At first, Qin Sang had been skeptical, but time and again his doubts were proven unfounded. The information coaxed from Yu Hua had all been accurate, enabling him to ambush and slay Daoist Jiupao and seize his golden core.
He had suspected that Yu Hua might have harbored a secret identity of high standing within the Kuiyin Sect, which explained why he knew Daoist Jiupao so thoroughly.
Back then, Yu Hua's origin soul had already been sealed by the Heavenly Corpse Talisman, and all three Core Formation cultivators of the Kuiyin Sect were dead, leaving no way to verify it.
Now it appeared that all of this was likely Yi Tiannie's doing.
Yi Tiannie was Daoist Jiupao's martial uncle and had watched him grow up; he knew Daoist Jiupao inside and out. It was only natural that he would know everything about him.
Daoist Jiupao's physical body had been shattered and his golden core severely wounded, barely escaping with his life.
Yi Tiannie did not seem to be in much better shape.
What Qin Sang could not fathom, however, was what kind of relationship Yi Tiannie and Yu Hua had shared back then, and why Yi Tiannie had not contacted Daoist Jiupao, but instead investigated him in secret.
At the mention of the name "Yu Hua," Yi Tiannie flew into a sudden rage.
"That treacherous disciple! Back then, this old man barely managed to escape with a remnant soul and hid within his body. My lifespan was nearing its end, and I was gravely wounded. Fortunately, I had once obtained a secret Ghost Dao art, which allowed me to burn my divine soul, renounce reincarnation, and switch to cultivating the Ghost Dao to prolong my life!
"Who would have thought this wolf cub harbored such vicious ambition! On the surface, he obeyed my every word, yet when I was at my weakest transitioning to the Ghost Dao, he betrayed his master and turned against his sect, launching a sneak attack that reduced this old man to a wandering ghost!
"Afterward, he imprisoned my soul, treating me as a plaything, tormenting me at will, and interrogating me for secret arts!
"I wanted nothing more than to tear him into ten thousand pieces!
"In fact, I ought to thank you for slaying that scoundrel and freeing me from his clutches! You even avenged me by refining him into a living corpse, damning him never to be reincarnated for all eternity!"
Hearing this, Qin Sang sneered coldly. "He can never be reincarnated, but are you any better off?"
He understood now how Yi Tiannie had survived until today.
No one knew whether reincarnation truly existed in this world, yet every cultivator clung to that sliver of hope, praying that the Heavenly Dao might leave a glimmer of life in the face of despair.
Secret arts of the Ghost Dao were exceptionally bizarre and sinister.
Yi Tiannie had prolonged his life using a Ghost Dao secret art at immense cost; it certainly could not last forever. Some techniques not only stripped away the ability to possess another body, but the moment death came, the soul would be utterly obliterated—ending in the exact same fate as Yu Hua!
At the same time, Qin Sang realized why Yi Tiannie had stayed hidden until now to strike.
When Yi Tiannie was controlled by Yu Hua, his soul must have been exceedingly weak. Otherwise, with his late Core Formation stage cultivation, not even a hundred Yu Huas could have suppressed him.
To keep Yi Tiannie easily under control, Yu Hua would never have given him a chance to recover.
When Qin Sang captured Yu Hua, he had no idea Yi Tiannie even existed. Yi Tiannie had hidden himself away and remained lurking inside Yu Hua's body ever since, spying on Qin Sang from the shadows.
Given Yi Tiannie's past cultivation, no matter how weakened he was, pulling off a concealment method or two to fool Qin Sang's perception would not have been difficult.
After all, back then Qin Sang's cultivation had only been at the middle Foundation Establishment stage. Even now, possessing an external core, his spiritual sense was still at the level of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Compounded by having had his guard down, it was no wonder he never detected Yi Tiannie's presence.
Thus, Yi Tiannie had remained hidden for decades.
Yi Tiannie truly possessed formidable patience, enduring humiliation and bearing heavy burdens, biding his time until this very moment to strike.
At this thought, Qin Sang narrowed his eyes slightly, a cold light glinting within them.
He suddenly realized how Yi Tiannie had taken control of the Flying Yaksha step by step.
Yi Tiannie's injuries had to have been severe. Even after so many years, he was still weak, which was why he only dared to ambush Qin Sang after seizing the Flying Yaksha's physical body.
