple Daoist robe that represented the majesty of Longhu Mountain had turned into rags, covered in holes and mud.

"Young friend..."

Zhang Xuansu pushed away his disciples' hands and bowed deeply to Zhou Ran.

"This humble Daoist, Zhang Xuansu, thanks Young Friend on behalf of everyone at Longhu Mountain for saving our lives."

Zhou Ran did not dodge and accepted the bow frankly.

If he hadn't fought desperately just now, these bull-nosed old Daoists would have already become Ye Futian Lingxu's rations.

"Old Celestial Master is too polite."

Zhou Ran waved his hand, pulled out a bottle of mineral water from his storage ring, took a swig, and said casually,

"I wasn't trying to save you guys. Mainly, that old monster was blocking my path and trying to take my life."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xuansu was not angered; instead, the admiration in his eyes deepened.

In his view, although this young man cultivated demonic arts, his actions were upright and honorable.

He was unlike those so-called righteous hypocrites who preached benevolence and morality but were filled with deceit and depravity.

"Regardless of your initial intentions, the result is that Young Friend saved us."

Zhang Xuansu was a man who appreciated integrity. He took out a small white jade bottle he kept close to his body.

"This is the 'Nine Revolutions Soul Returning Pill' secretly made by our Longhu Mountain.

Although the name is a bit exaggerated, it is miraculous for internal injuries."

Zhou Ran was not pretentious and took it, pouring out one pill.

The pill was entirely crimson and emitted a clear medicinal fragrance.

He tossed it directly into his mouth, crushed it like a hard candy, and swallowed.

A warm current flowed through his limbs and bones, bringing indescribable comfort.

"Good stuff."

Zhou Ran's eyes lit up.

"If Young Friend does not mind, once this matter is settled, you are welcome to visit our Celestial Masters Mansion on Longhu Mountain."

Zhang Xuansu took the opportunity to extend an invitation.

"This humble Daoist has a few ounces of Enlightenment Tea hidden away, which would be perfect for us to sit and discuss the Dao together."

Zhou Ran's heart stirred.

He knew absolutely nothing about the current cultivation system on Earth.

Although Ye Futian Ye Futian was knowledgeable, all of that was ancient history from tens of thousands of years ago.

It wasn't even from the same plane.

This old Daoist before him was the Celestial Master of Longhu Mountain, the pinnacle of orthodox Daoism in this era.

Judging by his aura, his cultivation had long surpassed the so-called Land Immortal realm.

It seemed that on this Earth, there were indeed experts present.

Forging a good relationship with him to probe the reality of the current immortal cultivation world would be entirely beneficial and harmless.

After a moment of contemplation, Zhou Ran laughed heartily.

"Then I shall not refuse your kind offer. I will certainly pay a visit then."

Zhou Ran agreed with a smile.

The slight distance that had existed between them due to their different cultivation methods dissolved invisibly.

He patted the rock beside him, signaling Zhang Xuansu to sit down, and asked seemingly casually:

"Old Celestial Master, that Daoist Lingxu just now, based on his tone, seemed connected to something called the 'Wuji Sect'?

What kind of path does this Wuji Sect follow?"

Upon hearing the words 'Wuji Sect,' Zhang Xuansu's previously amiable expression sank.

"A bunch of conscience-lacking beasts, nothing more."

Zhang Xuansu snorted coldly and spoke slowly.

"This sect is not a native sect of our Huaxia, but a branch of evil cultivators that flowed back from overseas a century ago.

Its founder is rumored to have been a demonic Daoist over a hundred years ago who specialized in the evil arts of harvesting vitality, refining corpses, and seizing souls to prolong life."

"Now, in this Age of Dharma Decline, spiritual energy is depleted. We orthodox Daoist sects emphasize conforming to Heaven's will and cultivating with a pure heart."

Our orthodox Daoist sects emphasize conforming to the times and cultivating with a pure heart and few desires.

"But the Wuji Sect is different; they follow a shortcut."

"What shortcut?"

Zhou Ran pressed.

"Plunder."

Zhang Xuansu spat out two words, his voice chilling.

"Plundering the vital energy and blood of others, plundering the spiritual essence of the earth veins, and even plundering the living souls of humans!

In their eyes, all living beings are merely medicinal ingredients.

Many disappearance cases across various regions in the last few decades have their shadows behind them."

Zhou Ran narrowed his eyes, his fingers caressing the hilt of his zanpakuto.

Back when he was a fitness coach, he had heard many stories about wealthy and powerful families from quite a few affluent members.

At the time, he just thought they were bragging for fun, but now it seemed...

Now that he thought about it, the shadows of the Wuji Sect were likely involved behind those rumors.

"Since they are causing such trouble, don't the righteous sects do anything about it?"

Zhou Ran sighed softly, with a hint of mockery.

Zhang Xuansu forced a bitter smile and shook his head.

"It's difficult.

The Wuji Sect acts with extreme secrecy, and furthermore...

They are too deeply intertwined with those top aristocratic families in the secular world."

"Money and power pave the way, and evil arts provide escort.

This is a massive network of interests, one that even Longhu Mountain dares not easily tear apart."

Zhou Ran nodded, deeply agreeing with this assessment.

In this world, money can make the grinding wheel turn ghosts, and it can also make the wheel turn ghosts.

He thought for a moment, then suddenly changed the subject, asking casually.

"By the way, Old Celestial Master, Daoist Lingxu just now, he was possessed by the remnant soul of an Ancient Monk, right?"

"Precisely."

Zhang Xuansu nodded.

"This kind of possession..."

Zhou Ran asked without seeming to care, his gaze seemingly falling casually onto the churning dark river.

In reality, he was tightly locking onto Zhang Xuansu's expression with his peripheral vision.

"If the possessed person hasn't completely died, is there any way to completely drive out that foreign soul?"

"Or perhaps..."

"Directly cause the possessor's soul to be scattered and annihilated?"