Chapter 86 - The Golden Core Siphon and the Mirror’s Verdict

Lu Canghai looked down at Elder Han. His expression was calm, but his heart was already mostly satisfied.

Elder Han was more cooperative than he expected.

Originally, Lu Canghai had expected more stubbornness. Most Golden Core elders valued face more than their own lives. Even if their bones were pressed into the ground, their mouths would still remain hard.

But Elder Han was different. The moment he recognized Lu Canghai, his arrogance collapsed very cleanly.

This meant he was not stupid.

Only hasty. Very hasty.

Lu Canghai stroked his beard.

In truth, revealing Su Bai here today was not a bad thing.

Before this, very few people knew that he had accepted a disciple. Even if Su Bai walked outside and claimed to be his disciple, most people would not believe him immediately.

The outside world knew him as a fallen old monster from Radiant Sky Sect, a man who had once been glorious but had withdrawn from the stage.

They knew Clear Cloud Peak existed, but they did not know what was hidden on it.

If Su Bai remained completely hidden, then the moment he appeared during the Mystic Realm gathering, the other factions would inevitably think too much.

Why was Lu Canghai hiding a disciple? Why did Radiant Sky Sect never announce him? Was he the secret treasure the sect wanted to protect?

Once people started thinking in that direction, even a normal shadow would look suspicious.

But revealing him now was different.

First, the political situation had changed. Thanks to the demonic ledgers, the Radiant Sky Sect had gained the upper hand among the righteous factions.

Second, Su Bai’s connection to the Tang Clan was not entirely false.

At most, they would say that Lu Canghai had secretly accepted a disciple in his later years, and that disciple had some connection to the Tang Clan.

That was much safer than letting the world discover Su Bai later and wonder why Radiant Sky Sect had kept him hidden.

Besides...

Lu Canghai knew the Tang Clan very well. Those people would not deny the rumor. Especially not after Su Bai had saved Tang Wanyue’s daughter.

If outsiders connected Su Bai to both Clear Cloud Peak and the Tang Clan, they would hesitate before touching him.

That was enough.

Sometimes, protection did not require hiding a person in darkness.

Sometimes, it required giving the world a story they could understand.

Lu Canghai lowered his gaze to Elder Han.

"It is not up to me how this matter ends."

Elder Han froze.

Lu Canghai gestured toward Su Bai.

"Ask my disciple."

Elder Han immediately understood.

He turned toward Su Bai while still kneeling and clasped his hands deeply.

"Junior," Elder Han said with a bitter voice, "this old man apologizes for his blunder. I acted rashly and nearly harmed an innocent person. After today, I will immediately remove the wanted posters and clear your name."

He lowered his head further.

"If you have any condition, this old man will accept it."

Su Bai fell silent.

To be honest, seeing Elder Han like this made him feel a little guilty.

Only a little.

But Elder Han was currently the most suitable test subject.

This kind of opportunity could not be found casually.

Su Bai looked at Elder Han and spoke gently.

"Elder Han, I only have one condition."

Elder Han’s heart tightened.

"Please speak."

"I wish to test a technique," Su Bai said. "Please do not resist. After that, I will consider this matter settled."

Elder Han’s face turned pale.

A technique? Do not resist?

These words sounded very simple.

But in the cultivation world, letting another person use an unknown technique on you without resisting was no different from placing your head on a chopping block and politely asking the butcher to be accurate.

Elder Han instinctively looked at Lu Canghai.

Lu Canghai did not speak. He only stroked his beard.

Elder Han immediately understood. There was no room to refuse.

He gritted his teeth and nodded.

"This old man will cooperate."

He slowly stood up, then steadied his breathing.

His Golden Core rotated cautiously inside his body, but he did not release any resistance.

Su Bai walked toward him.

Then, Su Bai raised his hand.

The Devouring Maw opened. Then... it passed through Elder Han.

Elder Han’s body froze. A chill seeped into his bones.

For one terrifying instant, he felt as if something had bitten into the Qi inside his body.

The dense Golden Core energy he had accumulated for years trembled violently.

Then—

A large portion vanished.

Elder Han’s eyes widened. Half of his reserved Qi disappeared in a breath!

His Golden Core dimmed slightly.

His knees almost weakened again.

A cold fear rose from the bottom of his heart.

What kind of technique was this?

For a moment, Elder Han genuinely felt that his life was in danger.

Then the ghostly maw disappeared, and so did the chill.

Su Bai stepped back.

Nothing else happened.

Elder Han stood there, breathing heavily. His face was pale. His heart was still pounding. But he was alive.

His realm had not fallen. His Golden Core had not cracked. His foundation was still intact. Only half of his stored Qi had been taken.

Elder Han was stunned.

’That was it?’

Losing half his Qi reserve was painful, but compared to losing his life, losing his cultivation, or being crippled by Lu Canghai, it was practically mercy.

