Nethergloom Vale...

  Lu Chi had heard that name before during idle chatter and conversations with rogue cultivators in the market district.

  Several hundred li northwest of Dongyue County, in a dank mountain range called Netherpeak Ridge, lay the stronghold of Nethergloom Vale.

  The cultivators of this valley were infamous for their insidious gu techniques and soul?snatching curses.

  Their methods were ruthless, specializing in unorthodox and sinister paths.

  Their reputation among rogue cultivators was as foul as it could get.

  When ordinary cultivators mentioned them, most would frown, shake their heads, and keep their distance.

  However, the valley’s master was a peak Qi?Refinement cultivator.

  In terms of strength, he ranked among the top tier of rogue cultivators in Dongyue County.

  Thus, for many years, despite their notorious reputation, no one had ever truly raised a voice to condemn them, let alone dared to join forces to eradicate them.

  Seeing his expression turn grave, Qin Suniang let out a soft sigh.

  Her gaze drifted toward the window, as if recalling past events:

  “Both Rosy?Glow Sect and Nethergloom Vale share the same first?grade spiritual vein.

  A fierce battle broke out between them, with heavy casualties on both sides.

  In the end, our Rosy?Glow Sect gained the upper hand, and Nethergloom Vale was forced to retreat.

  From that day on, they have regarded our sect as a thorn in their side, often striking from the shadows.”

  She paused, then turned to look at Lu Chi, a flash of coldness in her eyes:

  “Sect Master Xuan was poisoned by Nethergloom Vale’s ‘Soul?Eroding Gu.’

  He struggled back to the sect and went into seclusion for half a year, but ultimately still passed away.

  After he left, the sect declined day by day.

  Seeing our weakened state, Nethergloom Vale grew increasingly brazen.”

  So that’s how it is...

  No wonder Qin Suniang was so eager to recruit Liu Qing and me, to expand the ranks of talisman masters.

  No wonder Cao Zhen stood guard day and night, so vigilant and strict...

  But there seems to be more to this story...

  After listening, Lu Chi frowned slightly.

  On the surface, this old grudge made perfect sense.

  Two sects fighting over a spiritual vein, a feud formed, scheming and retaliation—common enough occurrences.

  But upon closer thought, several points didn’t quite fit.

  If Nethergloom Vale truly wanted someone dead, having used the “Soul?Eroding Gu,” how could the victim still struggle back to the sect?

  Since the gu was named “Soul?Eroding,” it wouldn’t just leave someone half?alive, allowing them to return with clues.

  Furthermore, he went into seclusion for half a year before passing away.

  During those six months, did Rosy?Glow Sect not take any countermeasures at all?

  For an entire sect to watch its master exhaust his spirit and die without action seemed far too passive.

  There was one more point.

  When Qin Suniang mentioned this matter, her tone was heavy, yet her expression remained extremely composed.

  There was sorrow, but no genuine loss of control.

  It seemed more like she was recounting an old case than tearing open a fresh wound.

  Lu Chi lowered his gaze.

  He didn’t know the details, but he was certain the situation might not be as simple as she described.

  Perhaps Nethergloom Vale truly bore responsibility.

  But whether others had stirred the waters in between, or whether there were other hidden circumstances, was still hard to determine.

  When he looked up again, his expression had returned to normal.

  Yet in his heart, his wariness toward the murky waters of Rosy?Glow Sect had deepened by another three parts.

  Qin Suniang’s words just now were actually a warning to him—to be wary of Nethergloom Vale.

  This was no empty talk.

  Since Nethergloom Vale held a grudge against Rosy?Glow Sect, how could they sit back and watch Moon?Veil Pavilion establish itself in the market district?

  If they decided to strike, it wasn’t impossible they would include him, a talisman master, in their plans.

  “Thank you for your candor, Sect Master.

  Since Lu has joined Moon?Veil Pavilion, it is only right to advance and retreat together with the sect.

  If Nethergloom Vale returns, Lu will certainly not stand idly by.”

