Returning from the Immortal World

Dark clouds still occupied the sky even though it was the time for the sun to rise from the East, covering Bangkok in the dark. Rolling thunderclaps felt like they were coming down from the Ninth Heaven. The atmosphere was like being suppressed, as though a storm was brewing, giving off a suffocating feeling in everyone’s heart.

The smell of blood was as though covering everyone’s nose, while vague killing intent permeated in the air, making the hot summer bring out a chill. Tang Xiu looked like he was sitting calmly in the car, yet his mind was thinking rapidly. No matter how heartless the path of the Great Dao was, he was still a man with emotions. Unfortunately, the higher he wanted to reach, the more he must make himself treat his enemies with ruthlessness.

‘Dark Shaman Clan.’

His finger kept tapping on his thighs as he kept thinking about how to cope with this clan’s patriarch, Singtuo. From the information he got from Singluen, he learned that Singtuo was a powerful wizard, said to be the first expert of his clan.

Tang Xiu himself was not afraid to face this man head-on in a fight. However, he didn’t come to annihilate the entirety of the Dark Shaman Clan, just to make Singluen take over the patriarch seat. Yet, Singluen didn’t want to resort to murdering his father directly. Therefore, the only option was to rack his brain to find another means to make Singtuo step down from his position as the current patriarch of this clan.

It was best if it could be achieved without any bloodshed!

Tang Xiu slowly raised his head, and his eyes shifted to Tang Guang next to him before turning to Mo Awu who sat in the front seat, and then changed again to Jin Shi who was driving the car. After a few minutes of silence, he asked indifferently, “Got any ideas of how to cope with the Dark Shaman Clan’s patriarch?”

“How about we capture him directly, Boss?” said Mo Awu from the front seat coldly. “Just finish him off mercilessly if he dares to resist. Besides, swords have no eyes and Singluen won’t be able to say anything if he dies in the fight.”

“What about the two of you? Got any suggestions?” asked Tang Xiu again.

Jin Shi spoke without turning his head, “I agree with Awu, Boss. We can just force the current Dark Shaman Clan’s patriarch to step down since we have enough power to do so. Singluen is his own, it’s only natural that he has the rights to inherit that position. We can stomp down those who resist and raise up those who follow, as Singluen is the one who’s the most concerned about this patriarch seat anyway.”

Tang Guang glanced at Tang Xiu first before saying his piece slowly, “I’m actually against the option of killing the current patriarch of the Dark Shaman Clan. In fact, it’s best not to kill him. Right now, we only have a relationship of cooperation with him. If we kill his father, it would create a hole in his heart no matter how good we treat him. He won’t dare to oppose us now since he’s aware that his clan’s power is too weak. But there’s no guarantee that he won’t betray us once his clan becomes formidable.”

“Tell me more,” said Tang Xiu.

“I suggest to use a strategy,” said Tang Guang. “The best means is to have the Dark Shaman’s current patriarch under our control. As long as we can control his life, there’s no need to fear that he won’t obey and he will step down from his position.”

A smile crept up on Tang Xiu’s face and he asked again, “Do you have any suggestion as to what method we should use to control the life of this clan’s patriarch?”

“If memory serves, don’t you have similar techniques like the one you used to control that Japanese female, Kuwako Yamamoto, Boss?” asked Tang Guang as he continued, “If you could cast this technique on the current Dark Shaman Clan’s patriarch, it could be said that we have struck a nail in this clan even though Singluen will be the new patriarch. Additionally, we can make his father replace him should he turn his back on us in the future.”

“Using this technique is definitely a good idea, but it’s only effective in a case like Kuwako.” Tang Xiu shook his head and said, “It will be very difficult to cast it on the current head of the Dark Shaman Clan.”

The technique was the Soul Ruling Spell! But casting this art on someone required two prerequisites. First: one must have powerful strength to suppress the target before piercing the target’s soul, exerting power to rule over the soul. The caster must be much more powerful than the target. Second: the target must cooperate in accepting it, which was equivalent to taking the initiative to hand over his or her life to the caster.

Although Tang Xiu had never met the Dark Shaman’s current patriarch, he could tell that this person would never take the initiative to open his soul and let him control his life with the Soul Ruling Spell.

Tang Guang was silent for a short while and then slowly spoke again, “Since your previous method is not feasible, then we only have one method left, Boss.”

“Say it!” said Tang Xiu calmly although he had guessed Tang Guang’s idea.

“By using poison,” said Tang Guang.

Tang Xiu nodded and said, “Using poison is indeed a good way. I can concoct a lot of types of powerful poison pills. Unfortunately, we don’t have enough time, so it’s kinda unrealistic to refine them. Unless..”

“Unless what, Boss?” pursued Tang Guang rapidly.

“Unless there’s a well-preserved high-grade fierce beast’s blood,” said Tang Xiu. “I can use it to spray out the poison in a short time. Unfortunately, I only have the blood of low and mid-grade fierce beasts. I don’t have any high-grade blood. I’d have been able to poison the Dark Shaman’s current patriarch without him realizing it otherwise.”

