Who Brought Him into the Cultivation World?

”The term ’Corpse Refining Lineage’ is just what you outsiders call us. We ourselves refer to it as the Holy Sect!”

Qi Bai gazed vacantly, speaking slowly.

As for the origin of the Holy Sect, he had no way of knowing. All he knew was that from the time he became aware, he had been living on an island, filled with children of the same age as him.

This wave of memories seemed to stir some fear deep within him.

At first glance, an island full of children would seem like a joyous place, but in reality, it was not.

As he gradually grew sensible, Qi Bai discovered that his playmates would disappear every so often; those who were unseen the next day were never seen again.

”We didn’t have our own names. Initially, I wasn’t called Qi Bai. On the island, we only had our numbers; I was One-Seven-Four-Three.”

This designation accompanied him for quite a long stretch of years, until he was taken away at the age of ten.

”Was there any pattern to when you were taken away? Or did it follow some conditions?”

Ling Wuce pondered for a while and then asked.

Qi Bai shook his head; perhaps there was a pattern he didn’t know, or maybe there was none. As for conditions, at such a young age, how could he have thought of so many things?

His blurred memory only recalled that the number of children leaving the island, including him, was exactly one hundred.

A huge ship docked outside the island, and once they boarded, the children inexplicably fell asleep one by one. Now, thinking back, it was likely a method to ensure they didn’t know the island’s location.

Even now, he couldn’t find the island; all that remained were the times spent on it.

”When we woke up, we found ourselves in a building.”

At these words, Ling Wuce’s heart skipped, because according to Ma Zhou’s earlier narrative, he had also entered such a building.

Just as he suspected, Qi Bai’s subsequent account confirmed it.

”We were divided into three groups inside the building, taken away by different individuals.”

Qi Bai’s group was taken to the second floor, which was filled with a pungent medicinal smell. Wooden barrels were scattered everywhere, and they were instructed to disrobe and enter the barrels, whereby someone would come to pour medicinal broth inside.

They soaked for three full days until their bones were almost soft before being allowed out.

After putting on clothes, the group of children was taken to the third floor, which was simple; each would take a pill and sleep.

Ling Wuce, while watching the Palace Guard record, curiously asked,

”Just sleeping is enough?”

Qi Bai responded with an eerie smile, a smile quite unsettling, and slowly said,

”When we woke from that sleep, more than half our companions were gone!”

Those who heard it felt chills down their spines, and even the slowest of them could guess the fate of those missing children.

The remaining ones were finally taken to the fourth floor.

”And what about the fourth floor?”

Even Han Yu asked out of curiosity, given the strict layers of selection they had undergone, what kind of mystery was waiting for them?

Indeed, everyone realized it was a selection process.

”The fourth floor... there was an elderly woman!”

Qi Bai opened his mouth slightly, speaking in a hoarse voice.

Everyone waited for him to continue, but after a moment, there was no more.

”That’s it?”

The fourth floor was just an elderly woman?

Ling Wuce scratched his head, feeling somewhat irritated, as if the storyteller had left off at the most exciting part.

Indeed, his impression of the fourth floor was just the sight of an elderly woman, and nothing more.

”Only after I became a cultivator later did I realize I had my Sea of Consciousness opened there!”

Qi Bai’s words shocked Han Yu. If he heard correctly, the other’s implication was a visit to the fourth floor resulted in the opening of his Sea of Consciousness, and it was through external force, not through personal ownership or post-training.

Thus, the Corpse Refining Lineage also had profound expertise in Divine Techniques.

Artifact Path, Divine Techniques, Corpse Refinement, Ghost Path, if including Qi Bai’s medication process, this was likely also a mysterious use of Pills, suggesting adeptness in Alchemy Dao as well. What else were they not proficient in?

”That can’t be right, if you were raised by the so-called Holy Sect, how did you end up joining the Evil Path?”

Ye Hei voiced his doubts. At that time, Qi Bai was too young to be planted like an undercover nail into other powers. It was simply too far-fetched; no one was foolish enough to be deceived by a ten-year-old child.

”After coming down from the fourth floor, I went to a palace, and there I received my name, Qi Bai.”

As if not hearing Ye Hei’s questioning, he continued recounting his story.

Another palace? Last time, after Ma Zhou had fainted in the building, the final place he awoke was in a palace, where he had a meeting with a mysterious person.

”The one he met was me.”

Qi Bai stated.

Ma Zhou, after being manipulated, conversed with him personally.

Ling Wuce was immediately ecstatic, eagerly asking, ”Where is that place?”

If he could find the palace, perhaps they could locate the base of the Corpse Refining Lineage all at once.

Unfortunately, Qi Bai shook his head, ”I don’t know.”

Don’t know?

”Not only me, even the people of the Yellow Springs Mansion don’t know how to get there. When we need to return, specific people make us go back using special methods.”

Special methods?

Han Yu wondered if it involved returning with a Command Flag?

”Even our understanding of the Holy Sect is just the tip of the iceberg.”