Before refining Yu Hua into the Flying Yaksha, Qin Sang had kept Yu Hua by his side at all times, never letting him out of sight.
Back then, Yi Tiannie had been reduced to a mere wisp of a remnant soul at his weakest. He dared not make any sudden moves, nor could he escape even if he wanted to, leaving him no choice but to lie low and await an opportunity.
It must have been during Qin Sang's great battle against Daoist Jiupao that he found his opening!
In that battle, in order to obtain the golden core, Qin Sang had not hesitated to cripple the Flying Yaksha to slay Daoist Jiupao.
No wonder that after being wounded, the Flying Yaksha had displayed such unexpected valor, fighting desperately against Daoist Jiupao without any urging. Yi Tiannie must have seen his chance and secretly given it a push, risking exposure.
The battle had been too chaotic, preventing Qin Sang from noticing and giving him the opening he needed.
Only when the Flying Yaksha was heavily wounded, near death, and utterly enfeebled could Yi Tiannie take advantage of its vulnerability to slowly attempt to usurp the body. Otherwise, with his weakened remnant soul, usurping the nest would have been impossible.
Qin Sang had placed the Flying Yaksha in Dichen Cave, allowing Yi Tiannie to act without restraint.
By taking possession of this body, he could immediately regain the strength of the Core Formation stage—a chance he was certainly unwilling to miss.
It was no wonder, then, that during the first year in Dichen Cave, the Flying Yaksha's injuries showed no sign of improvement. Yi Tiannie had been sabotaging things from the shadows, hindering the Yaksha's recovery so he could seize the body.
Qin Sang could not help but suck in a cold breath.
Yi Tiannie had lurked beside him for decades, like a venomous serpent watching him from the shadows, while Qin Sang had remained completely oblivious.
He could not help feeling immensely fortunate.
Fortunate that his soul imprint was bolstered by the jade Buddha and exceptionally sturdy, preventing Yi Tiannie from breaking it and thus keeping him from completely usurping control over the Flying Yaksha.
And fortunate that Qin Sang held a Xutian Thunder in hand, making Yi Tiannie wary of acting rashly.
Fortunate that he had always been prudent, rarely checking on the Nine-Illusion Heavenly Orchid to prevent leaks, and had never once examined it during the time he kept Yu Hua by his side.
Otherwise, this spirit herb purchased at the risk of his life would likely have changed hands long ago!
Even after gaining control of the Flying Yaksha's body, Yi Tiannie had still held back—could he have been coveting this herb as well?
Fortunate that he had refined an external core, something Yi Tiannie knew nothing about.
Yi Tiannie surely never imagined that sabotaging the Flying Yaksha's recovery to seize control of it would cause him to miss the period when Qin Sang formed his corpse core.
Yi Tiannie had chosen an excellent moment to strike.
Yunyouzi was exhausted and unable to fight on; Qin Sang had used up the Xutian Thunder, losing his means of threatening him; and the Ten Directions Yanluo Banner was not at his side.
Indeed, there could not have been a better timing.
Had Qin Sang not possessed the corpse core, Yi Tiannie's ambush would undoubtedly have succeeded without suspense.
Yi Tiannie was unaware that Qin Sang already possessed strength rivaling the Core Formation stage. This single crucial piece of information caused his plan to fall short at the final hurdle.
Every peck and every sip, was it not predestined by fate?
Facing Qin Sang's mockery, Yi Tiannie took no offense. He said indifferently, "Even if there truly is an afterlife, if one cannot remember the events of today, one is merely another person. As long as this old man breaks through to the Nascent Soul stage and lives this lifetime in glory and splendor, what does it matter whether there is reincarnation or not? After I die, let the deluge rage as it will!"
Catching the underlying meaning in Yi Tiannie's tone, Qin Sang's expression shifted slightly.
"Qin Sang, after that great battle back then, Yu Hua searched everywhere for Zhao Yan to no avail. Out of the five, only you survived. The Nine-Illusion Heavenly Orchid must have fallen into your hands, hasn't it? This old man staked the entire sect without hesitation, only to weave the wedding gown for you in the end."
Yi Tiannie sneered repeatedly. "Hand over the Nine-Illusion Heavenly Orchid, or I will crush the Crimson Cloud Purple Fruit this instant and ensure you never form your core!"
Chapter 583