Qingyun Immortal City.
South City.
On a bustling street where cultivators come and go, shops line both sides selling pills, talismans, materials, and more.
This is the market for independent cultivators in South City.
In Qingyun Immortal City, both the main city and the four major satellite cities have markets for independent cultivators.
"What is this fellow carving there? Huh? The ancestors of the Sutu Family, Sutu Yunfei, Sutu Yunzhan, and Sutu Yunfeng, all practiced the Soul-stealing Magic Technique for longevity? They absorb the innate aura of newborns to extend their lives? My Heavens! Is this true?"
"Don't even mention it. Over these years, indeed many pregnant women have given birth to babies who died shortly after."
"It's true. Some time ago, the daughter-in-law of the head of our talisman refining hall brought a child over a month old back to her family. When she woke up from her sleep, the child was gone."
"This fellow cultivator is really reckless. To actually expose this, if the Sutu Family catches wind of it... they're as good as dead!"
"Is this fellow cultivator telling the truth?"
...
A cultivator in his thirties, at the fifth level of Qi Refining stage, holding a sword, was carving words on a stone wall, attracting the attention of surrounding independent cultivators. Dozens of them gathered around, pointing and discussing fervently.
At this moment.
Qin Wang hid in a talisman shop nearby, pretending to select talismans, while using his divine sense to control a member of the Slayer Alliance to carve on a nearby wall, exposing the Sutu Family's practice of devouring the innate aura of infants.
After the fifth-level cultivator finished carving, he distributed the stack of sheepskin scrolls he carried around.
These onlookers were eager to see the commotion, each taking a scroll to read.
After Qin Wang controlled the puppet to distribute nearly a hundred sheepskin scrolls, he directed the Slayer Alliance member to run away and then self-destructed the soul seed, erasing all traces of his divine sense.
He then headed to the West City to expose the Sutu Family in the same manner.
In the evening.
"Sutu Family has done heinous deeds, devouring the innate aura of newborns to survive."
"Now, by exposing their malicious acts, I've done something for those infants harmed in Qingyun Immortal City."
Qin Wang stood on a street in the North City, a marketplace for independent cultivators, watching the last member of the Slayer Alliance walk away. He erased the soul seed and the traces of his divine sense, then turned and left.
Qin Wang knew in his heart.
Righteousness and evil cannot coexist!
This matter, once exposed.
The Sutu Family will become a target for all!
Even with a Golden Core stage ancestor sitting in their family, they would likely be unable to withstand the wrath of all the independent cultivators. By then, even major sect cultivators would not tolerate them and might execute them!
To get the Thousand-Year Soul-feeding Wood in the hands of Sutu Yunfei, a Golden Core stage elder, it is as difficult as reaching the sky. Only by causing turmoil in the Sutu Family and forcing them into exile will there be an opportunity!
A majestic and continuous array of palaces nestled in the center of the East City.
This is the residence of the Sutu Family, one of the four major Golden Core families in Qingyun Immortal City.
In the central hall underground, there is a palace with a radius of hundreds of feet, supported by giant white jade pillars engraved with a nine-dragon pattern, displaying an unparalleled magnificence.
On the third floor of the palace, there is a circular formation.
A middle-aged man with long black hair, narrow eyes, and wearing a brocade robe, sat cross-legged in the center of the formation. The base of the formation emitted waves of spiritual mist, making the middle-aged man appear like an immortal, exuding an extraordinary aura.
In front of the middle-aged man, there was a huge red alchemy furnace with a diameter of one meter. Wisps of white mist flew out from the furnace and were absorbed by the middle-aged man through his mouth and nose!
"Second Brother, something's wrong!"
Just then, a middle-aged man with white beard and hair, his face as smooth as a baby's, hurried in with a worried expression.
"Third Brother, what's wrong?"
The middle-aged man stopped his cultivation, and the white mist in the furnace receded. He looked at the white-haired elder standing outside the altar and asked.
