Song Yin's hand was deeply embedded in the fat neck of the green-clothed woman, his fingers sunk deep into her flesh, nearly disappearing from sight.
"Ah, ah..."
The green-clothed woman slapped Song Yin's large hand, seemingly trying to make a sound, but with her throat crushed, how could she speak? She could only kick at Song Yin's body.
"Enchantress, can you hear that your body is filled with wails and resentment? You're seeking death!!"
Bang!!
Song Yin forcefully flung his hand, smashing the green-clothed woman hard into the floor, shattering the green tiles and sending them flying everywhere, kicking up a cloud of dust.
As the dust settled, a pit appeared similar to the one in the center of the square, and in it lay the disfigured green-clothed woman, clearly no longer alive.
Song Yin turned his head, staring blankly at Zhang Fei Xuan, who was petrified behind him, his eyes full of white light.
"No one can escape my eyes! No one!!"
The gaze of those eyes seemed to pierce through the soul, to excavate all sins thoroughly!
Zhang Fei Xuan shuddered violently, his knees buckled, and he knelt down with a plop, crying out, "Senior Brother, I'm not fat, I'm not ugly, I'm even quite handsome, I don't deserve to die!"
His body trembled like a sieve, his mind already a blank slate.
Just moments ago, he had been thinking about finding an opportunity to coax out the Human Elixir Technique and then taking the chance to flee.
But having seen Song Yin's move from close up, his mind emptied of all thoughts except the instinct to survive.
Since when did people kill just because someone was unattractive?!
Not even the Jinxian Sect did such things!
"What are you talking about?"
Song Yin looked confused, "What does being ugly have to do with anything? Which sect does this enchantress belong to, do you know?"
Upon hearing these words, Zhang Fei Xuan scrambled to the pit, not even using his mana, and feverishly digging out the tiles covering the woman with his fingers. After groping around for a while, he pulled out a jade pendant, his eyes lit up. Without caring for the sharp stones on the ground, he knelt directly, held the pendant aloft, and shouted loudly:
"It's, it's the Green Lotus Ancestral Mother! Senior Brother, it's the Green Lotus Ancestral Mother!"
"The Green Lotus Ancestral Mother?"
Song Yin stretched out his hand, and the jade pendant flew into his grip. The pendant was entirely emerald green with a hollowed-out design, featuring a blue-coloured lotus platform with the outline of a woman sitting upright on it. The woman seemed kind and compassionate, emitting a sense of pity for all beings.
Yet Song Yin looked at it with disgust, "The Demonic Path, huh... Hmph!"
He scrutinized the pendant, as if committing the item to memory, then put it away and turned to those cowering people behind him.
"Great Immortal, please spare our lives! Great Immortal, please spare our lives!!"
Over a dozen mortals immediately knelt down, their heads banging on the ground relentlessly.
"What is this?"
Song Yin's body flashed, engulfed in a mist of White Qi, and he quickly moved to the front, helping the person up with both arms.
"Don't be afraid; we are from an Orthodox Sect, we don't harm people," Song Yin said urgently.
"Great Immortal, spare my life, spare my life!"
The mortal was too scared to even look at Song Yin, just kept babbling on.
"Shut up, stand up!" Song Yin's eyebrows furrowed as he shouted.
The dozen or so people immediately stood up straight and didn't dare to make a sound.
"I'll say it again, we are from the Righteous Path, we only subdue demons and expel evil. You are the ones we protect. Rest assured, here you won't be harmed!"
Song Yin repeated his assurance, which slightly settled the frightened group.
These people were in their teens or twenties, some even younger at just fourteen or fifteen, each of them displaying a look of bewilderment.
Song Yin asked, "Who are you, and why have you come to the Jinxian Sect?"
The moment the words 'Jinxian Sect' were uttered, there was a stir of unrest among them.
But as Song Yin frowned, the people quieted down again. The leading person bravely spoke up: "Great Immortal, we came to seek the Dao. But that woman, no, that demon said that the Jinxian Sect is a Demonic Path, and the person who brought us here was going to use us for alchemy, deceiving us with promises of the Dao. Then she said she would take us away..."
After a moment's thought, Song Yin pointed to Zhao Yuanhua's body pierced by a sword, "Was it this person?"
