Chapter 794

Pang Mingde thought to himself that Yan Buji's change in attitude puzzled him. Logically, Yun Qing, as a disciple of the Great Commerce Association, has three Great Vehicle Stage cultivators backing her; if she truly sought revenge on Yan Buji, Yan Buji would have almost no chance of winning. Yet Yan Buji seemed not at all worried, even somewhat relaxed.

"Could Yan Buji really have some trump card that guarantees Yun Qing won't seek revenge on him?" Pang Mingde guessed in his mind.

He decided to probe Yan Buji further, to see if he could extract more information from his mouth.

"Hall Master Yan, Yun Qing is after all of Saint Fetus caliber, her future achievements are limitless. If she truly seeks revenge on you, the sect may find it hard to fully protect you," Pang Mingde said, feigning concern.

Yan Buji sighed, shook his head and said, "Elder Pang is right, but I'm only guessing, aren't I?"

Pang Mingde raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise and asked, "Oh? Why does Hall Master Yan think so?"

Yan Buji smiled and said, "Yun Qing, though exceptionally gifted, is still young and hasn't experienced much. Moreover, her father Yun Hua's death—though I killed him with my own hands—was entangled in many complex grudges. If she can calm down, she might realize that revenge is not the only way out."

Pang Mingde felt a stir in his heart, thinking Yan Buji's words concealed a deeper meaning. He continued, "Does Hall Master Yan mean that Yun Qing might put aside her hatred?"

Yan Buji shook his head and laughed, "It's not that she'll completely let go of hatred, but I think she may not actually come to seek revenge on me. After all, in the cultivation world, grudges and emotions are tangled, and some matters aren't simply black or white."

Are you beating around the bush with me here?

Pang Mingde was displeased inside, but his face remained as usual.

Pang Mingde nodded, yet his mind grew more puzzled. He knew that Yan Buji's words, though seeming to console himself, actually revealed a confidence as if he truly had a way to deal with Yun Qing's retaliation.

"Hall Master Yan, if Yun Qing truly comes to avenge you, how do you plan to respond?" Pang Mingde continued to probe.

Yan Buji pondered for a moment, then said slowly, "If Yun Qing truly comes to avenge me, I will of course do my utmost to respond. However, I believe the sect will not stand idly by, after all I am also a member of the sect."

Pang Mingde sneered inwardly, knowing Yan Buji's words were merely perfunctory. He decided to stop beating around the bush and asked directly, "Hall Master Yan, I heard you and Yun Hua once clashed in the Dry Dao region of the Nan Ting Mountain Region, and you mentioned a Mutant Zone. I wonder whether that Mutant Zone holds any special opportunities?"

Yan Buji's eyes flashed with a hint of caution, but soon returned to calm. He smiled and said, "Elder Pang is indeed well‑informed; you heard it from Ye Lin, right? Indeed, Yun Hua and I did have a massive battle in the Mutant Zone of the Dry Dao region. However, that Mutant Zone holds no special opportunities; it is merely filled with Abnormal Beasts, and I almost died there back then. Yet I also gained a lot because of it. Elder Pang should have noticed that my left eye is a Mutant Pupil, and the Mutant Force within my body is not small."

Pang Mingde nodded, but his heart became even more certain that Yan Buji was definitely hiding something.

The Mutant Zone of the Dry Dao region is far from ordinary; Yan Buji and Yun Hua's clash there must involve some secrets.

"Hall Master Yan, is there truly nothing else discovered in that Mutant Zone?" Pang Mingde probed.

Yan Buji shook his head and laughed, "Yun Hua and I were there merely to settle some personal grudges. I was defeated and fled, but Yun Hua got trapped in the Mutant Zone, besieged by Abnormal Beasts. I escaped quickly and thought he had long since died in the Mutant Zone."

That means Yun Hua stayed in the Mutant Zone for a long time, deeply surrounded by Abnormal Beasts yet did not die…

Pang Mingde saw Yan Buji unwilling to say more, and grew wary in his heart. He knew Yan Buji was extremely scheming and would never easily reveal information.

"Then, Hall Master Yan, did you obtain any information from Yun Hua's Nascent Soul?"

