Once Qin Sang and the others had paid their respects to the patriarch one by one, Martial Uncle Yue continued, "Our grandmaster was a Nascent Soul stage cultivator who, seeing no hope of breaking through to the Deity Transformation stage, founded the Kuiyin Sect here to pass down his lineage. He passed away at the age of one thousand and eighty-three. The three Golden Core Masters currently in our sect are all disciples under Patriarch Kuiyin. You should know that our Kuiyin Sect, like other immortal cultivation sects, determines seniority according to cultivation base. If you successfully break through to the Foundation Establishment stage, you may become an apprentice under one of the Golden Core Masters and become my junior martial brothers..."
Liang Yan chimed in with a grin, "Then I'd have to call you martial uncles."
"On this Yin Baleful Cliff, there are numerous cave dwellings and nearly a thousand Qi Refinement disciples," Martial Uncle Yue said. "You cannot see them right now because they are all cultivating diligently inside their caves. From now on, you will be fellow disciples. The sect does not forbid fighting, but mutual slaughter is strictly prohibited—violators will suffer severe punishment! Have you memorized this?"
Martial Uncle Yue's tone carried a heavy note of warning, and Qin Sang and the others naturally hurried to voice their agreement.
Seeing that they were reasonably obedient, Martial Uncle Yue's expression softened slightly. He tapped his mustard seed bag, and seven streaks of black light flew out. Within each streak of light were two items: a gray cloth pouch and a yellowish-white bead the size of a longan fruit.
"This is a baleful-warding pouch. In the future, when you venture deep into the Yin Baleful Abyss, activating it will prevent yin baleful qi from invading your bodies. This bead is a Warm Yang Bead. You may wear it on your person while cultivating; it will warm your physique and automatically shut out the ambient chill. If you encounter ghostly creatures within the yin baleful qi, activate the yang qi in the Warm Yang Bead to drive them off. However, the Warm Yang Bead is only effective against weak ghosts. Under no circumstances should you venture deep into the baleful qi."
The pouches and beads landed in everyone's hands. Qin Sang closed his palm around his. The baleful-warding pouch felt like coarse cloth, while the Warm Yang Bead radiated a wisp of warmth. Both were magic tools, but their quality was not high—merely low-grade magic tools with specialized functions.
Qin Sang was turning the pouch over in his hands when Martial Uncle Yue's words startled him. He could not resist asking, "Martial Uncle Yue, is the bottom of the cliff entirely filled with yin baleful qi?"
Martial Uncle Yue nodded. "The reason the Yin Baleful Abyss is so bone-chillingly cold is precisely because of the yin baleful qi at the bottom of the chasm."
Seeing everyone turn slightly pale, Martial Uncle Yue smiled and said, "Do not be so frightened. Yin baleful qi is not entirely bad. The reason our sect has so many magic tools to sell outside is precisely thanks to this yin baleful qi. Moreover, in our Kuiyin Sect, there is a unique secret technique that allows one to cultivate with the help of yin baleful qi. Before that, however, you must switch your cultivation methods."
Hearing this, Qin Sang was struck by a strong premonition.
Martial Uncle Yue pointed his finger at the group. "Qin Sang, your original cultivation method is the *Nether Scripture*, so there is no need to change. Tan Hao, the same goes for you—you may continue cultivating the *Yin Magnetic Sword Scripture*. As for the five of you, three practice water-attribute methods and must switch to the *Nether Scripture*. Tan Jie, you practice an earth-attribute method; switch to the *Earth Origin Secret Chapters*. Shi Hong, you must also switch to the *Yin Magnetic Sword Scripture*."
As soon as these words were spoken, an uproar broke out among the crowd.
Switching cultivation methods was no simple matter. Although one's cultivation would not regress, one had to start from scratch with the new method, during which one's cultivation could not advance an inch.
Even if cultivation progress would be swift, it was still a waste of time.
Furthermore, they had immersed themselves in their original methods for years; familiarizing themselves with a new method from the beginning would inevitably require time and painstaking effort.
