C10 Once Again Probing!

The annals of the Spirit Realm tell of a time ten thousand years ago when the Central Great World thrived in cultivation, with Heaven Earth Spirit Energy pulsating with life and vigor. Yet, inexplicably, the world was plunged into chaos, decaying rapidly as the Mortal Realm faced an unforeseen Great Tribulation, signaling an era's end.

Almighty cultivators from various regions exerted their formidable powers in search of the Great Tribulation's cause, to no avail. As time wore on, the matter gradually faded from concern.

"Perhaps, my arrival here is no coincidence. Could it be that some unseen Almighty has guided me to take notice?" Xia Xuanji mused, dismissing further thought on the subject. The body she had inherited in this world was exceedingly deficient, and her immediate priority was to establish a means of self-defense.

The cultivation technique available to her was rudimentary at best. She was eager to adopt a more advanced practice, but her foundational work was already in place. Only by advancing to the pinnacle of Qi Refining's tenth level and achieving the Foundation Establishment could she consider a switch.

For the time being, Xia Xuanji had to rely on her own expertise to enhance the technique, striving for perfection.

Leaving Xia Xuanji's cultivation efforts aside, we turn to Zhou Mu in the Spirit Realm, ten millennia later. Zhou Mu had intended to practice a particular cultivation technique, but each attempt was thwarted by the overwhelming Spiritual Force within him, scattering the energy instantly.

After several failed attempts, a resigned Zhou Mu ceased his practice, puzzled by the phenomenon. As a novice cultivator, he lacked the understanding of what was amiss.

"What on earth is happening?" Zhou Mu exclaimed in frustration, pausing his cultivation. Fortunately, despite the setbacks in his practice, he discovered he could still wield the Spiritual Force within to perform certain maneuvers.

With a flick of his finger, a razor-sharp Azure Lotus Sword Qi, tinged with a verdant hue, burst forth, piercing the ground with its formidable might.

"Wow, this Azure Lotus Sword Qi is incredibly potent," he remarked, a newfound sense of safety washing over him.

A disciple approached with urgency. "Sect Master, the Great Elder and Elder Lingyu request an audience."

Du Yue's voice echoed from outside the door.

"They don't seem to come with good intentions."

Zhou Mu's brow furrowed, and he relaxed, considering that avoiding them would only signal that something was amiss.

"Come in."

The door swung open, and in walked the Great Elder, followed by Elder Lingyu.

The woman leading the way appeared to be in her thirties, with a bewitching beauty and a graceful demeanor. Her slender, fox-like eyes were particularly striking to Zhou Mu.

"Junior Sister, I've heard you've been under the weather lately?"

The Great Elder's voice was soft and mellow, with a confusing allure, as she took a seat across from Zhou Mu.

Without meaning to, she noticed a deep hole in the ground and sent out a sliver of her Spiritual Force.

"Hmm, this sword qi is sharp but feels somewhat inferior," the Great Elder mused internally. Could it be that Xia Xuanji's advancement had failed, prompting her to experiment with another technique? Yet, why did this sword qi seem so rudimentary? Despite its sharpness, it seemed ineffective against true masters.

Maybe she was attempting to decipher the deepest secrets of the Purple Heaven Sword Formation? But that didn't quite add up either. Puzzling, indeed.

Uncertain of the situation, the Great Elder was hesitant to make a move.

"Great Elder, what brings you to me today?"

Zhou Mu feigned aloofness, his heart racing. Yes, the demeanor of a Sect Master and a fearsome witch should be just so, shouldn't it?

"Hehe, Junior Sister, you really have a short memory. Didn't you go on a rampage a few days ago over your dissatisfaction with the cauldron? To help you out, I've taken the trouble to capture the Green Spirit from the Southern Sky Sword Sect. I treat you well, don't I?"

I didn't, I haven't, stop spreading lies.

The mere mention of 'cauldron' made Zhou Mu feel nauseous. He lamented his fate; he wasn't this demonic woman. He had merely crossed over into her body by some fluke, and the thought of continuing her dark practices of absorbing Yang to replenish Yin was abhorrent. He would rather die than follow that path.

"Thank you, Great Elder. I will be sure to visit Green Spirit when I find the time."

Zhou Mu had no choice but to nod his head, holding back tears, to avoid blowing his cover.

"Now that my sister is unharmed, I shall take my leave. Lingyu, we're leaving."

Once they were outside, Lingyu, with a furrowed brow, turned to the Great Elder. "Great Elder, did you notice anything amiss? Is she truly uninjured?"

She recalled the last time she probed and was intimidated by the Purple Heaven Sword Formation wielded by Xia Xuanji.

"It's peculiar. Our informant mentioned she went to the Medicine Refining Pavilion for a Pill, yet her spirit seems unscathed, not at all like someone who's suffered from a failed Deification attempt. Her aura is stable, but something feels off, and I can't quite put my finger on it."

The Great Elder was puzzled, especially since she could no longer sense Xia Xuanji's cultivation level. Considering her visit to the Medicine Refining Pavilion, it was likely she had consumed a Pill. But why take a Pill to conceal her cultivation if she was in good health?

"Let's not dwell on it for now. The timing isn't right. We'll stay out of sight and wait for the Vice Sect Master's return before we devise a plan."

Lingyu nodded in agreement. With Xia Xuanji's condition still a mystery, they had to play it by ear.

Back inside, Zhou Mu waited until the Great Elder and Elder Lingyu's footsteps had faded away before he breathed a sigh of relief.

"That was a narrow escape. I hope I didn't give myself away."

He felt his back, damp with a layer of cold sweat, and noted his skin was surprisingly smooth and fair.

Ugh, what am I thinking at a time like this?

No, he had to come up with a plan. The Great Elder and Elder Lingyu's visit was clearly a test. He might have managed to deceive them this time, but the next might not be so easy.

Despite the overwhelming Spiritual Force within him, he was clueless about how to harness it. Even the cultivation technique he had recently acquired seemed ineffective.

"The Azure Lotus Sword Qi is probably ineffective against these masters, right? Stay calm, don't rush. You've got this, you can do it."

Zhou Mu had to frantically devise a plan to save his own skin.

It was his second time transmigrating into a woman's body. He had only a slight grasp of the inner workings of the sect, and beyond that, he was utterly clueless. He couldn't even distinguish friend from foe.

"Maybe I should test it out on Du Yue?"

Du Yue was terrified of her—no, the identity of this woman. Plus, she was candid about the relationships between the Great Elder and the Vice Sect Master. Maybe she was trustworthy.

With that thought, Zhou Mu summoned Du Yue from the doorway.

Through a series of indirect questions, Zhou Mu began to grasp the basics of the Purple Heaven Sect, and the knowledge was staggering.

The Purple Heaven Sect stood as the pinnacle of power in the Southern Continent of the Spirit Realm, rivaling the Great Sun Heaven Sect of the Northern Continent.

The Sect Master, Xia Xuanji, was domineering and merciless. She excelled at harnessing Yang energy to replenish Yin energy, and her temperament was icy and unpredictable. If she was crossed, she wouldn't hesitate to unleash a bloody slaughter.

Her notoriety peaked thirty years ago when a sect proposed marriage to her. Infuriated, Xia Xuanji ruthlessly exterminated the entire sect, leaving no person or animal alive.