lǐ fán hé zhāng qiān mò èr rén ， huàn le shēn dǎ bàn ， qiāo qiāo qián rù níng yuǎn chéng zhōng 。
李凡和章阡陌二人，换了身打扮，悄悄潜入宁远城中。
Li Fan and Zhang Qianmo changed their appearance and quietly infiltrated Ningyuan City.
“ shī xiōng ， wǒ kàn rú guǒ zhēn de yǒu xīn huái bù guǐ zhī rén ， xiǎng yào fú jī wǒ men 。 zuì hǎo de fāng shì jiù shì chū qí bù yì 。”
“师兄，我看如果真的有心怀不轨之人，想要伏击我们。最好的方式就是出其不意。”
"Senior Brother, if there are indeed people with ill intentions who want to ambush us, the best way would be a surprise attack."
“ hěn kě néng ， jiù mái fú zài nǐ nà lǎo xiāng hǎo chì xiá fù jìn 。”
“很可能，就埋伏在你那老相好赤霞附近。”
"It's very likely that they have set up an ambush near your old flame, Scarlet Flame," Li Fan whispered telepathically.
lǐ fán chuán yīn dào 。
李凡传音道。
Zhang Qianmo's face turned slightly red as he pondered for a moment. "Junior Brother, you make a valid point. Let’s go check out the Drunken Immortal Pavilion."
zhāng qiān mò liǎn sè wēi wēi yī hóng ， sī suǒ le piàn kè :“ shī dì ， nǐ shuō de hěn yǒu dào lǐ 。 wǒ men jiù xiān qù nà zuì xiān lóu kàn kàn 。”
章阡陌脸色微微一红，思索了片刻:“师弟，你说的很有道理。我们就先去那醉仙楼看看。”
Following Zhang Qianmo, Li Fan arrived at one of the most bustling and lively areas in the city center near the Drunken Immortal Pavilion.
lǐ fán gēn zhe zhāng qiān mò ， lái dào le chéng zhōng xīn zuì wèi fán huá rè nào de jiǔ lóu fù jìn 。
李凡跟着章阡陌，来到了城中心最为繁华热闹的酒楼附近。
Across from the tavern was a large entertainment venue.
jiǔ lóu duì miàn ， jiù shì yī chù dà xíng gōu lán 。
酒楼对面，就是一处大型勾栏。
On stage, a performance was underway, with a circle of ordinary people gathered to watch.
cǐ shí tái shàng ， zhèng zài chàng zhe xì qǔ 。 zhōu biān wéi le yī quān kàn rè nào de fán rén bǎi xìng 。
此时台上，正在唱着戏曲。周边围了一圈看热闹的凡人百姓。
Inside the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, windows were wide open, allowing faint sounds of raucous laughter from several women and young men to be heard.
ér zài zuì xiān lóu shàng ， chuāng hù dà kāi ， yǐn yuē néng tīng jiàn jǐ míng nǚ zǐ hé nián qīng nán zi fàng dàng de xiào shēng 。
而在醉仙楼上，窗户大开，隐约能听见几名女子和年轻男子放荡的笑声。
As soon as Zhang Qianmo arrived, his eyes fixed on a woman in traditional attire performing on stage, exuding an air of grace that seemed almost magnetic.
zhāng qiān mò yī dào cǐ chù ， shuāng yǎn jiù dīng zhe tái shàng yī wèi shēn chuān xì fú 、 yīng qì bù fán de nǚ zǐ 。
章阡陌一到此处，双眼就盯着台上一位身穿戏服、英气不凡的女子。
Li Fan, meanwhile, searched the crowd for Chu Liang and others who might have set up the ambush.
fǎng fú bèi láo láo zhān zhù le yì bān ， yí bù kāi shì xiàn 。
仿佛被牢牢粘住了一般，移不开视线。
Thinking they had not yet arrived, Chu Liang was not hiding much. He merely concealed his aura among the spectators.
lǐ fán zé shì zài rén qún zhōng ， sōu suǒ zhe zài cǐ shè fú de chǔ liáng děng rén 。
李凡则是在人群中，搜索着在此设伏的楚良等人。
Li Fan easily located him. "Senior Brother, why does this person look familiar?"
