Chapter 789: Jia Zuo
Borrowing a knife to kill someone?
Song Yan raised an eyebrow.
"..."
Hmm... that’s good too.
The hidden murderous intent was like a Heart Demon; Song Yan always felt uncomfortable with such things lurking in the shadows.
It was more reassuring to see it clearly with his own eyes.
"Elder Yang, I will naturally follow the arrangements."
Xu Ziqing spoke, "However, for Song Yan or other Disciples, whether they stay here or return to the Sect with the two Elders, we still need to ask for their own opinions."
He was right.
Currently, Song Yan, like Xu Ziqing and Li Yi, were both Disciples of Demon Subduing Peak, and by reason, directly managed by the Sect Master.
Song Yan had the right to choose his next course of action.
In fact, staying here to participate in the Hu Family’s purge wouldn’t take much time.
If, as the Elders said, their collusion with Demonic Cultivators was already a foregone conclusion, with irrefutable evidence... then perhaps half a day would be enough.
Adding in the trivial matters of dividing their resources and the like, three days at most.
The Hu Family and Yang Family on Dragon Pool Mountain were both Families affiliated with Profound Origin Sect, so the lion’s share of the profit distribution would certainly not fall to Cave Abyss Sect.
At that time, it would probably just be a token gesture, and Elder Xu Ziqing should be well aware of this.
Yang Wenxuan frowned upon hearing this, his gaze turning to Song Yan: "What is your opinion?"
A smile suddenly appeared on Song Yan’s lips.
"This Disciple naturally obeys."
That day, he had already revealed that one sword strike, yet they still believed they could suppress and kill him.
A Golden Core, Yang Wenxuan could not invite.
Below Golden Core... with that secret art as a safeguard, and Elder Xu Ziqing accompanying him, he should not die.
Perhaps this time, he could use Yang Wenxuan’s hand to figure out many things.
And solve many troubles.
A dangerous glint flashed in Song Yan’s eyes.
Then let’s see.
What other Demon Beasts and monsters were still around him... Seeing Song Yan’s reaction, Yang Wenxuan was slightly startled, but felt a little more at ease.
With Xu Ziqing and Song Yan, two Foundation Establishment Cultivators, already decided, the Qi Refining Cultivators would be decided quickly as well.
After all, apart from Shao Sichao, the more timid Qi Refining Cultivator, even if the other Disciples were dissatisfied, they wouldn’t raise any objections.
A moment later, the list of all Disciples remaining here was finalized.
Han Yuan, Senior Brother Kong You, Lin Qing, Zhao Xuan, and Chen Chen.
All other Cultivators, including the Disciples observing the ceremony, were to return to the Sect with the two Elders that very day.
This time, Song Yan deliberated repeatedly and decided to let Xiao Ju return to the Sect with everyone.
With the Demonic Path’s invasion now, he might have to rush to the front lines in the future and probably wouldn’t have time to look after her.
With Xiao Ju’s current cultivation and her identity as his Disciple, it was perfectly sufficient for her to join Cave Abyss Sect, which would offer some protection.
Moreover, all the things from the Sword Sect that she could Cultivate had already been taught and guided to her.
Every Sword Cultivator had their own Sword Dao to walk; if she always remained under his protection, she wouldn’t be able to grow.
Returning to his Immortal Cave, he explained all this to Xiao Ju.
"When you officially enter the Sect, follow the arrangements of Senior Sister Yuwen and Junior Sister Qingqing, and Cultivate diligently on Lianyou Peak for now."
"Yes, Master."
Although Xiao Ju was reluctant, she knew her cultivation was low and she couldn’t help Song Yan much.
It was fine before, but now with the Demonic Cultivators invading and the Cultivation World in turmoil.
If she couldn’t help... she would be a burden.
Only by becoming stronger could she always stand by Master’s side... Great Master Mingxin and the large contingents from various Sects soon set off and left Dragon Pool Mountain.
After seeing off the Sect members, Song Yan returned to his Immortal Cave.
First, he brought out a set of Spirit Formation beads and activated the various small Formations within the Immortal Cave one by one.
During this period, Xiao Ju had handled these trivial matters, and now that she was gone, he was indeed a bit unaccustomed to it.
However, he was the one who sent this Disciple back, so there was no reason to call her back, of course.
The Immortal Cave felt a bit empty, and a sense of loneliness inevitably arose in his heart.
Xiao He was no longer Cultivating, playing with that mechanical toy in the corner by herself.
Sister Xiao Ju left, and if Yan Yan was going to Cultivate again, there would be no one to play with her.
"Xiao He." Song Yan did not immediately enter the cultivation room; instead, he sat down beside Xiao He.
