Chapter 162: Myriad Flames Earth Cavern
The Heart Questioning Platform was originally built by Ning Qi based on the principles of the Soul Capturing Eye Technique, so it was naturally an excellent place to use in conjunction with the Soul Capturing Eye Technique.
Ghost Mask was no ordinary person. His strength could rank at the forefront even on the Heavenly Human Ranking. With his powerful Divine Intent and strong resistance, Ning Qi needed to excavate as much useful intelligence as possible from him.
They proceeded forward.
The many disciples near the Heart Questioning Platform had already been cleared out in advance.
Ning Qi carried Ghost Mask and landed on the Heart Questioning Platform. Ghost Mask couldn’t help but tremble mentally as he sensed something amiss.
He naturally knew the name of the Heart Questioning Platform. Back when the True Martial Sect was founded and accepting disciples, several spies from the Demonic Sect and the Southern Border had revealed their true origins right there on the Heart Questioning Platform. He wasn’t sure if it would work on him, but looking at the stone pillars around him made his heart crawl with fear.
Suddenly, he found he could speak and couldn’t help but muster his courage to say:
“This place might work against some Gang Yuan Realm martial artists, but with the powerful Divine Intent of us Heavenly Human Realm martial artists, you won’t learn a single useful thing from me.”
Ning Qi did not respond.
Luo Wentian sneered coldly:
“You frog at the bottom of a well, do you know who created this Heart Questioning Platform? Ninth Junior Brother’s abilities are beyond your imagination. The Heart Questioning Platform may not shake your Divine Intent, but he can.”
This simple sentence immediately panicked Ghost Mask.
The world believed that the True Martial Sect’s Heart Questioning Platform and Ascension Stairs, along with their many foundations, were excavated from ancient sect ruins, but now it seemed that was not the case. Clearly, they were created by the Heavenly Sword True Person standing before him.
Ghost Mask stared intently at Ning Qi before him, his heart pounding harder and harder.
After being captured, from what he had seen and heard along the way, he already knew the true identity of the Heavenly Sword True Person. It was not the rumored nearing end of lifespan, nor the old senior that the Dragon Mountain Daoist had coincidentally met, as described.
This Heavenly Sword True Person was actually the ninth disciple of the Dragon Mountain Daoist!
This filled him with immense fear. Among the Dragon Mountain Daoist’s eleven disciples, this ninth disciple was the most low-key and mysterious. The Demonic Sect had tried to investigate him in the past but found nothing, only knowing he was just over a dozen years old.
That in itself wasn’t much, but when a dozen years old equated to the Heavenly Sword True Person, everything changed completely.
“Heavenly Sword True Person, are you human or ghost!”
Ghost Mask’s eyes were filled with fear, growing more terrified the more he thought about it.
Such a person could no longer be described by words like prodigy or monster. Looking through ancient and modern times, there had never been anything so outrageous. Even those powerful Martial Saints of the past were not this perverse.
If the Demonic Sect had such a figure, they wouldn’t need the so-called Saint Pill Method. They could just let him grow step by step.
Ning Qi looked coldly at Ghost Mask, ignoring his terror.
He remained silent.
Mysterious fluctuations rose around the Heart Questioning Platform. Ghost Mask couldn’t help but feel heart palpitations and panic. He tried hard to resist, but the panic in his heart grew heavier, as if a deep vortex was gradually enveloping him.
Finally.
He fell into deep pool darkness, facing a pair of indescribable pupils that seemed to hold black light yet shimmered with golden intent. His whole person became dazed.
After creating the Illusion Breaking Golden Eye Secret Technique, Ning Qi had extracted some compatible parts to further strengthen the Soul Capturing Eye Technique.
“What is the Sad White Hair Secret Technique?” Ning Qi’s vast voice rang out.
Normally, he wouldn’t need to ask about such a secret technique, but since Qin Yun had used it to burn away his lifespan until exhaustion, knowing its principles could help in figuring out a treatment method later. Moreover, it was also a test to see if Ghost Mask was fully under soul capture.
Ghost Mask spoke stiffly:
“Sad White Hair takes one’s lifespan and burns one’s essence…”
He explained sentence by sentence, revealing its exquisite nature.
Luo Wentian and the other two saw this eerie yet miraculous scene and couldn’t help but feel chills in their hearts. Such a secret technique was unheard of. Compared to the Heart Questioning Platform, it was far superior, making him reveal his secret technique completely without holding back any secrets.
They secretly sighed in admiration.
Ning Qi listened while pondering. With his current insight, a simple deduction told him if there were any flaws in the secret technique.
“Indeed, it’s no ordinary secret technique. I wonder where this Ghost Mask obtained it from.”
A spiritual insight flashed in his mind. From the secret technique itself, he gained a deeper understanding of Qin Yun’s current state. The situation might be even worse than he had imagined. The Sad White Hair Secret Technique burned lifespan very efficiently, and since Qin Yun had no intention of surviving, he had consumed all his remaining lifespan in one go.