huò xǔ shì yǐ wéi zhāng qiān mò hé lǐ fán hái méi yǒu dào de yuán gù ， chǔ liáng cǐ shí yě méi yǒu zěn me zhē yǎn shēn xíng 。
或许是以为章阡陌和李凡还没有到的缘故，楚良此时也没有怎么遮掩身形。
Waking Zhang Qianmo from his trance, Li Fan used his divine sense to transmit Chu Liang's appearance.
jǐn jǐn shì yǐn qù le qì xī ， cáng nì zài wéi guān de rén qún zhī zhōng 。
仅仅是隐去了气息，藏匿在围观的人群之中。
"Hmm? It seems familiar. Who is he?" After a long pause, Chapter Master Zhang finally remembered who Chu Liang was.
lǐ fán méi fèi shén me gōng fu ， jiù jiāng qí zhǎo le chū lái 。
李凡没费什么功夫，就将其找了出来。
"Chu Liang? Isn’t he the one who was expelled from the sect due to his inability to cultivate for many years? How could he be here?" Zhang Qianmo exclaimed in surprise.
“ shī xiōng ， nà rén zěn me kàn shàng qù yǒu diǎn yǎn shú ？”
“师兄，那人怎么看上去有点眼熟？”
Taking advantage of this moment, Li Fan said, "This Chu Liang doesn't seem like a mere mortal. He seems to have hidden his cultivation."
lǐ fán jiāng chén jìn zài chì xiá biǎo yǎn zhōng de zhāng qiān mò huàn xǐng ， yòng shén shí jiāng chǔ liáng de yàng mào chuán le guò qù 。
李凡将沉浸在赤霞表演中的章阡陌唤醒，用神识将楚良的样貌传了过去。
Zhang Qianmo nodded inwardly. "Indeed. There must be something strange going on here."
“ ń ？ hǎo xiàng shì yǒu diǎn yǎn shú 。 tā shì ？” guò le xǔ jiǔ ， zhè wèi zhāng shī xiōng cái xiǎng qǐ zhè wèi chǔ liáng shì hé xǔ rén yě 。
“嗯？好像是有点眼熟。他是？”过了许久，这位章师兄才想起这位楚良是何许人也。
He suggested, "Junior Brother, let’s surround him from front and back, then use the [Spring Thunder Shock] to subdue him first. We can interrogate him afterward."
“ chǔ liáng ？ bú shì bèi yīn wèi wú fǎ xiū xíng ， zǎo jiù bèi zhú chū shān mén le me ？ zěn me huì chū xiàn zài zhè lǐ ？” zhāng qiān mò yī jīng 。
“楚良？不是被因为无法修行，早就被逐出山门了么？怎么会出现在这里？”章阡陌一惊。
The information about the [Spring Thunder Shock] immediately surfaced in Li Fan's mind—it was a divine sense attack technique from the Purple Heaven Commanding Lightning True Art.
lǐ fán yě chèn jī shuō dào :“ zhè chǔ liáng ， hǎo xiàng bú shì fán rén ？ sì hū yǐn cáng le xiū wèi ？”
李凡也趁机说道:“这楚良，好像不是凡人？似乎隐藏了修为？”
It could cause heart shock like the first spring thunder, making opponents lose control of their bodies instantly.
zhāng qiān mò àn àn diǎn tóu :“ dí què rú cǐ 。 zhè qí zhōng bì yǒu gǔ guài 。”
章阡陌暗暗点头:“的确如此。这其中必有古怪。”
"Compared to the [Purple Heaven Commanding Lightning True Art], most techniques I've seen before seem to only enhance cultivation. They appear deliberately neutered and lack many such methods."
tā xiǎng le xiǎng ， dào :“ shī dì ， wǒ men èr rén yī qián yī hòu ， jiāng qí bāo wéi 。 suí hòu tóng shí yòng 【 chūn léi zhèn 】， xiān jiāng qí zhì fú 。 zài hǎo hǎo pán wèn 。”
他想了想，道:“师弟，我们二人一前一后，将其包围。随后同时用【春雷震】，先将其制服。再好好盘问。”
"The Purple Heaven Commanding Lightning True Art from ancient times might be considered a true art," Li Fan thought as he compared them.
