A futile struggle.
The instant Chang Shou turned to flee, he was horrified to discover that the true qi circulating within his meridians had completely stagnated, rendering him unable to activate any movement technique.
Immediately after, a massive hand formed from clear innate true energy appeared beside Chang Shou, slowly closed around him, and then began dragging him towards Chen Yan.
Gripped by the giant true energy hand and suspended in mid-air, Chang Shou's eyes were filled with sheer panic, his legs kicking futilely.
Chen Yan stood with his hands clasped behind his back, looking at the terrified Chang Shou with a smile as he spoke.
"At least you're a Passable God Realm cultivator. You could even secure an Elder position within one of the Five Great Sects with that cultivation."
Chen Yan's voice was gentle, but to Chang Shou's ears, it sounded utterly icy and terrifying.
"Look at your current state. It's rather unbecoming."
What kind of heartless talk is that? Aren't you afraid of death?
"Senior, spare me! Senior, show mercy..."
Chang Shou pleaded with Chen Yan like this.
"This lowly one... this lowly one is also just working for someone else..."
"For whom?"
Chen Yan pressed.
"..."
Chang Shou abruptly fell silent. The trembling of his facial muscles clearly showed he was weighing the pros and cons of speaking versus staying silent.
It seems more pressure is needed.
Chen Yan thought to himself, then stirred his divine sense slightly.
"Ahhhhhh!"
Chang Shou let out a heart-rending scream. Just then, he felt his Martial Spring and meridians being scorched by blistering heat for an instant, and even the Martial Spring hidden deep within his dantian nearly ignited from this domineering force.
"Who?"
Chen Yan continued his questioning.
"...It's... Ahhhhhhh!"
Immediately after, Chang Shou began screaming and howling again.
Chen Yan was stunned.
This time, he hadn't applied any pressure to Chang Shou at all, yet...
"Ahhhhhh!"
Chang Shou's screams didn't stop. The muscles of his face twisted and writhed, making it difficult to even recognize his current appearance as human. His facial features completely squeezed into a mass, then began to slowly relax, revealing a human shape once more.
However, his appearance began to look somewhat familiar to Chen Yan.
Sword-like brows, starry eyes, red lips, white teeth—what a handsome young master—
"Xiao Bo'an?"
Chen Yan's expression instantly turned grave.
If there was anyone in this world, aside from those in the Immortal Ascension Realm, who Chen Yan found most difficult to deal with, it was undoubtedly the owner of the face now before him.
Xiao Bo'an, once the Chief Disciple of Mirage Palace's Weaving Dreams Tower, and once the Daomen Xingzou of Mirage Palace.
"Chief Disciple Chen... or should I say, Sect Leader Si."
Xiao Bo'an didn't seem the least bit surprised that Chen Yan would appear before him.
"I never would have imagined that Sect Leader Si Chen, who stole the show at the Floating Light Summit eight years ago, was actually you, Chief Disciple Chen. Just how many more secrets do you carry, Chief Disciple Chen?"
Chen Yan did not answer Xiao Bo'an's question.
Xiao Bo'an clearly wanted to say more, but the muscles of his face soon began to twist and writhe again.
"What a pity, Chief Disciple Chen. In that case... Ahhhhhhhhh!"
Chang Shou's screams rang out once more. His facial features squeezed into a mass for the second time, and when they relaxed again, it was Chang Shou's own face that appeared.
"Senior, I'll talk! I'll talk!"
Chang Shou gasped for breath as he begged Chen Yan for mercy.
"The Dusheng Society! We work for the Dusheng Society!"
Chang Shou hurriedly said.
The Dusheng Society was a top-tier immortal cultivation sect in the Southern Region of the Chenping Continent, ranking within the top five in terms of influence across the entire Southern Region.
Although the name of this cultivation sect seemed to carry the meaning of "delivering all living beings from suffering," the reality was precisely the opposite.
The Dusheng Society had a rather poor reputation, even notorious, within the cultivation world of the Chenping Continent.
This was because the Dusheng Society often bribed smaller sects or rogue cultivators to do their dirty work for them.
Just like their actions on Fusheng Island.
Since ancient times, there had always been cultivators on the Chenping Continent whose lifespans were nearing their end, or who had specific requests, who would come to Fusheng Island to try their luck, hoping to receive guidance from the expert within Fusheng City, or even obtain the "legacy" of Immortal Venerable Fusheng.
Although no one had ever gained anything from this, the stream of people trying their luck never ceased.
It was just like cultivation itself.
Since the beginning of recorded history on the Chenping Continent, only thirty-one people had ever Ascended to Immortality. This ratio could be considered quite exaggerated.
But when a person first steps onto the Path to Immortality, even if they've just entered the Body Forging Realm, how many haven't fantasized about the day they would Ascend to Immortality?
As long as people live, they need hope to have something to strive for.
The few people in this inn were precisely targeting those cultivators who came to the island to try their luck, engaging in the trade of murder and robbery, and colluding with the Dusheng Society.
"The Dusheng Society?"
However, at this moment, Chen Yan's mind was no longer on the Chang Shou before him, nor on the Dusheng Society behind him.
Xiao Bo'an...
The massive hand formed from Clear Energy slowly raised its thumb, then placed it on Chang Shou's head and pressed down lightly.
*Crack!*
A crisp sound rang out, and Chang Shou's neck bone snapped accordingly.
Originally, Chen Yan had wanted to keep a live captive to try and obtain more useful information.
But he never expected it would attract Xiao Bo'an...
Just what is going on with that plague-bringer Xiao Bo'an?
"Chen Yan..."
Si Youyou beside him looked somewhat confused at everything happening before her.
Unlike Chen Yan, who had re-entered the Cycle of Reincarnation, she didn't understand why Chen Yan suddenly decided to ruthlessly kill the people in this inn.
So at this moment, Si Youyou was quite bewildered.
But she knew that if Chen Yan was doing this, he must have his reasons.
Chen Yan slowly turned towards Si Youyou and was just about to say something when he suddenly froze in place.
Because at the entrance to the inn's courtyard, a figure had caught his attention.
Moon-white daoist robes, and a jade pendant at the waist...
Having glimpsed the illusions from the Heavenly Summit Mirror over sixty thousand years ago, Chen Yan knew what this identity represented.
Heavenly Summit Mountain.
"To bear the Karmic Backlash of over sixty thousand years and still walk the world in peace, you truly are remarkable, sir."
The voice of the young cultivator in moon-white daoist robes, with his handsome features, was clear and resonant, yet carried an imperturbable, ancient simplicity.
"Although it is because of you, sir, that my Heavenly Summit Mountain met its demise, I also know this was not your original intent. Moreover, the fact that I, Gu, have been able to re-enter the Immortal Ascension Realm is also largely thanks to your fortune..."
Chen Yan couldn't help but swallow hard.
The Eighth Generation Steward of Heavenly Summit Mountain, Realman Lingxuan, Gu Jing.
Gu Jing's gaze shifted from Chen Yan to Si Youyou, who was clutching the hem of his robe beside him. It lingered for only the briefest moment before lifting again.
"I have heard that in your possession, sir, lies a fragment of the Heavenly Summit Mirror."
Gu Jing paused for a moment, then continued softly.
"Might I ask if you, sir, would be willing to part with it?"