  Lu Chi cupped his hands in acknowledgment, already making plans in his heart.

  From now on, when coming and going, he must prepare more defensive talismans.

  With top?grade talismans at his side, even a late?stage Qi?Refinement cultivator might not find him an easy target.

  As for within the market district, the three great families took turns patrolling, and the rules were strict.

  Even if Nethergloom Vale had intentions, they wouldn’t dare act lightly here.

  Of course, that was the ideal outcome.

  The situation inside and outside Rosy?Glow Sect was unstable, the circumstances unclear—he must leave himself a way out.

  Qin Suniang had treated him well, and he remembered that.

  But the path of cultivation was perilous and unpredictable.

  If it truly came to a desperate situation, he must be decisive and flee to preserve himself.

  Qin Suniang lightly brushed her slender hand, her gaze gentle yet carrying a trace of concern:

  “This humble one observes that Talisman Master Lu’s usual breathing technique seems to be the common one practiced by rogue cultivators.

  While the foundation is stable, it fails to fully utilize his talent, and I fear future progress will be limited.”

  “Although Rosy?Glow Sect is in decline, we possess a manual called the ‘Crescent Moon Qi Condensation Art,’ specifically for Qi?Refinement cultivators to refine spiritual energy and solidify their Dao foundation.

  If Talisman Master Lu does not disdain it, this humble one is willing to offer this art to you, to aid your further advancement.”

  “What does Talisman Master Lu think?”

  Lu Chi felt a stir within.

  Although he usually restrained his aura when outside, fellow Qi?Refinement cultivators with a discerning eye could naturally discern his roots.

  It was reasonable that Qin Suniang could detect that his cultivation method was ordinary.

  Since she could establish herself in the market district and had the cultivation of the fifth layer of Qi?Refinement to rely on, she was certainly not someone who acted solely on impulse.

  Lu Chi had originally intended to seek an opportunity today to inquire about the Dusk?Mist Sect's heritage cultivation method.

  This nameless technique, picked up from a dilapidated temple, had already begun to stagnate midway through his cultivation.

  The absorption of spiritual energy was like a trickle, and its combat power was utterly unremarkable.

  The former sect master of the Dusk?Mist Sect had reached the peak of Qi Refinement. Their heritage within Dongyue County was top?tier, and he had long considered changing his cultivation method.

  However, he was inherently cautious and unwilling to make promises lightly. So he cupped his hands and said, “Sect Master, your kindness is deeply appreciated. To be frank, I do have intentions to change my cultivation method, but I am still deliberating.”

  “Might I first take a look at this ‘Lunar Essence Condensation Art’? Once I have examined it carefully, I will make a decision.”

  Qin Suniang smiled softly and did not reply. With a light lift of her gauzy sleeve, she retrieved a thin, blue?leathered book from her storage pouch.

  On the cover were four ancient seal?script characters, which indeed read: “Lunar Essence Condensation Art.”

  Lu Chi accepted it. His fingertips felt slightly cool. He had expected the other party to hesitate, but she had been so straightforward—this surprised him, and a trace of suspicion arose in his heart.

  Without saying more, he opened it on the spot and began to read.

  Most of the pages contained methods for circulating and refining qi, emphasizing the use of moonlight as a guide to gather spiritual energy and cleanse impurities. The approach was quite ingenious, somewhat more refined than the technique he currently practiced. If he switched to this method, he could likely reshape his meridian pathways.

  However, as he turned further, the pages grew thinner.

  The mental cultivation method ended abruptly at one point, with no subsequent instructions. Although it was sufficient to guide him in altering his circulation, he could hardly see any deeper developments.

  If he wished to cultivate to the late stages of Qi Refinement along this path, it seemed nearly impossible.

  Lu Chi closed the book, his expression returning to normal.

  Just a fragment.

  Seeing this, Qin Suniang said softly, “I do not carry the complete manual of our sect’s method. If Fellow Daoist Lu is willing to change his cultivation method, once your foundation is stable and the time is right, I will personally take you into the Dusk?Mist Sect to study the complete inheritance.”

