Starting at the Nascent Soul stage, a rogue cultivator is incredibly poor.

Back then, Qingyouzi was chased to the point of having nowhere to run, by three Golden Core elders from the Blood Fiend Sect. Several of his life-saving magic treasures were destroyed. He held a grudge for thirty years.

Here comes the problem.

Where is the Blood Fiend Sect?

He only knew it was roughly in the northwest of the Southern Xuan Continent. How large was the northwest? Although relatively barren, it was still a vast land with numerous sects and markets. Where could a mid-sized sect without a Nascent Soul cultivator be hiding?

Find.

Qingyouzi is not in a hurry.

After leaving Crystal Mountain City, he did not head straight northwest, but instead traveled three thousand miles southeast to find a desolate mountain range. He set up a triple array and remained there for five months.

The nascent soul has just formed and needs to be stabilized.

Five months later, when he emerged from seclusion, his aura was perfectly integrated, without any trace of weakness.

Then they headed northwest.

Another month has passed.

In the northwest region, sandstorms are becoming increasingly severe.

Qingyouzi landed in front of an inn. The inn was nameless, with earthen walls and tattered banners. Most of the people coming and going were wandering cultivators at the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stages, looking travel-worn.

He ordered the cheapest cup of coarse tea and sat down in the corner.

The tea is astringent and bitter.

He sipped his tea slowly, his divine sense spreading out silently like mercury. Within a hundred miles, every blade of grass, every tree, every insect chirp, and every bird song was within his perception.

This is the ability of a Nascent Soul cultivator.

Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind.

Two Foundation Establishment cultivators, one fat and one thin, were sitting at the next table, raising their cups to drink. Both were wearing coarse cloth Daoist robes, their cuffs worn white, clearly indicating they were rogue cultivators.

The fat monk had a loud voice:

"Old Li, did you receive the invitation from the Blood Fiend Sect?"

The skinny monk chuckled:

"We accept! The marriage of the children of two Golden Core elders from the Blood Fiend Sect is a grand affair, with invitations extended to all. How can we possibly miss such a celebration?"

"I heard that the newlyweds both have dual spiritual roots and are the future Golden Core seeds of the Blood Fiend Sect."

"Exactly! Let's go offer our congratulations, get acquainted with each other, and maybe we'll even get some rewards."

The two clinked glasses and drank it all in one gulp.

Qingyouzi put down her teacup, a very faint smile playing on her lips.

It's like someone brings you a pillow just as you're about to doze off—how wonderful!

He remained calm and continued drinking his tea.

Half an hour later, the two got up, paid their bill, and strolled out of the inn, heading east.

Qingyouzi dropped two spirit stones, and with a flicker, disappeared from the spot.

Ten miles away, in a desolate forest.

The two men, one fat and one thin, were walking along, boasting to each other.

"I heard that the Blood Fiend Sect is hosting a hundred-course banquet this time, and even Foundation Establishment cultivators can be seated."

"Over the years, we've done a lot of shady things for them behind the scenes. We've killed so many people that you can't count them on two hands. Haha, of course they'll invite us, since they'll need us to do more work for them later, like the last time when they massacred an entire village of mortals."

"If I could receive a few pointers from a Golden Core cultivator, this trip would have been worthwhile..."

Before he could finish speaking...

The fat monk suddenly froze.

His eyes widened, he gurgled twice, and then fell straight down. A tiny, needle-like drop of crimson slowly seeped from between his eyebrows.

The thin monk was stunned.

He kicked his companion.

"Hey, stop playing dead..."

Before he could finish speaking, his vision blurred.

A figure in blue was already standing in front of him, less than three feet away. The person had an ordinary face, but his eyes were as cold as ice in a deep pool.

The skinny monk felt his hair stand on end; how could he not understand?

It can kill a Foundation Establishment cultivator silently and can also get close to a Golden Core cultivator instantly! At least a Golden Core cultivator!

"Please spare me, senior!"

He knelt down abruptly, offering the storage bag with both hands, his whole body trembling like a leaf:

"All my possessions are here! Whatever you wish to know, I will answer to the best of my knowledge!"

Qingyouzi did not accept the storage bag.

He reached out and grabbed, and an invisible force lifted the thin cultivator into the air.

"S-senpai..."

The thin monk struggled in terror.

Qingyouzi slightly bent his five fingers and pressed them on the top of his head.

Soul Search.

He believed the memories of the dead more than what the living said.

The thin cultivator's eyes rolled back, his body convulsed, and he let out a horrific scream. Qing Youzi's expression remained unchanged; his divine sense, sharp as a knife, pierced into the other's sea of ​​consciousness.

Fragments of memories flooded back.

The location of the Blood Fiend Sect, the layout of its mountain gate... and the exact date of that wedding.

Three breaths later, Qingyouzi stopped.