"Someone has exposed us practicing the Soul-stealing Magic Technique, absorbing the innate aura of infants. Now, the entire Qingyun Immortal City knows about it."
"Our Sutu Family is likely to become a target of public criticism!"
At this moment, Sutu Yunfeng was anxious and extremely worried. This matter has become widely known throughout the city, which has a huge impact on the Sutu Family. It not only affects the business of the Lingdan Pavilion but could even lead to the annihilation of the family.
In the cultivation world, absorbing the innate aura of infants has incurred public outrage.
It was okay to keep it secret, but now that it's exposed, the immortal sects won't let it go!
"What? Who exposed this?"
"How did this person find out?"
Sutu Yunzhan stood up suddenly, his eyes widened in disbelief.
He and his elder and younger brothers were already over three hundred and sixty years old, with not much lifespan left. They practiced the Soul-stealing Magic Technique out of necessity.
Who wouldn't want to live a few more years?
This matter has always been conducted in secret. Even within the family, only the three brothers knew about it! How did it become common knowledge throughout the city?
"The person who exposed it used puppets to distribute sheepskin scrolls everywhere, then self-destructed the puppet after exposure, leaving no trace!"
Sutu Yunfeng said in a deep voice.
"This person's thoughts are so malicious. They intend to uproot our Sutu Family!"
Sutu Yunzhan's eyes showed anger, and after pondering for a while, he said, "Let's go, let's discuss with Big Brother how to resolve this matter!"
"Okay!"
Sutu Yunfeng nodded.
Ascending Immortal Garden, Immortal Residence No. 168.
Qin Wang, dressed in cyan robes, sat cross-legged in the room. In front of him was a cute little white mouse, which was the Concealed Spirit-Seeking Mouse.
"This Concealed Spirit-Seeking Mouse can seek out spirits, sense the location of spiritual herbs, and even communicate with people's divine sense, transmitting images it has seen... its abilities are indeed formidable!"
Qin Wang stroked the little white mouse. The mouse's food consisted of spirit fruits, pine cones and the like. Under Qin Wang's caress, it seemed to enjoy it very much, holding a pine cone with its front paws and gnawing on it.
Qin Wang examined all the treasures on his person.
This was something he did daily.
He hoped to refresh related intelligence on the information panel.
"Continue cultivation, improve proficiency!"
Qin Wang put away the broken bowl, soul-gathering bowl, broken sword, Five Elements Divine Light Jar and other treasures one by one. He swallowed a Foundation Stabilizing Pill refined by the precious bowl and began cultivating the Five Elements Gathering Qi Technique.
Qin Wang had been cultivating the Five Elements Gathering Qi Technique for over an hour when he suddenly felt that the circulation speed was much faster than before.
"Hm?"
"Has the Five Elements Gathering Qi Technique been mastered? Does this mean it can be upgraded after mastery?"
His heart stirred, and he checked the panel, immediately noticing a small change on the right side of the panel's page.
After "Five Elements Gathering Qi Technique", the word "Mastered" had disappeared, replaced by a blood-red '↑' arrow pointing up!
Qin Wang tried to control that '↑' with his mind, but found it immovable.
"Could it be that the conditions for upgrading the Five Elements Gathering Qi Technique haven't been met?"
"I wonder what conditions are needed?"
Qin Wang looked at the panel, his eyes revealing thoughtfulness.
"If the Five Elements Gathering Qi Technique can be upgraded, what about the Across Lifetimes Sword Technique? What about Fire Spirit Blade, Explosion Flame Technique, Wood Shield Technique and others? Can they also be upgraded once their proficiency is maxed out?"
Looking at the '↑' of the Five Elements Gathering Qi Technique, Qin Wang thought of other techniques. If the Five Elements Gathering Qi Technique could be upgraded, then surely other techniques could be as well.
For now, without any clues, he could only continue cultivation.
In the early hours of the morning.
[Daily Intelligence Refresh!]
[Today's Intelligence!]