Thus, Qin Yun was now teetering on the boundary between life and death. If Ning Qi hadn’t noticed something wrong earlier and immediately sealed him with an ice sealing technique, it would likely be beyond saving.
“Even so, the situation is still not good. The less lifespan Eighth Senior Brother has left, the higher the requirements for the subsequent treatment secret technique,” Ning Qi thought to himself.
His gaze toward Ghost Mask grew even colder.
After revealing the Sad White Hair Secret Technique, Ghost Mask’s complexion had paled, and his pupils began to dilate slightly.
Ning Qi didn’t waste time and began inquiring about other information.
Everyone had a limit to what they could withstand under the Soul Capturing Eye Technique. Exceeding it could turn them into an idiot. Ning Qi didn’t care about Ghost Mask’s life or death; he just wanted to squeeze out as much useful intelligence as possible.
“Where is the Demonic Sect Headquarters?”
“Myriad Flame Grotto.”
Ning Qi raised an eyebrow. The Myriad Flame Grotto was not within Great Yan territory, near the western desert. Rumors said it contained various strange fires, some even threatening to Heavenly Human Realm experts. He hadn’t expected the Demonic Sect to place their headquarters there.
But he felt it wasn’t that simple.
“Is this the only headquarters?”
“There are two headquarters in total, but we only know this one. Normally, important matters are handled here with high-level meetings.”
“Who else knows the other one?”
“No one except the Great Elder.”
Ning Qi asked for more details and the exact location, now having a clear picture. Ghost Mask’s expression grew increasingly fierce, his eyes dilating more obviously. Ning Qi asked again:
“Where does your Demonic Sect refine the Saint Pills? How are these Saint Pills used? Tell me everything you know about the Saint Pills.”
Luo Wentian and the others trembled, looking expectantly at Ghost Mask.
But Ghost Mask began to struggle.
Ning Qi suppressed with Divine Intent, and the Heart Questioning Platform’s fluctuations enveloped Ghost Mask. Then Ghost Mask spoke with difficulty:
“I don’t know. The Saint Pill Method is known only to the Great Elder and the Sect Master. It’s the Sacred Sect’s highest secret. Every time, the exotic beast inner cores are handed to the Great Elder for personal handling. No one else knows where they go—perhaps to the other headquarters.”
“What is your Sect Master’s background?”
A hint of pride crept into Ghost Mask’s voice:
“Our Sect Master is an unparalleled prodigy of our Sacred Sect. A cycle of sixty years ago, he already reached the Martial Intent Supreme Realm. No one knows what realm he has reached now. Perhaps in the future, he will step into the Martial Saint Realm and lead our Sacred Sect to unparalleled greatness!”
Even in the soul-captured state, he was somewhat fanatical.
Lin Ruhua saw Jiang Baishan looking at her and shook her head slightly:
“Before I was born, the Sect Master had already gone into closed-door cultivation. Matters about the Sect Master are absolute secrets in the Demonic Sect, not to be mentioned by anyone.”
Everyone felt a chill, realizing this Sect Master was no simple figure.
But Ning Qi remained relatively calm.
As long as he wasn’t a Martial Saint, there was nothing to fear.
After the questioning, he also learned that the Demonic Sect’s Saint Pill Method likely rested with that Great Elder. As for the Great Elder’s strength, it was also extraordinary. According to Ghost Mask, he was possibly in the top five of the Heavenly Human Ranking, or even higher.
Moments later.
Ning Qi looked at Ghost Mask, who was now foaming at the mouth, and waved his hand slightly. Ghost Mask recovered from the soul-captured state. Ning Qi had learned all he needed to know. He couldn’t kill Ghost Mask yet, in case the Demonic Sect had some secret technique to sense life and death.
If they learned Ghost Mask was dead, it would affect his subsequent actions. Moreover, he had promised Jiang Baishan to hand Ghost Mask over after questioning.
At this moment, Ghost Mask’s pupils were filled with lingering fear. He looked at Ning Qi as if seeing a ghost.
He couldn’t imagine there was such a strange technique in the world. He felt like a lamb stripped bare, with no secrets left.
His head throbbed painfully, as if a stone full of spikes had been squeezed in and was churning. Snot and tears flowed uncontrollably, his body shaking like chaff. The aftereffects of the pupil technique were manifesting. Even if he survived, he would be no better than a waste from now on.
Ning Qi flicked his finger.
Ghost Mask fell like a rag in front of Jiang Baishan.
He had learned all he needed.
“Fifth Senior Brother, he’s yours now. Don’t let him die for the time being. We’ll talk after I return,” Ning Qi said lightly.
Jiang Baishan nodded hatefully:
“Don’t worry, Little Nine. I won’t let him die so easily. As long as Little Eight doesn’t wake up, he won’t get to die!”
Luo Wentian sighed lightly and patted Jiang Baishan’s shoulder but said no more. With Qin Yun in this state, Jiang Baishan felt the most guilt. Perhaps this could let him vent some emotions.
