Cultivation: Starting with Farming in the Spiritual Pivot Grotto

Chapter 38 Soul Search and Examination

"S-senpai..."

The shopkeeper's teeth chattered, his voice was dry and hoarse, and he could barely form a coherent sentence.

His legs were weak, and he barely managed to stand, not daring to make the slightest movement.

The Taoist priest Xuantong's gaze fell upon him, his cold eyes like icy blades piercing straight into people's hearts. He spoke calmly, "Stand up and lead the way."

"Yes! Yes! I obey! I'll lead the way right away!"

The shopkeeper felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He quickly bowed and agreed, not daring to delay for even a moment. He straightened up shakily and walked unsteadily out of the counter.

He dared not look directly at the Taoist priest, keeping his head bowed and back hunched throughout, displaying the utmost humility as he led the way.

The two walked one after the other through the dark and narrow streets, deliberately choosing secluded, narrow, and rarely visited alleys.

The cave where the Ghost Market is located is said to extend hundreds of feet underground.

The biting, eerie wind blows year-round, and the deeper one goes, the more intense and biting it becomes, carrying with it a thick, decaying stench.

The shops on both sides are increasingly low and secluded, and the alleyways are winding and meandering. If one does not frequent this place regularly, it is very easy to get lost.

Before long, the innkeeper stopped in front of a rock.

"Master, this is the place."

The shopkeeper stopped and bowed, reporting in a low voice, "Steward Huang is hiding here."

Xuan Daoist nodded slightly, a cold light flashing in his eyes. He stepped forward and flicked a wisp of true energy between his fingertips.

The silent force struck the rock, instantly melting and disintegrating the rough stone shell, like ice and snow meeting fire, revealing a deep passage.

"Leading the way."

"Yes."

The shopkeeper dared not disobey and was the first to slip into the passage.

The passage was narrow and deep, winding downwards. After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the view suddenly opened up, revealing a wooden door half-closed.

The shopkeeper braced himself and pushed open the door. Inside the secret room, a man in brocade robes sat at a table, rubbing a gourd of coins between his fingers, looking languid and relaxed.

Huang Dan was calculating with his head down, and the huge profits from this sale of pills were enough to offset the risks.

Only when the footsteps drew near did he abruptly look up, a flash of surprise and anger in his eyes, his brows furrowing sharply: "Who gave you permission to come in without permission? How did you get in here?!"

Before he could finish speaking, his gaze swept over the Taoist priest Xuandao who was slowly walking in from behind. His heart tightened suddenly, and an inexplicable sense of crisis surged into his heart.

Xuan Tong stood in the center, quietly observing Huang Dan. His aura was calm and cold, and he remained silent, his imposing presence like a mountain pressing down.

The shopkeeper who had led the way quickly bowed and stepped aside, not daring to breathe loudly, and stood with his head down in the corner.

The sealed room fell into an instant of deathly silence.

Huang Danqiang suppressed his panic. The Taoist priest in front of him had an obscure and difficult-to-understand aura, clearly several realms higher than himself.

He stood up, feigning composure, and said, "Who are you, Daoist Master? I am a steward of the Thousand Gold Pavilion. If you want to do business, you can do it openly and honestly. Why force your way into my private residence?"

He spent years mingling in the marketplace, interacting with cultivators from all walks of life, and knew countless people. The person before him was no easy opponent, so he left room for maneuver in his words, not daring to offend him easily.

The Taoist Master Xuantong's voice remained calm and composed: "Where do the pills he sells come from?"

Huang Dan's pupils contracted slightly, and his heart sank. Could it be that an elder in Zhang Junbao's family knew about this batch of pills?

His mind raced, but he feigned ignorance, saying, "Daoist Master, these pills are from my Qianjin Pavilion. I only sell them; I know nothing else about them."

He was determined to deny everything. He had embezzled and traded these pills, and there were no witnesses or physical evidence. As long as he stubbornly refused to admit it, what could this Taoist priest do? The owner of Qianjin Pavilion was Wanbaolou; how could he dare to offend him?

Xuan Tong Daoist's eyes turned slightly cold, a hint of mockery flashing in them. He had already seen through the other party's wishful thinking and scheming. Without some tricks, how could he pry open their mouths!

"Stubborn and obstinate."

Before Huang Dan could argue any further, Xuan Daoist moved slightly and his figure flashed in front of him like a phantom.

Before he could resist, five fingers firmly gripped the top of his head.

He closed his five fingers, locking his meridians and spiritual energy, preventing him from mobilizing even a fraction of his cultivation or breaking free.

