"That went surprisingly well, all things considered," Ning muttered, sitting on a rock.

His face was slightly pale.

While it may have seemed easy to devour the spiritual consciousness of Li Tianhe, it was not without its fair share of hardship as well.

Due to the flood of memories and rapid expansion of his spiritual consciousness, Ning experienced mental overload once again, but unlike the other time, he forced himself to stay awake, so he experienced the whole mental expansion in full.

But compared to the reward gained, the slight pain was nothing.

Ning's eyes shone as he adjusted his state.

"Li Tianhe, a foundation-building cultivator, casual cultivator, ruins..." Ning couldn't help but lick his lips.

The memories he obtained were quite fragmented since he himself had worn down the soul to the point of disintegration, but even so, the harvest he obtained was incomparable.

Firstly, by getting nourished by the other party's consciousness, Ning's own spiritual consciousness was strengthened, and that meant his spiritual sense did as well.

"From nine seconds to sixteen, huh? Good! Very good!" Ning retracted his spiritual sense and got some preliminary results of this harvest.

Besides that, there were some memories of Li Tianhe's own insight into cultivation, his techniques, and even some information about various bizarre experiences he had encountered.

"This gamble really paid off," Ning couldn't help but say again.

Ning already had some suspicions from the moment he encountered the abnormal rat. It only strengthened when he saw the rat suddenly going full protagonist on him.

But there was no effect without cause after all.

After observing the rat for a while, Ning really discovered the abnormality of the rat. As per his normal routine, when he recited the soul-ferrying scripture in his mind, the soul of the dead didn't appear at all, and that rang major bells in his mind.

It meant either that the rat was a soulless creature, or something had already 'exorcised the soul' in the few seconds that Ning killed the beast.

From what he had observed, the rat was not something like a puppet or anything, and the spirit-devouring rat certainly didn't possess the soulless attribute. So, the chance of the second option was highly likely.

Especially the fact that the rat suddenly got a massive amount of spiritual Qi to advance a level meant that there was something weird about its body. So, Ning inwardly recited the soul-ferrying scripture hoping to find something weird.

And lo and behold, there really was something weird. From the rat, came out the soul of a human, it was crumbling and seemed weaker than any other soul Ning had seen.

Fortunately, the soul, under the cognition that Ning cannot sense its presence, boldly ran away, unaware that as long as Ning kept on reciting the scripture, he could not only sense but see the soul itself.

Li Tianhe just met a bad opponent as without some kind of spiritual eyes or treasure, it was extremely hard to come into contact with the soul for a qi cultivator.

So, the following plan was simple. Just 'coincidentally' happen to chance upon the soul and make it greedy enough to attack his own body.

From what Ning could surmise, a soul that was crumbling would in no way be right on the head and he was right. The soul that was breaking apart seemed to be full of emotions, but its cognition of the situation itself was quite low.

Seeing this, Ning changed his plan from ferrying the soul to strengthen his mental power, to devouring it whole. The gains from soul ferrying would be divided into three parts, but devouring the soul itself only nourished his mental powers; it was obvious which had the most gain.

So, Ning saw a chance and took it. He planted the suggestion of taking his body, and the rest was history.

Of course, if the soul itself was any stronger, then he would just turn a blind eye to everything and go on his merry way, but a soul that could even be suppressed by a beast was obviously nothing to write home about.

As for the guilt of 'killing' his very first human, Ning was quite calm about it.

"After all, I was broken from the start. The moment I was touched by the darkness, my path was already decided...okay, let's stop there. It's sounding cringe as f*ck."

Ning shivered reaching this line of thought and sighed softly.

He had already resolved himself, so it was impossible to get weak-willed at the critical moment. Furthermore, it's not like he has no blood on his hands, though all of them were from animals he has slain over the months.

So, Ning was quite calm about it; he did not have the urge to puke nor the urge to go into hysteria. One could even say he was unhinged.