He comforted him a few words softly, then had Jiang Baishan and Lin Ruhua go rest. He already knew Lin Ruhua was pregnant. After the repeated travels, though Ning Qi had healed her injuries, she was still mentally fatigued.
Only Ning Qi and Luo Wentian remained.
Luo Wentian said:
“Little Nine, what do you plan to do?”
Ning Qi clasped his hands behind his back and looked toward the horizon:
“This trip down the mountain yielded nothing on the Southern Border Blood Emperor Gu. Now that we have a lead on the Demonic Sect Saint Pill Method, we must seize the opportunity. I plan to go to the Myriad Flame Grotto and ideally uproot them completely.”
His voice was calm but filled with killing intent.
Qin Yun’s ordeal had already sentenced the Demonic Sect to death in his eyes.
Luo Wentian didn’t try to dissuade him, only saying solemnly:
“No matter what happens, put yourself first. Think of Master in everything. If something happens to you too, Master will…”
He sighed lightly.
Ning Qi nodded seriously:
“Don’t worry, I’ll be careful. No time to delay. I plan to set off now, lest the Demonic Sect notices something wrong.”
Ghost Mask, Qin Yun, and that Elder Ye had come out to capture Jiang Baishan and Lin Ruhua. If delayed too long, the Demonic Sect would grow suspicious.
Luo Wentian patted his shoulder:
“Go quickly and return quickly. Everything in the sect is under my watch. No need to worry.”
Ning Qi nodded slightly and silently stepped into the air, vanishing soundlessly.
…
Heading west all the way.
Ning Qi’s speed was extremely fast, but he concealed his aura, undetected by anyone.
In his mind, he reviewed all the previous information: Ghost Mask’s demeanor, some hard-to-notice subtle habits, connection codes, detailed intelligence on the Myriad Flame Grotto, and information on the many Demonic Sect experts, and so on.
“The Myriad Flame Grotto is located at the junction of the westernmost Liangzhou and the desert. That area has many dangerous places, and the Myriad Flame Grotto is one of them. Though the Demonic Sect uses it as their headquarters, they haven’t fully explored it. They’ve only occupied a small area based on predecessors’ experience.”
“According to Ghost Mask, only Heavenly Human Realm and above experts who are utterly loyal to the Demonic Sect qualify to know the Myriad Flame Grotto headquarters. Simply put, without exception, they must be generational Demonic Sect members. So Eighth Senior Brother doesn’t know, but Fifth Sister-in-law might qualify in the future if she steps into the Heavenly Human Realm and passes tests.”
Ning Qi gradually understood why the Demonic Sect was so hard to eradicate.
The Heavenly Human Realm was the core.
Even if Great Yan eradicated all the Demonic Sect’s other branches, in a few decades, they could send Heavenly Human Realm experts to rebuild, and it would revive from the ashes.
Not to mention, the Myriad Flame Grotto was only one headquarters.
“This Demonic Sect truly has three lairs like a cunning rabbit. Without my Soul Capturing Eye Technique, I probably wouldn’t even know about this Myriad Flame Grotto headquarters.”
Ning Qi knew this trip wouldn’t be easy.
He didn’t know how many Heavenly Human Realm experts the Myriad Flame Grotto had accumulated over the years.
As he pondered.
His appearance and figure began to change, instantly transforming into Ghost Mask’s likeness.
“Something’s still missing.”
Ning Qi slapped his forehead, remembering.
Passing a town, he disguised as an ordinary person to buy some bronze. Then, with Gang Qi turned into flames, he melted it. Soon, a bronze mask appeared in Ning Qi’s hand, identical to the one Ghost Mask had worn before. Ning Qi only needed one glance to imprint all the details in his mind.
Ning Qi sped through the sky. During this, he also deduced Ghost Mask’s martial arts.
Time passed.
After crossing Liangzhou, he had become an exact replica of ‘Ghost Mask’—appearance, figure, clothing, and martial arts characteristics all identical.
His lips curved slightly.
Now there were no flaws, but he still needed to be cautious. After all, the intelligence from the Soul Capturing Eye Technique wasn’t comprehensive. If exposed, he’d have to prepare for a hard fight.
But easier was better.
His aura gradually shifted, and the eyes beneath the mask turned cold and ruthless.
Ahead.
Was already the Myriad Flame Grotto.
The Myriad Flame Grotto had countless entrances. From the sky, it looked like the ground had opened giant mouths, some even spewing flames of various colors—a magnificent sight. Some flames’ power even surprised Ning Qi.
However.
After years of exploration, the Demonic Sect had grasped some patterns.
Ning Qi stopped before a cave entrance, waiting silently.
An hour later, the deep blue flames ahead gradually ceased, and he stepped inside.
But just as he moved, a fluctuation came from afar, heading straight here. Ning Qi retracted his step and looked coldly, seeing a purple-robed youth striding over. He laughed loudly:
“What a coincidence, running into the Vice Sect Master here!”
Ning Qi recognized the newcomer: one of the Demonic Sect’s Candidate Holy Sons, Jiang Tianlong.
He cursed inwardly at the bad luck, an inauspicious start.