Huang Dan's body suddenly stiffened, as if a vast and domineering power invaded from the top of his head, instantly suppressing his blood and spiritual energy. His limbs and bones became numb and he could not move.

An overwhelming sense of fear instantly gripped his body. His face turned deathly pale, and he shouted sharply, "Daoist Master! I am a registered steward of the Thousand Gold Pavilion..."

"Enough with the noise!" The Taoist Master Xuantong's smile was icy and chilling. "Once your soul and spirit are annihilated, no one in the world will know what happened today. Who will hold you accountable?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he no longer hesitated. His eyes shone with a clear light, and his divine sense transformed into thousands of fine and sharp threads, invading Qian Wanguan's mind.

Searching for souls and examining spirits.

The divine sense tore through the barrier of the spiritual platform, forcibly seizing and perusing all of the other party's memories.

Qian Wanguan felt an unbearable pain in his soul, as if thousands of steel needles were piercing him.

"what!"

Heart-wrenching wails echoed in the closed room.

Huang Dan's eyes bulged out, his body convulsed and trembled violently, his ten fingers gripped his palms tightly, and his head throbbed with a splitting pain.

The excruciating pain, originating from the depths of his soul, was incomparable to any physical suffering. He nearly fainted, but was held up by the profound true energy, and could only endure the torment with a clear mind.

Countless fragments of memory flashed through Xuan Tong's mind like flowing water.

Soon after, the focus shifted to Zhang Junbao.

"Zhang the Dragon Tiger does indeed have the strength to break the Five Prisons Bracelet."

Xuan Tong loosened his five fingers and slowly withdrew his divine sense.

Huang Dan's body went limp, collapsing to the ground like a rag doll, his eyes vacant and unfocused, drool dripping from his mouth, his body twitching slightly.

The soul is shattered, and the body merely convulses instinctively.

The shopkeeper in the corner trembled all over and almost collapsed to the ground.

Xuan Tong lowered his eyes to look at the living dead on the ground, his face still cold and indifferent.

"If you don't die, dozens of people in Zhenlong Temple will!"

If he were to show even a hint of leniency, or if he were to show mercy today, given the matter of the leakage of the Dharma lineage, the Holy Church would not be lenient towards him.

"It's not that I'm cruel, I just had no choice."

Zhang Junbao, from the Zhang family of Longhu, he remembered that name firmly.

He looked at the trembling shopkeeper in the corner and said, "You may leave, but as long as you keep your mouth shut, you can live."

The shopkeeper felt as if he had been granted a pardon, and kowtowed repeatedly to express his gratitude. Not daring to stay a moment longer, he scrambled out of the secret room.

With a sudden movement within the Xuan Tong space, the figure outside the secret chamber froze and collapsed to the ground, unable to rise.

……

The morning market was still bustling. The sun was gradually rising, and a warm breeze was blowing, bringing a touch of warmth.

Li Ya and his companion had finished eating, and Senior Brother Lingji smacked his lips.

"Savory tofu pudding is still better; this sweet and cloying stuff is just not satisfying."

After chatting for a while, we got up to pay the bill and decided to explore the area.

As the two walked out of the shop, Senior Brother Lingji was about to speak when his expression suddenly changed, and he turned to look in the other direction.

Following his gaze, Li Ya saw a slender and upright figure walking slowly from not far away.

He was dressed in a faded gray Taoist robe, his features were clear and serene, exuding the air of a high-ranking Taoist master.

His gaze swept across the crowd indifferently, finally settling precisely on Li Ya.

He walked a few steps away from the two people, then suddenly stopped and asked, "Young friend, how is the breakfast at this shop?"

Li Ya was slightly taken aback, then replied, "Senior, the taste is excellent. It's a decades-old establishment. If you haven't eaten yet, you should definitely give it a try."

Xuan Tong looked at him, feeling a strange sense of familiarity, and nodded slightly: "Thank you for informing me, young friend."

After saying that, he didn't say anything more and turned to enter the shop.

Seeing the opportunity, Senior Brother Lingji pulled Li Ya away quickly, and only breathed a sigh of relief after they had gone several streets away.

Li Ya noticed the change in his expression and asked, "Senior brother, what's wrong?"

"Brother Xiaoya, the senior I just saw gave me a feeling that far surpasses that of my aunt."

"He's at the ninth level of Qi Refining?"

"I'm afraid it's more than that!"

"Perhaps they were attracted by the elixirs from the Ghost Market."

"That's probably it. Let's go back to the mountain. This pill will probably attract other old monsters. It's safer inside the mountain gate after all."

"it is good."

The two said no more and walked quickly toward the mountain gate.