Chapter 149: Won’t It Affect Future Cultivation?

Chapter 149: Chapter 149: Won’t It Affect Future Cultivation?

Inside the new room, Liu Chen released Nangong Mu. The unfamiliar surroundings made Nangong Mu very nervous, especially after realizing the man before him was the mysterious Loose Cultivator who had killed the Hundred Ghosts Elder.

"You want to go back to the Nangong Family?"

Liu Chen asked casually. Nangong Mu subconsciously took a step back but didn’t say anything. The moment he had seen Ye Linglong, Nangong Mu knew he wouldn’t make it out alive.

"You have two choices now. Either serve me as a Soul Slave from now on, or leave behind a few Magic Skills to redeem yourself, and I’ll let you dissipate."

Seeing Nangong Mu’s reaction, Liu Chen understood that tricking him with the promise of returning to the Nangong Family was no longer realistic. Although the guy had a bad reputation, he wasn’t a complete idiot.

"Don’t waste your breath. You don’t dare keep me alive. Otherwise, the Nangong Family won’t spare you."

Nangong Mu’s expression twisted. If there had been even a sliver of a chance to live, he would have fought for it. But the man before him was Ye Linglong’s senior brother, the very same Second Grade Spirit Chef who had stood up for the Ye Family.

Whether it was because he had discovered the other’s strength or because of Ye Linglong, Nangong Mu knew he wouldn’t survive. ’Since that was the case, why would I leak the Nangong Family’s Magic?’

"You’ve got some backbone. However, I found a Dual Cultivation Technique in your Storage Ring. But according to the Hundred Ghosts Elder’s Soul Slave, you’re a Celestial Eunuch. I want to know, how did you manage to perform Yin Yang Replenishment?"

Liu Chen sighed. The Dual Cultivation Technique in Nangong Mu’s possession could also be called a Dual Cultivation Skill. It didn’t have the ability to directly raise one’s Cultivation. Instead, it used a special Magic Skill to absorb the Spiritual Power from a Furnace Cauldron’s body, converting it into one’s own Cultivation.

Liu Chen hadn’t studied this Magic deeply, let alone learned it directly. Not only was this Dual Cultivation Technique completely unorthodox, but even if it were a technique that could benefit both partners, Liu Chen wouldn’t practice it.

To practice this kind of Cultivation Technique, one first needed a partner, and Liu Chen currently had no intentions in that regard.

"Just kill me..."

In his Soul Body form, Nangong Mu collapsed to the ground, his spirit in disarray. This was a secret that not even the Nangong Family necessarily knew. He had refined all the wives and concubines in his family into mindless Furnace Cauldrons. It wasn’t that he liked it this way, but rather to keep his secret. As for those Loose Cultivators, they were basically disposed of after use. Originally, this matter should never have been leaked.

But who would have thought the Hundred Ghosts Elder would have a Soul Slave seduce him? A Soul Slave could still exist after abandoning its physical form, and so the secret was exposed.

"It’s fine. Although I can’t bring you with me out in the open, I can when I’m disguised as the Hundred Ghosts Elder. When that time comes, the Nangong Family is bound to attack me. The story of the Hundred Ghosts Elder taking revenge by publicizing the secrets of you, his Soul Slave... that ought to be very believable."

Liu Chen smiled faintly and, without giving Nangong Mu time to react, recalled him into the Soul Ring. There was no rush to refine a Spirit Ghost. It wasn’t as if Nangong Mu was his only option.

"Nangong Mu is actually a Celestial Eunuch. And even so, he was still planning to make your junior sister a Furnace Cauldron. From a certain perspective, you could even call that inspirational."

Liu Chen had just put Nangong Mu away when Mo Xuan’s voice sounded in his mind. Liu Chen quickly got up and opened the door. The next second, his master, Mo Xuan, walked right in.

"Greetings, Master." Liu Chen quickly bowed. He didn’t know when his master had arrived, but he didn’t feel he had any responsibility to keep Nangong Mu’s secret.

"At ease. Tell me in detail about your experience in Fire Dragon Valley."

