Chapter 89 of 100

Chapter 89

15 min read3,629 words

Wanxiangcheng looked to be in his thirties, standing over 1.8 meters tall, with a robust build, a square face, and a bronze complexion. He rarely smiled, giving off a stern and upright impression.

Suqing was also over 1.7 meters tall, appearing to be around 27 or 28 years old, with a slender figure. She wore a pair of reddish-brown sunglasses that complemented her fair, jade-like face. Her short hair was neat and tidy, and her demeanor was efficient, making her look like a white-collar beauty.

After Wang Yaodong picked up Wanxiangcheng and Suqing from the airport, he relayed Lin Tianhuo's message to them. Suqing didn't say anything, but Wanxiangcheng snorted and said, "I knew this kid wouldn't behave when he goes on a mission alone. The rules set by the master are like nothing to him."

Suqing's lips curled slightly, as if she was smiling, but she still didn't speak.

Wang Yaodong stood there, unsure whether to stay or leave, feeling quite at a loss. He couldn't afford to offend any of these three disciples of Master Qingyuan.

After venting his frustration, Wanxiangcheng said, "Forget it, Director Wang, take us to see that kid Tianhuo."

Wang Yaodong let out a long breath, relieved that he could finally give an account. He then led the way out of the airport terminal.

On the drive back to the Tianhao InterContinental Hotel, Wanxiangcheng and Suqing sat in the back seat, both silent. Wang Yaodong glanced at them in the rearview mirror and noticed that they were sitting perfectly still, like statues, not moving even when he took sharp turns.

After meeting Lin Tianhuo, Wanxiangcheng didn't say a word and kicked Lin Tianhuo's buttocks, scolding him, "You're always so restless. Don't you know the first rule is to keep a low profile? Yet you insist on staying in such a luxurious hotel, even in a presidential suite. Don't think the master's favor means you can do whatever you want. This time, I just kicked you, but if I catch you doing this again, it won't just be a kick."

Lin Tianhuo smiled and said, "Sixth Brother, since you're here, why don't you stay? Besides, Director Wang has already paid for all the hotel expenses. We can't just waste that money, can we? I know you're a serious person, Sixth Brother. I promise it won't happen again, okay?"

At this point, Suqing, who had been silent, finally spoke, her voice clear and soft, with a touch of the charm of a southern Chinese woman.

"Enough of this nonsense, Tianhuo. Tell us about your investigation in Mingzhu."

Lin Tianhuo nodded but first turned to Wang Yaodong and said, "Uncle Wang, I'm sorry, but I need you to step out for a moment."

This made Wang Yaodong somewhat awkward, but he understood that the three fellow disciples needed to discuss private matters that he shouldn't hear. He chuckled and left the suite.

Once Wang Yaodong was gone, Lin Tianhuo's expression suddenly became serious. His first words shocked and excited Wanxiangcheng and Suqing.

"Fourth Sister, Sixth Brother, after my initial investigation, I believe the perpetrator of the Mingzhu rain night serial murders is not an ordinary human but a type of evil cultivator. According to the detailed classification of evil cultivators that the master once gave us, they are specifically a ghost cultivator and four ghost slaves, all with extremely high cultivation levels. All the surveillance cameras around the scene were destroyed, and no images were left, which proves that the ghost cultivator's ghost qi has reached a very high level, far surpassing the demon cultivator the master and I encountered in Nankang last time."

"Unfortunately, I arrived too late, and the residual ghost qi at the scene had mostly dissipated. I couldn't determine exactly which level of ghost cultivator it was. The only thing I can confirm is that the four ghost slaves have been completely eliminated, and the ghost cultivator is likely still alive. I searched the entire city of Mingzhu and eventually found a yin point in an old residence in the Xiahui district, where I also detected some residual ghost qi. Following the ghost qi, I traced it to the southwest of Mingzhu city. After that, the ghost qi dissipated, and I lost the trail."