  Her words sounded pleasant, but it was merely using a fragment as bait to lure him into the trap… Lu Chi glanced at her sidelong, a flash of coldness in his eyes.

  If he truly switched to this cultivation method, once his foundation was set, changing to another would be even more difficult. He would be constrained, unable to advance or retreat.

  Just moments ago, he had still felt some gratitude toward the Dusk?Mist Sect. Now, it seemed that between him and Qin Suniang, it was ultimately a matter of weighing chips and evaluating usefulness—where was any genuine sincerity?

  However, he had also considered withdrawing earlier. In terms of calculation, he himself might not be much more honorable.

  “Sect Master, your generous intention is etched in my heart. However, changing one’s cultivation method concerns the Dao path. Allow me to think it over carefully. Once I have made a decision, I will inform you.”

  Upon hearing this, Qin Suniang narrowed her beautiful eyes slightly. Her smile did not fade, but it carried three parts deeper meaning. “Of course. Fellow Daoist Lu has always been steady. I am in no hurry.”

  With a graceful motion, she returned the book to her sleeve, stood up to see him off, her tone still gentle.

  As Lu Chi cupped his hands in farewell and walked out of the inner hall, his back was steady, but his mind was turning: Aside from the Dusk?Mist Sect, where else in Dongyue County could one find profound cultivation methods?

  For a moment, he had no clue.

  Well, he would have to inquire more.

  Now that he had over a hundred spirit stones, he might as well return home first to rest, then buy some Qi?Nourishing Pills and Spirit?Gathering Pills to aid his cultivation.

  The journey back was not far. His mind had just settled when suddenly, a faint, fragmented whisper entered his consciousness—disjointed, not forming sentences, yet unmistakably not an illusion.

  Lu Chi’s footsteps paused.

  Beside the alley, an old locust tree cast dappled shadows, its bark coarse and cracked, leaves rustling in the wind.

  That faint sound seemed to emanate vaguely from among the branches and leaves.

  Further away, a wild vine climbed over a wall, its leaf?tips trembling slightly, as if there was also a faint rustling.

  His expression did not change, but his heartstrings tightened. Since acquiring the [Plant?Listening]? ability, he could often hear the fragmented voices of plants. This faint sound was clearly a warning.

  Had someone passed through here? Who was it?

  He did not linger. He walked straight back to his residence. Only when he reached the door did his expression suddenly darken.

  At the lower corner of the doorframe, that Warning Talisman had already dimmed, its patterns charred black—clearly triggered.

  Faint sounds of impact came from inside the room, as if someone were struggling.

  Someone had broken in! The Luo family’s people… or those from Nethergloom Vale? Lu Chi’s mind tightened, and in an instant, many thoughts flashed through his head.

  He quietly slid a Fleet?Foot Talisman from his sleeve. With a slight pinch of his finger, he could activate it at any moment.

  A thought flashed through his mind, then halted.

  “The movements are faint, and the aura is not strong. If Luo Wenshan or the Nethergloom Vale truly intended to act, they would never send someone of such cultivation. Moreover, they wouldn’t sit idle knowing their person was trapped.”

  Faint echoes of formation patterns came from inside the room—traces of the Binding Talismans he had left behind.

  The intruder had failed to break free. Their cultivation was, at most, at the middle stage of Qi Refinement.

  “A thief cultivator!”

  Lu Chi’s gaze turned cold.

  Rumors had been swirling through the market district lately—talks of someone skilled in disguise and concealment, slipping into cultivators’ residences under cover of night, coming and going without a trace.

  He had never expected that today, it would be his turn.

  He quietly withdrew the Fleet?Foot Talisman and replaced it with an Ice?Arrow Talisman.

  A chill seeped through the talisman paper as spiritual energy lay in wait.

  His room held no small number of secrets.

  Just the three spirit plants matured by the spiritual liquid were enough to arouse suspicion.

  If even a hint of this were to leak, the consequences would be endless.

  Tonight, this person must not be allowed to leave.