Mo Awu’s face slightly shifted and he interjected, “I might have the blood of some high-grade fierce beast, Boss.” Having said that, he took out a jade bottle from his interspatial ring and handed it over to Tang Xiu as he spoke again, “I got it from a tribal chief when I carried out my mission in Africa several years ago. He said that it’s the blood of a divine beast or something which his ancestor spent great effort to obtain. He said that this blood can improve the lifeforce and physical function of average people. I’ve taken this blood with Awen and it does give a lot of benefits.”

Tang Xiu’s expression shifted. After receiving the jade bottle, he pulled the cork and smelled it. A pleasantly surprised look appeared on his face as he praised, “Yes! This is indeed the blood of a high-grade fierce beast. It’s quite precious, and the fact that it’s still well-preserved is quite uncommon. Well, I can refine the poison in a short time with this.”

“Do you happen to know what kind of fierce beast this blood was extracted from, Boss?” asked Mo Awu with a curious face.

“It’s from a python that has evolved into an aquatic dragon,” said Tang Xiu with a light smile. “It has survived for thousands of years and then gradually entered the path of cultivation. Therefore, its bloodline has been improved, which is the reason why it had such terrifying might. You’re not even able to fight it with your present strength. I’d expect you to die fighting it unless you can break through to the Nascent Soul Stage. Speaking about that, that tribe you met definitely has more than meets the eye, Awu!”

“They are an extraordinary bunch indeed.” Mo Awu nodded and said, “The sacrificial offering ritual practiced by this tribe seems to have a special ability which gives them the ability to communicate with animals. However, they can’t communicate with all animals per se, nor ones with low intelligence, though.”

“There are indeed a group of people like them called Beast Tamers. Strength wise, these people are just very average, but they can get the help of fierce beasts, spirit beasts or even immortal beasts. Every full-pledged Beast Tamer at least has one beast companion for life. Anyway, let’s stop talking about it now. After we arrive at the Dark Shaman Clan, we won’t rush to meet their current patriarch, Singtuo. Instead, find some quiet and secluded place for me to refine the poison.”

“Understood!” replied several people in unison.

Two hours later, the convoy appeared in the area near the Dark Shaman Clan’s site. Although Singluen was anxious to return to his clan to force his father to abdicate with the help of Tang Xiu’s military power, Tang Xiu himself was unwilling to go there for the time being. Thus, Singluen could only suppress his dissatisfaction inwardly while quietly waiting in the car.

“How long do we need to wait here? Where did Mr. Tang go?”

After waiting for more than half an hour, Singluen couldn’t bear it anymore and finally asked Mo Awu outside the window.

“Boss already said there’s something he has gotta do. We just need to wait for him here,” replied Mo Awu. “Young Master Singluen, I think you also know his temper well, don’t you? He would never delay going to your clan for no reason. Maybe he’s prepping something so nothing will go wrong when he goes with you to your clan.”

“But…” replied Singluen with an anxious face. Just as he spoke, however, Mo Awu interrupted him.

“My Boss has never fought battles unprepared, Young Master Singluen. You’re also aware that the main purpose of this trip to your Dark Shaman Clan is to make you the clan’s patriarch, right? If Boss is not well-prepared, should an unforeseen accident happen, he won’t be able to help you to be the patriarch. Isn’t this quite irresponsible? In fact, I also think that the more prepared Boss is, the happier you’ll be,” said Mo Awu slowly with a smile.

Singluen was stunned. He knew what Mo Awu said was the truth. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that it was justified. The more well-prepared Tang Xiu was, the more likely he was to sit on the patriarch seat of his own clan.

“Do you have some leads on Singkuo?”

After he composed himself, Singluen remembered his big brother who they hadn’t been able to kill yet and suddenly felt a bit restless.

“We got nothing on him as of yet.” Mo Awu shook his head and said, “You know, we Chinese got a saying that clever rabbits have three burrows to hide in. Singkuo has been operating in Bangkok for so many years, so he must have prepared quite a lot of safe houses in advance. Still, there’s no need to worry about it for now. The first thing we gotta do is help you take over the patriarch seat of your clan. Only then can we go all out to track him. We’ll have him executed once we find him.”

Singluen nodded and said, “That’s the only option we have now it seems. I just hope that my father won’t be too wary of me. Many experts of my clan are rushing back now. It won’t be easy to compel my father to abdicate by using force after they come here.”

“For your information, my Boss always achieves what he wants. Even if all the clansmen of your Dark Shaman Clan are to gather at one place, we can still suppress them with force if my Boss wills it,” cut Mo Awu with a deep voice.

At his statement, Singluen shivered inwardly. He didn’t utter any sound again and fell into silence.

As noon came, Tang Xiu returned back with Tang Guang. After taking a seat in the car, he made an order to head to the Dark Shaman Clan immediately. He stored a lot of medicinal herbs in his interspatial ring, so he had been able to refine the poison and its antidotes. As long as Singtuo was exposed to it, even if his cultivation level was at the Nascent Soul Stage, he’d still be poisoned.