The black-robed old man in the Heart Mirror gradually dissolved, and Zhou Wuji's resonance with the Big Dipper star domain cut off at once.
Zhou Wuji let out a soft breath of turbid air. His resonance with the Big Dipper star domain had lasted only about three breaths in all, yet it had consumed half his true qi.
It was only because his true qi had risen so enormously in level that he could bear the cost of using the Big Dipper stars as his eyes.
Zhou Wuji did not want to sustain it any longer. As far as he was concerned, having proven that star-domain resonance could raise his perception a hundredfold made this an extremely successful experiment.
From now on, he had one more very powerful divine ability.
Strictly speaking, it was not so much a new divine ability as another transformation of the Heart Mirror that he had developed.
The basis of this transformation came from his deep understanding of and resonance with the Big Dipper star domain, from the solid foundation he had built by tempering his nine apertures over and over, and from his vast, powerful true qi.
Zhou Wuji did not know how things stood with the sect's other cultivators, but judging by Old Daoist Zhiyuan, none of them had an ability like his.
The reasoning was simple. If Old Daoist Zhiyuan could resonate with the star domain and survey all heaven and earth, how could he have failed to see Chen Dalu and Chen Chaofeng hiding on the island?
He would not have had to risk himself as bait to fish Chen Dalu out!
At this thought, Zhou Wuji's heart stirred again. He had not found Chen Dalu's hiding place on Old Dragon Island.
Through star-domain resonance, with the Big Dipper as his eyes, surveying all heaven and earth—perhaps he could find the place where Chen Dalu had hidden his treasure.
Zhou Wuji was very tempted, and wished he could go to Old Dragon Island right now.
But there was no need to hurry. For now, he should go see that old fellow from the Heavenly Ghost Sect.
Zhang Yunfeng could not run away, but there was no telling when the Heavenly Ghost Sect old man might flee.
Having dealt once with the Cold-Blooded Twin Fiends, Zhou Wuji felt an exceptional loathing for the Heavenly Ghost Sect.
The Yin-Yang Dao might not treat people as people, but the Heavenly Ghost Sect treated everyone as provisions.
No wonder they were called the Heavenly Ghost Sect; their viciousness was less human than ghostly.
From the Heart Mirror's reflection, the Heavenly Ghost Sect old bastard was of Rank Six cultivation, with powerful bones and muscles—he most likely had Rank Eight or Rank Seven martial cultivation.
The Heavenly Ghost Sect's secret ghost-cultivation methods were bizarre in the extreme, and vicious and ruthless besides.
In a straight fight, he might prove more troublesome than Chen Dalu.
Chen Dalu had been strong enough back then, but the mother Gu had frayed his mind and made him somewhat crazed.
But his own cultivation had advanced greatly; now he was confident he could kill even two Chen Dalus together.
The only problem was that the Pacification Office was right next door, so he could not make any noise.
Though Zhou Wuji was certain of victory, he would not underestimate the Heavenly Ghost Sect's secret methods either.
He silently adjusted his true qi until he had recovered to peak condition, then activated the Five Yin Pouch to transform into a black robe that wrapped his whole body, leaving only his eyes exposed.
The Five Yin Pouch's yin qi covered all his vitality and aura, and could cover the aura of his circulating true qi as well, effectively keeping the Heavenly Ghost Sect old bastard from discovering his trail.
Zhou Wuji arrived at the house that fronted the street. It looked like a small grain shop—a storefront in front, and living rooms in the rear courtyard.
The black-robed old man lived alone in the wing room of the rear courtyard, and in the main house there were still the auras of an old man and an old woman.
In the yard, however, were four Rank Nine fierce ghosts, each guarding a corner and pacing back and forth without rest.
Any living creature with vitality that came near would be sensed by the fierce ghosts.
Fierce ghosts had no intelligence; they could only tell yin qi from yang qi.
Wrapped in the Five Yin Pouch, Zhou Wuji looked to them like a mass of yin qi.
Zhou Wuji slipped silently to the door of the wing room. Covered by the Five Yin Pouch, his perception was greatly affected as well.
To avoid being discovered, Zhou Wuji did not even activate the Six Yang Dharma Eyes; that art gathered the six yang qi in his eyes, and at such close range it could not escape a ghost's perception.
Fortunately his cultivation was deep and his perception keen, and with the Heart Mirror reflecting inside and out, the lack of the Six Yang Dharma Eyes made little difference.
