CHAPTER 615: CHAPTER 614: KILLING MUST ALSO BREAK THE SPIRIT

Just feeling a bit tipsy, Jiang Yuan was jolted awake by the good news of the Soul-Devouring Demon Skill upgrade.

"It seems like once the Willpower value is boosted, it’s not that easy to trigger Frenzy Mode anymore." He still remembered when he first acquired the improved version of the Soul-Devouring Demon Skill, after absorbing the lifespan of just two Evil Cultivators, he almost went berserk, killing indiscriminately and not recognizing kin.

Willpower is a good thing, the problem is that I haven’t found a place to farm Skill Points yet.

At this thought, Jiang Yuan had a sudden realization—Hu Zhile belonged to the Snow Mountain Fox Race, which was also a Fox Demon, they should have Illusion Techniques similar to the Green-eyed Fox Race that can disturb the enemy’s mind.

Once the Resurrection Talisman is crafted, during the next task, it’s quite possible to encounter one in battle. Then, if I find a way to capture one, wouldn’t I be able to farm points at will?

Excited by this idea, he directly ignored the noise around him.

"Spare me, fellow cultivator, as long as you spare my life, I’ll do anything!"

"Those bad deeds were all done by them, they have nothing to do with me. I’m just an old man who knows nothing!"

...

"You, you are slaughtering innocents, you will be punished by the heavens sooner or later!"

"Using evil techniques to harm the innocent, when you undergo Tribulation Crossing, you will surely be struck to pieces by divine lightning..."

...

Zhao Yongxiang couldn’t escape, couldn’t break free, and had no Spiritual Power to use. As an evil cultivator at the peak of the Transformation Realm, accustomed to killing with impunity, when had he suffered such indignity?

The allure of the Evil Path lies in unrestrained, reckless growth in power through despicable means. If I still abide by the rules, wouldn’t I have fallen to the Evil Path for nothing? But I’m already evil enough, yet I’ve encountered someone even more sinister!

Seeing that all his pleas and flattery were useless, and feeling life slipping away rapidly, he became enraged and hurled insults, hoping to find a slim chance of survival.

"The efficiency increase is still not enough, I need to work harder." Jiang Yuan had no time to deal with the dying evil cultivator’s trash talk, looking at the system’s pop-up values for comparison, previously it was one to two years absorbed in each go, now it added one to two months on the existing basis, which was better than nothing.

[Activating skill absorption: Please choose from the three options below. If none is needed, please close the dialogue box.]

[1. Earth Escape Technique: As the name suggests, this escape technique requires stepping on the ground to perform. If the destination lacks soil, there is a risk of getting stuck, so please understand the destination thoroughly beforehand to avoid accidents. Low-level Profound Tier cultivation technique, initial teleportation distance: 50 meters]

[2. Gale Blade Technique: A group attack skill that can be used when equipped with a saber. High-level Yellow Tier cultivation technique, initial damage: +150]

[3. Soul Searching Technique: Allows randomly obtaining memories stored in the target’s mind. Usually, the more the target’s emotions are in turmoil, the easier it is to acquire important information. Low-level Earth Tier cultivation technique, initial cooldown: 3 days

Note: 1. The Soul Searching Technique will cause irreversible soul damage to the target, the process is extremely painful. When the health bar is full, the Soul Searching Technique will not cause death, but the target may become foolish due to soul damage; with a health bar below 1/3, there is a chance of death; with a health bar below 1/5, death is certain. Please use with caution.

2. The information obtained through the Soul Searching Technique is not guaranteed to be entirely accurate, so verify its authenticity yourself;

3. The higher the level, the more information obtained through soul searching]

Seeing the opponent entering a severely wounded state, a dialogue box suddenly appeared in his vision.

The three large options on the left, center, and right could all be chosen, and if none of the skills were appealing, one could simply click away.

Triggering the learning of an opponent’s skill right after upgrading, can it be ignored? Of course not!

The main reason Jiang Yuan was interested in the Soul Searching Technique—escape techniques are certainly useful, but he had a Teleportation Scroll when far, a Demon Seal Escape when closer, and even closer he had Instant Teleportation Technique, all of which are safe and convenient skills.

And Earth Escape Technique requires soil on both ends, its constraints make it quite useless.

As for Gale Blade Technique, it’s even more useless; the Dragon Roar Sword is about to be finished, and then there’s a bunch of Sword Intent points to use, there’s no need to acquire a sword-limited cultivation technique.

The last option, the Soul Searching Technique, is excellent for use on evil cultivators. Who cares if they suffer or die? I’d wish for their utter agony and demise, leaving behind some useful clues before dying.

Take this evil cultivator Zhao’s patriarch for example, using his methods to deal with him, tracing the vine to clear out whole nests of evil cultivators, sounds quite fun!

[Would you like to spend 1 million Spirit Stones to learn the Soul Searching Technique?]

The price isn’t low but it’s fair, after all, it’s a real skill, and you can use it right after learning.

[Soul Searching Technique learned, skill level is 0, can gain experience through effective use]

Zhao Yongxiang was almost sucked dry, with only a pitiful sliver of health bar left, on the brink of death. In despair, reviewing his long life, he was filled with regret.

Of course, not for falling into the Evil Path or committing heavy sins, as he believed that once dead, like a light extinguished, there’s no need to worry about going to hell, all he cared about was fully enjoying life while alive.