"Yes..."
"Then there's no mistake, this person must also belong to the Demonic Path, likely taking advantage of the name of our Jinxian Sect to deceive you. As for seeking the Dao... how did you come here?" Song Yin inquired.
The group exchanged glances, seeing that Song Yin's expression did not seem false, they then started to speak up.
These individuals were all from outside the Xumi Vein, most of them could no longer survive the continuous years of famine, and thus thought to ascend the mountain to seek the Dao. A few younger ones, like the fourteen or fifteen-year-old children, were enraptured with Immortals and wished for a carefree and blissful life, so they followed the Demonic Path and climbed the mountain.
However...
Song Yin looked at them, all lacking a sharp divine light in their eyes, and judging by their aura, not one seemed suitable for cultivation.
"Wait here, I will consult with my master, second junior brother..."
"Eh! Present! Elder brother, what are your orders!" Zhang Fei Xuan responded instantly, almost leaping to answer.
"Keep an eye on them, there are many winds on the mountain cliff, be careful not to let them slip and fall down the cliff," Song Yin instructed.
"Elder brother, rest assured, I will take good care of them," Zhang Fei Xuan nodded vigorously.
Song Yin turned quickly and headed straight for the main hall.
Meanwhile, in the Elixir Room, Jin Guang's hands were covered in blood-soaked flesh, as he muttered to himself:
"How come the blessings are all gone, it may not be Hun Yuan, but Wu Liang's blessings are still blessings, why has it turned into meat mush..."
"Master!"
Bang!
A loud noise erupted, followed by a loud shout, as the newly constructed magical stone wall exploded, bricks scattered, hitting the flesh in front of Jin Guang, and even one piece struck heavily on Jin Guang's head, scattering his tumultuous thoughts.
"Ouch! Who is it, daring to disrupt my research, believe it or not, I'll refine you into a Human, human..."
Jin Guang rose in fury, his face showing a concealed murderous aura. At such a critical juncture, someone dared to interrupt his thoughts, were they tired of living!
A cloud of dust was stirred up at the entrance of the Elixir Room, with only two beams of White Qi shining so brightly that people dared not look directly at them, sending shivers through their Divine Souls.
This familiar feeling...
Song Yin appeared at the doorway, his eyes gleaming as he walked straight in, "Master!"
"Eh, eh!"
Jin Guang's face changed abruptly, speaking in a dry tone: "Disciple, your master was researching this Demonic Path... what do you need from your master?"
"Master, it's about that same issue with the Demonic Path. The Demonic Path used our name to bewitch a group of Mortals, and the green-robed woman I rescued from the Demonic Path's hands before..."
Song Yin explained the situation and then handed over the Jade Pendant to his master, "Second junior brother said it was the Green Lotus Ancestral Mother, what sort of Demonic Path is that?"
"Green Lotus Sect?" Jin Guang's eyes widened, somewhat dazed.
He was aware of the Green Lotus Ancestral Mother, the deity worshipped by the powerful and large Sect of the Green Lotus, which was not something his small Sect in the barren mountains could compare to.
The Disciples of their Sect often encountered troubles with the outside world, especially from entities that specifically sought out those like them, a fully-fledged Orthodox Sect.
Zhao Yuanhua lured a Disciple of the Green Lotus Sect up the mountain?
How utterly damned!
"Disciple, why do you say the Green Lotus Sect is the Demonic Path?" Jin Guang inquired cautiously.
If the Green Lotus Sect was the Demonic Path, then what about him refining people for alchemy?
A Demon Head?
Song Yin frowned: "The woman from the Green Lotus Sect was filled with the wails of living souls, obviously, she has consumed far too many living souls. If that's not the Demonic Path, what is it?"
"How do you know?" Jin Guang couldn't help but ask.
"Master, have you forgotten? When I achieved the Flawless True Body, I awakened many mysterious abilities. Among them, these eyes of mine..."
Song Yin pointed at his own eyes and stated, "Can see through all illusions. Whether it is the Evil Demon or the Righteous Path, I can tell at a glance."
Who knows about such a thing!
Could it be that what was metaphorical is in fact reality?
Jin Guang fought to suppress his urge to roar, squeezing out a smile: "Disciple, you truly possess the talent of a Great Immortal!"