550: Chapter 60 Mr. Ghost

"Boss, is that really our Blood Refining Hall's Ancestral Master, Black-Hearted Old Man?"

Walking along the road, Taoist Wild Dog recalled what he had just seen and heard and couldn't help but ask.

This matter was truly inconceivable to him.

Hearing this, Old Nian said with absolute certainty, "Of course."

He had doubts in his heart before, but now he was as convinced as Jin Binger.

His appearance was almost identical to the portraits of the Ancestral Master passed down through generations.

His strength was unfathomable, and his methods were beyond comprehension.

Most importantly, the Cultivation Techniques of the Blood Demon Realm of the Blood Refining True Skill had many connections and commonalities with the Blood Monster Realm techniques he knew by heart; it was essentially impossible for there to be a mistake.

With all these factors combined, if that wasn't the Black-Hearted Old Man, then who was it?

Seeing him say this, Taoist Wild Dog believed him and turned to ask, "Then are we still going to search for that Wanfu Ancient Cave?"

Old Nian was speechless.

Search for my foot!

His main purpose for coming to Yudu to find the Wanfu Ancient Cave was to see if the Dripping Blood Cave contained the subsequent Cultivation Techniques left by the Black-Hearted Old Man. Now that he had obtained the techniques and knew the Old Ancestor was still alive—with a cultivation at an unfathomable Realm—

Under these circumstances, to still harbor designs on the Wanfu Ancient Cave would be completely ungrateful and foolish.

That Taoist Wild Dog could even ask such a thing...

Well, it was normal for this fellow to be missing a few brain cells.

Thinking of this, Old Nian patiently replied, "No more searching. Go back and gather everyone; we're returning to the Azure Fire Celestial Ice Lake. This Hall Master is going into secluded Cultivation."

"Yes."

...

The Mortuary outside Yudu City.

A man in black wearing a mask was meditating in the room.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the Mortuary door.

The man in black frowned, stood up, and went to open the door.

As the door opened and he saw the visitors, he said in surprise, "Bi Yao, You Ji, why have you come here?"

You Ji said, "Ghost Master, the situation has changed. Let's talk inside."

The man in black, Ghost Master, didn't understand why but stepped aside to let them in.

Once the three were inside, Ghost Master asked while pouring tea, "What happened?"

Bi Yao said bluntly, "Black-Hearted Old Man is still alive, and Lady Jin Ling didn't die either."

Ghost Master's hand paused while pouring tea before quickly returning to normal. He said with a smile, "Bi Yao, you're joking, right?"

You Ji said, "Bi Yao isn't joking; it's true. After we entered Yudu City, we accidentally discovered Old Nian's tracks. Bi Yao wanted to avenge her mother, so I followed Old Nian with her, intending to wait for an opportunity to eliminate him."

"But I didn't expect that Old Nian was actually going with Jin Binger of the Hehuan Sect to see the legendary Black-Hearted Old Man and Lady Jin Ling."

Then, she slowly recounted what she had seen and heard.

Bi Yao added a few words occasionally.

After Ghost Master finished listening, his brow furrowed deeply as he murmured, "That's impossible."

"It has been over eight hundred years since the Black-Hearted Old Man and Lady Jin Ling disappeared. Even that Qingye Ancestor of the Qingyun Sect only lived for over seven hundred years. Even if the Black-Hearted Old Man and Lady Jin Ling had high cultivation, they couldn't compare to that Qingye Ancestor. How could they have lived until now?"

You Ji smiled bitterly. "I also thought it was impossible, but it is the truth."

"Bi Yao and I saw with our own eyes that Jin Binger and Old Nian were extremely respectful to those two, calling the man 'Old Ancestor'. And that Old Ancestor not only had supernatural methods but also possessed the lost second half of the Blood Refining Hall's Cultivation Technique."

"Although that lady didn't speak, I observed her. The way she looked at that Old Ancestor was filled with infinite tenderness; it couldn't be faked."

"Furthermore, she indeed had a string of Golden Bells on her, and she gave me a sense of being an invincible opponent."