He regretted and lamented that as the patriarch, he should have delegated some power and enjoyed life early on. If he hadn’t been too obsessed with power, he wouldn’t be running around at his age, leading to his capture and impending doom at the branch stronghold!

Those ungrateful children and servants, they indulged with him, spending lavishly, yet when disaster struck, not one of them was willing to try saving him! My life is over, it’s so unfair!

While he had no strength to even curse and could only wait for death, Zhao Yongxiang suddenly felt his body becoming light, as if... he wasn’t dead!

He snapped his eyes open and found that the person had indeed released their hands, stopped operating the terrifying evil cultivation technique, and ceased draining his life force.

But his heart pounded heavily, as if something more horrible was awaiting him.

"Zhao Yongxiang, you were once a disciple of a reputable sect. Jealous of the magical treasure given to your senior sister by the master, you mistakenly thought she was to inherit the master’s legacy. In a fit of rage, you killed her for the treasure but were caught in the act. After escaping, you were jointly wanted and chose to fall into the evil path," Jiang Yuan calmly flipped back through the system identification information, wasn’t it said that the more emotionally unraveled one was, the easier it was to extract important information?

Thus, a brutal revelation must pierce the heart!

The other person was stunned by the words, then gritted his teeth, saying, "So you are a bounty hunter. All these years have passed, and that old man indeed still won’t let me go!

Ever since I apprenticed under him, I’ve diligently treated the old man like my own father, he praised my talent and encouraged me to cultivate, giving me the illusion that I could be the sect leader. Then he, he surely had a secret affair with that woman, otherwise why choose her over me!"

The stabbing words worked well, there was barely any life left in him, yet he was red-faced, furious, and hysterically roaring; it seemed that not becoming the sect leader of Linyue Sect was indeed his lifelong obsession.

Seeing the other’s anger, Jiang Yuan cheerfully added, "Your master passed his treasured saber to your senior sister not because he wanted her as the sect leader, but because he intended to give you the Frost Moon Blade representing the sect leader’s identity, making you the successor.

Your master, having only two disciples, didn’t wish to favor either. It was unexpected that you misunderstood and followed to murder the senior sister with whom you grew up."

"Impossible!" Zhao Yongxiang’s eyes widened like bronze bells, turning blood red as he denied, "Absolutely impossible! It was, it was him being biased... you’re lying to me!"

Was so many years of resentment really just a misunderstanding?

No way! They were the ones at fault, it would never be me! I was the one deceived and wronged!

"What’s wrong? Facing death, yet unwilling to face reality?" Jiang Yuan continued to stir emotions, "Recall more carefully that crisp autumn night, when your master called your senior sister for a lengthy private conversation.

When she emerged, she held your master’s favorite saber. You overthought it, believing that she had been favored by the master to inherit everything.

Thus, in anger, you decided to kill your senior sister, whom you regarded as both sister and mother, in a fit of rage, thinking that with her missing without a trace, you would definitely take the sect leader’s position as the only heir. Zhao Yongxiang, do you remember how you were discovered after killing your senior sister?"

The description and inquiry brought Zhao Yongxiang, whose emotions were already intense, seemingly back to that night of no return.

He followed his joyful senior sister all the way, his eyes fixed on the beloved saber of his master, the resentment in his heart intensifying. What were all those years of dedication and effort for? Why her, not me?

Suddenly, the heavens seemed to lend a helping hand! She didn’t return to her own courtyard but went to Yan Gui Forest.

It was the most secluded place in the entire sect, and only the senior sister and brother who grew up together used it as a secret base.

Killing her there, no one would know.

He was significantly stronger than his senior sister, a sneak attack gravely injured her. Before delivering a deadly blow, he thought of killing her to destroy the body, enabling him to become the future sect leader of Linyue Sect without any hindrance!

Then... the master appeared, shocked at the sight of the blood-stained ground and the lifeless body of his eldest disciple...

"Do you know why your master went to Yan Gui Forest?" Jiang Yuan struck to the heart, "It was because he passed the saber to your senior sister, intending to call you over, to pass on the legacy and give you the sect leader’s token, but he couldn’t find you.

So he remembered that your senior sister mentioned that Yan Gui Forest was your favorite place since childhood. He went there to find you, intending to make you the next sect leader..."

"No!" The last sentence, lightly spoken, seemed to weigh a thousand pounds as it hit Zhao Yongxiang’s ears.

He didn’t want to believe it, yet the details matched perfectly!

When the senior sister entered Yan Gui Forest with the saber, she was murmuring "finally fulfilled" and "a great joy to celebrate"... Could it be that the celebration she mentioned wasn’t for inheriting the legacy, but to celebrate for me?

The truth revealed brutally years later drove him nearly insane, "No! It wasn’t like this! Absolutely impossible!"

Perfect, now is the time!

Jiang Yuan watched the collapse index soar, seized the opportunity, and clicked to unleash the new skill—Soul Searching Technique!

A virtual blank page suddenly appeared before his eyes, with the skill bar progressing slowly, amid Zhao Yongxiang’s agonizing screams, lines of words filling page after page like a printer.

After nearly a minute, the skill bar completed, all pages were bound into a book titled "Zhao Yongxiang’s Soul-Searching Notes", which floated into the storage bag waiting to be perused.

The wicked evil cultivator, in extreme pain, having been drained of the last bit of value by the Soul Searching Technique he once used countless times, his shriveled corpse turned to ashes, merging into the soil.