Chapter 357 - 352: A Cultivator Who Doesn’t Want Core Formation Is Not a Good Cultivator

Du Youqian smiled faintly. He used his Divine Sense to create an illusion of himself still standing in the original spot, then quietly circled around behind his opponent.

The man naturally didn’t notice. He was still fully focused, using his Divine Sense to probe the illusion Du Youqian had created, completely unaware that he was being played like a fiddle.

A moment later, Du Youqian was behind him.

’Good at Magical Combat? Cruel and ruthless?’ Du Youqian scoffed inwardly, recalling Wei Wei’s assessment of her master.

’Let’s see just how good you are at Magical Combat.’

Du Youqian took out a Spiritual Sword. Its design leaned more toward the style used by Mortal World Swordsmen rather than that of a Flying Sword.

The biggest difference was that Flying Swords lack a handguard, as there’s no need to worry about an enemy’s blade sliding down one’s own to cut the fingers.

But the sword Du Youqian was using had a handguard.

This was the typical style of sword used by a Body Refining Cultivator, ideal for close-quarters combat.

Then, Du Youqian silently stabbed downward but intentionally leaked a trace of killing intent.

’An attack?’ Wei Wei’s master felt the killing intent and his heart shuddered. He immediately activated his Protective Evil Qi, barely blocking the sword strike. He suffered a minor injury and spun around.

In a flash, he had clearly seen the style of Du Youqian’s longsword. Combining that with Du Youqian’s reckless, up-close fighting style, he was instantly on alert. "A Body Refining Cultivator?"

The weaknesses of a Body Refining Cultivator were their Divine Sense and Magical Power; this was common knowledge even to Junior Qi Cultivation Cultivators.

Without a second thought, Wei Wei’s master immediately unleashed a Divine Sense Secret Technique, stabbing his Divine Sense toward Du Youqian’s sea of consciousness.

"AHHHH!" The next moment, Wei Wei’s master was squatting on the ground, clutching his head and letting out a series of miserable howls. He had been temporarily incapacitated.

It turned out that when his full-powered Divine Sense strike had just pierced into Du Youqian’s sea of consciousness, it was assaulted by thousands upon thousands of strands of Sword Intent.

Each strand of Sword Intent was very weak, but together, the effect was astonishing.

The thousands upon thousands of strands of Sword Intent slashed down at once, as if subjecting him to death by a thousand cuts, slicing his invading Divine Sense into countless fragments.

Before he could even catch his breath, he felt his opponent’s Divine Sense enter his sea of consciousness and begin to work, attempting to control him.

He recognized it. It was a Divine Sense Secret Technique derisively known as a "Master-Servant Contract," or at least something similar.

The so-called Master-Servant Contract was no contract at all. The servant was at the master’s mercy, and the master had complete dominion over the servant’s every being. That was all there was to it.

Wei Wei’s master was so terrified his soul nearly scattered. If his Divine Sense hadn’t been so severely wounded, he would never have allowed someone to control him like this, even if he were captured after a fierce battle.

At worst, he would have just self-detonated his Dao Foundation.

Death before dishonor!

But now, not only was he powerless to fight back, he could barely even protect himself. Even if he wanted to self-detonate his Dao Foundation, he lacked the necessary Divine Sense to support the act.

He could only watch helplessly as the other party wreaked havoc in his sea of consciousness, ultimately controlling him with ease.

As a result, while he wouldn’t be reduced to a mindless Puppet, he would find it difficult to resist any of his new master’s commands and could only obey.

As for his earlier resolution to choose death over submission, his perspective had quietly shifted.

’I’m already under control anyway... I’ll just have to endure it.’

’I’ve worked so hard to reach my current level of Cultivation. To give it all up now would be such a waste!’

’Maybe... maybe I can break this control after I reach Core Formation.’

In that single instant, Wei Wei’s master’s mind raced through years of thoughts and emotions.

With a sigh, he endured the searing pain in his Divine Sense and bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Master."

There was no indignation. His opponent’s Cultivation wasn’t high, but his methods and cunning left him in awe.

But admiration was one thing; how could a true man resign himself to living under another’s thumb for long?

Once he reached Core Formation, he would turn the tables and reverse his fate!

Du Youqian had no idea his new subordinate had just run through so much inner drama in that single moment.

He sized him up. Wei Wei’s master was a short, thin man with bloodlessly pale skin. His black hair was so perfectly defined it looked as if each strand had been carved, giving it a unique texture.

Du Youqian scanned the man’s body carefully with his Divine Sense and discovered it was somewhat depleted. It wasn’t that he hadn’t attempted Core Formation, but that he had failed and suffered a backlash. He had only survived by using a precious Life-Saving Elixir.

"You’re an interesting one," Du Youqian said nonchalantly. "Reaching Core Formation is a momentous occasion. How could you be so reckless? Why didn’t you wait until you had a Core Formation Spiritual Object before trying?"

The man’s body trembled, and he was horrified.

He clearly hadn’t expected Du Youqian to know even this.

He had made a special trip out of the Sect to attempt Core Formation, using a false name in a Marketplace. He hadn’t let anyone from the Sect know.

’Just how does this Master possess such Mighty Powers, to be able to investigate even this kind of information?’

’And if this Master didn’t have any intelligence, but knew me inside and out just from a single glance... that would be even more terrifying.’

Wei Wei’s master, Kang Yinghe, lowered his head, no longer daring to meet Du Youqian’s gaze.

"That’s enough for now. Go and bring your three apprentices here. I want to have a word with all of you."