"Hmm? What’s wrong?"
Snake Babe’s hands were still twirling the mechanism, but her eyes lifted to look at Song Yan.
"Do you still have relatives among the Demon Beasts?"
"No." Although Xiao He was a little surprised why Song Yan asked this, she still answered honestly.
Her parents, whom she had never met, didn’t count as relatives.
"Oh..."
Song Yan pondered for a moment and asked, "Then if I die, what will you do?"
"Ah?"
Xiao He suddenly looked up, her not-so-clever little mind already imagining the scene after Yan Yan’s death.
Tiny glistening pearls were already welling up in her eyes.
"Waaah—!"
Snake Babe roared, bursting into tears: "Then I won’t live either!"
"Hey, hey, hey, no, no, I’m not really dead."
Song Yan gently patted her back.
"Ah..." Snake Babe wiped her tears: "Oh."
"However, perhaps in the future, I will pretend to die once."
Song Yan whispered to Xiao He, "At that time, don’t let anyone approach me, understand?"
Xiao He was not very clever.
She couldn’t understand why Yan Yan had to die once.
But he must have his reasons for doing so.
"Alright."
Xiao He looked at Song Yan worriedly: "Then you’re not allowed to lie, you have to come back to life, okay?"
"Of course."
Song Yan gently stroked Xiao He’s head: "You go on playing."
Afterward, he returned to the quiet room.
He opened the Storage Bag that belonged to "Yang Kaijun."
"Tsk..."
Every time he opened a Demonic Cultivator’s Storage Bag, he really needed to mentally prepare himself beforehand.
A pile of dead heads, white bone skulls, and some bloody Materials—Song Yan couldn’t even bear to look.
To Cultivate such a Demonic Technique, facing these messy things every day, if one’s thoughts and mind could remain unaffected, then they were indeed truly ruthless individuals.
After muttering curses for a long while amidst a pile of indescribable objects, he finally sorted everything out.
In terms of Materials, he took out some Heaven And Earth Treasure that could be used for Alchemy.
For Spiritual Artifacts, he chose the best quality Flying Sword.
There was also something else in there that made Song Yan curious.
An ancient-looking mask.
Most of the mask’s material resembled a type of green jade, with a smooth and translucent surface, emitting a faint glow.
Additionally, there was a layer of black wood parts inlaid on it.
The front depicted a Kui Dragon-shaped Demon Beast, crude and ferocious.
On the left and right edges of the mask, the characters "Jia" and "Zuo" were respectively carved, feeling heavy in his hand.
This must be the mask used by the Yang Family for the Nuo ritual during the Ancestor Worship Ceremony.
Didn’t Yang Kaijun throw this thing away... or... did it have something special about it?
He rummaged through the Storage Bag for a while longer and found a Jade Slip, which Yang Kaijun must have obtained from the Yang Family ancestral hall when he massacred the remaining Yang Family Disciples.
Within it, there was some information about this Nuo mask.
Ancient ancestors created the Nuo ritual to drive away ghosts and ward off plagues.
At specific times each year, they prayed for the Nuo Gods of their imagination to descend, slay evil ghosts, and dispel disasters.
Legend has it that in ancient times, a young Clan Chief lost his daughter.
His daughter was cruelly tormented by a vengeful spirit and eventually died tragically.
He knelt before his daughter’s corpse, weeping loudly and roaring at the sky.
"Oh, Gods..."
"I have read through ancient texts, understanding the principles of mountain farming and abundance, and have heard of the boundless mysteries that connect heaven and earth..."
"I regret my foolishness, unable to contribute anything to this world..."
"My daughter once asked me, what do you truly wish to gain in your life, and what courage do I have to protect all my clansmen?"
"Oh, great Gods..."
"I do not ask for much."
"Those enviable great powers, those heroes who can turn the tide. Those legendary blessings..."
"Just a little, a little something within my power."
"My dearest ones are safe and sound by my side, and my clansmen live together in harmony, that is all I wish for."
"Just that is all..."
"All I want is just these things!"
His wailing, for some unknown reason, resounded through the heavens and earth.
Then, the legendary Nuo Gods... truly descended.
Perhaps they were not called Nuo Gods; this title was merely a respectful term given to them by the ancestors.
That one Nuo God effortlessly killed the vengeful spirit, then threw it into his mouth, chewed it up, and swallowed it.
This tribe and the surrounding Human Race then enjoyed a long period of peace and tranquility.
From then on, this tribe would, every few hundred years, produce a person capable of summoning the Nuo Gods.
He would then be elected as the Clan Chief.
Such stories did not only happen in one place; many places throughout the world had such occurrences.
Some people summarized from legends that there were a total of twelve Nuo Gods.