After Lin Tianhuo finished his account, Wanxiangcheng slapped his thigh and said solemnly, "Indeed, there are evil cultivators. No wonder the master sent you alone and then sent both of us. This is not simple. Good, very good. As long as we have a direction, we can investigate further."

Suqing didn't comment but was deep in thought.

Lin Tianhuo continued, "I remember the master once said that several decades ago, there was a massive spiritual energy explosion at the border between Huaguo and the Secret Realm. A lot of spiritual energy leaked out from the Secret Realm, and the passage between the Secret Realm and Huaguo was torn open. The master sensed the sudden change in the Secret Realm gate and rushed there as quickly as possible. At that time, he found a large number of evil cultivator corpses and residual souls in the area of the Secret Realm gate that belonged to Huaguo."

"Most of them were dead, but some scattered and spread throughout Huaguo, either slowly recovering their strength or dying from the massive damage caused by the spiritual energy explosion. The passage soon closed again. This incident led to many evil cultivators from the Secret Realm being scattered in Huaguo, though their numbers were small and their overall strength weak, the potential danger was still significant. Over the years, the master has eliminated a large number of them, and news about evil cultivators has become scarce in recent years. I never expected that the serial murders in Mingzhu would also be the work of evil cultivators."

Wanxiangcheng frowned and continued, "Yes, the master once said that to pass through the Secret Realm gate from Huaguo, one must have at least the cultivation level of the initial stage of the Golden Core realm. To pass through the gate from the Secret Realm to the outside world, one must have at least the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm. The master, though he has reached the peak of the initial stage of the Golden Core realm, dares not easily attempt to enter the Secret Realm, as once inside, there is no way out. As for us, even if we reach the highest realm of martial artists, it is only equivalent to the peak of the middle stage of the Foundation Establishment realm, and in this world without any spiritual energy, it is impossible to cultivate true essence. Entering the Secret Realm is nothing more than a pipe dream."

Lin Tianhuo sighed, "Yes, the cause of the spiritual energy explosion at the Secret Realm gate is unknown, and all those who came out through the crack were evil cultivators, not a single human cultivator. The reason for this is unknown, even to the master. A lot of spiritual energy leaked out at the time, and the master collected a large portion of it using a spirit-gathering bag. This allowed him to break through from the late stage of the Foundation Establishment realm to the Golden Core realm. He also used some of the spiritual energy to infuse the body of our eldest brother, who was still young at the time, making him the most talented among all of us."

Wanxiangcheng also sighed, "Indeed, even the master benefited from the spirit medicines and spirit stones passed down through generations by the grandmaster to reach his current level. Unfortunately, once the spirit medicines and spirit stones were used up, the master's cultivation could no longer advance. He has been stuck at the peak of the middle stage of the Golden Core realm for a long time, unable to break through."

The two of them sighed and thought about the mysterious world of the Secret Realm, where spiritual energy was abundant, spirit medicines were widespread, and spirit stones were plentiful. They were filled with longing, knowing that even if they spent their entire lives, they might never enter it, and even their revered master would not dare to enter that mysterious world lightly.

Just as they were sighing, Suqing suddenly interjected, "You two, don't you think you've gone completely off-topic? Sixth Brother, did the master send us to Mingzhu to lament the Secret Realm gate and those old stories?"

Suqing's words made Lin Tianhuo immediately lower his head, not daring to say more. Wanxiangcheng's face turned red as he said, "Fourth Sister, I'm sorry, I was wrong. My mindset is still unstable, and once I think about the Secret Realm, I get carried away. Thank you for your timely reminder, Fourth Sister."

Suqing sighed and shook her head at Wanxiangcheng, not scolding him further. She then turned to Lin Tianhuo and asked, "Xiaohuo, in the case you just described, I have two key questions. First, you said you found a yin point and some residual ghost qi in an old residence in the Xiahui district. Whose residence is this? Second, and most importantly, you said the four ghost slaves were completely eliminated. Who eliminated them?"

Suqing's two questions hit the crux of the matter.

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