48: heretical sects, righteous sects

"This person is suspected to be a Righteous Path Cultivator, and possesses a Magical Artifact of unknown grade."

"That Magical Artifact can shift its form, and their cultivation base and combat power are approaching the Spirit Manifestation Realm."

"Ten days ago, they single-handedly killed thirty-three Evil Path Cultivators in the middle and Late Stages of the Kai Guang Realm."

"Four days ago, they single-handedly killed eighteen Devil Cultivators in the Late Stage of the Kai Guang Realm."

"Two days ago, they single-handedly killed two Spirit Manifestation Realm Cultivators who emerged from the Epoch Battlefield."

"She has made a resounding name for herself in the cultivation world of the Southern Frontier with her own strength."

"Causing many Evil Path Cultivators and Devil Heads to tremble in fear and find her troublesome, they have all taken to calling her the 'Scarlet Butcher'."

Tang Heng understood this point deeply.

Tang Heng performed an internal inspection and finally understood that the strange Qi that had been tormenting him in his Meridians for the past few days was the rumored Righteous Path True Qi.

By slightly channeling the turbid Qi of heaven and earth, he immediately polluted all of that Righteous Path True Qi, and the throbbing pain in his Meridians finally began to fade.

This surge of Righteous Path True Qi had been rampaging for several days and its power had already greatly diminished, so he quickly eliminated it completely.

Shaking his head, Tang Heng did not dare to actively seek trouble with the Scarlet Butcher; after all, even a dignified Spirit Manifestation Realm Cultivator had died at her hands.

Since he wasn't even in the Spirit Manifestation Realm, there was no need to join in the fray.

The most urgent matter at present was to obtain the spirit manifestation pill and spirit manifestation insights.

Searching around the small city, Tang Heng finally found the Righteous Qi Sect Disciple recruitment center established there.

The plaque at the entrance bore the three large characters for 'Righteous Qi Sect'.

"Name, cultivation base, and what is your purpose for joining our Sect?"

Inside the hall, the deacon asked coldly.

"This one is Huang Xizhang, with a cultivation base at the Nascent Light Realm Seventh Layer. I am joining the Righteous Qi Sect to seek resources to break through to the Nascent Light Realm Ninth Layer."

Tang Heng replied respectfully.

After a brief interrogation, a small test of his cultivation base was conducted.

Of course, out of caution, Tang Heng only displayed his cultivation base at the Nascent Light Realm Seventh Layer.

After the series of registrations, the deacon finally tossed over a token and a set of black and white Outer Sect Disciple robes.

The entrance ceremony was simple and crude.

"Listen, complete one Sect mission every twelve days, otherwise you will face the pursuit of the Law Enforcement Hall."

"Living quarters and resources are claimed based on your ability."

"Yes, Deacon."

After completing the Sect entry procedures, Tang Heng changed into the Righteous Qi Sect Disciple robes and headed straight for the Righteous Qi Sect mountain gate without delay.

With the Disciple token and this attire, Tang Heng naturally passed through without obstruction.

He soon arrived at the living area for Outer Sect Disciples of the Righteous Qi Sect, but all the good spots here had already been taken.

Tang Heng had just entered the Sect and was not yet clear on the situation here, so he decided not to rashly seize someone else's living quarters.

He walked into a remote and desolate small courtyard and left his Disciple mark.

After a bit of cleaning, he settled down there.

After continuous long-distance travel, he finally had time today to check the situation inside the myriad souls banner.

Inside the myriad souls banner, the previously extremely crowded soul space had become spacious. He had originally summoned a batch of evil spirits and ghosts, but they had gone to waste.

Added to Yao Yian's frantic devouring, what remained was looking quite stretched thin.

However, for Tang Heng, there was still cause for celebration, which was that this black spirit body's cultivation had already improved to the Kai Guang Realm Sixth Layer.

Now that he had entered the Righteous Qi Sect with a hidden cultivation base, this black spirit body could serve as his means, released to be driven by him.

At that time, as long as he found a few more remote small villages and towns and let it devour more, wouldn't its promotion be even faster?

However, Tang Heng was still in a body suffering from severe injuries, and having used his life-saving secret technique twice in a row, his combat power had plummeted.

Currently, he could at most exert the power of a Cultivator at the Nascent Light Realm Seventh Layer, and the recovery period would take at least two months, so he couldn't rush to do this.

"It must be planned slowly..."

In the half month that followed, Tang Heng quietly recovered from his injuries.

Occasionally, he would complete a few simple low-level Sect missions; although the resources obtained were not much, life was peaceful.

Mo Zheng City, a small-to-medium-sized city belonging to the Devil Sect, the Righteous Qi Sect.

The streets in the city were winding and deep, paved with bluestone slabs, as if recounting countless secret stories.

A gaunt-looking man with red-rimmed eyes stepped into the city; his hair was pitch black, and his skin was terrifyingly pale.

"The aura sensing is correct; that thief should be nearby!" he muttered to himself, his voice low and cold.

Liu Tianxiong walked slowly along the street, the dense Evil Qi occasionally emanating from his body scaring a group of Mortals and weak Cultivators so much that they dared not speak loudly.

They waited for him to walk far away before they dared to continue speaking.

"Such a dense blood-Qi aura, it is at least the cultivation base of the Nascent Light Realm Ninth Layer," a Cultivator whispered, his voice carrying undisguised awe.

"Indeed, if one had not slaughtered tens of thousands of Mortals, it would be impossible to generate such terrifying Evil Qi."

Another person echoed, their eyes flashing with the light of fear.

Soul-Reading Breath-Concealing Technique.

Liu Tianxiong noticed the reaction of the surrounding crowd slightly and quickly hid into a dark alley.

