Chapter Seventy-Six: Sect

“Wait.” Yuan Wuyi stopped the woman who was about to leave.

“If your daughter continues in this state, it won’t be long before she dissipates completely.”

“Great Immortal, I have no other way. Please, I beg you, save my daughter.” The woman, well-versed in the ways of the world, understood that the black mist had called her back for a reason. Surely, it had a method to save her child; unable to restrain herself, she knelt and pleaded.

Yuan Wuyi glanced at the inferior post-heaven spiritual treasure in the old Taoist’s hand. It was a decent vessel, and for the little girl, a stroke of fortune.

“You’ll do.”

The old Taoist tried to intervene but was powerless. The cold aura rendered him motionless, forcing him to watch as his treasure floated towards the black mist.

Yuan Wuyi made a few simple modifications to the spiritual treasure—a trivial task for him. A small wisp of black fog separated from the main cloud, enveloping the treasure; the golden mirror gradually darkened as it drew closer.

Under Yuan Wuyi’s deliberate purification, the mirror, originally used to repel spirits, transformed into a ghostly mirror suffused with chilling yin energy.

“Catch it.”

He tossed the ghost mirror before the little girl. For a soul like hers, the benefits were undeniable.

“Thank you, Great Immortal, thank you!” Though she didn’t know what use the mirror would be, the change in her daughter’s condition proved its help was not insignificant.

Never had the woman imagined a deity would come to her aid, and that the help would be so selfless.

“Hurry and leave,” Yuan Wuyi said, uncertain himself why he was helping these strangers. Was it pity? Impossible. By his nature, he could slaughter ten thousand such mother-daughter pairs without blinking an eye. Yet, he had spared all the villagers, though killing them would have incurred karmic debt. Today, he let them depart unharmed.

It was not his style to spare them without a bloody lesson.

“I must return to my true self soon,” Yuan Wuyi thought silently.

He had absorbed many pure soul bodies in the underworld, and their lingering thoughts were subtly influencing him—especially since he could not yet return to his body. The effect on his primordial spirit was multiplied several times compared to normal circumstances.

This instability in his temperament was alarming; fortunately, he noticed it in time and curbed his emotions. Had he not, there was no telling what outrageous acts he might have committed.

At Yuan Wuyi’s prompting, the woman departed swiftly, clutching the ghost mirror. The little girl had already entered the mirror to recuperate.

Now, only the old Taoist remained, standing frozen, afraid to move.

“Old man, I have some questions for you.”

Yuan Wuyi’s query startled the Taoist, but he had no choice but to respond.

“Please ask, Great Immortal. I will answer all that I know.”

“What territory is this?”

“This is the border of Wuming Kingdom, West Mountain Village, in the continent of Eastern Victory Divine Prefecture.”

Ah, so it was indeed Eastern Victory Divine Prefecture. That meant the journey to Flower Fruit Mountain would not be too long, though he didn’t know the exact distance.

“How far is it to Ao Lai Kingdom from here?”

“Several tens of thousands of miles. At my speed, it would take a month or more.”

“So far?” Though both were in Eastern Victory Divine Prefecture, it seemed one was at the western edge, the other at the eastern. No wonder there was such a gap.

Now, Yuan Wuyi was only in his primordial spirit form; many divine techniques would be unusable without a physical body. The journey to Flower Fruit Mountain was fraught with potential dangers.

Although the current human world’s heavenly laws forbade the appearance of Da Luo realm cultivators, a primordial spirit of a Taiyi Golden Immortal was still a tempting prize. There was no guarantee unusual circumstances wouldn’t arise.

This was a world where the weak are prey to the strong; the timid starve while the bold feast. Those who attain the Da Luo realm are almost always bold—that was Yuan Wuyi’s greatest concern.

“Are you aware your life is in my hands?”

“I know,” the old Taoist replied with a bitter smile.

“Good. If you wish to live, I need you to travel to Ao Lai Kingdom.” Yuan Wuyi stated his purpose directly; he hadn’t concealed anything in his earlier questions.

To return to Ao Lai, he needed a vessel—a physical body—to avoid detection. The old Taoist was a suitable candidate; after all, he was the only one who knew, and the fewer who knew, the better.

The old Taoist seemed resigned, nodding his acceptance.

“But, Great Immortal, I need to make some preparations in my sect. Otherwise, my body may not endure such a long journey.”

“I’ll accompany you.”

The black mist that was Yuan Wuyi swept towards the old Taoist, entering his consciousness effortlessly.

The old Taoist nervously touched his body, his voice trembling. “G-Great Immortal…”

“Relax. I’m here. Just do as you normally would.”

The more inscrutable a thing, the more terrifying it becomes. The old Taoist was thoroughly frightened; the presence of Yuan Wuyi within him felt eerie and overwhelming.

“Yes… yes.”

His life now in Yuan Wuyi’s grasp, he had no choice but to obey, and so he dutifully returned to make preparations.

His sect was a medium-sized order specializing in spirit-banishing techniques. Most cultivators there trained to subdue ghosts, earning the group a prominent reputation in mortal settlements.

“Uncle Wu, you’re back!” Two young acolytes guarding the gate greeted him respectfully.

“Good. Work hard, and I’ll teach you powerful techniques in time.”

To Yuan Wuyi, the Taoist’s arts were mere tricks, but for those new to cultivation, they seemed mystical and formidable. Hearing his promise, the two youths redoubled their vigilance at the gate.

This time, the old Taoist returned mainly for essentials and to notify the sect leader of his long journey. As for seeking help, he didn’t dare.

Yuan Wuyi was confident enough to allow the old Taoist to return without concern.

“Great Immortal, may I inform the sect leader?” the old Taoist asked nervously. If denied, he’d have to leave a letter and depart quietly.

“As you wish.”

He hadn’t expected Yuan Wuyi to be so agreeable, and hurried off towards a certain hall within the sect.

In the grand main hall sat several elders much like himself, as if they had been waiting there specifically for him.

“Junior Wu, you’ve finally returned. Was your journey successful?” The chief elder stepped forward to ask.

“Successful,” he replied.

He dared not mention his life was in Yuan Wuyi’s hands, nor the immortal’s cultivation, lest disaster befall the entire sect. He could not and would not speak of it.