There were no powerful formations in the yard, and the four ghosts were very weak.
The black-robed old man must have arranged things this way because he feared too much yin qi would alert the Pacification Office.
Zhou Wuji came silently to the wing room door. With a wooden door between them, he still reflected the black-robed old man through the Heart Mirror.
The old man was sitting by an oil lamp, reading a book, and seemed quite absorbed in it...
The Five Yin Pouch still had some effect on the Heart Mirror; the Heart Mirror could not reflect the subtle shifts of aura within the room, so he could not tell what arrangements the black-robed old man had made inside.
Judging by the Cold-Blooded Twin Fiends, the Heavenly Ghost Sect had all sorts of tricks, and they were a great nuisance.
Zhou Wuji did not consider for long. A surprise attack depended on taking the enemy unawares; the more time spent weighing and calculating, the easier it was to be discovered.
Even if he exposed his trail, he still had to take down the Heavenly Ghost Sect old man first.
To think of sitting back and reaping the fisherman's profit, he would have to be able to control the whole situation, know the black-robed old man's purpose, and keep track of the old man's movements and the Pacification Office's movements at every moment. That was too difficult.
At this thought Zhou Wuji hesitated no longer. The Five Yin Pouch wrapped around him unfolded soundlessly, covering more than half the room.
He extended a hand and pointed in the air, activating Big Dipper Tianshu Yin Thunder. The lightning gathered into threads that pierced the crack in the door and stabbed straight at the black-robed old man.
Yin Thunder was silent and left no trace, shining only with a clear, water-like light. Its fierce, austere killing intent was restrained to the utmost as well.
By the time the black-robed old man sensed something wrong, the Big Dipper Tianshu Yin Thunder had already arrived.
The black-robed old man was horrified. In his haste he could only sweep up his long sleeve to shield his face, while at the same time activating the Profound Yin Reincarnation Seal hidden deep in his apertures.
A black qi wheel of condensed yin qi emerged, completely enveloping the black-robed old man.
The Profound Yin Reincarnation Seal was a secret method of Heavenly Ghost Sect cultivation; it could be used to control ghosts, and also used directly in battle.
The Yin Thunder, condensed fine as an awn, pierced through the black qi wheel and struck the black-robed old man directly.
The water-like lightning burst outward, blasting the black-robed old man's protective Profound Yin Underworld Robe to shreds. The lightning burrowed deep into his body as well, leaving a thousand cracks behind.
Although the black-robed old man was a Rank Six cultivator, the methods he practiced from the Heavenly Ghost Sect were innately countered by thunder arts.
In his haste he had no time to prepare, and the Profound Yin Reincarnation Seal he activated was shattered outright. Even the divine spirit sense in his sea of consciousness was stunned by the Yin Thunder, and his mind went blank.
At this moment the old man was half-naked, his eyes rolled up, his whole body shaking violently—but his foundation was deep after all, and even so, by sheer bodily instinct he barely managed to stay on his feet.
Outside the door, Zhou Wuji used the Heavenly Puppet, transforming it into silk threads that lifted the door bolt, and slipped soundlessly into the room. His gaze sharpened, and through his eyes he activated Big Dipper Tianshu Yin Thunder once more.
Another streak of watery light sank into the old man's body and swirled, shining. This blow utterly shattered the old man's flesh, blood, sinew and bone, and knocked him unconscious on the spot.
Still afraid it might not be enough, Zhou Wuji pointed again. The watery light condensed into a flying awn that stabbed straight into the old man's brow, locking his spirit aperture shut.
Should the old man circulate any yin qi, it would trigger the Yin Thunder and kill him on the spot.
Whatever method a cultivator practiced, the spirit aperture between the brows was the foundation of foundations; there was no way to circulate divine spirit sense or true qi without going through the spirit aperture.
The perfected Big Dipper Tianshu Yin Thunder, under Zhou Wuji's control, could cling to the old man's brow like water.
Zhou Wuji activated the Five Yin Pouch, drew its covering back in, and stuffed the old man into his sleeve.
The fight had been very fast, and the Yin Thunder he controlled was exquisite and fine, so nothing outside was affected at all.
The oil lamp on the table had not even flickered, and the book spread open on the table had not even had a page turned.
Zhou Wuji reactivated the Six Yang Dharma Eyes, and the dim room instantly became bright as day.
He picked up the book and at once sensed something off. The book was surprisingly heavy.