Mo Xuan waved his hand. He had come here more concerned about whether Liu Chen’s experience in Fire Dragon Valley would affect his attitude toward cultivation and lead him down the path of an Evil Cultivator. As for the matter with Nangong Mu, he couldn’t care less.

"Yes, Master. After I entered Fire Dragon Valley..."

Liu Chen spoke very casually, from his chance encounter with Nangong Ye to the Eldest Prince of the Black Feather Dynasty, then the Hundred Ghosts Elder, as well as the Xiao Family, who hadn’t made any waves, all the way to the secret beneath the magma of the Fire Dragon Valley Main Peak and the Spiritual Cuisine transaction.

"Spirit Ghosts? Fire Dragon Valley actually had a legacy in that area? What a pity. The power of Soul Cultivators is still quite formidable."

After hearing Liu Chen’s story, Mo Xuan really wanted to say it was brilliant, but he was a master, after all, and couldn’t show it directly. Thus, he could only focus his attention elsewhere.

Back when Fire Dragon Valley met with disaster, although Purple Cloud Valley was held back, he personally could have still gone. But he didn’t go, mainly because he had no friendly relations with Fire Dragon Valley.

"Master, please help me see, what are the Cultivation levels of the Soul Slaves in these Soul Rings?"

Liu Chen took out five Soul Rings. He could only confirm that one was at the Meridian Passage Beginner stage. He wasn’t sure about the rest. Especially the Fire Dragon Soul Ring; it was definitely higher than Liu Chen’s current Cultivation.

"This one is Meridian Passage Beginner, these three are Meridian Passage Late Stage, and as for this last one, it’s at the Qi Refining Peak."

Mo Xuan picked up the Soul Rings and glanced at them briefly. Then, his gaze locked directly onto the Fire Dragon Soul Ring in the center.

"Moreover, this Qi Refining Peak expert isn’t from the Human Race, but a Flood Dragon. This is likely the origin of Fire Dragon Valley’s name."

Mo Xuan reached out and picked up the Fire Dragon Soul Ring, his eyes filled with amazement. But then, a trace of fear followed. If Liu Chen had directly signed a Soul Contract with the Soul Slave inside, he would have been completely unable to gain the upper hand. He would have faced a life and death crisis until he broke through to the Qi Refining Peak.

"Master, have you heard of Spirit Ghosts?"

’I feel a little fortunate that I didn’t do anything to that most special Fire Dragon Soul Ring,’ Liu Chen thought. ’Otherwise, I likely wouldn’t be my own master right now. If it had been a Meridian Passage Peak expert, I reckon I would have had a chance to escape. But against a Qi Refining Peak expert, there would have likely been no way out but death.’

"Of course. Some of the older, established powers recruit Soul Cultivators every year precisely to refine Spirit Ghosts. However, aside from Evil Cultivators, they generally don’t use the souls of Cultivators to refine Spirit Ghosts. Most use Demon Beasts. This way, they can avoid being mistaken for Evil Cultivators. But the results aren’t great. The Soul Cultivators I know would only have a fifty percent chance of refining this Flood Dragon into a Spirit Ghost."

If the Flood Dragon became Liu Chen’s Soul Slave, Liu Chen would, at minimum, gain a Qi Refining Peak bodyguard. But if the refining failed, he would get neither a Soul Slave nor a Spirit Ghost, which would undoubtedly be a painful loss.

"After signing a Soul Contract with a Spirit Ghost, won’t it affect one’s future cultivation?"

Liu Chen couldn’t help but ask. ’Those old, established powers definitely aren’t fools. If there were obvious side effects, they would never use this method to cultivate their disciples.’

"There are indeed risks, but most are due to problems with the Spirit Ghost itself. Most Soul Slaves and Spirit Ghosts are divided into three grades: high, middle, and low. High-grade ones rarely have issues, and even if a problem arises, it can be resolved through seclusion. With Middle Grade ones, you can resolve the backlash by severing the connection to the Spirit Ghost. Only low-grade ones have the potential to cause one’s demise."