A short while later, Kang Yinghe brought Shao Chunlai, He Kui, and Wei Wei before Du Youqian.

Shao Chunlai and He Kui were even more reserved than usual, as if bound by invisible shackles.

This was no surprise. In their hearts, while they might not have revered their master as a god, they were definitely like mice before a cat.

Their master’s power and brutality were deeply ingrained in their minds, even creating the illusion that no matter what level their own Cultivation reached, their master would always be their master, and they would never be able to resist him.

But now, this man they feared like a tiger had been controlled, just like them, by this unassuming twenty-something-year-old from the Zouma Gang. He was pitiful, weak, and helpless.

It was like a joke.

The shock this dealt them was something an outsider could never imagine.

Wei Wei, on the other hand, felt as if a serf had been liberated, and she was on top of the world.

Although she too was under someone’s control, essentially a servant of Du Youqian’s... that didn’t stop her from feeling good.

She gave Du Youqian a fawning, coquettish smile. "Master, what are your orders for us?"

"Oh, it’s like this," Du Youqian said with a faint smile. "Fellow Daoist Kang Yinghe has decided to join us. Considering he has a certain history with you all, I called you over so we can talk, clear the air, and help Fellow Daoist Kang Yinghe quickly integrate into our Zouma Gang."

Everyone agreed.

Du Youqian then smiled and asked, "Fellow Daoist Kang, do you wish to achieve Core Formation?"

Kang Yinghe’s heart skipped a beat. He quickly bowed his head and said, "This subordinate wouldn’t dare."

Du Youqian said flatly, "What is there to not dare? A Cultivator who doesn’t want to reach Core Formation isn’t a good Cultivator. You are at Foundation Establishment Perfection and your aptitude isn’t bad. If you don’t plan on reaching Core Formation, then there was no point in me subduing you. I might as well send you to be reincarnated right now. To be honest, I’m not lacking for someone with the combat strength of a mere Foundation Establishment Perfection Cultivator."

Kang Yinghe could only say, "Core Formation... This subordinate wishes to, but the time is not right, and I do not have a Core Formation Spiritual Object."

Du Youqian’s tone was casual, but filled with determination. "When you are ready, I will do everything in my power to help you obtain a Core Formation Spiritual Object and other necessities. Of course, after you reach Core Formation, you will have to repay me accordingly."

"For example, I can support you in taking the position of Supreme Elder of the Shengxia Sect and help you eliminate dissenters. If there are any who refuse to obey your orders, I can kill them with a single strike of my sword. But as a Supreme Elder, you must naturally be grateful for my kindness and repay me. Understand?"

This was clearly just drawing a pie in the sky, and Kang Yinghe felt no motivation whatsoever, but he still forced himself to look excited and shout, "Yes! This subordinate will give his all!"

Du Youqian could naturally see his insincerity, but he merely smiled and let it go.

He didn’t forget to draw a pie for the other three as well. "The same goes for you. If the opportunity for Core Formation arises, I will not hesitate to help you achieve it."

"Yes! Thank you, Master!"

After some casual conversation, Du Youqian sent them away.

Then, he called them back one by one to give them individual instructions.

To Wei Wei, he told her to keep a close eye on her master, adding that he had seen her loyalty and would reward her for it in the future.

To Shao Chunlai, he said, "You’re getting old, so Core Formation is probably unrealistic for you. If you want to find a woman and raise some descendants to cultivate, the boss... no, I, the Vice Gang Leader, will support you."

To He Kui, he said, "Your aptitude is no worse than your master’s; he just doesn’t appreciate you. I hope you’ll work hard and reach Core Formation before he does. I will suppress your master for a while. Make the most of this opportunity."

Finally, he found Kang Yinghe again and asked him about the internal situation of the Shengxia Sect.

Du Youqian took everything Kang Yinghe said with a grain of salt, planning to verify it later through other channels.

The Shengxia Sect could play an important role in his plans for the next few hundred years.

Of course, that was assuming his birthplace in his next life would still be somewhere nearby.

Otherwise, it would only be useful to him for the hundred-odd years of his current life.

The Human World was vast. Du Youqian often chatted idly with the Cultivators here, asking about the local customs and conditions of the Human World. He had also visited Oases with Marketplaces to purchase related records on Jade Scrolls.

But his understanding of the Human World was still only superficial.

However, he had a fairly thorough understanding of this region, the Endless Desert Sea.

He had memorized the distribution of surrounding powers, the settlements of various clans, the influential figures within those clans, and the locations of fixed Gang Domain Evil Pools, ore veins, and resource points within the Endless Desert Sea.

Although Kang Yinghe had joined the Zouma Gang, Du Youqian didn’t dare let him make too many public appearances.

After all, Kang Yinghe was a prominent figure in the Shengxia Sect.

If someone discovered that he was being controlled and reported it to the Shengxia Sect, the current Du Youqian would have a hard time dealing with the consequences.

Therefore, he only had Kang Yinghe spend his days in meditation and Cultivation, deploying him secretly only when the Martial Force of a Foundation Establishment Perfection expert was needed.

Kang Yinghe’s long absence from the Sect wouldn’t arouse suspicion. After all, he was close to Core Formation, so it was perfectly normal for him to be out seeking opportunities.

As long as he didn’t draw too much attention to himself, the people from the Shengxia Sect wouldn’t come looking for him.

And so, things remained peaceful.

In the blink of an eye, ten years had passed since Du Youqian arrived in the Human World.

His Cultivation had also quietly returned to the Foundation Establishment Late Stage.

On this day, Li Fei suddenly came running to find him.