lǐ fán nǎo hǎi zhōng yǒu guān 【 chūn léi zhèn 】 de xìn xī dùn shí fú xiàn ， nǎi shì zǐ xiāo yù léi zhēn jué zhōng de yī zhǒng shén shí gōng jī zhī fǎ 。
李凡脑海中有关【春雷震】的信息顿时浮现，乃是紫霄御雷真诀中的一种神识攻击之法。
Li Fan's thoughts were interrupted by the surrounding crowd as they separated, moving towards Chu Liang.
néng gòu rú tiān dì jiān dì yī shēng chūn léi bān ， zào chéng xīn shén zhèn dàng ， shǐ duì shǒu zài chà nà jiān shī qù shēn tǐ de kòng zhì quán 。
能够如天地间第一声春雷般，造成心神震荡，使对手在刹那间失去身体的控制权。
Chu Liang’s vigilance was too low. By the time his senior brothers approached him, he only vaguely sensed something was amiss.
“ yǔ zhè 【 zǐ xiāo yù léi zhēn jué 】 bǐ qǐ lái ， wǒ zhī qián suǒ jiàn dào de jué dà duō shù gōng fǎ ， sì hū dōu zhǐ yǒu xiū liàn tí shēng jìng jiè zhī yòng 。 fǎng fú bèi kè yì yān gē le yì bān ， quē shǎo le xǔ duō zhū rú cǐ lèi de fǎ mén 。”
“与这【紫霄御雷真诀】比起来，我之前所见到的绝大多数功法，似乎都只有修炼提升境界之用。仿佛被刻意阉割了一般，缺少了许多诸如此类的法门。”
Seeing Zhang Qianmo suddenly appear before him, Chu Liang's face turned to shock.
“ zhè shàng gǔ shí qī de 【 zǐ xiāo yù léi zhēn jué 】， huò xǔ cái chēng de shàng shì yī mén zhēn gōng 。”
“这上古时期的【紫霄御雷真诀】，或许才称得上是一门真功。”
Before he could react, two [Spring Thunder Shocks] hit from both sides, causing him to lose control and stiffen up.
yī fān duì bǐ zhī xià ， lǐ fán bù jīn zhè me xiǎng dào 。
一番对比之下，李凡不禁这么想到。
Zhang Qianmo subdued him quietly and led him to an empty residential area.
jǐn jǐn shì nǎo hǎi zhōng fú xiàn de yí gè bù jīng yì de xiǎng fǎ ， lǐ fán cǐ shí méi yǒu guò duō de sī kǎo 。
仅仅是脑海中浮现的一个不经意的想法，李凡此时没有过多的思考。
Chu Liang had regained consciousness. His eyes filled with hatred as he stared at Zhang Qianmo.
yīng shēng chēng shì hòu ， yǔ zhāng qiān mò fēn sàn zài rén qún zhōng ， cháo zhe chǔ liáng bāo wéi guò qù 。
应声称是后，与章阡陌分散在人群中，朝着楚良包围过去。
"Why are you Chu Liang? Why are you here?"
zhè chǔ liáng de jǐng tì xīn wèi miǎn tài dī le yì diǎn 。
这楚良的警惕心未免太低了一点。
"Within just thirty years, you transformed from a mere mortal who couldn’t cultivate into a Foundation Establishment cultivator."
děng lǐ fán shī xiōng dì yǐ jīng jìn shēn shàng qián ， tā cái yǐn yǐn chá jué dào bú duì 。
等李凡师兄弟已经近身上前，他才隐隐察觉到不对。
"What kind of dark arts did you use?" Zhang Qianmo asked coldly.
kàn zhe tū rán chū xiàn zài zì jǐ miàn qián de zhāng qiān mò ， chǔ liáng de liǎn shàng dùn shí lù chū jīng hài zhī sè 。
看着突然出现在自己面前的章阡陌，楚良的脸上顿时露出惊骇之色。
Chu Liang snorted and remained silent.
rán ér ， hái méi lái de jí děng tā yǒu suǒ dòng zuò ， jiù bèi yī qián yī hòu ， liǎng dào 【 chūn léi zhèn 】 jī zhòng 。
然而，还没来的及等他有所动作，就被一前一后，两道【春雷震】击中。
"You think not telling me will get you out of this? " A hint of disdain flashed across Zhang Qianmo's face.
