Chapter 76: Xuan E Pays Homage to the Spirits

Two hours later, Song Yan hurried back to Greenleaf Peak.

There was no communication talisman at the entrance of his cave dwelling, evidence that all had been calm these past few days. It made sense—how could every matter in such a vast sect, with tens of thousands of disciples, be related to him? Strangely, the feeling of being overlooked brought him a sense of unexpected reassurance.

Since his journey to the Foundation Establishment cave, countless troubles had weighed on his heart like a heavy stone. He’d been pondering each day, scheming each night, never relaxing for a moment. Now, with Dan Zifeng eliminated, a sense of relief washed over him, clearing his thoughts. All unfinished business seemed, at this moment, hardly worth any agitation.

He sat cross-legged in his cave, neither consuming pills nor absorbing spirit stones. He relied solely on the natural spiritual energy of Greenleaf Peak to slowly restore his strength. His body, weakened as it was, could not withstand a sudden replenishment of spiritual power. The recent battle, though supported by Qi-replenishing pills, had left his meridians aching from the dual exhaustion of spiritual power and sword energy—a sign that his body had been pushed beyond its limits.

Song Yan sometimes wondered if, had he possessed a body-strengthening cultivation method to temper his flesh, things might have been a little easier. Yet, the path of physical cultivation was far more arduous than the ordinary way. He doubted he had the aptitude or resolve for it.

His Energy Condensation Manual circulated gently, balancing his spiritual power and healing his body—just what he needed. Upon reflection, the recent fierce battle had left him with barely a scratch. He had planned meticulously, revealed every trump card, and managed to slay his opponent on the spot, narrowly avoiding danger. Had Dan Zifeng managed to wield a few more powerful defensive artifacts, things would have been much more perilous.

He had glanced briefly over Dan Zifeng’s storage pouch. There were indeed a few offensive and defensive artifacts inside, but none matched the small bronze bell. Now, with his meridians almost restored, Song Yan slowly opened his eyes and let out a long, turbid breath. After days of tension, relaxation brought a wave of irresistible fatigue that drowned his mind. He did not fight it; instead, he drifted into a deep sleep.

He slept for five hours.

Upon waking, he washed and bathed, feeling utterly refreshed. He laid out all of Dan Zifeng's belongings on the table and examined them one by one.

This storage pouch was different from the ordinary ones Song Yan had seen. It bore some resemblance to Wang Xi’s, though the patterns on it were different, marked in fiery red. The space inside was similarly vast.

Song Yan’s gaze first fell on the fiery red bronze bell. In the previous duel, the bell’s formidable defense had left him secretly astounded. Unfortunately, the bell had been sliced apart by his sword essence and, unless he spent a fortune in spirit stones to repair it, was now useless.

Although it was impossible to determine the bell’s exact grade now, he guessed it had been at least a mid-grade artifact.

“A pity...”

As he sorted through the other artifacts and spiritual items, one object especially caught his attention. It was a strange mask. During the fight, Dan Zifeng had not worn this mask, but when he died, it was not in the storage pouch but had fallen beside him. Later, it was retrieved by Xiao He.

“What is this?” Song Yan had never seen an artifact in the form of a mask before.

The mask was exquisitely crafted—half armor plating, carved with the fierce visage of a malignant spirit. A faint blue spiritual glow flickered around the mouth and nose of the ghostly face. After scrutinizing it, Song Yan found a few tiny characters engraved on the edge: “Xuan E Spirit-Seeking Mask.”

He was quite baffled. So he searched the other miscellaneous items for anything related to the mask. He could have simply tried to refine it, but he decided first to look for information. The mask looked odd; if it was of demonic origin, it might be troublesome. He had heard that certain demonic artifacts, once refined, could corrupt their owners until death. With such a peculiar item, caution was best.

He searched for a long time but found nothing about the mask among the jade slips. However, one thing did catch his interest: an old book, two or three inches thick, its cover made from the hide of some kind of spirit beast, heavy and rough to the touch.

Why would a cultivator keep a paper book in their storage pouch? He picked it up and examined it closely. The edges were yellowed and worn, suggesting that many previous owners had leafed through it often.

Song Yan opened the cover. In the center of the first page, scrawled in bloody red ink, were the words “Notes on Demonic Cultivation.”

“This looks awfully sinister...”

With the hope of finding clues about the “Xuan E Spirit-Seeking Mask,” he leafed through the opening pages. It appeared to be the insights and records of a self-proclaimed “demonic cultivator” at the Golden Core stage, based on his struggles in the cultivation world. Whether it was for boasting or to pass on to successors was unclear.

Much of it recounted his “glorious achievements” in using any means necessary, including murder and theft. There were even detailed guides on choosing targets, ambushing, and disposing of bodies and evidence.

Song Yan was astonished as he read.

After flipping through a few pages, he soon found information about the “Xuan E Spirit-Seeking Mask” in the book.

“Spirit-seeking?”

The book explained that this mask had once fallen into the hands of an elder “demonic cultivator” purely by chance. Its effect was simple: draw a wisp of spiritual energy into it, and when the wearer approached an item containing similar energy, the mask would give a sign.

“Isn’t that a bit too basic?” Song Yan thought skeptically.

At first glance, the function seemed plain. But as he read further about how the “demonic cultivator” had used it, his heart began to race.

Whenever his cultivation was blocked and he needed a specific attribute of spiritual item, he would infuse the mask with a matching strand of energy, then put it on to seek out his next target. Whatever he needed, he would simply take from another cultivator. The mask could not sense items stored in a pouch, but most cultivators, when acquiring a spiritual object, would inevitably bear traces of its aura. That was how the mask helped him lock onto his target.

This trick “never failed.”

For ordinary travel, infusing it with mixed-element spiritual energy allowed him to search for common spiritual items and herbs, and also served as a warning against ambushes.

At this, Song Yan suddenly understood. Perhaps this explained why, despite believing he had covered every detail, Dan Zifeng had still seen through his plans.

Rather than deal with the mask, Song Yan now calmly began to read the book in earnest. He did not intend to emulate its methods, of course. But reading it could prepare him for similar situations in the future—and perhaps save his life one day.

One should never intend to harm others, but must always guard against them.

“To think there are even instructions on how to dispose of stolen goods without leaving a trace...”

How Dan Zifeng had come into possession of this book, Song Yan could not know. Perhaps Dan’s ruthless and cunning ways owed much to this tome. Yet, clearly, Dan Zifeng had overlooked the most important lesson: to keep a low profile. Mastering the ways of demonic cultivation only halfway leads to ruin.

“Hm?”

Suddenly, his gaze sharpened. In the midst of these written records, he stumbled upon a familiar term.

“Sword cultivator...”

End of this episode—regular updates resume!

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