Cultivation is just so scientific!

Chapter 153: Chapter 123: Essence Blood

Within an outpost on the outskirts of the Sky Sea Sect, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator was observing two late-stage Qi Refining cultivators.

This outpost was a permanent base established by Elder Baili of the Holy Ice Sect, specifically for investigating the disappearance of Baili Jin Yan.

Normally stationed here were two late-stage Qi Refining cultivators, and the operation was overseen by Wei Yun, a Foundation Establishment direct disciple of Elder Baili.

Recently, while reviewing intelligence reports from the Sky Sea Sect, Wei Yun discovered that Li Shiming, who should have been killed, was still alive.

Li Shiming was not important, but Wei Yun had already reported his death to his master, Elder Baili, thus Li Shiming must be dead.

It was known that Elder Baili personally investigated Qiu Tan on Changming Island and sensed remnants of a mark left by Baili Jin Yan on Qiu Tan and two helpers.

Due to the passage of time, only a faint trace of the mark remained.

However, this did not hinder Elder Baili’s discovery, and whether Qiu Tan was involved in Baili Jin Yan’s disappearance or not, Qiu Tan was someone Baili Jin Yan wanted dead.

Thus, killing Qiu Tan and the two helpers for his son amounted to fulfilling Baili Jin Yan’s unfulfilled wish.

After a period of investigation, Elder Baili harbored many doubts about the disappearance of Baili Jin Yan; the secret technique left in Baili Jin Yan’s body had lost connection but had not vanished, which was his last hope that Baili Jin Yan was not dead.

After capturing Qiu Tan and the two helpers, Elder Baili subjected them to a brutal Soul Search.

Soul Search, even in the Cultivation World, is not a method used lightly, usually employed only by those with deep grievances.

This technique, once used, would completely obliterate the soul of the searched, for cultivators understand death as the extinguishing of life with the soul entering the cycle of reincarnation.

Soul obliteration meant no hope for reincarnation, representing the most cruel punishment.

Furthermore, the individuals undergoing Soul Search would endure extreme soul torment, and the practitioner would also feel this pain, torturing both parties at the soul level.

However, since Elder Baili’s realm far exceeded that of Qiu Tan and the others, the backlash he suffered was minimal.

Through Soul Search, he learned the details of Baili Jin Yan’s encounter with the three and discovered their gossip.

For his son, he decided to eliminate Li Shiming, the source of Baili Jin Yan’s anger; after all, why should Li Shiming obtain the woman his son could not?

Yin Shilan had a powerful father and a devilish mother that no one dared provoke, leaving him no choice but to destroy Li Shiming.

Elder Baili did not personally undertake the killing of Li Shiming.

The main reason was that Li Shiming’s Eagle Beak Island was too close to the Nine Peaks, and that proximity meant that Elder Baili, daring to approach, would immediately be discovered by the Sky Sea Sect’s Sect Formation, after which the sect’s elders would intervene.

After being threatened by Evil Elder Ren, Elder Baili had no desire to challenge the Sky Sea Sect and the Xuanming Sect.

For all Qi Refinement realm and the majority of Foundation Establishment cultivators, the Sky Sea Sect and the Xuanming Sect were mortal enemies.

But for those in the Golden Core stage, and a few Foundation Establishment cultivators privy to core sect affairs, only they understood the true relationship between the Sky Sea Sect and the Xuanming Sect.

The conflicts between the two sects, resulting in both Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment cultivators excelling at combat yet keeping the intensity of battle within controllable limits, created an environment beneficial for both sects’ cultivators to improve.

Without danger, cultivators would become mere practitioners, and not necessarily strong despite high realms; only those cultivators refined through countless battles could establish a foothold in the world of cultivation.

In the face of troubles at the Golden Core level, the Sky Sea Sect and the Xuanming Sect could readily join forces.

The minor matter of killing Li Shiming became a bonus mission, assigned to the Holy Ice Sect’s late-stage Qi Refining cultivators to execute.

The late-stage Qi Refining cultivators of the Holy Ice Sect carried out the assassination task fairly simply and received their reward from Elder Baili.

And supervising the assassination task was none other than the Foundation Establishment Wei Yun.

“Claiming a reward for this task, do you understand the consequences?” Wei Yun sternly reprimanded, his face grim.

The two late-stage Qi Refining cultivators turned pale, fully aware of Elder Baili’s methods.

“Junior Master Wei, who would have known that the Spirit Plant Cultivator on that island wasn’t Li Shiming!” one of the late-stage Qi Refining cultivators explained with a pained expression.

Indeed, the location of the task was correct, and the target was a Qi Refining Middle Stage Spirit Plant Cultivator.

They used the Breaking Formation Talisman provided by the sect to enter Eagle Beak Island and saw a cultivator casting the Spiritual Plant Cultivation Spell.

Both the location and the description of the target were correct, and they had not anticipated killing the wrong person.

In truth, not just them, but even Wei Yun had not bothered to investigate further; such a low-level Qi Refining Fourth Level cultivator was not worth the excessive attention of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, and it hardly mattered if he died.

If not for the intelligence mention of a Basic-level Array Master rising in fame within the Sky Sea Sect, whose name happened to be Li Shiming, Wei Yun would have forgotten this incident altogether.

“Here is another Breaking Formation Talisman, you two go once more and clean up this matter, leave no loose ends!” Wei Yun ordered in a deep voice.

Wei Yun felt somewhat pained, having to give up another Breaking Formation Talisman, which this time was not reimbursed by Elder Baili but came out of his own pocket.

Of course, the two late-stage Qi Refining cultivators received no reward for the task this time, having already taken it previously, and they dared not accept another for the same task.

“Thank you, Junior Master Wei. Rest assured, we will not make a mistake again this time!” the two Qi Refining cultivators assured repeatedly.