Chapter 551: Pre-Wishing Swift Success

The icy mist of the Youming Mountains could never fully soak through the thick walls of Black Ming City, built from black rock, but the atmosphere within the city was even colder and more oppressive than the mist.

Chen Mu followed a Jiuyou Sect outer disciple who had just completed a transaction at the "Ghost Shadow Inn," weaving through several dark, winding alleys.

This man's cultivation was around Seventh Stage Innate, his aura cold and condensed, his steps carrying the distinctive chill of Jiuyou Sect's teachings.

He was clearly cautious, frequently glancing back, taking several detours, before finally entering a dilapidated courtyard in Chengxi, relatively isolated, bearing a sign reading "Kui Feng Courtyard."

The courtyard was small, consisting of only two courtyards front and back, with low, dilapidated buildings showing signs of long neglect.

But Chen Mu's divine sense keenly detected several simple alert and soundproofing barriers set around the courtyard—crude, yet sufficient to deter ordinary thieves.

Chen Mu did not force his way in.

Like an invisible wraith, he silently clung to the shadowed outer wall, his concealment and breath-suppressing technique pushed to its limit, perfectly merging with the surrounding darkness and chilling aura.

His Tiangong Realm divine sense pierced through the crude barriers, "seeing" the courtyard's interior with perfect clarity.

The outer disciple entered the main house, where two people were waiting.

One was a hunched old man with a sinister aura, a Di Tan Realm cultivator at the "Passing the Divine Bridge" stage, seemingly a senior from his sect.

The other was a middle-aged man with an ordinary face but sharp, ruthless eyes, also at the peak of Innate Stage; from his attire, he appeared to be a black market middleman or minor leader in the city.

"Master, I've obtained the items," the outer disciple respectfully presented a black leather pouch.

The hunched old man took it, opened it, inspected the contents, and nodded slightly, his voice hoarse: "Hmm, quality is acceptable. The Black Ash Cave trial is imminent; with these 'Rotting Heart Pills' and 'Yin Thunder Seeds,' your chances of passing the first stage will increase considerably. As for the 'Ming Earth' and 'Soul-Guiding Incense'…"

He glanced at the middle-aged man beside him.

The middle-aged man quickly bowed with a smile: "Master Li, rest assured—the goods are flawless. The Ming Earth was mined deep from the 'old vein,' and the Soul-Guiding Incense was refined from century-old Yin Soul Wood cores—effectiveness guaranteed. But as for the price…"

The hunched old man snorted coldly and tossed him a cloth sack: "Count it."

The middle-aged man caught it, opened the sack, pulled out the silver notes, swiftly counted them, and his smile widened: "Exact amount! Master Li, you're a man of your word! Then I won't disturb you further—pre-wishing your esteemed disciple swift success and immediate entry into the inner sect!"

With that, he bowed and exited the room, quickly leaving the courtyard.

Inside the house, only the hunched old man and the outer disciple remained.

"My disciple, this Black Ash Cave trial is no ordinary matter."

The old man spoke gravely, "Our lineage has declined in recent years. If you can successfully enter the inner sect, you might even be selected for the 'Ming Yuan Guard'—that would be our hope for restoring our clan's glory! For this, a few unconventional methods are acceptable."

"But remember: Jiuyou Sect's teachings, though cold and eerie, emphasize using yin to control yang, stillness to govern motion—they are not the vile, blood-drinking, soul-stealing heresies."

"You may act ruthlessly, you may spare no means—but never lose your foundation, never corrupt your heart, never become a mindless puppet driven only by slaughter."

"The 'Rotting Heart Pills' can temporarily unleash true qi, making one fearless in battle, but they severely damage the meridians—do not overuse them."

"The 'Yin Thunder Seeds' are potent enough; at critical moments, they may save your life. As for the 'Ming Earth' and 'Soul-Guiding Incense,' they are meant to counter the 'Yin Wraith Illusions' and 'Earth Vein Mazes' that may appear in the Black Ash Cave—use them in conjunction with our sect's core technique, and do not experiment recklessly."

"Disciple humbly remembers Master's teachings!" the outer disciple replied solemnly.

"Good. Go now, prepare well. In three days, the trial begins."

"Yes!"

The outer disciple left the main house and returned to his own even more humble side room, sitting cross-legged to meditate, familiarizing himself with the newly acquired 'Rotting Heart Pills' and 'Yin Thunder Seeds.'

Outside the wall, Chen Mu heard all of it, his understanding of Jiuyou Sect deepening slightly.

Jiuyou Sect's teachings were cold and strange; its disciples were fanatical and ruthless, holding grudges to the extreme—but they were not traditional demonic sects that cultivated blood-drinking, soul-stealing, or corpse-controlling arts.

They maintained strict boundaries and convictions regarding their own lineage—perhaps this was why they ranked among the Seven Wu Zong and had endured for thousands of years.

"Black Ash Cave trial… entering the inner sect… Ming Yuan Guard…" Chen Mu pondered.

Controlling or replacing this outer disciple to infiltrate the trial might be a way.

But the risk was high—Jiuyou Sect's verification of inner disciples would be strict, especially concerning the elite 'Ming Yuan Guard' who guarded core forbidden zones.

He favored another method—more direct, more covert!

…

Night deepened; Black Ming City grew even quieter, the occasional distant sounds—whether fights or deals—only amplified the silence of this area.

In the side room, Lu Zhangyao had just finished a round of meditation and was about to swallow a 'Rotting Heart Pill' to acclimate to its effects.

Suddenly, his vision blurred—the oil lamp's flame flickered violently, stretched, twisted, as if transforming into countless cold, deep, emotionless eyes staring at him.

Then, an indescribable pressure, as if rising from the depths of his soul, crashed down upon him.

He tried to scream—but found he could not produce a sound.

He tried to resist—but his cold true qi was frozen, utterly unmovable.

He tried to activate the 'Yin Thunder Seed' in his pocket—but the moment the thought arose, it was violently crushed and extinguished by a stronger, more brutal soul force.

Lu Zhangyao's eyes widened; his pupils reflected only an endless, boundless darkness, as if capable of swallowing all consciousness.

In the void, a brilliant point of light—like a star, yet as cold as ten-thousand-year-old ice—raced toward him, expanding, until it utterly consumed all his perception…

Chen Mu's figure appeared in the side room like a phantom, utterly silent.

He extended his right index finger, its tip a pinpoint of light refined to its utmost, seemingly able to pierce through illusion and reality, gently touching the outer disciple's forehead—whose eyes were vacant, his soul completely suppressed.

The Soul-Searching Technique!

Instantly, Lu Zhangyao's memories surged into Chen Mu's consciousness like a dammed flood breaking loose.

His powerful spirit-mind acted like the most precise sieve, rapidly filtering, categorizing, and extracting the needed information.

Name: Lu Zhangyao.

Identity: Jiuyou Sect outer disciple, affiliated with the "Earth Demon Peak" lineage.

Disciple of official Li Caireng, cultivates the Nine You Cold Jade Scripture (first three levels). Cultivation: Seventh Stage Innate. Desperate to rise above others, willing to do anything to achieve his goals.

This identity as a Jiuyou Sect outer disciple was obtained by murdering someone else and assuming his place.