"Daoist Yuan, I have a few questions for you. Cooperate, and you can spare yourself physical torment."

"I no longer have a body. I’m just a soul. What physical torment is there to speak of?"

Yuan Tianxuan’s expression turned ugly, and he didn’t look like he intended to cooperate.

But when the Evil Soul appeared, his attitude changed drastically.

"Daoist Li, although my status in the Nether Soul Sect was high, my skills ultimately failed to break through to Tier Four. I couldn’t access core information, so I don’t know much. I’m afraid what I know may not satisfy you."

"It’s alright. Daoist Yuan, just tell me what you know."

Li Chang’an then proceeded to ask over a dozen questions.

Yuan Tianxuan’s answers were mostly the same as Ye Sang’s.

Although he was a member of the Nether Soul Sect, he didn’t know the specifics of their plot.

"I only know that for the plan to succeed, the more cultivators that die in the Cultivation Immortality Realm, the better."

"The more, the better? Are they trying to gather a massive number of souls to refine some sort of Soul Dao Treasure?"

"I’m not sure about that..."

In the course of their conversation, Yuan Tianxuan revealed a very important piece of information.

The identity of the first Sect Leader of the Nether Soul Sect was very special.

It was just as Li Chang’an had previously guessed.

That Sect Leader had been a Core Disciple of the Ancient Nether Prison Sect!

He used a Hermit Coffin to survive that great calamity, waking up thirty thousand years ago to establish the Nether Soul Sect.

That was why the Nether Soul Sect possessed so many legacies from the Ancient Nether Prison Sect.

Yuan Tianxuan explained, "That Sect Leader holds a very unique worldview. He believes all mortals are nothing but livestock to be slaughtered at will. He thinks the Cultivation Immortality Realm is inherently a place where the strong devour the weak, that the Demonic Dao is the true righteous path, and that the so-called Righteous Dao is a demonic aberration that defies the laws of the Celestial Dao."

’Hmm, that philosophy does align with the cultivation principles of the Nine Ancient Major Sects.’

Li Chang’an recalled his first life in the dream that took him back to ancient times.

In that life, his First Senior Brother had once led them out of the Sect and down the mountain to harvest the mortals of the Mortal Realm.

A single expedition led to immense slaughter, reaping over a million souls!

From a modern perspective, such an act would be considered purely demonic.

But back then, none of the cultivators from the Nine Great Immortal Sects thought anything of it.

The strong preying on the weak was a matter of natural order, perfectly aligned with the laws of the Celestial Dao. Why should it be forbidden?

This wasn’t just true for the Human Race; it was the same for all of the Ten Thousand Races. Powerful Demon Beasts would also hunt weaker ones.

The Righteous Sects of today would have been considered Demon Sects that defied the Celestial Dao back then.

Yuan Tianxuan added, "That Sect Leader once declared that he wanted to right the wrongs of history, to restore the name of the true Righteous Dao, and to revive the glory of the Nine Great Sects. I think... the Nether Soul Sect’s plot may be related to this."

’Redeem the name of the Demonic Dao and make it the new Righteous Dao?’

Li Chang’an was lost in thought.

The idea sounded somewhat absurd.

But if one looked at it from the perspective of a Demonic Cultivator, it seemed perfectly normal.

’Enough. The great chaos hasn’t arrived yet. It’s useless to overthink things. I should focus on reaching the Nascent Soul realm first.’

He pushed these thoughts aside for now.

Without sufficient strength, knowing more was pointless.

"Are there any opportunities for a Nascent Soul breakthrough within the Yin Soul Sect?"

"None."

"Not even on the Wu Gu Saint Child?"

"I’m... not entirely sure about him. But there are definitely none in the Yin Soul Sect’s Treasure Vault. The Treasure Vault of the Main Sect, the Nether Soul Sect, does have some, however."

Yuan Tianxuan was quite cooperative, doing his best to tell him everything he knew.

About an hour later, Li Chang’an finished his questioning and returned him to the Venerable Soul Banner.

In the following days, the focus of his cultivation gradually shifted to Divination.

In less than a month, his Divination Skill broke through to Tier Three.

’Another Tier Three skill under my belt.’

But Li Chang’an wasn’t satisfied with this and continued to hone the skill.

Time flew by, and soon, more than a year had passed.

During that time, Li Chang’an sensed on several occasions that someone was attempting to divine him.

These last few times, the sensation was stronger than ever before.

’Could it be that a Tier Four Divination Grandmaster has made a move?’

He gazed up at the sky, lost in thought.

A Grandmaster whose Divination Skill had reached Tier Four was someone that even a Nascent Soul True Monarch had to treat with caution.

However, Li Chang’an wasn’t flustered.

’A Tier Four Divination Skill shouldn’t be enough to uncover my true identity. The daily Divination I receive should be of a Tier far beyond the fourth.’

He continued his cultivation with peace of mind. His Divination Skill improved at a shocking pace, soon reaching the Top Grade of Tier Three.

On this day, Li Chang’an temporarily stopped his cultivation.

He quietly left Changqing Mountain and headed for the Thousand Lakes Secret Realm.

He wasn’t going in search of opportunities, but rather to attend Zi Yun’s eightieth birthday celebration.

’I can’t let my connection to Zi Yun fade. After all, she’s Zi Xi’s younger sister.’

「A few days later.」

Li Chang’an entered the Thousand Lakes Secret Realm and soon arrived at the Spiritual Ore deposit.

He used his Shadow Transformation Illusion Body, which he had mastered to the Great Success stage, landing silently aboard the Purple Mist Sect’s Flying Ship without being detected by Wei Xu.

"Who’s there?"

Controlling the Flying Ship’s array, Zi Xi’s gaze turned cold. She brandished a Magical Treasure and stared in Li Chang’an’s direction.

Although Li Chang’an’s Concealing Technique was good, it was impossible to hide the moment he entered the array.

He immediately revealed himself and offered a cupped-fist salute.

"Greetings, Saintess."

"Li Chang’an?"

Zi Xi retracted her Magical Treasure, a flicker of imperceptible surprise in her eyes.

’I actually failed to sense him approaching the Flying Ship!’

The difference in their apparent strength was immense; theoretically, something like this should have been impossible.

Zi Xi sized him up and said, "Your Concealing Spell is quite good."

"It’s nothing more than a minor trick for self-preservation, hardly worth mentioning. If I possessed the Saintess’s power, what need would I have for such methods?"

"That’s true."

Zi Xi gave a slight nod, dropping the subject.

"What brings you here?"

"I heard that Daoist Zi Yun’s eightieth birthday is approaching, so I came to offer my congratulations."

Li Chang’an explained his purpose in coming.

The words had barely left his mouth when a joyful voice called out from outside the Flying Ship.