239: Chapter 239 Ling Yuling Recruits Again! The Fury of the Extreme Yin Ancestor!

Chapter 237: Ling Yuling's Second Invitation! Old Ancestor Extreme Yin's Fury!

Silence persisted for a moment before Ling Yuling finally recovered from the terrifying crisis of Possession she had just experienced.

Her beautiful face was still somewhat pale, but she had regained her composure. Taking a deep breath to suppress the lingering fear in her heart, she stepped forward and gave Lu Qiu a graceful bow. Her voice was clear and cold, yet it carried a subtle respect that was markedly different from before: "Thank you for saving my life, Fellow Daoist Zhou. Had it not been for your foresight just now, I fear I would have met with disaster today."

At this moment, there was no longer a shred of doubt in her heart.

To be able to slay Master Xuan Gu's remnant soul so easily, to have anticipated that insidious hidden soul-fragment and countered it with such composure... this strength, this calculation, and that poise maintained from beginning to end...

Everything pointed toward a single answer.

The newly ascended Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator who had formed his Nascent Soul in the Flowing Cloud Sect and had been evaluated by the two inspectors as a "Loose Cultivator, Formation Grandmaster, and unfathomable."

It was undoubtedly this masked "Fellow Daoist Zhou" before her!

"Fellow Daoist Ling is too polite."

Lu Qiu waved his hand, his tone calm and devoid of any arrogance: "Since we are exploring these Ancient Cultivator Ruins together, it is only natural that we support each other and face risks together. As I am traveling with you, there is no reason for me to sit idly by while a companion is in danger."

Alliance Leader Ling also stepped forward. When her beautiful eyes looked at Lu Qiu, they sparkled with light; besides gratitude, there was even more admiration.

She praised him sincerely: "Fellow Daoist Zhou, you not only possess profound cultivation and extraordinary insight but are also righteous and upright. If not for you this time, the two of us would truly have been in dire straits. I shall also remember your kindness in my heart." She was also certain that Lu Qiu was that new Nascent Soul, so her attitude naturally became increasingly respectful.

"It was merely my duty."

Lu Qiu did not wish to dwell on the matter and changed the subject: "The ghost has been eliminated. Next is..."

His gaze swept over the small emerald arrow lying silently on the ground, its spiritual light extinguished, and then looked at the heavenly void map fragment resting quietly on the floor.

The meaning was self-evident.

It was time to deal with the spoils of war.

Alliance Leader Ling and Ling Yuling exchanged a glance, both understanding Lu Qiu's intent.

The greatest danger of this trip had passed, and the rewards of their exploration were basically laid out before them. It was indeed time to "divide the spoils."

The atmosphere became a bit subtle for a moment, but it wasn't tense. After all, the strength Lu Qiu had displayed and the debt of saving their lives were right there, and his conduct could be considered upright and honorable.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou is correct."

Alliance Leader Ling nodded, her gaze also falling on the three items: "The gains from this place consist mainly of these three things."

Ling Yuling also nodded slightly in agreement. Although they didn't know exactly what that rib bone was, if it was so highly valued by Master Xuan Gu and required a special method to open, it was certainly no ordinary item.

The heavenly void map fragment was of even more immeasurable value.

The Gold Thunder Bamboo small arrow was also a rare exotic treasure for warding off evil.

Lu Qiu pondered for a moment and decided to handle it transparently.

Although he knew the rib bone contained the complete Xuan Yin Sutra and was of immense value, the other two had traveled with him, and Ling Yuling had nearly met with disaster. By all rights, they had the right to know and a right to the distribution.

He had his own principles in life and disdained using schemes and tricks in such matters.

"You two."

Lu Qiu took out the rib bone, which had turned half-white and half-black, holding it in his palm. He said directly, "This item was obtained from Master Xuan Gu's skeleton. I've already examined it; ordinary Divine Sense cannot penetrate it. There is a strange Yin-attribute energy barrier on its surface. If I'm not mistaken, I'm afraid it requires the power of Yin souls to open it and reveal what's hidden inside."

