Lin Fang used his spirit sense to peer into the spatial ring finding a bunch of treasures, pills, and booklets containing various spiritual arts.
He instantly felt warm in his heart, this was the first time since arriving in this world that someone had shown kindness towards him.
Lin Fang bowed respectfully, "I won't disappoint you, master", he announced his gaze unwavering before leaving the mountain peak with slow steps.
After Lin Fang left, the supreme elder's warm smile slowly faded into an emotionless expression, "tail him and find out what he's hiding" he said in a dark tone.
Instantly, a man fully clothed in black appeared next to him, replying with a monotonous voice, "Yes, supreme elder", before disappearing once again into the shadows.
...
On top of a giant black crane, a handsome man was sitting cross-legged with a thoughtful expression, his black hair was flailing in the wind giving him a heroic vibe.
Lin Fang left the sect smoothly, they had already prepared a crane for him, which is one of the perks of being a core disciple.
The crane, a beautiful bird with long black feathers and a huge scarlet beak was a fifth level Qi refining spirit beast and was surprisingly the first spirit beast that Lin Fang had ever seen outside of the simulator.
The feeling of flying freely in the air was exhilarating but unfortunately, he couldn't properly enjoy the ride, the reason for that was the floating screen in front of him.
Almost three months ago, when Lin Fang had just brokethrough to become a level 1 Qi refiner, the simulator's functions were momentarily deactivated and a new screen message popped up.
[Simulator temporarily inactive, please download the update to continue]
[does host want to download the update for 1000 souls?]
At the time, Lin Fang almost had a heart attack, after all having a simulation could save his life in a critical moment. He first expected that after reaching the first level of Qi refinement, the number of souls needed to simulate would merely double like usual, and he already had plans about occasionally hunting outer sect disciples to always keep one simulation in reserve.
But the update completely destroyed his plans. He now had to somehow accumulate a terrifying 1000 souls, and since he belonged to a righteous sect, he had to also make the deaths seem unrelated to him.
After all, despite the cruelty of the cultivation world, there is still a semblance of order. Cultivators could kill hundreds of innocent people on a whim but they can't kill thousands because even those mortals were resources belonging to the sect controlling their region, without them how would the sects get new talented disciples?
Of course, if a nascent soul expert started a massacre even killing millions, nobody would dare say a word.
Lin Fang with his mere third level of Qi refining cultivation would instantly get killed if he dared to slaughter 1000 people publicly.
He was in a dilemma, 'how could I generate hatred in so many people, kill them, and not get identified as their killer?', his eyebrows were scrunched up into a heavy frown.
Lin Fang's focus was suddenly broken by a low sobbing sound. He turned towards the sound, a slight grin appearing on his face.
...
Jade Blossom City, White Lotus Kingdom.
In a huge mansion at the core of the city, servants rushed everywhere in panic most of them guiding wealthy-looking individuals or transporting boxes emitting an herb-like fragrance.
At this moment, an old man wearing a white robe with the words Medicine Hall engraved on it, left one of the rooms of the vast mansion and looked at the group of people waiting outside the room.
Seeing their anxious expressions, the man sighed deeply prompting one of the people, a dignified man with a thick beard, to ask with a shaky tone, "Master Zhou, how is the patriarch?"
Master Zhou slowly shook his head, "Lord Bai, the patriarch was poisoned by the Nightshade Tears, even an innate master can't survive such a potent poison"
A beautiful woman next to the bearded man paled in horror, "But you are the best medicine master in all of White Lotus Kingdom, you must know of a way to save him!", she shrieked her face displaying clear and undisguised fear, "Without him, the Bai clan is done for!"
The bearded man stopped his wife, "Bai Xueyi! Screaming won't solve anything", he said trying to calm the group's panic. before turning back to the old medicine master, "Master Zhou, please keep him alive for as long as you can, we will find the antidote"
The old man nodded, his eyes holding a hint of pity for the Bai Clan. He knew how terrifying The Nightshade Tears was, he had only read about it in ancient books, and according to them nobody ever survived it, even high and mighty innate masters succumbed to this terrifying poison.
He walked back into the room, adamant on granting this dying clan's last wish.
In one of the other rooms of the mansion, a huge meeting was taking place, as various wealthy-looking individuals slowly took their seats around a long table, guided by panicked servants.
The atmosphere was very gloomy as everyone sat down in silence waiting for the start of the meeting, some of the more anxious individuals were already tapping their fingers on the table impatiently while taking occasional glances at the door.
Just as the last person sat down on the table, the door opened and a bearded man with a pale face entered and hurriedly sat down on the seat of honor, he was the patriarch's son, Bai Yuchen, and by clan law the current patriarch due to his father's incapacitation.
He directly spoke with a deep voice, "I believe you have all heard the news of the patriarch's poisoning "
One of the men closest to Bai Yuchen interjected with a smirk, "So have you found the one who dared to spread these rumors", he said barely holding in his laughter, "how can the patriarch a peak first grade martial artist and the second strongest martial artist of the kingdom be poisoned!"