He cast a concealment Cultivation Technique to suppress his cultivation base to the Eighth Level of Kai Guang Realm.

Cultivating to the Late Stage of the Kai Guang Realm, increasing each layer was as difficult as ascending to heaven, and hiding one layer of cultivation could avoid many unnecessary troubles.

Exploring the direction of the aura again, when Liu Tianxiong figured out the other party's location, he couldn't help but frown.

"This thief has actually hidden inside the Righteous Qi Sect." His voice was low, revealing a trace of irritability.

"If he keeps hiding in this small Sect, I fear it will be difficult for me to find an Opportunity to refine him."

Liu Tianxiong only hesitated for a short while before immediately deciding to slip out of the Sacred Corpse Sect and lower himself to join this so-called Righteous Qi Sect.

Liu Tianxiong made this decision with great difficulty.

Because the Sacred Corpse Sect was a Nascent Soul-level force in the Southern Frontier, it was relatively strict with its Disciples, and for Disciples who betrayed the Sect, it was basically kill without pardon.

However, Liu Tianxiong himself had limited talent and had suffered serious hidden injuries in his early years, so even if he gathered the spirit manifestation pill, spirit manifestation insights, and other items.

The probability of breaking through to the Spirit Manifestation Realm was less than forty percent.

That was why he practiced the blood-kin Breakthrough secret technique, eager to find an Opportunity for a Breakthrough.

Although his plans had been ruined by that thief, it was not without a remedy.

Refining the other party into blood beads to consume could still have some effect.

"How dare you ruin my good deed; I will pull out your soul and turn it into a lamp wick!"

Liu Tianxiong thought viciously.

In the following days, he successfully mixed into the Righteous Qi Sect and successfully confirmed the thief's identity—Righteous Qi Sect Outer Sect Disciple, Huang Xizhang of the Nascent Light Realm Seventh Layer.

Righteous Qi Sect Outer Sect Disciple, Nascent Light Realm Seventh Layer, Huang Xizhang!

"Creak."

On this day, Tang Heng opened the door, and a gaunt-bodied, fair-skinned Inner Sect Disciple appeared.

He was walking towards Tang Heng with a gentle smile: "Greetings, Junior Brother."

Tang Heng looked suspiciously at the smiling stranger in front of him, a trace of vigilance flashing in his eyes.

Although the other party had a warm smile on his lips, Tang Heng's intuition told him that the man in front of him was not a kind person.

In this Southern Frontier cultivation world where Devil Cultivators walked everywhere and Evil Path Cultivators were as common as dogs, what was least lacking were those Devil Heads who hid a knife in their smiles.

Although this thin Cultivator tried hard to hide his aura, Tang Heng, relying on his cultivation experience, easily detected the extremely dense Evil Qi on him.

This guy was definitely not a good person!

"Disciple Huang Xizhang pays respects to Senior Brother."

Tang Heng bowed slightly, his tone carrying a touch of respect.

"Junior Brother, no need to be so formal. I just moved here, sorry for the disturbance."

The other party was not in a hurry to reveal his purpose, as if he simply wanted to become familiar.

After a period of time, until after several more "chance encounters," this Senior Brother finally expressed his purpose to Tang Heng.

"To tell you the truth, I came to find you, Junior Brother, today because I have a huge Opportunity to bestow upon you."

As soon as his words were spoken, they quickly attracted Tang Heng's attention.

"I have a treasure map of an ancient Cultivator here, which is very likely to hide an ancient Spirit Manifestation technique."

"I wonder if Junior Brother can accompany me on a trip?"

"Ancient Spirit Manifestation technique?!"

Tang Heng's heart couldn't help but tremble, his gaze focused, and a look of longing quietly emerged.

However, in that instant, he quickly reined in his emotions and maintained a calm exterior.

He understood in his heart that, regardless of the authenticity of this treasure map, just in terms of his own cultivation base, if he were to go rashly, he would likely only become a sacrificial victim of the other party's scheme.

As an Evil Path Cultivator himself, he knew the sinister nature of Evil Path Cultivators all too well.

"Sorry, Senior Brother. Junior Brother only has a cultivation base at the Nascent Light Realm Seventh Layer and my strength is low."

He said this slowly, his tone revealing helplessness.

"I fear this treasure map involves great danger, and my weak cultivation base might not be able to support it."

"So please, Senior Brother, find someone else more capable."

"Haha, no matter, no matter." Liu Tianxiong's laughter seemed a bit forced, yet he did not seem to intend to give up.

"I have already investigated it; although the danger inside is not small, as long as we are careful, there is a high probability of retreating unscathed."

"Junior Brother, this is an ancient Spirit Manifestation technique." He kept persuading, but Tang Heng's attitude remained cold and unshakeable.

"Since that is the case, I will not disturb you, Junior Brother." Liu Tianxiong finally realized that he could not continue to persuade him, so he apologized and retreated.

Upon returning to his residence, Liu Tianxiong angrily overturned the utensils on the table, smashing them into pieces all over the floor.

"Harder to deal with than I imagined."

He muttered to himself, his eyes revealing undisguised killing intent.

"Huang Xizhang! Then let us wait it out; sooner or later you will have to leave the Righteous Qi Sect mountain gate!"

"Hehehe."

Just then, a fawning voice came from outside the residence.

"Hehe, Senior Brother Liu, the manpower you need has arrived."

A Disciple with sharp eyebrows and a long face led five Cultivators dressed as servants, standing respectfully outside the door with beaming smiles on their faces.

Waiting for the other party's reward.

Liu Tianxiong licked his lips, the corners of his mouth curling into a strange arc: "All six of you, come in."

"This Senior Brother will bestow upon you a great Opportunity."