"If they aren't the Black-Hearted Old Man and Lady Jin Ling, then who else could they be?"

Ghost Master fell silent. After a few seconds, he muttered to himself, "Over a thousand years old, yet their appearance remains the same, and their methods are inconceivable. Could it be..."

"That the Black-Hearted Old Man and Lady Jin Ling understood the mysteries of the Heavenly Tome and learned a supreme Miao Fa from it."

"It must be so, otherwise it cannot be explained."

Hearing this, You Ji asked in confusion, "Isn't the Heavenly Tome used to resurrect the Beast God?"

Ghost Master said, "The Heavenly Tome indeed has the function of gathering the Beast God's remnant soul and reviving it, but they are too mysterious and profound. Since their appearance, no one has ever been able to collect them all, let alone see the full picture. Resurrecting the Beast God might just be one of its insignificant functions."

Then, as if thinking of something, he changed the subject: "However, speaking of which, according to what you said, that Black-Hearted Old Man has supernatural powers."

"How did you escape his clutches?"

You Ji replied, "It's a bit strange. After Bi Yao lost the fight with Old Nian, Old Nian wanted to kill her. In my desperation, I couldn't care about much else and hastily struck to repel Old Nian and fled with Bi Yao. As it turns out, we weren't obstructed at all and fled all the way here."

"I was worried before that the Black-Hearted Old Man would chase us..."

At this point, her expression changed.

Ghost Master also realized the same thing.

In the next second, both of them rushed out of the house in unison to investigate, but they found nothing.

When they returned to the room, they breathed a sigh of relief but couldn't help but be puzzled.

You Ji murmured, "No one followed us. That's strange."

Bi Yao said thoughtfully, "Perhaps that Black-Hearted Old Man never intended to do anything to us from the beginning."

You Ji countered, "At that time, Old Nian's intent to kill you didn't seem fake at all."

Ghost Master proposed another possibility: "Perhaps that Black-Hearted Old Man and Lady Jin Ling are fakes. Everything you encountered was a setup by Old Nian and Jin Binger, or rather, a joint play by the Blood Refining Hall and the Hehuan Sect. The goal was to scare us away so they could monopolize the Wanfu Ancient Cave."

You Ji flatly denied it: "Impossible."

"Bi Yao and I saw the Black-Hearted Old Man's methods with our own eyes: with a wave of his hand, the scenery shifted, and with a flick of his finger, he imprisoned Taoist Wild Dog with an invisible force."

"Though it was inconceivable, it definitely didn't seem fake."

Ghost Master said, "Besides that, did he do anything else? For example, did he attack you?"

Both You Ji and Bi Yao shook their heads.

Immediately, Bi Yao said, "But the maidservants by his side fought with us. The cultivation of those four was all above mine. The one with the highest cultivation was even a bit stronger than Aunt You. It was precisely because of this that we were captured. During that time, our magic power was even sealed."

"This was our actual personal experience; it's impossible for it to be fake."

Ghost Master's doubts wavered, but he still said, "According to the records, that Black-Hearted Old Ancestor was no kind soul."

"You were discovered by him, and your identities were exposed. The Ghost King Sect has had many grudges with the Blood Refining Hall over the years."

"The fact that he allowed you to leave safely is truly a bit suspicious."

"Furthermore, this trip to Yudu City to explore the Wanfu Ancient Cave concerns the Heavenly Tome. If we just leave like this, it will be hard to explain to the Sect Master."

Seeing Ghost Master mention the Heavenly Tome and the Ghost King, Bi Yao couldn't help but remember what Old Nian had said earlier. At the same time, she was struck by painful memories, and a surge of annoyance instantly rose in her heart. She immediately said in a cold voice, "Then what should we do? I've already narrowly escaped death this time. Does he really want me to die before he's satisfied?"

Ghost Master was somewhat used to her sudden changes in temperament and didn't mind. He just said, "How about this, I will go meet that Black-Hearted Old Ancestor tomorrow."

"To see what his purpose is."

...