They could easily dispel eleven types of ghosts and plagues: ghost tigers, pestilence, enchantments, ill omens, faults, dreams, violent deaths, parasites, observations, giants, Gu, and others.
The appearance of the Nuo Gods would not only expel them but also make them flee in a very short time.
Otherwise, they would gut these disasters, digging out their hearts and lungs, and devour them alive.
Those humans who possessed the power to summon Nuo Gods were given a special title.
Named "Fangxiangshi."
They deeply etched the appearances of the Nuo Gods who had once descended into their minds, and used the best Materials they could find to craft Nuo God masks.
Every Fangxiangshi would continuously explore the fundamental reasons that could make the Gods descend, and then, generation after generation, summarize and pass it down.
Allowing everyone to constantly try it in this way.
This method and means varied across different regions in ancient times.
However, in Song Yan’s view, it could actually be seen as a special Cultivation method.
Contemplation method.
The Fangxiangshi would wear the Nuo God masks and contemplate their past appearances.
At the same time, they would imagine in their hearts their most cherished possessions being taken away by vengeful spirits and disasters.
The Nuo Gods would then descend, driving away and slaying the vengeful spirits, protecting their peace.
Whether these stories were true or false, Song Yan could not judge.
He had previously thought that the so-called Nuo Gods were merely highly cultivated Cultivators, or benevolent Spirit Beasts.
However, according to these legends, the situation differed somewhat from his imagination and speculation.
After pondering for a moment, he once again held the mask in his hand.
Could this mask be one of those Nuo masks passed down through generations in ancient times, as per the legends?
In ancient times, the Yang Family was originally one of the twelve great tribes of antiquity, or did a later ancestor of the Yang Family obtain it by chance... Song Yan did not know.
He channeled a bit of spiritual power into it, attempting to refine it, but it had no effect whatsoever.
He then brought forth a wisp of Sword Qi, with the same result.
It seemed this thing was not a Spiritual Artifact or Spiritual Treasure of any kind.
Song Yan suddenly gave a self-deprecating smile.
Of course not.
Otherwise, how could those people in ancient times, who hadn’t mastered the art of spirit refinement, have summoned the so-called "Nuo Gods"?
Perhaps it was just an ordinary mask.
Since it was an ancient item, keeping it as a souvenir was also good.
Song Yan was about to put it down, but inexplicably stopped his hand.
He picked up the Nuo mask again, and a wisp of Divine Sense probed into it.
Nothing happened, but Song Yan still detected something amiss.
His Divine Sense did not flow away and dissipate like the spiritual power and Sword Qi just now.
Instead, it disappeared within this mask.
There was no sensation of absorption or pulling of his Divine Thought, just an ordinary disappearance.
Song Yan frowned, continuing to probe his Divine Thought into it.
His Divine Soul power was continuously consumed, yet the Nuo mask showed no change, remaining as it was.
This made him unsure whether it was having any effect at all.
To prevent any accidents, Song Yan slightly slowed down his speed but continuously input his Divine Soul power.
"..."
This mask was like a black hole; his Divine Thought would disappear into it without a sound.
He didn’t know where it went.
Fortunately, Song Yan, who continuously Cultivated the Five Stars Pulse Grasping Skill, now possessed sufficiently powerful Divine Sense.
After an unknown period, the mask finally showed a hint of change!
Song Yan gently exhaled a breath of turbid Qi, his heart astonished.
His current Divine Sense should be stronger than that of ordinary Foundation Establishment Middle Stage Cultivators, and slightly weaker than that of ordinary Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivators.
Such a Divine Thought intensity was needed to cause this mask to change.
Could it be that in the ancient barbaric era, those people possessed such Divine Sense intensity without needing to Cultivate?
Now, the originally lifeless black wood part on the front of the mask, in the shape of a Kui Dragon-shaped Demon Beast, faintly glowed, becoming lifelike.
Song Yan pondered for a moment, then placed it on his face.
Buzzing—
At that instant, a sudden ringing began in his ears, and a strange dizzy sensation surged forth.
At the same time, black mist spread out before his eyes, boundless and endless.
When the brief dizziness passed, Song Yan’s thoughts became concentrated, and his mind became peaceful.
However, his vision was still filled with black mist, only vaguely able to discern some outlines.
Although the black mist before him was gradually dissipating, Song Yan instinctively activated his Insightful Void Sword Eye.
In an instant, the scene before him became incredibly clear.
"Where is this..."
Before him was a space shrouded in black mist, and behind him was an enormous humanoid statue.
The statue wore a simple mask, its ten fingers spread open, as if wanting to embrace something.
And at this very moment, he himself stood on the right thumb of this statue.
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