Chapter 67: Chapter 67: The Venerable Pantu

Lin Xiao and Sun Yigao noticed that the old man's appearance was quite strange.

Half of his face was deathly pale, while the other half was pitch black like ink.

As for the "disciple" he mentioned, neither of them paid much attention to it, as they didn't know this shadowy figure.

While they were still observing this peculiar figure, the old man spoke again,

"Wood element single spiritual root... good, very good..."

He directed these words at Sun Yigao.

Sun Yigao didn't quite understand what that meant, but Lin Xiao was taken aback.

Sun Yigao had a single wood-element spiritual root? With such talent, even if he hadn't joined the Lingxian Sect, he would have had a bright future in any other sect.

Seeing that the old man was addressing him, Sun Yigao, despite his surprise, responded politely,

"Junior Sun Yigao greets Senior. We did not know that Senior was meditating here and apologize for the intrusion."

The old man, with his half-smiling white face and the eerie grin on the black half, replied in a raspy voice that sounded like a rusty saw cutting through the serene valley,

"I am Liao Pantu, the Grand Elder of Tianluo Sect, known as Venerable Pantu. Sun Yigao, you have great potential. I have created a technique called the 'Soul Refinement Technique,' a superior earth-grade technique. I wish to take you as my disciple. Will you accept?"

Sun Yigao politely declined,

"Thank you for your offer, Venerable Pantu, but I am content with my current sect and have no intention of joining another. I hope you understand."

Lin Xiao, listening to the conversation, couldn't help but mentally joke: Pantu... doesn't that sound a bit strange?

Venerable Pantu seemed surprised by the rejection, and for a moment, his strange face showed a hint of disbelief. But then, in the next second, he burst into sinister laughter,

"I've been trapped here for decades, and finally, I find someone with potential, only to be refused. Very well! Very well indeed!"

His laughter suddenly stopped, and his tone became chilling,

"During these decades, every year, a few people stumble into my Lingxin Valley. Do you know what happened to them?"

Sun Yigao frowned, sensing that the old man was about to say something ominous. Just as he was about to speak, Lin Xiao interjected,

"Senior, please forgive my brother. He must have been startled. You see, we're just inexperienced youngsters, and your current appearance might have frightened him a bit. If I may ask, Senior, why do you appear this way?"

Hearing this, Venerable Pantu seemed to realize that his appearance was indeed a bit frightening, and perhaps that was why he was rejected. He composed himself and explained,

"You don't need to be afraid. My current state is due to being betrayed by a vile person. That person swore an oath to the heavens that they couldn't kill me, so they separated my soul and had it sealed in several secret realms by a Nascent Soul cultivator. That's why I am in this soul form now."

Lin Xiao quickly processed the information.

The "Heavenly Oath" might be similar to a heart demon vow, possibly even life-threatening if broken. The fact that the enemy went to such lengths to trap Venerable Pantu rather than kill him suggested that this oath was serious.

Also, the term "soul form" implied that a person's soul could exist independently, meaning that in the future, he might be able to experience something like an out-of-body experience.

Moreover, Venerable Pantu hadn't mentioned why his soul was divided and sealed in different secret realms. Was it unnecessary to explain, or was he unwilling to?

If it was the latter...

Lin Xiao stroked his sharp chin and made a bold guess. This Green Wilderness Secret Realm only allowed cultivators at the Qi Refining stage to enter, so Venerable Pantu's soul fragment likely had limited power, perhaps below the Foundation Establishment stage.

If that was the case, their situation might not be as dangerous as it seemed.

After all, if this secret realm were extremely perilous, why would those two sects send a hundred disciples here every year for training?

Speaking of training, they hadn't encountered any monsters since they entered this realm.

Lin Xiao's mind began to wander.

Meanwhile, Venerable Pantu continued, "So, what do you say, young one? Being chosen by me is a great fortune."

Hearing Pantu's story, Sun Yigao was deeply shaken. It seemed that in the world of cultivation, persecution and betrayal were not uncommon, and the methods used were far more elaborate than those in the mortal world.

However, without knowing the full story, Sun Yigao wasn't inclined to sympathize with Venerable Pantu. He glanced at Lin Xiao, who seemed lost in thought, and without any further action from him, Sun Yigao once again declined,

"Apologies, Senior. I am deeply committed to my current sect and have no intention of switching sects. I hope you can find a more suitable disciple."

Hearing another refusal, Venerable Pantu was furious. But then, as if struck by an idea, he waved his hand.

The green grass beneath Lin Xiao and Sun Yigao's feet suddenly transformed into a vast field of medicinal herbs.

Lin Xiao, who had been lost in thought, was startled back to reality.

He crouched down and pulled up a small herb.

He tossed it into his storage and activated the identification function.

[Young Mang Grass: A seasonal plant, good fodder for spiritual pigs.]

He had thought it might be an illusion, but it was real!

Venerable Pantu stroked his beard with pride,

"If you become my disciple, this herb field that I've tended for decades will be yours. What do you say?"

Sun Yigao sighed. This venerable elder was incredibly persistent. Just as he was about to decline again, Lin Xiao suddenly spoke up,

"Senior, it seems unlikely that my friend will accept your offer, but perhaps I could help you with something. What if I helped you take your soul fragment out of this secret realm? What do you think?"

Venerable Pantu, about to lose his temper after yet another rejection, was caught off guard by Lin Xiao's words.

To be honest, his old heart, which had been dormant for decades, skipped a beat.

He almost tugged at his own beard in surprise, though it didn't matter since he was in soul form.

But he was also skeptical,

"You two are just Qi Refining cultivators. How could you break the seal of a Nascent Soul cultivator?"

Lin Xiao wondered how the elder knew their cultivation level since his system was supposed to block such detection.

System: [Apologies, host. The opponent didn't use spiritual sense but directly observed your spiritual energy fluctuations, a skill only possessed by Nascent Soul cultivators and above.]