Rebuilding the Immortal Cultivator Clan Chapter 1824 - 1381: Awaiting Repair

"Start talking! What brought you to Shanhai State? Why did you target the cultivators of the Li family?" Xiaoqing questioned aggressively, brandishing a barbed steel whip.

The Demon Cultivator remained obstinate, sealing his lips and refusing to speak a single word.

However, if he believed such silence would protect him from Xiaoqing’s interrogation, he was gravely mistaken; he would not endure for long.

"Refusing to cooperate? Let us see how long your resolve lasts!" Xiaoqing remarked with a look of pure contempt.

A spark of Spirit Light flew from his fingertip and merged into the captive's body. This caused the prisoner's physical form and Spiritual Soul to become hyper-sensitive, increasing his perception of pain by dozens of times!

With a mere flick of the steel whip, waves of agonizing pain crashed over him like a relentless tide. It dragged him into an abyss of suffering where he was kept alive against his will, making him long for the release of death.

"Ahhhhh—"

A blood-curdling shriek erupted from the Demon Cultivator. Eventually, his voice failed him, and he collapsed into a motionless heap on the floor, looking like a pile of mud.

Despite the excruciating torture, his physical injuries were minimal. That single whip strike had done little more than leave a faint red streak across his skin.

This sensory amplification technique was actually the byproduct of a failed deduction by a Li Clan member. What was once considered a flawed method had become a brilliant tool for interrogation in the hands of the clan.

"Are you ready to talk now?"

Xiaoqing didn't wait for a response before resuming. He increased the force of his strikes, lashing the Demon Cultivator violently with the steel whip.

"I'll speak..."

With a face full of misery, the Demon Cultivator begged, "I will tell you everything, just grant me a swift death!"

He had survived countless brushes with death in the past, yet he had never encountered pain so terrifying and absolute.

It took only two strikes to break his will completely.

He was well aware that the blood of many Li family cultivators was on his hands. Even a full confession could not wash away his sins or save his life.

Thus, he didn't waste breath asking for mercy; his only desperate hope was for the agony to end and for a quick execution to be granted.

"Those Heavenly Immortal Great Demons held a grudge against the Sun and Taiyin Star Gods for ruining their schemes in the Demon-contaminated Primordial Spirit Realm. Too cowardly to face the Heavenly Court, they turned their vengeance toward your family. They summoned many Demon Cultivators from the neighboring State Domains to wipe out the Li family."

Upon reaching Shanhai State, however, they realized the Li family’s power was too formidable for a direct siege.

Following secret consultations, they opted for a war of attrition. Their plan was to gradually pick off Li family cultivators and cause chaos to drain the clan's resources before launching a final assault on Mount Wanxian.

"Hmph!"

Xiaoqing’s expression turned grim as he spat, "How typical of Demon Cultivators—preying on the weak while trembling before the strong!"

"Where is your current hideout in Shanhai State? How is it that even the Earth God cannot find a trace of you?"

"It is because we are not on the earth. We hide within the clouds, constantly moving so we never stay in one location for long."

The realization hit Xiaoqing suddenly. He finally understood why Li Mingyao’s diligent searches had yielded nothing. The enemy was hiding in the heavens above.

"If you are always moving, how do you find your meeting points?"

"There is a Positioning Treasure kept inside the Storage Magical Treasure."

A sharp light flickered in Xiaoqing’s eyes. Instead of grabbing the treasure immediately, he exited the interrogation cell.

He needed to cross-reference this confession with the information Li Mingyao had gathered.

Another Demon Cultivator was being held in a separate location under identical pressure, unaware that his comrade had also been taken.

By comparing their stories, they could verify if the prisoners were being truthful.

Additionally, Xiaoqing worried there might be a trap hidden in the confession, so he sought the expertise of another clan member.

"Mingyao, what's the status? Did you get them to talk?"

Few beings could endure the sensory amplification technique applied to their body and Spiritual Soul, and these Demon Cultivators were no different.

"Yes, he claims the Demon Cultivators are concealing themselves in the clouds..."

When they compared the accounts, the details provided by both captives matched perfectly, proving their honesty.

To remain cautious, Xiaoqing contacted Li Xianyan, a clan member in the Realm of Human Immortality.

He was summoned specifically for his ability to suppress and dominate the two Demon Cultivators.

Li Xianyan was the most skilled Puppet Master within the Li family.

Under normal circumstances, the power gap would prevent Li Xianyan from controlling an Earth Immortal.

But with the Demon Cultivator’s Dantian, physical body, and Spiritual Soul currently sealed and powerless, he could be systematically worn down until he was fully subjugated.

Li Xianyan mixed various potions and inscribed sigils onto the prisoner's skin. Through the casting of intricate spells, he slowly seized control.

The process was tedious, taking nearly two hours to transform the captive into a living puppet.

Technically, the Demon Cultivator remained alive, but he was now a mere tool in Li Xianyan’s grip, stripped of all autonomy over his body and Spiritual Soul.

Through this puppet, Li Xianyan gained a level of power that approached the Earth Immortal Realm.

It was only "approaching," however, because a puppet lacks the natural versatility and essence of a true living being.