Sensing

Right then, Liang Yan seemed to sense something. Jolted awake from his meditative trance, he snapped his head up toward the courtyard outside, his eyes flashing with astonishment. The Heart-Devouring Insect! Ever since the destruction of the Kuiyin Sect, it had been a long time since Liang Yan had felt the stirrings of a Heart-Devouring Insect. The sect had possessed very few preserved carcasses of the Heart-Devouring Insect to begin with. When the sect crumbled and fell, nearly all of its upper echelon perished, and where the remaining gu insects had drifted was anyone's guess. Patriarch Kuiyin had devised this art of venomous gu, refining the Heart-Devouring Insect into a parasitic parasite through three parts: planting the gu, controlling the gu, and undoing the gu. Without knowing the secret to undoing it, a toxic gu planted using a Heart-Devouring Insect was virtually incurable! This art of venomous gu was exceedingly sinister and treated as a closely guarded secret within the Kuiyin Sect. Only the direct personal disciples of Patriarch Kuiyin, or those who enjoyed high favor within the sect, ever had a chance to learn it. Ordinary Foundation Establishment disciples were not even qualified. Yue Wu, however, had never hesitated to delay his own cultivation to diligently carry out Sect Master Yi's biddings, managing the affairs of the Kuiyin Sect's outer sect, and thus had received the teachings long ago. Although Liang Yan had not been qualified to learn the art of venomous gu itself, he had been close to Yue Wu—virtually half a disciple to the man. Constantly helping Yue Wu handle business and serving as his right hand, he had managed to learn the method of controlling the gu from him. Back then, Liang Yan had been merely in the Qi Refinement stage, yet the person controlled by the Heart-Devouring Insect was a Foundation Establishment cultivator who had cowered before him, never daring to show the slightest disobedience. When the Kuiyin Sect was wiped out, every bird flew for its own life in the face of impending doom. The sect's disciples had fled in panic, and the survivors were few and far between. Yet those who had been manipulated by the Heart-Devouring Gu found a blessing in disguise, regaining their freedom. The person Liang Yan knew had mysteriously vanished after the sect's destruction. Only those who had tasted the terror of the Heart-Devouring Gu truly knew what it was like. Having finally broken free of its grip, they certainly had no desire to repeat the nightmare, keeping themselves hidden away with utmost secrecy. Over all these years, Liang Yan had not run into a single one. He had never expected to suddenly sense the fluctuations of a Heart-Devouring Insect today. "Did they think so many years have passed, that everyone from the Kuiyin Sect is dead and gone, so they can no longer hold back and dare to show their heads?" A cold sneer crept across Liang Yan's face, though he found it hardly surprising. Cultivators could not remain holed up in their immortal's caves forever. Whether encountering a bottleneck or lacking cultivation resources, they inevitably had to venture out and temper themselves in the world. For decades, the Yuanzhao Sect had relentlessly hunted down the remnants of the Kuiyin Sect, making no secret of their intent, and they had the full backing of the Wuji Sect, one of the Eight Righteous Sects. A demonic powerhouse from the Kuiyin Sect had even fled deep into the heart of demonic territory, all the way to Qingyang City on the easternmost edge of the Seven Heroes Passes, only to be captured by the Yuanzhao Sect and have his corpse strung up for public display. That move had caused a tremendous uproar among the demonic sects. Even so, the Yuanzhao Sect did not make enemies recklessly; they killed only disciples of the Kuiyin Sect, an act rooted purely in private vendetta between the two sides. Demonic cultivators were callous by nature. None were willing to stick their necks out for the remnants of the Kuiyin Sect, putting on mere pretense only so the Yuanzhao Sect would not act completely unchecked. The well-known old devils of the Foundation Establishment stage had been hunted to near extinction. Even if a few had survived, they were frightened out of their wits, scuttling like rats and never daring to show themselves. Fortunately for Liang Yan, he had been merely in the Qi Refinement stage back then and had never officially taken a master, making him completely inconspicuous. Had he been targeted by the Yuanzhao Sect, he would never be living as comfortably as he was now. The Yuanzhao Sect could not be bothered to make a great fuss over minor lackeys like them. Obscure Qi Refinement disciples like Liang Yan, who altered their appearances after breaking away from the Kuiyin Sect, could survive to this day in fair numbers so long as they tread carefully and never exposed their past. Naturally, they would never have had the chance to learn that art of venomous gu either. *This person probably never expected to run into me here, did they?