With that, he brushed his hand over his Storage Pouch and took out a small banner about half a foot long, entirely pitch-black and refined from some unknown beast bone.

The banner's surface was neither cloth nor silk, with faint Yin Qi swirling around it. As soon as it appeared, it emitted an uncomfortable, chilly aura.

This was exactly one of the ancient treasures he had obtained years ago from Immortal Tianjing's cave—the "Soul-Snaring Banner." It contained several Yin souls and ghosts captured by Immortal Tianjing or his enemies back then. Its power was decent, but Lu Qiu rarely used it.

"A ghost-path Magical Artifact?!"

As soon as Ling Yuling saw this banner, her beautiful brows immediately furrowed.

As the Young Lord of the Star Palace, she had received an orthodox education and possessed an almost instinctive loathing and rejection for heterodox paths, especially for Cultivators and artifacts that commanded Yin souls and ghosts.

Lu Qiu's expression remained unchanged, and he did not explain.

Seeing this, Alliance Leader Ling quickly spoke up, her tone carrying a bit of explanation to smooth things over: "Yuling, the spiritual power of the Cultivation Technique Fellow Daoist Zhou practices is upright and balanced; it is definitely not some common Demonic Technique. You and I can both sense that. This ghost banner was likely a spoil of war Fellow Daoist Zhou seized from some evil Cultivators or Devil Heads in his earlier years and is simply keeping for now. If Fellow Daoist Zhou were truly an evil Cultivator, why would he have used thunder and fire power to slay that Xuan Gu ghost just now?"

Hearing this, Ling Yuling felt it made sense.

The chixiao thunder fire pearl Lu Qiu had activated was of the utmost Yang and strength, the natural nemesis of ghost paths. If he were truly a ghost Cultivator, why would he Cultivate such techniques and treasures?

Her expression softened slightly, and she said no more.

Lu Qiu remained noncommittal toward Alliance Leader Ling's explanation and ignored Ling Yuling's attitude.

He directly activated the Soul-Snaring Banner. He didn't release the Yin souls inside but instead used a special hand seal to draw out a wisp of pure, chilly ghost Qi from the banner. It transformed into a black sphere the size of a fist that churned continuously, slowly floating toward the rib bone in his hand.

Sizzle...

As soon as the chilly black gas sphere touched the rib bone, a strange transformation occurred.

The rib bone seemed to possess a life of its own, actively attracting and devouring the Yin Qi.

The originally half-white and half-black surface saw the black portion spread and deepen rapidly like ink in water, while the white portion was stained and assimilated.

The ball of Yin Qi shrank at a visible rate, greedily absorbed by the rib bone.

This continued for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before the Yin Qi drawn from the Soul-Snaring Banner was completely devoured.

The rib bone in Lu Qiu's hand had now turned completely glossy black. A deep, restrained ghostly light flowed across it, emitting a stronger Yin-attribute energy fluctuation than before. Strangely, it didn't feel particularly foul or evil; instead, it carried the heavy aura of some ancient scripture.

"Buzz—!"

Suddenly, a low and strange hum emanated from the pitch-black rib bone!

Immediately following, wisps of even more condensed black light bloomed from the surface of the rib bone like living tentacles. The light was not dazzling, yet it was filled with a profound, mysterious, and even somewhat profound ghostly Dao charm.

Lu Qiu no longer hesitated and immediately sent his powerful Divine Sense into it.

A moment later, a flash of satisfaction crossed his eyes, and the corners of his mouth curled up imperceptibly.

As expected, inside was the complete and intact Legacy of the Xuan Yin Sutra!

From the essentials of the Cultivation Technique from the Qi Refinement Stage all the way to the Nascent Soul Stage, various powerful accompanying Divine Ability Secret Techniques, as well as some unique secret technique insights that Master Xuan Gu had relied on to dominate in his day, were all within.

Although this sutra leaned toward the Yin-attribute of the ghost path and some secret techniques were quite sinister, for Lu Qiu, the reference value was immense. In particular, some secret techniques related to combat, life-saving, and Spirit Refining could be integrated into his own system with a bit of modification.

