"Hmm?"

Both Yu Ci and Shadow Ghost were taken aback. In the two years of practicing the Soul Restoring Star Fixing Curse, they had never encountered such a situation before. In that instant, Yu Ci's thoughts, connected to the talisman, suddenly plunged into a lengthy corridor, descending endlessly without any sign of the bottom.

He quickly steadied his mind, puzzled. Was this the mysterious realm that connected the heavens and the netherworld? The old man's corpse seemed to act as some sort of medium or channel, indeed quite different from ordinary people. If this was merely the physical body, what divine power might the soul of a Spiritual Witch possess, as the legends spoke?

However, it was also time to draw a conclusion—the soul of the Elder Spirit Witch was definitely beyond recall. Whether it still existed or not, it was beyond the limits of Yu Ci's abilities.

At that moment, Shadow Ghost suggested, "Take this corpse back for research..."

Yu Ci chose to ignore this remark. Shadow Ghost's idea was not only absurd but also excessively disrespectful. Not to mention whether the Three Families Market would agree, such an act was simply too outrageous.

Yet aside from coming up with distasteful ideas, Shadow Ghost did possess considerable talents, especially in areas where Yu Ci was not as adept. There was room for Shadow Ghost to showcase his expertise. He advised, "Spiritual Witches are masters of the Art of Soul and Mind. If you can't find the living soul, look for a magical instrument for soul attachment or something similar. Start with the soul imprint he left behind."

Prompted by this, Yu Ci's spiritual intent transformed into a web-like sensory network, meticulously examining every object on the old man's person, which was surprisingly clean. It was very likely that any magical instruments had been tucked away inside a storage ring, but with Stewards Wen and Li present, Yu Ci couldn't very well rummage through them!

As he pondered, he suddenly sensed something. The target wasn't on the old man's body but on the desk in front of the corpse.

Yu Ci glanced over and saw an incense burner placed on the desk, filled with a layer of ash. Within the ash, there was an incense tip, only half an inch long and slightly greenish. With a twitch of his nose, he recognized it as Mysterious Cave True Incense.

"Eh?" Yu Ci was perplexed. Just yesterday, through the examination of the Divine Chart, he had clearly seen that the incense stick had been completely consumed, its smoke taken away to nourish the firefly larvae. How could there be a remnant here?

Shadow Ghost realized something was amiss and quickly insisted, "That's the one we need!"

Yu Ci remained impassive, continuing his silent vigil in front of the Elder Spirit Witch's corpse. After a moment, his brow furrowed in hesitation, and finally, he reluctantly took out a stick of incense he had purchased just yesterday. Lighting it, he carefully inserted it into the incense burner.

This was no ordinary fragrance; it was the Mysterious Cave True Incense. Upon lighting, an exquisite and otherworldly aroma wafted through the air, delicate and pervasive. Even the disheartened Stewards Wen and Li felt a sense of clarity wash over them at its scent, their hopes inadvertently bolstered by Yu Ci's actions.

Alas, Yu Ci was fated to disappoint them that day. Shortly after, he let out a sigh, stood up, and shook his head at Stewards Wen and Li, "I beg your forgiveness, but there's nothing I can do."

Both stewards' faces turned ashen, yet they could say little. Regardless of Yu Ci's level of skill, the fact that he continued his efforts even after Su Tong's departure and even lit a valuable stick of Mysterious Cave True Incense was testament enough to his integrity. Besides, they had only clung to a slim hope. Could they have truly expected Yu Ci to revive the long-deceased Elder Spirit Witch?

Seeing their reaction, Yu Ci knew to take his leave gracefully. With a flick of his sleeve, he rose to depart. Of course, before leaving, he did not forget to extinguish the incense and save the remaining half-stick. The act might have seemed petty, but considering the rarity of the Mysterious Cave True Incense, it was understandable.

Steward Wen opened his mouth as if to speak but ultimately remained silent. His initial plan had been to probe into Yu Ci's background during his visit, but with the turn of events, such thoughts had long since fled his mind.

Yu Ci slowly made his way out of the house, exhaling a long breath. His sleight of hand had gone unnoticed by the stewards, and he had successfully secured the Incense Tip. Whether using half a stick of Mysterious Cave True Incense to obtain this Incense Tip was a loss or a gain, only future research would tell.

Upon returning to the Hundred-Turns Pavilion, Yu Ci immediately closed his doors to all visitors. In the meditation room designated for his cultivation, he took out the Incense Tip and scrutinized it closely before his eyes.

At the Three Families Market, Yu Ci used his keen sense of smell to confirm the origin of the Incense Tip. Upon closer examination, he discovered even more unique aspects.

He had suspected that this Incense Tip was the same one the Elder Spirit Witch intended to take with her yesterday. Now it seemed more likely that it was part of the Elder Spirit Witch's personal collection. The reason was simple: despite its small size, the quality of this Incense Tip surpassed the Mysterious Cave True Incense that Yu Ci had acquired the day before. The slightly bluish hue, coupled with the crudely drawn patterns that had been added, gave it an aura of profound mystery and intrigue.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

After scrutinizing it for a while without gaining any insight, Yu Ci suddenly remembered something. He took out the Mirage Jade Scroll he had obtained from the Ethereal Rhinoceros Hermit and searched for the entry on Mysterious Cave True Incense. As a renowned Daoist sect fragrance, the Mysterious Cave True Incense was produced in limited quantities but had a wide range of uses. The entry listed nearly two hundred applications, one of which was "the witch honors the gods, depicting their Spirit diagrams," clarifying its origins.

