AN - Stone me
Cave in the Back Mountain
Gu Qingfeng and Gu Yang arrived at the cave in the back mountain. Several guards stood at the entrance, their expressions grim.
When they saw the two approaching, the guards stepped forward to greet them.
"Greetings, Patriarch! Greetings, Young Master!"
"What's going on in there?" Gu Qingfeng asked, eyeing the cave entrance, which filled him with a sense of unease.
One of the guards replied, "There are many corpses inside, some have turned to bones, while others are like mummies."
Hearing this, Gu Qingfeng nodded slightly and gave instructions to the guards.
"You wait here. I'll go in and take a look."
With that, Gu Qingfeng stepped into the cave, with Gu Yang following closely behind.
As soon as they entered, their surroundings grew dark. However, even Gu Yang, the weaker of the two in cultivation, had broken through the Blood Refining Realm, allowing him to see clearly even in low light.
Although the cave was dim, it was illuminated by pearls embedded in the stone walls, providing just enough light to reveal the scene within.
As they ventured deeper, the full horror of the cave came into view. Corpses littered the ground—some reduced to skeletons, others resembling dried-up mummies. The stench of blood and decay was overwhelming, enough to make one feel nauseated.
The grisly sight caused Gu Yang's face to turn pale. Despite his experience from the battle with the Qingyang Sect, where his hands had been stained with blood, this was different. The grotesque scene made him feel instinctively uneasy.
In contrast, Gu Qingfeng remained unfazed, his expression indifferent.
"Death is just death," he muttered under his breath.
"This must have been the place where Qingyang Patriarch cultivated. Refining evil spirits into his body and using living beings as cultivation tools… He was truly inhumane, no better than a beast!"
Gu Qingfeng's voice was cold. With a single step, he pressed down, causing the ground to shake. Cracks radiated outwards from where his foot landed, spidering across the cave floor.
Seeing this display of strength, Gu Yang's heart skipped a beat. The casual power Gu Qingfeng wielded was far beyond what someone in the Blood Refining Realm could imagine.
As the ground split open, they saw more bones buried underneath, further evidence that the number of corpses here went far beyond what was visible on the surface.
Gu Qingfeng walked over to where the Qingyang Patriarch had practiced, carefully examining the area. Eventually, his attention was drawn to a cushion on the floor. After a moment of feeling around, he realized something was off.
Tearing the cushion apart, he uncovered an old, yellowed secret book.
The book seemed like ordinary paper at first glance, but its durability was remarkable. Gu Qingfeng applied a small amount of force, trying to tear it, but the book remained intact.
Clearly, this was no ordinary material.
On the cover of the book, bold words stood out: The Taoist Scripture of Longevity.
Gu Qingfeng's face remained impassive as he leafed through the pages. After a short while, he closed the book again.
"The so-called Taoist Scripture of Longevity is just another method for refining evil spirits into the body, much like spirit communication techniques."
The techniques described in the book focused on an evil spirit called the Shadow Ghost. From what Gu Qingfeng could gather, different methods were used to refine different types of evil spirits, such as the Shadow Demon or Heart-Devouring Demon.
Now that the Qingyang Patriarch was dead, the Shadow Ghost that had been inside him would soon reawaken. If someone possessed the Taoist Scripture of Longevity, they could absorb the Shadow Ghost and become a sorcerer.
The Taoist Scripture also contained far more detailed information on sorcery than any spirit communication techniques he had seen.
Gu Qingfeng gained a deeper understanding of sorcerers from the text.
A sorcerer's cultivation path begins at the Naling Realm. The next level is Yunling, followed by Yuling.
A sorcerer at the Naling Realm is equivalent to a warrior in the Blood Refining Realm. A Yunling sorcerer matches the Bone Refining Realm. A Yuling sorcerer can range from being as strong as a warrior in the Marrow Cleansing Realm to the Organ Refining Realm.
Sorcerers are generally much stronger than warriors of the same level. For example, a sorcerer at the peak of the Naling Realm could kill a warrior in the Bone Refining Realm. Similarly, a Yuling sorcerer could easily defeat a warrior in the Marrow Cleansing Realm.
"So, Qingyang Patriarch hadn't broken through to the Yuling Realm after all," Gu Qingfeng deduced.
Given how powerful a sorcerer at the Yuling Realm would be, Gu Qingfeng felt confident that Qingyang Patriarch hadn't reached that level. During their fight, while the patriarch was strong, he had not seemed invincible to Gu Qingfeng.
Thus, it was likely that the Qingyang Patriarch was at the peak of the Yunling Realm or, at most, had only taken half a step into the Yuling Realm.
"These sorcerers truly are formidable," Gu Qingfeng thought. "Even though I managed to kill one, I must not let my guard down. There are likely other powerful sorcerers hiding within ancient sects or prominent families."
A sorcerer at the Yuling Realm was as powerful as a warrior in the Organ Refining Realm. Some could even rival innate masters.
Even though Gu Qingfeng had reached the first level of Organ Refining, he wasn't sure he could defeat a top-tier Yuling sorcerer.
However, reaching that level was no easy task.
"Even Patriarch Qingyang spent hundreds of years stuck in the Yunling Realm without breaking through to the Yuling Realm," Gu Qingfeng thought, realizing that sorcerers also faced difficulties in advancing.
He pocketed the Taoist Scripture of Longevity, deciding not to destroy it. Gu Qingfeng wanted to study the secret technique further, hoping to uncover ways to counter sorcerers in the future.
Meanwhile, Gu Yang watched silently as his father put the book away.
Gu Qingfeng glanced at him and said, "Refining evil into the body means suppressing the evil spirit and using one's flesh as a seal to harness its power."
"But once you let evil into your body, you'll be affected by the spirit's influence. You'll have to consume the flesh and blood of living beings, and over time, you'll lose your humanity."
"These corpses are the result of Qingyang Patriarch's actions. I don't want you to ever go down this path. Nor do I want anyone in the Gu family to suffer this fate."
Gu Qingfeng's words made Gu Yang's eyes light up in understanding. With a solemn expression, he replied, "Don't worry, Father. I will never allow evil to enter my body, nor will I permit any descendant of the Gu family to follow such a path."
"Good," Gu Qingfeng nodded.
He surveyed the cave one last time before leaving with Gu Yang. Other than the Taoist Scripture of Longevity, there was nothing else of value in the cave, so there was no reason to stay any longer.