The three cultivating water-attribute methods looked especially worried. Everyone knew that the *Nether Scripture* was among the most difficult to cultivate of all basic water-attribute methods.
Only Qin Sang kept his head down, saying not a word.
Seeing them looking troubled and murmuring among themselves, Martial Uncle Yue's gaze turned chilling, and he barked, "What is all this disordered clamor? If the sect has you switch cultivation methods, the sect naturally has its reasons! Take them!"
Another seven streaks of light flew out from the mustard seed bag. Within each streak was a book and a small banner.
Qin Sang caught his and narrowed his eyes. These items were all too familiar—the book was the first half of the *Nether Scripture*, and the banner was a Yanluo Banner!
However, the depiction of Yanwang on this Yanluo Banner was much lighter in color, with sparse lines. The figure lacked lifelike detail and appeared quite rigid.
Beside them, Liang Yan bowed with a smile. "Martial Uncle Yue, please do not be angry. Switching cultivation methods is a major affair, after all, so it is only natural for junior brothers and sisters to have misgivings. I will explain it clearly to them shortly. I am sure they will understand the sect's well-meaning intentions."
Only then did Martial Uncle Yue withdraw his intimidating gaze. Grunting in assent, he said, "This secret technique is our sect's closely guarded secret. No one is permitted to leak it, or they will be dealt with as traitors to the sect. That is precisely why you are not allowed to leave the mountain on your own before reaching the Foundation Establishment stage. Liang Yan, take them out, assign each of them a cave dwelling, and see that they cultivate diligently. Oh, right... By sect rules, if you can break through to the sixth layer of the Qi Refinement stage within two years, you will be rewarded with a top-grade magic tool. This opportunity comes only once. Conduct yourselves accordingly."
Hearing that there was a top-grade magic tool as a reward, everyone's eyes lit up, their faces flushed with excitement.
Most rogue cultivators were impoverished; very few even owned a high-grade magic tool. Faced with a top-grade magic tool, they could never afford one and could only drool in envy.
For a moment, their reluctance to switch cultivation methods seemed to fade considerably. They bid farewell to Martial Uncle Yue one after another and eagerly went outside to choose their cave dwellings.
Along the mountain path, Liang Yan began explaining the functions and taboos of the Yanluo Banner to them.
Qin Sang was already intimately familiar with the Yanluo Banner. He pretended to listen to Liang Yan while his thoughts drifted elsewhere.
The Yanluo Banner was a closely guarded secret of the Kuiyin Sect, which meant the black-robed fiend who had died at Song Hua's hands had very likely been a Kuiyin Sect disciple.
No wonder the three martial uncles' methods of killing their enemies when leaving Youshan Cultivation Market had felt so ghostly and chilling. This truly was a demonic sect!
Even now, whenever Qin Sang recalled that dried corpse, lingering fear gripped his heart.
The enthusiasm he had felt about joining an immortal cultivation sect was abruptly doused as if by a bucket of cold water. Qin Sang gazed up at the hazy mist above, his eyes dark and deep, a thread of suspicion surfacing in his heart.
They had just walked down two flights of stone stairs when a shrill scream suddenly rang out from a nearby cave dwelling. Immediately following it was a terrifying roar—a bizarre, fiendish howling mingled with agonized shrieks that was thoroughly spine-chilling.
Except for Qin Sang, everyone's faces turned pale with fright. Liang Yan's figure blurred as he darted forward and kicked open the cave dwelling door.
Inside, a youth of similar age to them was rolling on the ground, clutching his head, his face streaming with tears of blood as if possessed by madness.
Seeing Liang Yan, a glimmer of hope flashed in the youth's eyes. Clawing at the ground with hands bulging with blue veins, he struggled to crawl forward, begging Liang Yan for help.
The next instant, the expression on the youth's face froze. His contorted body crashed heavily to the ground, entirely devoid of breath.
Chapter 62