This was indeed a windfall that came without effort. Even the Shadow Ghost praised the Nameless Classics, calling it "meticulously comprehensive."

According to the texts, when a Spiritual Witch used this incense to honor the gods, they would carve a complex layer of Spirit diagrams into it using their unique methods. This was akin to a ritual refinement, and through this process, the Mysterious Cave True Incense would become more attuned to the subtle perceptions of the God Lord and possess various Divine Powers, achieving greater effects with less effort.

With this reference, Yu Ci's thoughts became clear. However, many things still needed to be verified in practice.

He made preparations and lit the Incense Tip. The bluish flame flickered, eventually turning into a wisp of smoke that rose gently. The burning was slow because what was burning was not mere incense, but Divine Light!

Yu Ci squinted his eyes, waiting for a more definite change.

The burning Divine Light mingled with the smoke, indeed undergoing a transformation. But once it changed, it accelerated unexpectedly, as if a fuse had been lit, followed by a string of firecrackers!

The complex Aura changes in the void unfolded almost explosively, rapid and intense. Even with Yu Ci's current level of Divine Soul perception, he couldn't grasp the full picture. He only felt the void ripple, and then from the area shrouded in smoke, a dim notion reached out, and Yu Ci inexplicably connected with it.

"What in the world?"

To Yu Ci, the thoughts that pierced into his mind in the form of syllables were utterly meaningless. After just a dozen or so syllables, his brain felt as if it was swelling, and he became dizzy, losing all sense of direction.

When the thoughts made contact, the sensation was entirely mutual. His confusion naturally transmitted back, and the syllables from the other end abruptly ceased. Then, a simple and clear message, not to be misunderstood, was fed back:

Murderous intent!

"You fool!"

Shadow Ghost's thought forcefully interjected, managing only to curse this single phrase before it thrust the similarly inexplicable thought into the violently fluctuating aura:

"Nanhe Ximoluoyago..."

Most of the time, Yu Ci and Shadow Ghost were connected through a heart-mind link. This time, Shadow Ghost didn't hold back with its thoughts. Although Yu Ci couldn't understand the external thoughts, he could use Shadow Ghost as a medium to translate them. The first sentence made him break out in a cold sweat:

"Supreme Mystical Sky-Dominating Great Transformative Primordial Demon King..."

This was indeed another title for the Divine Lord of the Demon Sect, also known as the Original Demon Lord. Since the Original Demon Lord had countless incarnations and numerous titles, this particular name was usually employed in prayers and exorcism rituals. It was relatively peaceful, often carrying a blessing. Shadow Ghost using it in this context suggested the identity of whom it faced.

At that moment, the spark on the incense tip suddenly extinguished, and Shadow Ghost's voice also came to an abrupt halt. After a long while, it heaved a sigh of relief, "That was close!"

Then, it continued with irritation, "What kind of rotten luck do you have? To randomly light a stick of incense and attract the attention of a demon lord's thoughts? It's a good thing I practiced the demonic methods in the past and could barely communicate. Otherwise, we would have been doomed today!"

Yu Ci had his suspicions, but still, he paused for a long while before asking, "Is it the Primordial... that one?"

He still remembered the proper rules and attitudes toward dealing with a God Lord. Shadow Ghost let out a grunt, "Isn't that the truth? Of course, it was just a fleeting thought, and now it's clear which God Lord's power the Spiritual Witch was borrowing... Impressive indeed!"

"Truly impressive, as befits a Demon Lord..."

"You don't understand at all!"

Shadow Ghost seized the opportunity to make things difficult for Yu Ci , "The might of the Demon Lord is beyond words, I'm referring to the one who acts—murders—without hesitation."

"Eh?"

"Didn't you catch the message that came through the first time? That was the Demon Lord's response to the Spiritual Witch. What does that tell you?"

Yu Ci blinked, a sudden realization dawning on him, "The Spiritual Witch was killed in the moment of seeking guidance, without alarming the Demon Lord?"

"Exactly. Even as the Spiritual Witch was casting spells, using the Divine Power of the Divine Chart, he managed to sense it due to his possession of a part of the Demon Lord's power. But this time, when the murderer entered the room and committed the deed, there was no reaction at all. The one concealed wasn't just the Spiritual Witch, but also a portion of the Demon Lord's Divine Power... all the way until you lit the incense again. Clearly, the perpetrator is highly skilled, and extremely familiar with how the Demon Lord operates. Striking with a single blow, as elusive as an antelope hanging by its horns, traceless—ah, formidable indeed, formidable!"

Yu Ci fell silent, realizing that such a person must at least possess the Divine Power of a True Immortal, or perhaps even something more terrifying! Shadow Ghost then lamented, "Yin Cave City has become a place of trouble... Damn it, I feel like wherever you are, it's bound to become a place of trouble!"

Yu Ci said nothing, but quickly composed himself and glanced at the extinguished Incense Tip, "Let's not talk about that. What does the Demon Lord's response mean? Why is it so cryptic?"

"That's the Demonic Sect's incantation tone. It's actually a way of compressing a large amount of information into relatively brief syllables. If you've cultivated the secret techniques of the Demonic Sect, you'd naturally understand."

Shadow Ghost opened his mind, sharing the information. Yu Ci could then translate it through this connection, "The meaning of that sentence is..."

With a soft "swoosh," a Messaging Flying Talisman flew in, bringing a message:

"Shen Wan of the Random Heart Pavilion sends her regards."

*******

I have also posted the following more chapters [All free]: https://www.readgates.com/article/74a39e