Chapter 108: Picking Up a Brain

The night grew deeper.

Chen Luo refined two batches of pills, gradually discerning some patterns.

Within these counterfeit pill formulas, there were genuine elements mixed with falsehoods, making it somewhat challenging to select the correct ingredients. His task was to eliminate the false components, identify the true herbs needed for the Qi Gathering Pill, adjust their proportions accordingly, and thereby reverse-engineer the complete pill formula.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

A series of knocks echoed at the door.

“Who is it?” Chen Luo paused his work, already guessing who might be calling. The relay station attendants dared not disturb him.

“My name is from the Divine Lake Immortal Sect’s Tianming Peak Outer Sect. I sensed your aura earlier and, out of curiosity, came to seek guidance,” a voice replied from outside the door. It belonged to the straw-cloaked figure he had seen near the window moments ago.

Initially, Chen Luo had no intention of interacting with this person.

When traveling, it was often best to avoid unnecessary complications.

However, since the individual had already approached, it would be rude to turn them away. After all, they were fellow disciples of the Divine Lake Immortal Sect.

“Come in.” With a wave of Chen Luo’s sleeve, he stored away the medicinal pills and remnants of herbs into his bag of holding.

“It has been nearly half a month since leaving the immortal sect, and finally, I’ve encountered another cultivator. Judging by Shixiong’s appearance, you must be from the sect as well?” The middle-aged man entered, having replaced his straw cloak with a clean, light blue robe.

He appeared to be around forty years old.

At this age, most individuals within the immortal sect would already be Inner Sect disciples. According to the sect’s rules, those who failed to break through to Late Stage Qi Refinement within three years were expelled from the mountain. Chen Luo glanced briefly; the insignia on the man indeed indicated Tianming Peak.

“What do you want?” Chen Luo ignored the man’s initial question.

“My name is Wan Ming from Tianming Peak. May I ask which peak Shixiong belongs to? Are you heading home during this trip? Given the sudden upheaval at the sect, it’s uncertain what course of action to take.” The middle-aged man seemed oblivious to Chen Luo’s impatience and continued expressing his concerns. His frequent use of “Shixiong” revealed him as someone adept at socializing.

This demeanor was vastly different from his initially cold and stern appearance during their first encounter.

“Just out on a mission,” Chen Luo replied expressionlessly. His mind was consumed by thoughts of the Qi Gathering Pill’s formula; after refining over twenty variations, he had started to form some ideas.

“If Shidi has no further business, please leave. I need to rest.”

He deliberately addressed the man as “Shidi” to signal his unwillingness to waste more time. If not for their shared identity as Divine Lake Immortal Sect disciples, Chen Luo wouldn’t have bothered conversing with this stranger at all.

“I won’t disturb Shixiong then.” The middle-aged man rose, smiling politely and cupping his hands before exiting through the door.

Throughout the interaction, he maintained the impression of being exceptionally agreeable.

In their brief exchange, Chen Luo hadn’t even revealed his name to Wan Ming.

This individual named Wan Ming gave him an odd feeling, distinctly different from other immortal sect disciples. It was as if he were wearing someone else’s skin.

By late night, the rain finally began to subside.

Chen Luo continued refining several batches and gradually produced some toxic pills. This indicated that his approach was correct, leaving only the issue of balancing proportions.

After returning to his room, the Tianming Peak cultivator named Wan Ming remained quiet, with no indication if he was sleeping or cultivating.

As dawn approached, Chen Luo packed away the pill furnace and herbs, then stepped outside into the courtyard to begin his cultivation exercises.

Practicing breathing techniques for Qi Refinement required unwavering consistency, which Chen Luo had maintained since starting his cultivation journey.

“Good morning, Shixiong.”

Upon completing his Qi Refinement, Chen Luo stood up just as Wan Ming emerged from inside. The same smile from the previous night still graced his face, and upon seeing Chen Luo rise, he leisurely walked over.

Be cautious of his left hand.

In Chen Luo’s mind, one keenly observant brain provided a warning:

There’s a fluctuation of spiritual energy.

It’s a thunder talisman!

The two Foundation Establishment brains simultaneously sensed it.

With these three pieces of feedback, Chen Luo instinctively narrowed his eyes, yet a similar smile appeared on his face.

“I have a question about cultivation that I’d like to ask, Shixiong.”

“How coincidental? I happen to have a question too.”

Smiling, Chen Luo approached him, raising his hand as spiritual energy instantly gathered at his palm.

Wind Control Technique!

Whoosh!

Three streams of pale blue wind burst forth from his hand. Drawing upon his Foundation Establishment experience, Chen Luo effortlessly unleashed a Wind Control Technique at that level. Although slightly lacking in power, the execution was flawless.

Wan Ming did not anticipate Chen Luo’s sudden attack. Before he could lower his raised foot, the three gusts sliced past his neck.

With a sickening sound, the subsequent blasts cut diagonally through, splitting him into multiple pieces.

Blood splattered as dismembered limbs fell into the mud, with a yellow thunder talisman still clutched in his left hand. Had he been half a step slower, it would have fully activated.

“Ugh”

The severed head coughed out blood, eyes wide open even in death.

He never expected Chen Luo to strike, nor the swift decisiveness behind it, showing no hesitation about potentially killing a fellow disciple.

Chen Luo examined his palm, expression somewhat grave.

