Chapter 725: Imitation Yao Demon Nest (I)
Lin Zheyu took a sip of the spirit tea and remarked with a smile, "This tea is quite good."
This spirit tea was of a respectable grade, leaving a lingering fragrance in the mouth and a refreshing clarity in the mind. Lin Zheyu could not help but admit that Cao Hongchang had rather good taste.
Seeing Lin Zheyu's expression of enjoyment, Cao Hongchang rolled his eyes in annoyance. He might be a demonic cultivator, but he was still a renowned Nascent Soul realm demonic cultivator and the sect master of the Evilheart Sect. He would never serve inferior spirit tea to a guest.
"Since the spirit tea is so good, you should drink more. You will not be able to have any once you return," Cao Hongchang said in a sardonic tone.
"You worry too much, fellow friend. Before long, this place will be my territory. With you here, how could I possibly go without it?" Lin Zheyu replied with a smile.
The puppet Cao Hongchang could not help widening his eyes slightly, a remarkably lifelike look of speechlessness appearing on his face.
This fellow is as irritating as ever!
Worse still, Lin Zheyu seemed certain that he had Cao Hongchang in the palm of his hand. Apparently, he intended not only to take the sect but also to keep its former sect master. This was simply intolerable! Still, Cao Hongchang felt he could endure it a little longer.
As the two chatted, Lin Zheyu's powerful perception spread outward. Deep within his sea of consciousness, his spiritual Heavenly Eye suddenly opened and discreetly surveyed the Evilheart Sect, guarding against any tricks Cao Hongchang might be preparing in secret. Otherwise, a moment of carelessness might allow the man to catch him off guard.
After carefully examining the area, Lin Zheyu found that he seemed to have worried needlessly. Apart from Cao Hongchang's seclusion grounds at the center of the island, which were shrouded in an impenetrable black mist, there were no traps anywhere on the island.
The island's protective formation was also nothing more than a conventional island defense formation. In less than the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Cao Hongchang's true body came striding through the distant sky. His essence, qi, and spirit were in exactly the same condition as when the two had first met, and his aura had returned to its peak once more.
"It has been a long time, fellow friend. You remain as impressive as ever," Lin Zheyu said, smiling at Cao Hongchang.
His golden Heavenly Eye swept over Cao Hongchang's true body and the puppet, discreetly studying the connection between them. Lin Zheyu was quite interested in this kind of soul-splitting method. However, his soul, which was powerful enough to condense into a tangible spirit, was firmly bound by the shackles of the Heavenly Dao, making it impossible for him to cultivate such a method.
Furthermore, Lin Zheyu followed the Martial Dao and devoted all his vitality to it. Martial cultivation focused primarily on the physical body and was not adept in techniques of the soul.
Lin Zheyu knew virtually nothing about this field. Then again, that was not entirely true. He did know a little about soul secret arts. The soul attack secret art he had mastered, the Myriad Dragons Godslaying Art, was quite formidable. It was a powerful wide-range offensive secret art. If used against a Nascent Soul realm cultivator without a soul-defense secret treasure, it might well produce an unexpected result.
"You flatter me. Once those who cultivate the Yao Dao reach our realm, they are merely clinging to life unless they encounter some extraordinary opportunity," Cao Hongchang said calmly with a shake of his head. He waved his right hand and put away the puppet, then stepped forward and sat opposite Lin Zheyu.
"Haha, that is true. I have heard that many demonic cultivators joined the Painful Holy Sect to stay alive and became its holy envoys. I wonder if you know anything about this?" Lin Zheyu asked casually, his eyes glinting faintly.
It was not only the Painful Holy Sect. Heretical sects such as the Nine Nether Sect also welcomed demonic cultivators without reservation. These sects possessed special methods that could alleviate the problem of the yao will within demonic cultivators. However, most of them imposed stringent requirements on any demonic cultivator seeking to join, requiring them to possess intense faith in the gods or devils the sect worshiped. The Painful Holy Sect had no such requirement. As a result, more demonic cultivators joined the Painful Holy Sect than any other.
"Are you testing me? I may be a demonic cultivator, but I am nothing like those lunatics from the Painful Holy Sect who cannot wait for the end of the world. Joining the Painful Holy Sect is hardly any different from succumbing to the yao will. Do not assume there is no catch merely because the Painful Holy Sect does not demand faith from its members. When they alleviate the problem of the yao will within you, they tamper with you in the process. Given enough time, you will become a lunatic just like them and lose yourself entirely," Cao Hongchang said with a cold laugh.
Nothing ever came without a price, and there was no such thing as a free meal. Not one of those dubious sects was any good. Rather than join them, one would be better off serving a relatively righteous faction such as Great Wei or the Heavenly Dao Sect. Still, that was hardly a good path either, so there was no point discussing it.
"You have a point. Those fellows truly are even more deranged than demonic cultivators like us," Lin Zheyu said with a smile.
He had been secretly observing the island for quite some time but had not sensed the slightest aura connected to any god or devil anywhere within the Evilheart Sect. Cao Hongchang's tone and demeanor didn't seem feigned either. It seemed that Cao Hongchang's continued presence here had little to do with those heretical sects.
Lin Zheyu was deeply wary of the demon gods those heretical sects worshiped. Back when he was still merely a martial artist, the Painful Holy Sect had even targeted him because of his unusual fate. To this day, he still had no idea what was so special about him that it had attracted their attention.
"The spirit stones I promised you are ready. When can you begin?" Cao Hongchang asked bluntly.
During his previous battle with Lin Zheyu, he had expended a vast amount of his Nascent Soul origin. As a result, the two remaining opportunities he had to recover to his peak had been reduced to one. This was his final opportunity.
"I can begin at any time. Do you intend to proceed here?" Lin Zheyu asked with a smile.
His expression remained perfectly composed, but his spiritual Heavenly Eye had been secretly watching Cao Hongchang's every movement all along.
"We cannot do it here." Cao Hongchang shook his head. "I have already prepared a place in the secret chamber where I usually enter seclusion.
"It is not that I distrust you. It is simply that I will be left weak and helpless during the treatment. In that state, if you harbor any ill intentions toward me, I will be completely unable to resist. Therefore, I have made some preparations solely for my own protection. I hope you understand," Cao Hongchang explained.