He pondered for a moment. With a slight movement of his Divine Sense, he didn't display the entire contents. Instead, using his own magic power as a guide, he drew out several segments of blurred light-and-shadow information from the black rib bone regarding the general outline of the technique, the names of several representative secret techniques, and brief descriptions. These condensed into several lines of ancient seal script characters and simple patterns, floating in the air between the three of them so that Alliance Leader Ling and Ling Yuling could also see clearly.

"It seems this item is the Legacy carrier for that old devil Xuan Gu." Lu Qiu withdrew his Divine Sense, and the lines of light and shadow dissipated.

He said frankly, "What is recorded inside is mainly the Complete Manual of his core Cultivation Technique, the Xuan Yin Sutra, and several related Divine Abilities. For me, it has value for research and reference. I will take this item. As for the remaining two..."

His gaze turned to the heavenly void map fragment and the Gold Thunder Bamboo small arrow on the ground, his tone calm: "I'll let you two Fellow Daoists discuss and distribute them."

Alliance Leader Ling and Ling Yuling had also seen the light-and-shadow information just now, confirming that what was hidden in the rib bone was indeed Cultivation Techniques and secret techniques, not some ready-to-use Magic Treasure or Heaven And Earth Treasure.

The two women exchanged a glance and quickly communicated with their eyes.

Alliance Leader Ling spoke first, her tone carrying a hint of expectation and decisiveness: "In that case, this heavenly void map fragment shall go to me."

Her fundamental goal in this risky exploration of the Ancient Cultivator Ruins was to find an Opportunity for Nascent Soul Formation. Although she hadn't found a spiritual item that directly assisted in forming a Nascent Soul, obtaining a heavenly void map fragment was likewise a massive Opportunity.

There were countless rare treasures within the Void Heaven Palace. Rumors said there were even treasures that were of great benefit for assisting in Nascent Soul Formation and even for Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators. If she could enter and venture through it, perhaps her chance for Nascent Soul Formation would be found within.

To her, the value of this incomplete map far exceeded that Gold Thunder Bamboo small arrow of unknown use.

Ling Yuling's gaze swept over the heavenly void map fragment and the Gold Thunder Bamboo small arrow. Without almost any hesitation, she shook her head and looked at Lu Qiu, saying sincerely, "Fellow Daoist Zhou, in this exploration, from breaking the outer Formation to seeing through the Demon Crown Snake trap, to the frontal defeat and final slaying of Master Xuan Gu's remnant soul, it was almost entirely due to your strength alone. I was mostly assisting and protecting myself, without making any decisive contributions. Especially the final slaying of that hidden soul-fragment, which saved my life. This small arrow Magic Treasure should rightfully belong to you. I would feel ashamed to accept it, nor do I need it."

She spoke these words candidly.

Firstly, as the Young Lord of the Star Palace, she lacked neither Magic Treasures nor ancient treasures. Although this Gold Thunder Bamboo small arrow was an exotic treasure, its attribute leaned toward chilly Yin, which didn't particularly mesh with the orthodox Star Palace techniques she practiced.

Secondly, she knew well that her contributions this time were indeed limited. Most of the dangers had been neutralized by Lu Qiu. Being safe and sound was already a stroke of luck; how could she dare to covet the treasure?

Thirdly, her estimation of Lu Qiu's strength and character was growing, and she intended to forge a good relationship.

"Yuling is right." Alliance Leader Ling also nodded in agreement. She leaned down to pick up the emerald small arrow, feeling its slight weight and the latent pure Yang lightning power within. She knew in her heart this was a good thing, but she knew even better who deserved it.

She held the small arrow out to Lu Qiu and smiled, "Fellow Daoist Zhou, do not decline. This item is fated for you, and it is also what you deserve. If not for you, let alone dividing treasures, we might have already become shells for that old devil's Possession."

Lu Qiu glanced at Ling Yuling and saw that her expression was calm and clear, without any pretense. He then looked at Alliance Leader Ling's sincere smile and stopped being overly formal, nodding: "In that case, I shall accept it with gratitude."

