NOVPUBThe rippling light from the lake’s surface danced over the dried-up lakebed, also reflecting on the bodies of the cultivators who had been shaken down.
The light was bright, and if one looked up, they could even see the brilliant sunshine spilling down.
However, in this moment, Yan Wuxiong’s heart was ice cold.
In his mind, numerous fragments of information rapidly came together.
"Xin Zhao... This name sounds somewhat familiar, seems like a Sect cultivator from Da Jin..."
"...Sen State missing cultivators... holy child..."
"Lord guessed correctly, Da Jin indeed has issues!"
As these thoughts streamed through his mind.
The middle-aged, refined cultivator known as ’Master Xin Zhao’ frowned and said:
"Are you new here? How can you be so clueless, to call my name so casually!"
"Yes, yes, yes! Zhang Yao was ignorant, please, Master, don’t take offense, don’t take offense..."
The bulky figure hastily replied with an apologetic smile.
With a cold humph, the middle-aged, refined cultivator said no more, and with a wave of his hand, he pushed each of the unconscious cultivators into one of those empty Magic Tools that resembled Pill Furnaces.
Soon, one Golden Core stage cultivator after another stepped forward, and they began to make hand signs and chant spells over these cultivators, even feeding them something.
Yan Wuxiong and a young cultivator at his side silently exchanged glances, both seeing a trace of bewilderment in each other’s eyes.
"What are they scheming, capturing all these cultivators and placing them on these Magic Tools?" Yan Wuxiong couldn’t help wondering.
Zhang Yao, the bulky figure, also looked around carefully and curiously.
However, it wasn’t long before the middle-aged, refined cultivator turned around and coldly looked at Zhang Yao:
"Why are you still lingering around here?"
Zhang Yao quickly took the hint and took his leave.
"Wait!"
The middle-aged, refined cultivator glanced at him and then said coldly:
"The number is insufficient this time, bring a few more next time."
"But with the current rumors swirling... Yes, I understand."
Zhang Yao’s face showed difficulty, but he still clenched his teeth and nodded, then hurriedly retreated.
Yan Wuxiong, however, took the opportunity to scan his surroundings and, seeing no formidable individuals around, he decided it was safe to stay instead of leaving with the others.
Once Zhang Yao had left, the middle-aged, refined cultivator finally gave a command.
Quickly, cultivators with indiscernible faces stood in front of their respective Magic Tools and began the process of consecration.
Yan Wuxiong glanced over and was slightly astonished.
"Isn’t this the method used for crafting spirit food?"
Spirit food, or more accurately ’blood food,’ originated from the Demon Dao, and as a Lord of the Demon Sect, he was familiar with it despite not having practiced it.
What surprised him more was that after a series of consecrations, the slumbering cultivators on the Magic Tools showed no change. 𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙥𝒖𝒃.𝒄𝒐𝒎
However, the Magic Tools slowly began to form tiny water orbs.
At first, he was somewhat curious, but when he felt what was contained within the water orbs, his expression suddenly changed:
"Is this... Dao Secret?!"
"No! Not the Dao Secret, it’s more like thoughts and emotions containing Dao Intention... They’ve condensed these cultivators’ Dao Intention?"
Seeing the special Magic Tools spread across the lakebed, the unconscious cultivators on them, and the water orbs slowly forming with amassed Dao Intention, it was as though lightning struck through Yan Wuxiong’s mind!
Thinking of this possibility, even Yan Wuxiong, who was from the ruthless and fierce Demon Sect, couldn’t help but take a sharp intake of breath:
"The Dao Intention condensed to its limit becomes the Dao Secret... The ancient Dao Secret from Sen State before, was it these people’s doing?!"
"They’ve used cultivators as the material for extracting Dao Intention, keeping them alive to continuously harvest Dao Intention?!"
"But why would they release those Dao Secrets?"
In this moment, countless thoughts collided in Yan Wuxiong’s mind!
And when he saw each of the slumbering cultivators, he immediately understood!
"I know now!"
"They released them on purpose! To attract more Rogue Cultivators and factions, muddying the waters to capture even more cultivators!"
"So bold! So cruel!"
Yan Wuxiong couldn’t help but exclaim in his heart.
The Holy Sect may be ruthless, but that is generally towards mortals.
In regards to cultivators, the Holy Sect is relatively more lenient.
Of course, if it involved cultivation, the Holy Sect’s members wouldn’t hesitate to take action.
However, using cultivators as materials like this, even the Demon Sect wouldn’t dare be known for such methods.
After all, even if the Holy Sect is powerful, if it incited widespread anger, it couldn’t stand against the cultivators of the nine great continents.
Once such deeds became public, destruction wouldn’t be far off.
"Is it really the people of Da Jin who did this? This is even crazier than our Holy Sect!"
At this moment, Yan Wuxiong started to doubt his earlier suspicions.
Although he didn’t have a high opinion of Da Jin Monks, he had to admit that they traditionally valued propriety highly.
These methods of using cultivators as materials were even more demonic than the Demon Sect, and he found it hard to believe that it could be the doings of the Da Jin.
"Could it be Outsider Continent Cultivators? Inside Fenglin Continent, I’ve never heard of such an organization..."
And just then.
Yan Wuxiong felt a sudden movement in his heart, and he deliberately glanced over to the side.
As the water above rippled, separating in two.
Another figure descended.
Seeing this figure for a split second, both Yan Wuxiong and the young cultivator were shocked.
The newcomer had an unusually large head, an extremely strange face, and exuded an aura that made even Yan Wuxiong shiver.
"Is it that Rogue Cultivator with the large head who seized the Dao Secret?!"
"They’re all in cahoots?!"
