Rebuilding the Immortal Cultivator Clan Chapter 1843 - 1390: The Reason (2)

Jiang Fengwu gave a subtle shake of her head. Although their promises were pleasant to the ear, she doubted whether they would truly commit themselves to the task. Choosing not to waste breath on an argument, she spoke plainly:

"Within the secluded mortal settlements nearby, members of the Ghost Clan are lurking in shadows, preyed upon the common folk. Your mission is to eradicate these Ghost Clan entities."

Noticing a look of apprehension on the face of a cultivator who appeared to be the Sect Leader, Jiang Fengwu offered a word of reassurance: "Rest easy, these Ghost Clan members possess only Qi Cultivation and Foundation Establishment strength. They will be no match for you."

"We shall obey the senior’s commands!" The Sect Leader’s heart, which had been tight with anxiety, finally settled.

"Consider this your compensation."

As she spoke, several beams of Spirit Light shot from Jiang Fengwu’s fingertips. Among them was a Jade Slip containing an Individual Immortal Realm Cultivation Technique, alongside several Spiritual Objects from the Mortal Realm that she no longer required.

While such items were trivial to her, to a minor power whose strongest expert had not even surpassed the Mahayana level, every single piece was a priceless treasure!

The Cultivation Technique was particularly significant; it held the potential to elevate the entire Sect’s status, granting them the chance to ascend into the ranks of Individual Immortals.

"Our deepest thanks for the senior’s generosity!" Overwhelmed with joy, the Sect Leader bowed low in a gesture of profound gratitude.

However, by the time he straightened his back, Jiang Fengwu had already vanished.

He wasted no time in mobilizing his disciples, preparing them to sweep through the local towns and villages to hunt the Ghost Clan. There was no thought of laziness, for who could say if that senior was watching them from the shadows?

In truth, Jiang Fengwu had already departed.

Over the following days, she remained quietly within a small town, waiting with patience for the Ghost Clan member responsible for gathering negative emotions to show himself.

At last, during the biting chill of the year's end—the moment when Yang Qi is at its lowest ebb—the Ghost Clan member arrived.

"I’ve no idea which idiot let our tracks be found, leading to the nearby Qingyuan Sect wiping them out. Luckily, they didn't find the negative emotions, though the harvest is thinner than in years past."

The Ghost Clan member was oblivious to the fact that he was speaking to a fellow clansman who was actually Jiang Fengwu in disguise. He continued to vent, "At least you were clever enough to slip away, but why is the collection of negative emotions so meager this time?"

"I went into hiding during that period. I didn't dare stir up trouble in the city, so the yield is naturally lower than before," Jiang Fengwu replied.

"That's reasonable, I suppose, but don't expect any rewards this year."

As he spoke, the Ghost Clan member produced a jar-like Magic Artifact and drew in all the negative emotions stored within a Jade Bottle. "I have other locations to visit, so I'm off."

"Very well. Take care not to be spotted by cultivators."

"Don't sweat it, I know what I'm doing. I carry a unique Jade Token crafted by the Ghost King himself; typical cultivators can't even sense me."

With a flick of his wrist, he stowed the jar-like Magic Artifact, and his form began to blur until he vanished entirely.

A glint of light flashed in Jiang Fengwu’s eyes. Tracking the Secret Technique she had stealthily attached to the Ghost Clan member, she set out.

Keeping a distance, she trailed him through every city and village within a thousand-mile radius that lacked a cultivator's protection.

Each time he departed a location, Jiang Fengwu would strike, purging the local Ghost Clan presence and bringing peace back to the mortals of the region.

The collector remained completely unaware, focusing solely on his task of gathering negative emotions without realizing he was being followed.

Ten days passed in this manner until he had finished his rounds and began flying toward a specific destination.

Sensing this shift, Jiang Fengwu grew more alert. She draped a Concealing Array over herself, maintaining a careful distance as she followed him.

After half a day of flight, the Ghost Clan member halted before a massive mountain. He presented a Jade Token and stepped into the mountain face like a drop of water sinking into a pond, vanishing without a single ripple.

Jiang Fengwu knitted her brows and moved closer to inspect the area, discovering a Human Immortal Rank Array guarding the site.

The barrier was no obstacle for her, yet she worked with extreme caution to dismantle the Formation, fearing she might alert a large nest of Ghost Clan members inside.

Despite her care, it took her only an hour to master the Formation's intricacies, giving her the power to take control of it whenever she wished.

Rather than seizing control, Jiang Fengwu slipped inside unnoticed, following the trail of the Secret Technique she had placed on her target.

From the outside, it appeared to be a simple mountain peak, but the interior was a hollowed-out cavern transformed into a dark and haunting palace.

'What exactly is the Ghost Clan plotting?'

As she moved through the halls, she observed many Ghost Clan members congregate, though their power levels were meager, mostly at the Qi Cultivation and Foundation Establishment stages.

She carefully extended her Divine Sense, scanning the entirety of the hollow mountain for any formidable presence.

To her surprise, the most powerful beings she detected were merely two Human Immortals.

Realizing there was no longer a need for stealth or restraint, she decided to stop wasting time.

Boom—

The aura of a Perfect Earth Immortal erupted like a sudden volcanic blast. The crushing pressure flooded the space instantly, pinning the low-level Ghost Clan members to the floor, rendered completely helpless.

Had Jiang Fengwu not exercised restraint, the sheer weight of her presence would have ground them into raw Yin Qi.

Simultaneously, she deployed a Great Array that sealed the entire mountain, cutting off all communication and preventing any messages from reaching the outside world.

"Speak. What is the Ghost Clan’s objective?" She descended before the two paralyzed Human Immortal Ghost Clan members, her tone freezing cold.

"Senior, have mercy! We are merely underlings, forced into this service!" the two cried out, begging for their lives.

"Answer the question!" With a mere thought, Jiang Fengwu increased the pressure. Within moments, wisps of dark Qi began to leak from their forms.

This black vapor was their very essence, their root Yin Qi. As it bled away, their cultivation levels began to plummet.

Watching their hard-earned power drain away was a torture far worse than death for any cultivator.

"I'll speak! I'll tell you everything!"

One of the Ghost Clan members broke, desperate to stop the loss. "An Earth Immortal senior wishes to use the power of negative emotions to force a breakthrough to the Heavenly Immortal Realm and claim Divinity in the process."

"What sort of path is that? Can such a thing actually work?" Jiang Fengwu’s curiosity was piqued, and she pushed for more details.

"I am unsure. That senior was stuck at a bottleneck for centuries and, refusing to give up, devised this unorthodox method. He intends to use a flood of negative emotions to scour his Mental State and Dao Heart, hoping to shatter the barrier."

This plan had been a source of great debate and gossip within the Ghost Clan, which was how these lower-tier members knew of it.

Hearing this, Jiang Fengwu felt her mind settle. The Ghost Clan member who had thought of this was certainly bold, imagining that negative emotions could be used to breach a bottleneck.

However, upon deeper reflection, she was startled to realize that this concept was fundamentally similar to her own plan of Red Dust Heart Refining.

The primary difference was that this method was far more violent, using a concentrated burst of negativity to hammer the Dao Heart. If one failed to endure it, their Dao Heart would shatter, or they would suffer a fatal Qigong deviation.

Jiang Fengwu felt a flicker of conflict. Should she attempt such an unproven and perilous shortcut to reach the Heavenly Immortal Realm?

She couldn't decide just yet.

Nevertheless, she seized the vast quantities of negative emotions these Demon Cultivators had amassed. Whether she would use them or not, she would keep them for now.

As for the fate of these Ghost Clan members, she found herself momentarily undecided.