He reached out and took the Gold Thunder Bamboo small arrow. It felt cool to the touch, and there were faint lightning patterns on the shaft; it was indeed no ordinary item.

With the distribution of treasures complete, the atmosphere became even more relaxed.

At this moment, Ling Yuling's gaze fell upon Lu Qiu once again. After a moment of hesitation, she spoke with a tone of admonishment, "Fellow Daoist Zhou, that Xuan Yin Sutra is, after all, a ghost-path Demonic Technique. Many of the secret techniques recorded within likely harm the harmony of heaven and involve Yin spirits and ghostly entities. Your cultivation is profound and your Heart-Nature is steadfast, but please be cautious. Do not become obsessed with it, lest you stray into the wrong path and damage your Dao foundation."

Her words were born both from an instinctive revulsion toward heterodox paths and a sliver of concern and warning for Lu Qiu.

She appreciated Lu Qiu's talent and naturally did not wish to see him embark on an evil path.

Hearing this, Lu Qiu smiled slightly, his tone calm yet firm. "I appreciate your kind intentions, Fellow Daoist Ling. Cultivation Techniques and Divine Abilities have no inherent distinction between righteous and evil; it all depends on the user. The technique I Cultivate is vastly different from this, so I naturally will not switch to this path. However, some of the combat strategies, uses of Divine Sense, and even clever methods for Body Refining and life-saving within it are truly unique. By taking the essence and discarding the dregs, using it as a reference to understand other things by analogy can also benefit one's cultivation. To reject it blindly would be somewhat biased."

"Taking the essence and discarding the dregs..." Ling Yuling repeated in a low voice, her elegant brows still slightly furrowed. "Even so, those are ultimately just side paths, minor tricks. How can they be compared to the grand Righteous Path and the orthodox Sects? Even less so can they compare to the countless legacies accumulated by my Star Palace over ten thousand years..."

In her words, she unconsciously carried the arrogance belonging to the Young Lord of the Star Palace.

In her view, the top-tier Cultivation Techniques and Divine Ability Secret Techniques collected by the Star Palace were as vast as the sea, covering every attribute and direction. They were all righteous masterpieces refined and perfected by ancestors of past generations, far beyond what these obscure and bizarre Demonic Path secret techniques could match.

Lu Qiu glanced at her. His tone remained flat, yet it held a hint of profound meaning. "The Star Palace's Legacy is naturally broad and profound, something to be yearned for. However..."

He paused and continued, "I am but a mere Loose Cultivator, without a Sect or clan, with no one to rely on. Everything on my path of cultivation—whether it be techniques, resources, or means of protection—must be fought for, sought out, and accumulated bit by bit by myself."

I cannot compare to Fellow Daoist Ling, who was born into a prestigious Family and has sat upon infinite resources and top-tier legacies since birth.

For me, anything that helps increase my strength and the probability of survival in the cruel world of cultivation—whether 'righteous' or 'evil'—as long as it does not violate my original heart, can be considered for use. After all, only by staying alive does one have the right to talk about the Great Dao."

In his heart, however, he understood things perfectly.

Was the reason the Star Palace possessed a massive amount of top-tier legacies solely because they created them all themselves?

It was merely by virtue of their status as the overlord of the Chaotic Star Sea, controlling the vast majority of resources and the right to speak. Through countless years of accumulation, there were naturally many instances of annexing, seizing, and incorporating the legacies of other Sects and families, and even no lack of forceful acquisitions.

In essence, there was no fundamental difference between them and a Loose Cultivator like him working hard to gather resources and techniques to improve himself step by step; it was only the scale and efficiency that were worlds apart.

Ling Yuling was slightly stunned upon hearing this.

Since birth, she had been the princess of the Star Palace and its future successor. Everything she saw and heard was the scenery from the peak of the Star Sea. Although she was intelligent, to some extent, it was indeed difficult for her to truly empathize with the hardships and helplessness of low-level Loose Cultivators struggling to survive.