shuāng mù shī shén ， hún shēn jiāng yìng ， bù néng dòng tán 。
双目失神，浑身僵硬，不能动弹。
"Outcast techniques, how can you know the methods of a noble sect!"
zhāng qiān mò shàng qián jiāng qí zhì zhù ， qiǎo rán bǎ tā dài zhe ， lái dào le yī chù wú rén de mín zhái zhī zhōng 。
章阡陌上前将其制住，悄然把他带着，来到了一处无人的民宅之中。
With that, Zhang Qianmo formed his fingers into claws and grabbed Chu Liang’s head.
cǐ chù chǔ liáng yǐ jīng huī fù le yì shí ， tā shuāng mù zhōng mǎn shì chóu hèn ， sǐ sǐ dīng zhe zhāng qiān mò 。
此处楚良已经恢复了意识，他双目中满是仇恨，死死盯着章阡陌。
Chu Liang was struck by lightning as he trembled uncontrollably. His face contorted in pain, and his eyes gradually lost their luster.
“ nǐ shì chǔ liáng ？ wèi hé chū xiàn zài zhè lǐ ？”
“你是楚良？为何出现在这里？”
Zhang Qianmo remained unshaken, still holding onto Chu Liang tightly.
“ duǎn duǎn sān shí duō nián shí jiān ， jū rán cóng yí gè wú fǎ xiū xíng de fán rén ， yáo shēn yī biàn ， chéng wéi le zhù jī qī xiū shì 。”
“短短三十多年时间，居然从一个无法修行的凡人，摇身一变，成为了筑基期修士。”
Finally, Chu Liang's pupils dulled, leaving only unconscious spasms.
“ yòng de shì shén me xié fǎ ？”
“用的是什么邪法？”
"Bang!"
zhāng qiān mò miàn wú biǎo qíng ， lěng shēng wèn dào 。
章阡陌面无表情，冷声问道。
Leaving the now useless Chu Liang on the ground, Zhang Qianmo stood there in silence for a long time.
chǔ liáng lěng hēng yī shēng ， chén mò yǐ duì 。
楚良冷哼一声，沉默以对。
"Senior Brother, what exactly happened?" Li Fan’s eyes flickered as he observed this scene similar to soul probing.
“ nǐ yǐ wéi bù shuō ， wǒ jiù méi bàn fǎ zhī dào le me 。” zhāng qiān mò liǎn shàng shǎn guò yī sī qīng miè zhī sè 。
“你以为不说，我就没办法知道了么。”章阡陌脸上闪过一丝轻蔑之色。
But he didn’t make any rash moves and simply asked.
“ páng mén sàn zhū ， zěn zhī wǒ míng mén zhèng zōng shǒu duàn ！”
“旁门散珠，怎知我名门正宗手段！”
Zhang Qianmo didn't answer immediately but muttered under his breath.
shuō bà ， zhāng qiān mò wǔ zhǐ wèi zhǎo ， zhuā xiàng chǔ liáng de nǎo dài 。
说罢，章阡陌五指为爪，抓向楚良的脑袋。
"Drawing the essence of heaven and earth..."
chà nà jiān ， chǔ liáng rú zāo léi jī bān 。
刹那间，楚良如遭雷击般。
"Sacrificing the souls of heaven and earth..."
hún shēn shàng xià kòng zhì bú zhù de chàn dǒu qǐ lái 。
浑身上下控制不住的颤抖起来。
"Inverting the order of heaven and earth..."
liǎn shàng de biǎo qíng jí dù tòng kǔ ， shuāng mù zhú jiàn biàn dé shī qù shén cǎi 。
脸上的表情极度痛苦，双目逐渐变得失去神彩。
Seemingly shaken, Zhang Qianmo struggled to regain composure.
ér zhāng qiān mò què sī háo bù wèi suǒ dòng ， yī rán láo láo zhuā zhe chǔ liáng 。
而章阡陌却丝毫不为所动，依然牢牢抓着楚良。
"Senior Brother!" Li Fan had to call out again to wake him up.
zuì zhōng ， chǔ liáng de tóng kǒng biàn dé àn dàn xià lái ， zhǐ shèng xià shēn qū wú yì shí de jìng luán chōu chù zhe 。
最终，楚良的瞳孔变得黯淡下来，只剩下身躯无意识的痉挛抽搐着。
"Phew..." Zhang Qianmo exhaled deeply as he slowly recovered from his shock.