The thin monk fell to the ground like a tattered sack, already lifeless.

With a flick of his finger, Qingyou sent two clusters of azure flames landing on the corpse, instantly reducing it to ashes. A gust of wind blew, and nothing remained.

He stood there, closing his eyes for a moment.

In his mind's eye, the full picture of the Blood Fiend Sect had clearly emerged.

"So that's where it was hidden."

He opened his eyes, his figure swayed, and he vanished into the breeze.

Half a day later.

Three thousand miles to the northwest, in the valley of Luoxia.

The valley is flanked by steep mountains, with a main road leading straight into its depths. Today, the valley entrance is exceptionally bustling, with a constant stream of carriages and horses, and cultivators coming and going in droves.

The Blood Fiend Sect's mountain gate is located at the end of this valley.

Qingyouzi floated above the valley, looking down.

He could sense three Golden Core auras within the valley, one of which was quite familiar—it was one of the three who had chased him back then.

If he wished, he could unleash his Nascent Soul power right now and charge straight in.

But he didn't move.

The Blood Fiend Sect has five Golden Core cultivators. If they scatter and flee, although he can pursue them, some will inevitably escape. Moreover, such a sect must have a protective formation, which, while unable to hold off Nascent Soul cultivators for long, would alert them.

If you're going to kill, kill them all.

With a thought, Qing Youzi's appearance and figure slowly changed, transforming into the shape of the fat cultivator. He then took out an invitation from his storage bag, which he had casually retrieved during the soul search earlier.

Land and blend into the crowd.

At the valley entrance, a disciple of the Blood Fiend Sect was checking invitations. Qing Youzi handed over the invitation, and the disciple glanced at it before waving him through.

"The congratulatory gift is registered over there."

The disciple pointed to a wooden table next to him.

Qing Youzi walked over and took out a hundred spirit stones from his storage bag—all the fat cultivator's possessions. The old cultivator registering the items glanced at him, made a note in the register, and remained indifferent.

A rogue cultivator, at the Foundation Establishment stage, possesses one hundred spirit stones.

This is truly shabby for such an occasion.

Qingyouzi didn't care and walked in with the flow of people.

Deep in the valley, there is a spacious plaza.

The square was filled with wooden tables and cushions, and hundreds of cultivators, mostly those at the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stages, were already seated. The noise and laughter blended together, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.

Ahead stood a grand hall with its doors wide open. Inside sat a dozen or so people, all of whom appeared to be at the Golden Core stage or Foundation Establishment stage with powerful connections. That was the VIP seating area.

Qingyouzi found a corner to sit down.

He propped his head up with one hand and tapped the table rhythmically with his index finger.

His divine sense quietly spread out.

Inside the main hall were three Golden Core cultivators. The one in the main seat, an old man in a blood-red robe, was none other than the Third Elder of the Blood Fiend Sect who had chased him years before. Two others sat on either side, presumably Golden Core cultivators who had come to offer their congratulations.

Four more people are needed.

Qingyouzi is not in a hurry.

He picked up the coarse tea on the table, took a sip, and his eyes remained calm.

The atmosphere in the square grew increasingly lively. Some monks chatted loudly, while female cultivators whispered softly. In the distance, the aroma of wine and meat wafted from the kitchen, where cooks were busy preparing a feast.

A festive atmosphere prevailed.

Qingyouzi's fingertips, which were tapping the table, paused slightly.

"snort."

He sneered inwardly.

I hope you'll still be this happy when they wipe out your entire family.

As dusk fell.

Hundreds of lanterns were lit in the square, illuminating the area.

Suddenly, Qingyouzi looked up.

From the northeast, four streaks of light pierced the air, their bloodthirsty aura soaring into the sky. While the people in the plaza remained unaware, he sensed them clearly.

coming.

The remaining four Golden Core cultivators of the Blood Fiend Sect are now complete.

The beam of light descended into the main hall, where bursts of greetings and laughter echoed. Five Golden Core cultivators had gathered, and with the addition of three visiting Golden Core cultivators, there were now eight Golden Core cultivators in the hall.

This lineup is considered top-tier in the Northwest region.

Qingyouzi slowly put down her teacup.

From within the sleeve, countless threads silently emerged and burrowed into the ground.

One, ten, a hundred... countless fine, hair-like blue threads spread underground, silently enveloping the entire square like a spider web, extending to the foundation of the main hall.

A wisp of his nascent soul consciousness was attached to the silk thread.

With a mere thought, this net would tighten instantly. At that moment, anything below the Golden Core stage would be instantly killed within the reach of the threads. Even Golden Core cultivators would be trapped for a brief moment.

In that short time, he could kill three times over.

Qingyouzi leaned back slightly and closed her eyes.

The sounds of laughter, clinking glasses, and congratulations filled my ears.

A cold smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

The real feast is about to begin.