"Well, enough about the depressing stuff; my condition has been stabilized." Ning stood up from the rock, as his blue eyes became a shade darker and seemed like a hawk's eye.

...

..

"It's lootin' time."

...

The first thing Ning did was reach the corpse and pull out a pouch.

This was not the inferior space pouch he had, but a mid-grade space pouch. The only difference was that the size was almost double his space pouch.

Imprinting the space pouch with his own spiritual brand, Ning spread his spiritual sense inside.

But as Ning expected, the content of the space pouch was quite unremarkable. There were some low-grade spiritual stones and some broken weapon parts and pills.

From the vague memories, Ning knew that Li Tianhe had sold most of his property to buy a rare peak tier three pill, so he was broke. Well, casual cultivators were mostly broke anyway, and Li Tianhe was not an exception.

The tier three pill cost all the accumulated wealth that Li Tianhe had amassed for more than seventy years. In the end, even though the pill did save him, his ending was not much different.

"Bro, really had some bad luck. If not for encountering me, he would probably not even be able to pass on his inheritance." In a sense, Ning did inherit the mantle of Li Tianhe, so it was not wrong for him to say that. Of course, that is if they totally ignored Ning 'mistakenly' murdering him in self-defense.

So, the most precious thing in the entire was the box that held the pill, a jade box made from the finest jade so as to preserve the quality.

Besides that, there was a small bowl that seemed to be filled with water, this was a beast bowl. It was used to rear small aquatic spiritual fish.

Glancing at the bowl, Ning muttered, "Only one thing left, I guess."

Ning walked toward a wall, following the fragmented memory.

[Heaven Shattering Fist]

With Qi gathered in his fist, Ning punched out akin to a dragon. While he could barely touch the first form of the technique, its might was not to be underestimated, with a bang, the wall collapsed under extreme force.

Breaking open rocks with bare hands, Jackie Chan would be proud.

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With that, Ning walked inside; the hidden area was full of stalactites of different shapes, and there was a sparkling pool, which was so clear that one could even see light-red fish swimming around below.

Red Lightning Carp.

It was an ancient spiritual fish, said to have gone extinct in this region. This was the only gain of Li Tianhe from the ruin he visited. In fact, this was the source of confidence for Li Tianhe to peek into higher realms.

The flesh of these carps had the effect of imbuing the body with lightning Qi. But that was not the main feature of this carp, eating this carp, it was said there was a minor chance to form lightning Qi.

Normally, to form an elemental Qi, one would need to arduously practice for years with a technique of at least yellow grade, then gain insight into their desired element, only then one could form Qi.

That's why this carp is so extraordinary. Though it was said that there was less than a fifty percent chance to directly form lightning Qi, this was already overpowered enough.

It was for this reason that the colony of this fish was extensively hunted down and was said to be extinct. Of course, that was excluding those big forces, who would probably have treasure of this level in their hands.

Li Tianhe had barely formed Lightning Qi in the foundation-building stage, so using this carp, he wanted to bolster his lightning Qi and even hoped to view the next level.

With precision, Ning scooped up the three red lightning carp and placed them into the bowl.

[Total Harvest: Mid Grade Space Pouch, 3654 low-grade spirit stones, 4 mid-grade spirit stone, fragmented sword pieces, 12 Tier One Blood and Qi Healing Pill, 3 Berserk Pill, Lightning Palm Technique, and Red Lightning Carp]

"No wonder everyone is gunning to kill each other, the harvest is extraordinary indeed." Ning sighed before looking around the empty cave.

"It's time to return now."

...

After recovering his Qi, Ning first circled the nearby forest in search of any dangerous beasts. Since he had given Patriarch Luo his word, he did not mind ensuring that the farm was extra secure.

As he expected, besides the spirit-devouring rat, there were no other notable beasts that threatened the farm. Satisfied, he quickly returned to the farm.