“ pēng ！”
“砰！”
His face turned grave. "Junior Brother, the severity of this matter may exceed our imagination."
suí shǒu jiāng yǐ jīng shī qù lì yòng jià zhí de chǔ liáng réng zài dì shàng ， zhāng qiān mò chù lì dāng chǎng ， jiǔ jiǔ bù yǔ 。
随手将已经失去利用价值的楚良仍在地上，章阡陌矗立当场，久久不语。
"We need to quickly resolve matters here and return to the sect to report to the Grandmaster."
“ shī xiōng ， dào dǐ shì shén me huí shì ？” kàn zhuó yǎn qián zhè hé sōu hún jí qí lèi sì de yí mù ， lǐ fán mù guāng shǎn dòng 。
“师兄，到底是什么回事？”看着眼前这和搜魂极其类似的一幕，李凡目光闪动。
Li Fan was shocked: "What kind of matter could possibly disturb the Grandmaster?"
bù guò zàn shí méi yǒu zuò chū shén me chū gé de dòng zuò ， jǐn jǐn shì chū shēng wèn dào 。
不过暂时没有做出什么出格的动作，仅仅是出声问道。
Zhang Qianmo briefly explained that a divine being had imparted teachings, allowing cultivation without the need for spiritual root资质.
zhāng qiān mò què méi yǒu mǎ shàng huí dá ， ér shì zuǐ lǐ bù duàn ní nán zhe shén me 。
章阡陌却没有马上回答，而是嘴里不断呢喃着什么。
"There are still three accomplices in the city. The Song official has also cultivated using this new method and is now at the Golden Core stage. You follow me to capture those three Foundation Establishment cultivators first."
“ chōu tiān dì zhī suǐ ……”
“抽天地之髓……”
"What about the Golden Core Song official?" Li Fan asked.
“ jì tiān dì zhī pò ……”
“祭天地之魄……”
"Leave that to me. He’s just a chicken," Zhang Qianmo said with a condescending expression.
“ nì tiān dì zhī lǐ ……”
“逆天地之理……”
Li Fan nodded without argument.
sì hū xīn shén shòu dào jí dà zhèn dòng ， yī shí jiān nán yǐ zì chí 。
似乎心神受到极大震动，一时间难以自持。
Together, they easily captured the remaining three ambushers.
“ shī xiōng ！” lǐ fán bù dé bù zài cì chū shēng ， jiāng qí jīng xǐng 。
“师兄！”李凡不得不再次出声，将其惊醒。
"Junior Brother, wait here and watch over these people while I take care of the Song official. Come find you afterward," Zhang Qianmo instructed.
“ hū ……” zhāng qiān mò zhǎng chū yì kǒu qì ， màn màn cóng zhèn jīng zhōng huī fù guò lái 。
“呼……”章阡陌长出一口气，慢慢从震惊中恢复过来。
Li Fan checked through Li Chen's knowledge but didn't find any trace of soul probing.
tā miàn sè biàn dé jí wéi níng zhòng :“ shī dì ， kǒng pà zhè jiàn shì de yán zhòng xìng ， hái yào chāo chū nǐ wǒ xiǎng xiàng 。”
他面色变得极为凝重:“师弟，恐怕这件事的严重性，还要超出你我想象。”
He asked tentatively, "Senior Brother, how do we use this soul probing technique? I might as well try to extract useful information from their minds."