Lu Qiu's words, though calm, revealed the pragmatism unique to Loose Cultivators and an imperceptible trace of world-weariness, causing her to consider this issue from another perspective for the first time.

After a moment of silence, Ling Yuling's gaze toward Lu Qiu held less of that high-and-mighty admonishment and more of a complex appreciation and contemplation.

She suddenly broke into a smile. That smile lacked her usual laziness and aloofness, replaced by a touch of sincerity and solemnity.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou's strength of will and unique insight are truly admirable to Yuling."

She changed the subject, unexpectedly bringing up the matter of recruitment again, but this time her attitude was more sincere, carrying obvious expectation. "It is truly a regret for a talent like you to be wandering outside. My Star Palace is thirsty for talent. With your abilities, if you are willing to join, you will surely be given a position of great importance."

"At that time, the countless righteous Cultivation Techniques and Divine Ability Secret Techniques within the Star Palace's Scripture Pavilion will all be open to you for study and reference. It will surely be like adding wings to a tiger, making your path of Dao even smoother."

I wonder if Fellow Daoist Zhou... would be willing to consider it once more?"

She truly felt a sense of appreciation for his talent and wanted to recruit Lu Qiu.

This person not only had great potential, but his attainment in Formations was unfathomable. He acted cautiously yet with integrity, possessed a steady personality, and a firm will. He was exactly the ideal candidate for a trusted aide in her heart.

Ling Yuling already had her own plans: when the time was ripe in the future and her identity was made public to officially take charge of the Star Palace, she would need outstandingly capable and completely loyal confidants.

Lu Qiu was undoubtedly an excellent choice.

Lu Qiu looked at the rare sincerity and expectation in Ling Yuling's eyes. His heart stirred slightly, but he ultimately shook his head slowly. His tone was gentle yet firm. "I am unworthy of your high regard, Fellow Daoist Ling. It is just that I have grown accustomed to being a wild crane in the clouds. I cannot bear the constraints of a Sect, nor do I like being embroiled in too many disputes and entanglements. Although the life of a Loose Cultivator is bitter, it is also free. I appreciate the Star Palace's kindness."

This was already his second explicit refusal.

Joining the Star Palace would certainly provide infinite resources, but there would also be many constraints, not to mention the upcoming war with the Nixing Alliance. He did not want to jump into the center of that whirlpool prematurely.

A flash of obvious disappointment crossed Ling Yuling's eyes, but she also saw that Lu Qiu's mind was made up and he wasn't just putting on an act.

She sighed softly and stopped pushing. Resuming her usual slightly aloof and elegant posture, she nodded. "Everyone has their own ambitions; Yuling understands. However, the gates of the Star Palace will always be open to Fellow Daoist Zhou. If you ever change your mind in the future, you can come find me at any time."

Lu Qiu cupped his hands. "Many thanks."

The purpose of this exploration had already been achieved.

The three of them did not delay any further. After a brief period of meditation to adjust their breathing, they followed the original path out of the underground hall, passed through the white stone steps, flew out of the cave, and finally turned into three streaks of light. They left this deserted island filled with an aura of mystery and death, speeding toward the direction of Tianxing City.

...

About a day after Lu Qiu and the others left the deserted island.

On the distant horizon, a mass of black fog, thick as ink and roiling incessantly, tore through the air at an incredible speed, flying straight toward this deserted island with a clear objective.

Wherever the black fog passed, the surface of the sea seemed to freeze into a thin layer of ice, and the residual Spiritual Qi in the air was tainted with a hint of Yin coldness.

The black fog circled slightly above the island, especially near the destroyed entrance, as if confirming something, before suddenly contracting and dissipating completely.

As the fog cleared, it revealed a middle-aged man dressed in black robes. His face was so pale it lacked a single trace of blood, his eyes were as sharp as a hawk's, and his entire body radiated a heart-palpitating aura of Yin coldness and deathly silence.

His eyebrows slanted upward into his temples, and his lips were extremely thin. His entire temperament was sinister and profound. He was none other than the master of Jiyin Island, who currently awed the outer seas of the Chaotic Star Sea.