In the moment he attacked, his opponent reacted instinctively—a subconscious response honed by countless brushes with life and death. This reaction resulted in a needle-sized wound on Chen Luo’s palm, caused by a needle-shaped magical artifact. Wan Ming, or whoever this imposter was, proved far more ruthless than anticipated, aiming for a fatal blow right away. He used conversation to lower Chen Luo’s guard while secretly deploying both a thunder talisman and the needle-shaped artifact alongside their verbal exchange.

Had he been even slightly slower, the outcome would have been drastically different.

“The token is suspicious.”

Chen Luo walked over and picked up the token from the fallen figure. With a quick examination, he discerned its nature.

The token was genuine, belonging to a Tianming Peak cultivator named ‘Wan Ming.’ However, the person before him was not Wan Ming but rather a rogue cultivator using his name. From their first encounter yesterday, this rogue cultivator had already planned to attack Chen Luo. The subsequent probing within the room aimed to assess Chen Luo’s cultivation base.

“A rogue cultivator?”

Amidst the turmoil involving major factions, opportunistic rogues also circled like hyenas.

The chaos in the Divine Lake Immortal Sect presented the perfect chance for these rogue cultivators. Descending disciples became prime targets for acquiring resources. While rogue cultivators might lack the aptitude of official Divine Lake Immortal Sect disciples, when it came to ruthless combat, ten such disciples combined could hardly match them.

Skilled at deception and cunning strategies, they were far more formidable than the Calamity Cultivators who had ambushed Chen Luo during joint missions back then.

Stanching the wound on his hand, Chen Luo retrieved the needle-like magical artifact used in the sneak attack. Crafted from high-quality materials, it reached the standard of a tier-one magical artifact—significantly superior to the disciple-grade magical sword he received from Wu Dao Peak.

Rogue cultivators were often impoverished, but what they possessed tended to be of high quality.

“Consider this an unexpected gain.”

Carefully storing the needle-shaped magical artifact, Chen Luo stepped into the muddy ground beside Wan Ming and placed his hand on the rogue cultivator’s head.

“We can’t waste this brain either.”

When striking earlier, he deliberately held back, aiming for the neck specifically to preserve the integrity of the brain.

‘Upon contact with deceased brain waves, Degradation Rate: 7%. Retrieve memories?’

Retrieve!

This was the first time Chen Luo encountered a cultivator’s brain with such a high completeness level. However, there was still a 7% degradation, likely due to death itself. Obtaining a brain with 100% completeness might only be possible once he learns how to safely ‘shut down’ a person’s consciousness in the future.

‘I hate…’

‘The vile women of the Corpse-Raising Sect, their humiliation shall one day be avenged.’

‘I’m dead; what will happen to Liu Niang?’

As soon as Chen Luo absorbed the brain, a flood of diverse thoughts surged through him.

Fortunately, Chen Luo was prepared. After quickly stabilizing his mind, he managed to organize these scattered thoughts. From them, he gleaned two valuable pieces of information: the location where rogue cultivator Wan Ming hid his treasures, and details related to the Corpse-Raising Sect.

The conflict between sects had already begun, with these descending disciples being the first wave of encounters.

Neither on the mountain nor off it was safe anymore.

Escaping to salvation now depended solely on individual capability.

Choosing not to board the intercity flying boat proved Chen Luo’s wisest decision; otherwise, he would have faced Foundation Establishment cultivators from either the Corpse-Raising Sect or Nine Poisons Valley instead of Wan Ming.

“Blockade and plunder… by the Corpse-Raising Sect?”

After extracting the consciousness, Chen Luo discarded Wan Ming’s brain and swiftly rose to leave.

This time, he didn’t even consider taking a carriage.

Ignorance might have been excusable before, but now that he knew about the blockade set up by the Corpse-Raising Sect and Nine Poisons Valley, he naturally needed to adjust his route.

Within Wan Ming’s mind, there were details of missions assigned by the Corpse-Raising Sect. The intactness of Wan Ming’s brain allowed Chen Luo to access numerous valuable obsessions. By simply avoiding these mission locations, he could effortlessly make his escape.

“I wonder how Junior Sister Huang Ying is faring,” Chen Luo thought, recalling her departure ahead of him.

She had left with Elder Sister Shen from the Inner Sect, and considering Elder Sister Shen’s capabilities, they likely wouldn’t face any fatal dangers.

At present, ensuring his own safety was paramount. The Corpse-Raising Sect wouldn’t spare him just because he was weak. The hostile stance of both sects clearly indicated their intent to annihilate each other.

If blame could be placed, it would fall squarely on the Divine Lake Immortal Sect for being too prosperous!

Half a day after Chen Luo’s departure,

a grim-faced man emerged from the mud near the relay station.

With ease, three low-tier zombies excavated Wan Ming’s body, slain by Chen Luo, from the mire.

Inside the relay station, terrified civilians trembled uncontrollably, faces pale as they knelt on the ground, barely able to speak without stuttering.

“Dead?”

The grim-faced man ignored the mortals and approached Wan Ming’s corpse, picking up the severed arm clutching the thunder talisman.

“Worthless trash.”

Casually, he tossed Wan Ming’s arm aside, which landed in the hands of the three low-tier zombies. In an instant, they gnawed it clean. He glanced at the trembling civilians kneeling nearby, then indifferently turned and walked away. A black-haired zombie followed closely behind, its menacing aura staining the surrounding soil dark gray.

As soon as their master departed, the three low-tier zombies abruptly turned, eyes flashing crimson, and mindlessly lunged forward.

“Ahh!”

Several piercing screams erupted, startling countless birds into flight.