"Well… sigh, to be honest Elder Pang, Yun Hua's Nascent Soul, though I sealed it, turned to ash within a very short time. I suppose some secret technique was triggered, causing his Nascent Soul to automatically collapse and fall into reincarnation."

Speaking, Yan Buji also took out the bottle that previously sealed Yun Hua's Nascent Soul and handed it to Pang Mingde for inspection.

Seeing Yan Buji's confidence, Pang Mingde frowned and carefully sensed the aura within the bottle; indeed he felt a strange sword intent and Martial Dao True Origin aura approaching, confirming that this was the bottle that once contained Yun Hua's Nascent Soul.

"This is…"

Pang Mingde discovered a tiny white fragment in the bottle; Yan Buji was startled and looked at Pang Mingde's palm, "Elder Pang, what is this?"

Yan Buji's surprised expression seemed genuine; after Pang Mingde examined it carefully, something stirred in his mind.

Is this a fragment of Yun Hua's Nascent Soul?

Although extremely minute, I have a secret technique that might summon some of its memories.

"It's just a mana fragment left after a typical Nascent Soul Cultivator's collapse; Hall Master Yan, do you still want it?" Pang Mingde placed the fragment back into the bottle, pretending to hand it to Yan Buji.

"Huh?" Yan Buji looked puzzled, "What use does this thing have?"

Pang Mingde smiled, "If a Golden Core stage cultivator were to refine it, perhaps it could increase their mana, though it also easily contaminates one's own mana; beyond that, it has little use."

"Oh, then keeping it is useless; Elder Pang, just discard it," Yan Buji said, looking disappointed.

"Fine." Pang Mingde squinted, and at a speed Yan Buji couldn't perceive, swapped the bottle, casually tossing the bottle a short distance away, as if he didn't fear Yan Buji would go back to pick it up.

Yan Buji saw this, didn't look further, and simply asked, "Elder Pang, do you have any other matters?"

"Nothing else, Hall Master Yan, be careful from now on."

"Thank you, Elder Pang, for your concern," Yan Buji smiled, clasped his hands and departed.

Pang Mingde also turned and left, but he deliberately stayed in the city for two days to observe the bottle he had discarded.

"Really not coming?" Pang Mingde frowned.

That being said, Yan Buji probably truly doesn't know what's in that Mutant Zone; otherwise he would surely have returned to retrieve the bottle I swapped.

Later, Pang Mingde did not rush to apply a secret technique to that Nascent Soul fragment, but first used some top‑grade Soul‑Nurturing Celestial Materials to nurture it.

At the same time, Pang Mingde quietly approached the mining area of the Great Sinful Sect, observing its scene.

"Hmm? Yuan Zhen not here?"

Just at that moment, Yan Buji was discussing some matters with Wu Yuan, and Pang Mingde hid in the shadows to eavesdrop.

"Wu Elder, hasn't Elder Yuan returned yet?"

"I don't know. That day you told Elder Yuan something, and he left. He hasn't come back yet…" Wu Yuan looked at Yan Buji oddly, "What exactly did you tell Elder Yuan?"

"This…" Yan Buji hesitated, his indecisive demeanor catching Pang Mingde's attention!

Sure enough, the kid was hiding something.

Wu Yuan, seeing Yan Buji like that, realized it was probably not a trivial matter, and said, "Since it's hard to speak, then don't speak about it."

"Wu Elder, this matter… indeed also involves me a bit; Elder Yuan might also be moving because of this."

"Did Elder Yuan tell you not to mention it to anyone?"

"He didn't… never mind, actually it was earlier…"

Yan Buji revealed that he had met with cultivators of the Holy Heart Alliance and was asked to assist them in exterminating Yun Qing.

"This… Holy Heart Alliance? How did they get involved?"

"I don't know either, but if Yun Qing dies, I won't have to worry all the time, so…" Yan Buji gave a bitter smile.

Pang Mingde, hidden in the shadows, suddenly had an epiphany!

"Indeed! The Holy Heart Alliance has set its sights on Yun Qing, no wonder Yan Buji looks so confident… Speaking of which, Yuan Zhen must have gone to investigate this! Perhaps Yuan Zhen also learned about Yan Buji's grudge with Yun Hua, starting from the Nan Ting Mountain Region… Yes, it must be so!" Pang Mingde suppressed his excitement and quietly departed.