Old Ancestor Extreme Yin!

Old Ancestor Extreme Yin hovered in mid-air, his cold gaze sweeping over the area below.

When he saw the remnants of the Formations at the entrance that had been completely destroyed, especially that Spirit-Sealing Pillar pushed to the side, his pair of drooping, narrow eyebrows immediately stood up fiercely. His eyes suddenly erupted with sky-high fury and an imperceptible trace of shock and suspicion!

"Who?! Who dares to touch this place?!"

He let out a low roar, his voice hoarse and unpleasant, carrying an irrepressible violence.

Without any hesitation, his body turned into a blurry black shadow and instantly plunged into the cave.

After a moment of deathly silence.

"Ah—!!!"

A terrifying, long howl filled with wild rage, horror, and disbelief suddenly erupted from deep underground!

The howl was like that of a wounded Vicious Beast, containing the terrifying Spiritual Pressure of a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator. It shook the entire deserted island, making it tremble, the ground cracking as gravel rolled down from the mountain like raindrops!

The nearby sea surface even rose in waves without any wind, kicking up billows several zhang high!

Immediately after, Old Ancestor Extreme Yin, enveloped in intense black light and an aura of violent rage, shot out of the cave like a cannonball, soaring straight into the clouds!

He hovered high in the sky, his face no longer just pale, but a ghastly iron-blue, his eyes blood-red as if they were about to drip blood.

He looked around in extreme anxiety, his powerful Divine Sense sweeping madly in all directions like a violent storm, seemingly trying to find even the slightest trace or aura of the intruders.

However, a day had passed, and Lu Qiu's group had long since gone. Their aura had long since dissipated into the vast ocean and the flowing Spiritual Qi. Where could any trace be found?

"Search!"

Old Ancestor Extreme Yin's face was distorted as he violently waved his hand!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—!

Dozens of incredibly solid streaks of black light shot out from his sleeves. In mid-air, they rapidly expanded and transformed into giant pitch-black strange birds with wingspans of over a zhang, composed entirely of pure Yin Qi and with glowing red eyes!

These Yin Qi strange birds let out sharp, ear-piercing screeches and then, like arrows released from a bow, scattered and flew off in different directions at extreme speeds, instantly covering the sea and sky for hundreds of miles in a carpet-style search.

Time passed bit by bit.

One by one, the Yin Qi strange birds returned, but the information they brought back was all of no gain.

Old Ancestor Extreme Yin's face grew increasingly gloomy and unsightly. By the end, it was almost so dark it could drip water, and the low pressure radiating from his body made the air feel as if it had solidified.

He looked up at the sky and remained motionless for a long while, only the slight trembling of the hem of his black robe revealing the extreme turbulence within his heart.

After an unknown amount of time, bursts of low, cold, and bone-chilling laughter filled with endless resentment and murderous intent squeezed out from Old Ancestor Extreme Yin's throat, echoing across the empty and silent sea, making one's hair stand on end.

"Good... very good..."

He muttered to himself, his voice like a cold wind from the nine netherworlds. "Old thing... even if you luckily escaped, so what? Times have changed. You are no longer that Xuan Gu Demon Ancestor who commanded the winds and clouds back then..."

He suddenly clenched his fist, his knuckles turning white, and a fierce light surged in his eyes. "And I, Ji Yin, am no longer that Core Formation Stage Disciple under your door who could be beaten and scolded at will! Now, I am the Master of Jiyin Island, a Nascent Soul Cultivator!"

"No matter where you flee, no matter who helped you... even if I have to search the entire Chaotic Star Sea, I will definitely drag you out!

I will extract your soul and refine your spirit, making sure you can never be reborn!

And those rats who dared to touch my private property... not a single one shall escape!"

Having vented his sky-high fury and killing intent, Old Ancestor Extreme Yin stayed no longer.

With a sweep of his large sleeve, he pulled back those Yin Qi strange birds. Then, he once again transformed into a massive black fog that blotted out the sun, carrying surging resentment and coldness as he sped off into the distance, vanishing into the horizon in an instant.