Ren Geng nodded: "He seems to have some powerful treasure, able to track down spiritual objects. In just half a day, he found Lu Peng, who was hiding in a deep mountain at the time. However, Lu Peng is clever and immediately offered his collected treasures to Mr. Luo, who was overjoyed and took him on as a registered disciple."

  Mo Zi Chen finally understood, "So the Xuan Ji Dan ended up in Lu Peng's hands!" She had thought it was that Luo Su who found the Xuan Ji Dan while wandering in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, but unexpectedly it was actually presented by Lu Peng.

  She curiously said: "Ren Si Ge, why don't you want to take that Taoist as your master? It seems like he is much more powerful than Zhang Jian we met before."

  Ren Geng's face changed, and he said in a low voice: "That surname Luo, he is a devil! Do you know that normally...". He pursed his lips, his face completely pale, as if recalling something extremely terrifying. "He actually uses live people for sacrifices!"

  After she joined the Jiu Hua Xian Zong, she learned a lot about the cultivation world and roughly understood the relationship between cultivators and ordinary people. It was not as she had previously thought that cultivators were forbidden from using force against ordinary people.

  To be precise, the lofty cultivators have an extremely disdainful attitude towards ordinary people, just like how ordinary people look at ants, not even bothering to take them seriously. But if they are provoked, a burst of thunder and a sea of blood can also happen in an instant. Just like that man from the Jiuhua Xianzong who stirred up the Nine Heavens Thunder and killed three thousand forbidden troops in the blink of an eye.

  But in the Xianxia world, there are still some unwritten rules. Arbitrarily using living people to refine magic is a behavior that has been strictly prohibited since countless tens of thousands of years ago. Because such magic is too evil, and when cultivated to the end, it often makes oneself not look like a human or a ghost, and nine out of ten will eventually die in a bloodbath. Even the demonic cultivators of the past would not use this method.

  "I was taken away by him on the first night, I personally saw that he caught five mountain people, tied them to a tree, and the trunk of the tree grew many blood-colored branches, which sucked those five people into dry corpses. Then those blood-colored branches were inserted into his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. He spent an entire night absorbing their essence and energy, and by dawn, when I saw him again, his face was slightly rosier."

  "This is the method of refining essence and preserving life!" The small jade slip was like an encyclopedia, and she had learned a lot from it. The method of refining essence and preserving life that she mentioned was also a kind of sinister evil technique, which specialized in absorbing the vital energy from ordinary people for its own use. However, such a method was poisonous but not very effective. For low-level cultivators, it might still have some effect, but for higher-level cultivators, the little vital energy on an ordinary person's body could no longer satisfy them. It was clear that Luo Suyou's lifespan was nearing its end, and he could only use such a method to prolong his life. This also made sense of why he was so overjoyed after obtaining the Xuanji Dan.

  "He's had you for so many days and yet he hasn't killed you. It seems that he still values you quite a bit."

  Ren Gengxin said: "He said I am a person with immortal roots, so he wants to take me as his apprentice, along with Lu Peng, and pass on his mantle. But I have no interest in his evil methods, which would ultimately make me neither human nor ghost. So he has been keeping me imprisoned here, feeding me only plain water to sustain my life."

  Mo Zi Chen asked: "When did you come?"

  "Probably about seven or eight days ago, he was very excited and said that he had finally found a place to refine the Xuanji Dan. He also mentioned that there was another secret here. He came for no more than two days and then found this cave, bringing us all in."

  Mo Zi Chen thought to herself that this should be an extension of the ancient tomb, "Then, you know how to get out now?"

  Ren Gengxin smiled bitterly and said, "What's the use of knowing? I've been sealed by his secret method and can't escape. In the end, I won't be able to leave." At this time, a faint light could be seen coming from the gap above their heads. Ren Gengxin said, "The one surnamed Luo once said that he had seven days to refine the Golden Elixir. If I still don't obey him, he'll come and take my life to sacrifice for his evil method. If your helper can't arrive in time, you should leave first."

  He was speaking when faint footsteps were heard from outside, apparently Lu Peng had returned.

  Mo Zi Chen's face changed, she quickly looked around and hid behind a stone screen. She manipulated the jade pendant to withdraw all her spiritual energy, making it impossible for even an ordinary cultivator to detect her presence.

  Lu Peng didn't find Mo Zi Chen, he was proud and walked in with big strides, saying: "Ren Si, I just went to see Master, the old man has already refined the Xuanji Dan to perfection, from now on it's flying high and escaping far, only I am the supreme immortal. He officially accepted me as his disciple, and passed down the law, if within three hours you don't obey, Master will personally come to take your life. And then take out your divine soul from the Lingtai, to be used to refine the Nine-Faced Soul-Stealing Flag, at that time, don't blame me for not showing hometown affection!"

  Ren Gengxin closed his eyes, pretending not to have heard anything. This man was the most stubborn when it came to doing things, once he had made up his mind, he would never turn back. It was the same now, even if he died, he would absolutely not surrender to Luo Suyou and become a monster that was neither human nor ghost.

  Mo Zi Chen, however, detected a hint of something fishy. The man surnamed Luo could have come to kill Ren Geng Xin right now, but instead chose to wait for three more hours. If he said it was because he had taken a liking to him, Mo Zi Chen would never believe it. Had he encountered some trouble?

  She looked at Lu Peng carefully and couldn't see any aura on him, apparently even if he had entered the door, he didn't have much cultivation. If she were alone, she didn't know if she could take him down...

  She had always been bold and daring, thinking of doing something and then quietly sticking her head out from behind the stone screen.

  Ren Gengxin guessed what she wanted to do and slightly shook his head at her, indicating that it was too dangerous.

  Mo Zi Chen shook her head in distress and took out the small dagger from her boot. It was the dagger left to her by her father, which she always carried with her.

  Ren Gengxin had no choice but to speak up and attract Lu Peng's attention.

  In the past, in Taoyuan Village, Ren Gengxin was Lu Peng's greatest opponent. Lu Peng was always thinking about thoroughly defeating him and never letting him turn over again. Now, although things have changed, this wish has not diminished in the slightest. On the contrary, due to Luo Suyou's greater importance to Ren Gengxin, this thought has become even more intense. With a complacent smile, he didn't notice that there was another person in the stone room.