“ xū yào jǐn kuài jiāng cǐ dì shì wù liǎo jié ， fǎn huí zōng mén ， bǐng bào zhǎng mén shī zǔ 。”
“需要尽快将此地事务了结，返回宗门，禀报掌门师祖。”
Zhang Qianmo was momentarily taken aback. He sized up Li Fan and said with a smile, "Who was it that said the soul probing technique is too cruel and refused to learn?"
lǐ fán jīng hài dào :“ jiū jìng shì hé shì ， jū rán yào jīng dòng shī zǔ ？”
李凡惊骇道:“究竟是何事，居然要惊动师祖？”
"Today’s close encounter has shown you the dangers of the cultivation world. Your heartblock should be lifted now."
zhāng qiān mò dāng jí bǎ yǒu xiān zūn chuán dào ， xīn fǎ bù xū líng gēn zī zhì ， jiù kě xiū xíng de shì qíng jiǎn dān de jiāo dài le yī fān 。
章阡陌当即把有仙尊传道，新法不需灵根资质，就可修行的事情简单的交代了一番。
"Junior Brother, remember: in the struggle for the Way, not even half a step can be given up."
“ chéng nèi hái yǒu sān gè tóng huǒ ， lìng wài nà sòng guǎn shì ， yě xiū xíng le xīn fǎ ， rú jīn yǐ jīng shì jīn dān xiū wèi le 。 nǐ gēn zhe wǒ xiān jiāng nà sān gè zhù jī tóng huǒ ná xià 。”
“城内还有三个同伙，另外那宋管事，也修行了新法，如今已经是金丹修为了。你跟着我先将那三个筑基同伙拿下。”
"Woman's compassion must be guarded against."
“ nà jīn dān jìng jiè de sòng guǎn shì zěn me bàn ？” lǐ fán bù jīn wèn dào 。
“那金丹境界的宋管事怎么办？”李凡不禁问道。
"Don’t just talk about soul probing; even using the bodies of cultivators to forge puppets or sacrificing souls to refine artifacts—these more cruel methods should be used when necessary!"
“ fàng xīn ， jiāo gěi wǒ biàn shì 。 bù guò tǔ jī wǎ gǒu bà le 。” zhāng qiān mò liǎn shàng lù chū yī sī pì nì zhī sè 。
“放心，交给我便是。不过土鸡瓦狗罢了。”章阡陌脸上露出一丝睥睨之色。
As he spoke, Zhang Qianmo pointed his finger at Li Fan’s forehead and transmitted a copy of the Purple Heaven Soul Probing Technique.
Li Fan and Zhang Qianmo changed their appearance and quietly infiltrated Ningyuan City.
"Senior Brother, if there are indeed people with ill intentions who want to ambush us, the best way would be a surprise attack."
"It's very likely that they have set up an ambush near your old flame, Scarlet Flame," Li Fan whispered telepathically.
Zhang Qianmo's face turned slightly red as he pondered for a moment. "Junior Brother, you make a valid point. Let’s go check out the Drunken Immortal Pavilion."
Following Zhang Qianmo, Li Fan arrived at one of the most bustling and lively areas in the city center near the Drunken Immortal Pavilion.
Across from the tavern was a large entertainment venue.
On stage, a performance was underway, with a circle of ordinary people gathered to watch.
Inside the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, windows were wide open, allowing faint sounds of raucous laughter from several women and young men to be heard.
As soon as Zhang Qianmo arrived, his eyes fixed on a woman in traditional attire performing on stage, exuding an air of grace that seemed almost magnetic.
Li Fan, meanwhile, searched the crowd for Chu Liang and others who might have set up the ambush.
Thinking they had not yet arrived, Chu Liang was not hiding much. He merely concealed his aura among the spectators.
Li Fan easily located him. "Senior Brother, why does this person look familiar?"
Waking Zhang Qianmo from his trance, Li Fan used his divine sense to transmit Chu Liang's appearance.
"Hmm? It seems familiar. Who is he?" After a long pause, Chapter Master Zhang finally remembered who Chu Liang was.
"Chu Liang? Isn’t he the one who was expelled from the sect due to his inability to cultivate for many years? How could he be here?" Zhang Qianmo exclaimed in surprise.
Taking advantage of this moment, Li Fan said, "This Chu Liang doesn't seem like a mere mortal. He seems to have hidden his cultivation."
Zhang Qianmo nodded inwardly. "Indeed. There must be something strange going on here."
He suggested, "Junior Brother, let’s surround him from front and back, then use the [Spring Thunder Shock] to subdue him first. We can interrogate him afterward."
The information about the [Spring Thunder Shock] immediately surfaced in Li Fan's mind—it was a divine sense attack technique from the Purple Heaven Commanding Lightning True Art.