[1: You controlled a soul seed puppet to inform the Golden Core elder of the Tyrannical Blade Immortal Sect about being ambushed and soul-refined by Situ Yunfei, gaining intelligence: Lu Yunhai, the late Golden Core stage elder of the Tyrannical Blade Immortal Sect, upon learning that his little junior sister Jin Xing, whom he had been searching for years, was harmed by Situ Yunfei, did not act rashly. Instead, he sent a message back to the sect asking several junior brothers to come, determined to destroy the Situ family and rescue his junior sister. Meanwhile, he dispatched his disciple Su Xinyu to investigate the origin of the puppet that delivered the message.]
[2: You have achieved mastery in cultivating the Five Elements Gathering Qi Technique, gaining intelligence: The Five Elements Gathering Qi Technique can be upgraded to a higher-level technique, but the upgrade conditions have not been met.]
[3: You killed Stone Tianqing, the vice leader of the Demon Slaying Alliance, and refined him into a soul seed, gaining intelligence: The soul in the ring of Tang Jianzhong, the leader of the Demon Slaying Alliance, recognized the Concealed Spirit-Seeking Mouse. He has repeatedly sent people to obtain the Concealed Spirit-Seeking Mouse from Zhao Haifeng. Upon learning of Stone Tianqing's disappearance, he developed a deep wariness towards Zhao Haifeng, suspecting that he has hidden his true cultivation level.]
[4: You sent a message to the Tyrannical Blade Immortal Sect and drew hatred towards the Situ family, gaining intelligence: Situ Yunfei, the Golden Core ancestor of the Situ family, feeling that advancing to Nascent Soul stage is remote, has begun practicing the Life-Stealing Demon Technique to extend his life, and has already harmed more than ten infants.]
[5: You found an 'Array Guide' for the Wan Ling Blessed Land in Stone Tianqing's storage bag, gaining intelligence: The 'Wan Ling Blessed Land', located 50,000 li southwest of Qing Yun Immortal City at the border of the Da Yan Immortal Dynasty, will open in half a year. There is something inside that will greatly help your Foundation Establishment.]
[6: You exposed that the three brothers of the Situ family, including Situ Yunfei, are practicing the Life-Stealing Demon Technique, gaining intelligence: Situ Yunfei is furious and has vowed to capture the person who exposed this and subject them to lingchi (death by a thousand cuts).]
[7: You went to the disciple recruitment square of the Myriad Flowers Immortal Sect yesterday, gaining intelligence: Your sister Qin Xuemei, upon learning that Small Dan Mountain has become a demonic forbidden area, is extremely worried about you. Her master Mu Qianxue has sent people to inquire about your news.]
[8: You went to the disciple recruitment square of the Spirit Medicine Immortal Sect yesterday, gaining intelligence: Foundation Establishment True Person Zhang Panpan, having failed to track down Zixia True Person, has been lingering in Qing Yun Immortal City for several days.]
[9: You stroked the Concealed Spirit-Seeking Mouse yesterday, gaining intelligence: The Concealed Spirit-Seeking Mouse likes to eat spirit pine cones. If it can devour a large amount of natural spirit herbs, it might have a chance to advance.]
[10: You bathed in the Demon Blood Bathing Potion yesterday, gaining intelligence: Your physical strength has been enhanced.]
"The late Golden Core stage elder Lu Yunhai of the Tyrannical Blade Immortal Sect has sent a message asking his junior brothers to come deal with the Situ family?"
"It seems the Situ family is doomed!"
Qin Wang looked at the first piece of intelligence, feeling very satisfied.
This was exactly the effect he wanted.
Only with Situ Yunfei dead could he fish in troubled waters.
"The token found in Stone Tianqing's storage bag is actually an 'Array Guide' for the Wan Ling Blessed Land? There's something inside the 'Wan Ling Blessed Land' that will greatly help my Foundation Establishment?"
Qin Wang's heart stirred as he looked at the fifth piece of intelligence.
He hadn't expected this.
Killing Stone Tianqing would lead to such a gain.
It seems that in half a year, he needs to make a trip to the Wan Ling Blessed Land.