By the feel of it, the pages seemed to have been tanned from some kind of animal hide, very pliant and tough.
The dark red writing on the book twisted like snakes and insects, and was painful and uncomfortable to look at; after staring a couple more moments, the writing even seemed to come alive and writhe.
With Zhou Wuji's cultivation, he would not fall into hallucinations, so it could only be that there was something special about this book.
He put the book away. It should be a Heavenly Ghost Sect secret method.
There was a Soul-Calling Banner as well; judging by its grade, that should not be low either.
If the old man had been holding the Soul-Calling Banner, taking him down silently would have been rather unlikely.
Zhou Wuji searched the room and carried off everything that clearly belonged to the old man.
Coming out of the room, Zhou Wuji exterminated the four fierce ghosts and pulled up the formation flags set at the four corners.
Finally, Zhou Wuji went to the main house to check on the elderly couple.
Both had a trace of black qi between their brows; they must have fallen under the old man's soul-capturing art and the like, and were not his accomplices.
He bestowed the Body Cleansing Divine Incantation and the Pure Heart Divine Incantation on the two old people, clearing away all the yin qi on them.
That done, Zhou Wuji quietly left the yard.
Once out of Yunyang City, Zhou Wuji left the main road and went deep into a grove. Only after making sure there was no one about did he bring the old man out.
The old man had not woken yet. Zhou Wuji shone the Golden Light Incantation on him; the clash between the golden light and the old man's own yin qi caused fierce pain and jolted him awake.
The old man had not even seen clearly what was happening when he instinctively worked his spirit aperture to condense Profound Yin true qi—fortunately Zhou Wuji had already withdrawn the Yin Thunder he had attached.
Before the old man could move, a bamboo-laminated iron staff pressed against his brow, the heavy pressure driving his head down into the soil.
Though the Heavenly Ghost Sect's secret methods were exquisite, the old man, dazed by the blow, could no longer circulate his true qi.
“I ask, you answer. Understand?” Zhou Wuji pitched his voice low, hoarse and cold.
The old man blinked, trying to see Zhou Wuji clearly, but saw only a robe of black and white, and vaguely a black-and-white face.
The grove was very dark, and with his true qi suppressed the old man could not see clearly either, but he recognized that outfit—Yin-Yang Dharma Robe, Lotus Mask—exactly the look of a Yin-Yang Dao cultivator.
Yet he did not believe the man was one of the Yin-Yang Dao. That watery lightning was clearly an extremely powerful thunder art, the only thing that could so easily shatter his Profound Yin Reincarnation Seal.
Whatever kind of thunder art it was, thunder arts were all orthodox Daoist methods.
Though the world was vast, apart from the seven Daoist sects, no other sect could master thunder arts.
The old man did not know how his trail had been discovered, or how he had been captured, but his head was still clear, and he had recognized the other man as a Daoist cultivator.
But this man dressed as a Yin-Yang Dao follower and acted so secretly; clearly he was no good sort.
The old man could only pretend to know nothing. He wanted to nod, but the bamboo staff pressed him down hard, so he could only rasp out in a low voice, “I understand.”
“What's your name?”
“Xue Gui, of the Heavenly Ghost Sect.”
The old man did not dare conceal his identity; there was no need to lie about that.
“What are you doing hiding beside the Pacification Office?”
“Watching the Pacification Office—”
Xue Gui knew that would not fool the other man, and hastily added, “The higher-ups ordered me to do it. I had no choice either.”
The Pacification Office was no ordinary government office; it was full of experts, and they did things overbearingly.
If he had not been driven to it, Xue Gui would not have crept up to the Pacification Office's door to spy. It was far too dangerous.
Speaking of it made him somewhat agitated. He had used a soul-capturing art to control an elderly couple, but really it was just to make them ignore his existence.
These past days he had been constantly on edge, careful in everything, holed up in his room and not daring to go out.
And sure enough, damn it, something had gone wrong!
Seeing Xue Gui's aggrieved look, Zhou Wuji almost wanted to laugh. This one was a hard-luck case too—but the old man was also somewhat putting on a show.
He asked again, “Who gave you the order? Why do it?”
“Xue Ying, the Ghost Sword—an elder of our Heavenly Ghost Sect. She seems to be up to something in Yunming County. She told me to keep an eye on the Pacification Office, and if things got urgent, to stir up some trouble in the prefecture city...”
Chapter 126