It could cause heart shock like the first spring thunder, making opponents lose control of their bodies instantly.
"Compared to the [Purple Heaven Commanding Lightning True Art], most techniques I've seen before seem to only enhance cultivation. They appear deliberately neutered and lack many such methods."
"The Purple Heaven Commanding Lightning True Art from ancient times might be considered a true art," Li Fan thought as he compared them.
Li Fan's thoughts were interrupted by the surrounding crowd as they separated, moving towards Chu Liang.
Chu Liang’s vigilance was too low. By the time his senior brothers approached him, he only vaguely sensed something was amiss.
Seeing Zhang Qianmo suddenly appear before him, Chu Liang's face turned to shock.
Before he could react, two [Spring Thunder Shocks] hit from both sides, causing him to lose control and stiffen up.
Zhang Qianmo subdued him quietly and led him to an empty residential area.
Chu Liang had regained consciousness. His eyes filled with hatred as he stared at Zhang Qianmo.
"Why are you Chu Liang? Why are you here?"
"Within just thirty years, you transformed from a mere mortal who couldn’t cultivate into a Foundation Establishment cultivator."
"What kind of dark arts did you use?" Zhang Qianmo asked coldly.
Chu Liang snorted and remained silent.
"You think not telling me will get you out of this? " A hint of disdain flashed across Zhang Qianmo's face.
"Outcast techniques, how can you know the methods of a noble sect!"
With that, Zhang Qianmo formed his fingers into claws and grabbed Chu Liang’s head.
Chu Liang was struck by lightning as he trembled uncontrollably. His face contorted in pain, and his eyes gradually lost their luster.
Zhang Qianmo remained unshaken, still holding onto Chu Liang tightly.
Finally, Chu Liang's pupils dulled, leaving only unconscious spasms.
"Bang!"
Leaving the now useless Chu Liang on the ground, Zhang Qianmo stood there in silence for a long time.
"Senior Brother, what exactly happened?" Li Fan’s eyes flickered as he observed this scene similar to soul probing.
But he didn’t make any rash moves and simply asked.
Zhang Qianmo didn't answer immediately but muttered under his breath.
"Drawing the essence of heaven and earth..."
"Sacrificing the souls of heaven and earth..."
"Inverting the order of heaven and earth..."
Seemingly shaken, Zhang Qianmo struggled to regain composure.
"Senior Brother!" Li Fan had to call out again to wake him up.
"Phew..." Zhang Qianmo exhaled deeply as he slowly recovered from his shock.
His face turned grave. "Junior Brother, the severity of this matter may exceed our imagination."
"We need to quickly resolve matters here and return to the sect to report to the Grandmaster."
Li Fan was shocked: "What kind of matter could possibly disturb the Grandmaster?"
Zhang Qianmo briefly explained that a divine being had imparted teachings, allowing cultivation without the need for spiritual root资质.
"There are still three accomplices in the city. The Song official has also cultivated using this new method and is now at the Golden Core stage. You follow me to capture those three Foundation Establishment cultivators first."
"What about the Golden Core Song official?" Li Fan asked.
"Leave that to me. He’s just a chicken," Zhang Qianmo said with a condescending expression.
Li Fan nodded without argument.
Together, they easily captured the remaining three ambushers.
"Junior Brother, wait here and watch over these people while I take care of the Song official. Come find you afterward," Zhang Qianmo instructed.
Li Fan checked through Li Chen's knowledge but didn't find any trace of soul probing.
He asked tentatively, "Senior Brother, how do we use this soul probing technique? I might as well try to extract useful information from their minds."
Zhang Qianmo was momentarily taken aback. He sized up Li Fan and said with a smile, "Who was it that said the soul probing technique is too cruel and refused to learn?"
"Today’s close encounter has shown you the dangers of the cultivation world. Your heartblock should be lifted now."
"Junior Brother, remember: in the struggle for the Way, not even half a step can be given up."
"Woman's compassion must be guarded against."
"Don’t just talk about soul probing; even using the bodies of cultivators to forge puppets or sacrificing souls to refine artifacts—these more cruel methods should be used when necessary!"
As he spoke, Zhang Qianmo pointed his finger at Li Fan’s forehead and transmitted a copy of the Purple Heaven Soul Probing Technique.