Meanwhile, Su Bai’s eyes lit up.

It worked. The dense, solid Golden Core Qi entered his body like a heavy stream of molten jade.

His nine Gateway Qi Reservoirs trembled at the same time. His Frost Jade-coated meridians held firm.

The Devouring Maw had improved more than he expected. The siphoning process was almost instant.

Su Bai carefully guided the stolen Qi into his inner circulation. He did not refine all of it immediately.

Instead, he sealed most of it inside the Gateway Qi Reservoirs and let the Void-Sunflower Supreme Method slowly grind it down.

His smile became brighter.

Elder Han looked at Su Bai’s gentle smile and felt his scalp tingle.

This young man had just swallowed half his Qi reserve and then smiled like someone had served him tea.

’Terrifying. Absolutely terrifying.’

But then Su Bai cupped his hands.

"Thank you for your cooperation, Elder Han. That is all."

Elder Han froze.

He stared at Su Bai for a moment.

There was no mockery in his eyes nor arrogance.

Only that one strange technique test.

Elder Han suddenly felt deeply ashamed.

Compared to the arrogant young masters he had seen from other sects, this disciple of Lu Canghai was completely different.

If those people had been wronged, they would have squeezed compensation until the other party’s bones cracked.

But Su Bai?

He had only taken a portion of Qi, and Qi could recover.

Elder Han lowered his head deeply.

"Junior is magnanimous. This old man is ashamed."

Su Bai just smiled politely.

Elder Han, however, saw something entirely different.

He saw a righteous sect master bringing his disciple not to slaughter, but to correct a dangerous mistake.

He saw a wronged junior who had the backing to destroy him, yet chose restraint.

He saw Radiant Sky Sect’s bearing.

For a moment, Elder Han’s eyes grew slightly wet.

So they had not come for revenge. They had come to teach him.

The Radiant Sky Sect...

Truly worthy of being called righteous.

Lu Canghai watched the entire scene quietly.

His expression remained calm, but his mind was not calm at all.

He had felt it.

The ghostly technique Su Bai used had swallowed a portion of Elder Han’s Golden Core Qi. And Su Bai seemed capable of keeping it.

Lu Canghai’s eyelids twitched slightly.

’Su Qingshan, you bastard,’ he thought. ’Did you have a child with a ghost?’

He quickly suppressed the thought.

Still, Lu Canghai was satisfied.

His disciple had handled the matter well.

Lu Canghai was about to leave when Su Bai suddenly remembered something.

"Elder Han," Su Bai said.

Su Bai took out a mirror.

The moment the Soul-Scorching Interrogation Mirror appeared, the air in the Bureau courtyard changed slightly.

Elder Han stared at it, confused.

Su Bai looked around.

"Since we are already here, I would like to confirm something."

Elder Han’s heart tightened again.

Su Bai spoke gently, "Please have everyone in the Bureau say to this mirror that they have not colluded with demonic cultivators."

The courtyard became quiet.

Elder Han’s expression turned serious.

He did not refuse.

After what had happened before, this was a reasonable request.

Soon, the Bureau officers and guards were gathered.

One by one, they stood before the mirror and repeated the words.

"I have not colluded with demonic cultivators."

The mirror remained silent. One person after another passed.

Finally, Elder Han himself stood before the mirror.

He took a breath and spoke solemnly.

"This old man has not colluded with demonic cultivators."

The mirror remained clear.

Su Bai nodded.

At least this branch was finally clean.

Elder Han let out a breath he did not know he had been holding.

Then, carefully, he asked, "Junior... may I ask what artifact this is?"

Su Bai answered honestly, "The Soul-Scorching Interrogation Mirror. If someone lies before it, it burns their soul."

The entire Bureau courtyard froze. The guards’ faces went white. Even Elder Han’s beard trembled.

Burns the soul? They had just spoken in front of something that burned the soul?

Several guards silently thanked their ancestors.

Good thing they really had not colluded with demonic cultivators.

Otherwise, their souls might have been cooked on the spot.

Lu Canghai finally could not hold back and laughed loudly.

"Hahaha! Good! Very good! This trip was not wasted at all."

After confirming the Bureau’s cleanliness, there was no need to stay longer.

Lu Canghai turned to leave.

Su Bai followed, but after a few steps, he paused.

"Elder Han."

Su Bai looked toward the distant direction of the villages outside Blackwater City.

"There is a far village affected by the demonic activity. It is too far from the city, and help may not reach them quickly. Please send people to check on them."

Elder Han’s expression became solemn.

"I understand. I will send a team today."

Su Bai nodded.

"Thank you."

This time, Elder Han’s respect was genuine.

"Junior is compassionate. This old man will handle it properly."

Su Bai did not say anything more.

He followed Lu Canghai out of the Bureau.