* Liang Yan sensed the ripples of the Heart-Devouring Insect drifting farther away. The person seemed to have arrived in a hurry and was leaving Fengcang Cultivation Market just as hurriedly, likely dropping by merely to replenish supplies. Clearly, this individual was exceptionally cautious. A gleam flashed through Liang Yan's eyes. Calming the internal breath within him, he pushed open the door and stepped outside. The formidable power of the Heart-Devouring Gu was still fresh in his memory. He was unsure whether this venomous gu art would be effective against the Core Formation stage, but he was certain that if the other party was merely a Foundation Establishment cultivator, they would surely become his puppet! The stronger their cultivation, the better! At this thought, a surge of heat flared in Liang Yan's chest, and a look of excitement surfaced on his face. Still, accustomed to caution, he did not rush forward heedlessly. Firmly locking his spiritual sense onto the movement of the venomous gu, Liang Yan pushed open the outer door and paused slightly. He cast a glance toward the room to the right, waved his hand to undo the restriction, and walked straight inside. Sitting cross-legged within the chamber was a beautiful, middle-aged woman—none other than Shi Hong. Shi Hong had been in the middle of cultivating when she was abruptly disturbed. Opening her eyes to find another person in the room, she took a slight fright. Seeing that it was Liang Yan, her expression softened, though she remained quietly on guard. "So it is Senior Brother Liang. Senior Brother has come out of seclusion so suddenly—do you have something that needs doing? Perhaps Junior Sister can handle it on your behalf?" A trace of gloom lingered in the depths of Liang Yan's eyes. Ignoring her question, he stared at her and asked, "Have you refined the Frosty-Ease Fruit?" Shi Hong nodded, a bitter smile touching her lips. "Following the method described by the shopkeeper, I have refined the spirit fruit without wasting a shred of its medicinal potency. Alas, the Frosty-Ease Fruit's effects do not seem as potent as he claimed; the bottleneck remains as unyielding as ever." At present, Shi Hong's cultivation was still stuck at the eighth layer of the Qi Refinement stage. Stranded before the bottleneck of the ninth layer for decades, she had still failed to break through. Liang Yan gave her a searching look and said flatly, "The ninth-layer bottleneck is inherently the greatest hurdle in the Qi Refinement stage. Back then, this elder brother also went to immense trouble before barely breaking through by sheer luck. "However, given Junior Sister's astonishing natural talent, coupled with the assistance of the Yanluo Banner... "Over the years, this elder brother has found no fewer than ten varieties of medicinal pills for you, yet you remain trapped by this bottleneck. It is truly surprising. "It seems a spiritual root is not all-powerful after all." Shi Hong lowered her head with profound shame. "It is Junior Sister's dullness that has disappointed Senior Brother." Liang Yan shook his head. "The disappointed one is not this elder brother, but should be you yourself, Junior Sister. "Given your age and talent, if you broke through right now, this elder brother could search out a Foundation Establishment Pill for you, and you would still have a fair chance of achieving Foundation Establishment. "A few years later, I fear there will not be a shred of hope left. "You possess a dual spiritual root and were meant to have the aptitude for Core Formation, yet you are halted at the Qi Refinement stage. Do you truly feel no regret? "This elder brother had intended to become Dao companions with you once you broke through to Foundation Establishment. When that time came, we would roam the world together as an immortal couple—how delightful that would be! "I wonder how much longer Junior Sister intends to make this elder brother wait?" Berated to her face by Liang Yan, Shi Hong bowed her head in apparent mortification. Yet from an angle Liang Yan could not see, her eyes flashed with an unforgettable, bone-deep hatred. "This elder brother just recalled a matter to attend to; I should return shortly. Stay in the cave dwelling, cultivate diligently, and strive to break through the bottleneck as soon as possible." Liang Yan turned and walked out of the room. The moment he shut the door behind him, his face darkened abruptly. He let out a cold snort and muttered under his breath, "Do you truly take me for a fool who cannot see through your thoughts? Were it not for the fact that you are still somewhat obedient and useful for trivial errands, how could I have tolerated you until now!"