Unexpectedly, the Luo father and son were not there, and the guard present directed him towards the Luo Family mansion.

Ning's thoughts turned quickly, but his feet didn't stop as he quickly reached the mansion. Patriarch Luo was just outside the mansion as if waiting for him.

"Brother Ning, you have finally returned. I was getting worried if you encountered a mishap; thankfully, it seems not." Patriarch Luo was indeed quite worried. It had already been a couple of hours since Ning had gone to secure the proximity, yet he had still not returned.

Since there was a presence like an extremely abnormal spirit-devouring rat, it was not impossible if there were more. So, it was well within his right to be anxious. Thankfully, seeing his benefactor was still in one piece, he let go of his heavy heart.

"I forgot to keep track of time," Ning admitted a bit sheepishly and thumped his chest, "But don't worry Patriarch; I didn't find any other beast that may threaten the field."

"I see. Thank you for your hard work," Patriarch Luo said sincerely. Scouting the parameter was already far above Ning's pay grade, yet he did not mind doing such a task.

"It's not a problem," Ning smiled before asking, "Still, Patriarch, I heard from the guards that you had to return to the manor in a hurry. Did something happen?"

Hearing that, Patriarch Luo smiled with a hint of awkwardness, "About that... after you left us, a sudden guest arrived at the manor, so I had to hurriedly return."

"Oh?" Hearing this, Ning raised his eyebrow knowingly.

Patriarch Luo sighed, "As Brother Ning had previously brought up, someone did come to our manor to complete the task."

"Can I ask who was the one who came?"

"Xiao Fan," Patriarch Luo said the name casually, not noticing Ning's eyes narrow a split second as if it was an illusion. "It was an inner sect disciple named Xiao Fan."

"Xiao Fan, huh?" Ning mumbled.

"Does Brother Ning know him?" Patriarch Luo asked, hearing the mumble.

"Yes, he is quite 'famous' in our sect. Still, where is he now?" Till now, Ning had not seen even a sliver of the protagonist.

"Xiao Fan is inside reading the scroll of insight," Patriarch Luo spoke.

"Hmm?" Ning was surprised...not.

"Since Xiao Fan had to spend several days to reach our manor, we naturally couldn't let him go empty-handed. So, we made a deal. Xiao Fan wanted to read the scroll, so we let him read it as compensation and calm down his anger due to this ordeal." While speaking, Patriarch Luo carefully paid attention to Ning.

For the scroll, Ning had to kill an extremely scary rat, but Xiao Fan was allowed to do so for free. However, it was Patriarch Luo's own decision since they couldn't afford to anger an inner sect disciple like Xiao Fan. In comparison, though Ning was also an inner sect disciple, he seemed gentle and kindhearted, so while unfair, he would only hope the boy in front of him would not bear a grudge. Of course, Patriarch Luo was ready to make up for it.

But contrary to his expectation, Ning didn't seem to mind at all; instead, he smiled, "Patriarch Luo handled this matter well. Since Xiao Fan seems to want to see the scroll, I understand that you could not do much regarding this. Plus, it's not all that bad; Xiao Fan is a person with a clear sense of right and wrong; this is indeed a good opportunity for you."

"Brother Ning..." Patriarch Luo was stunned by Ning's 'good-naturedness' before asking something that he had come to realize, "Does Brother Ning know Xiao Fan personally?"

"Not really. But this is a matter of fate."

"Fate?" Patriarch Luo was stunned.

"Nothing." Ning smiled wistfully, looking at Patriarch Luo's confused face, not explaining much. I see why those old men like to play riddles so much. It's kinda fun.

"O-okay," Patriarch Luo said before suddenly remembering something, "I almost forgot, Brother Ning, please take this," Patriarch Luo suddenly took out three full sacks and let them down with a thud.

While Ning was playing tricks on the foundation-building soul, the Luo family was not idle either. Aside from calculating the damage they had suffered, they also slowly sorted out the gains from the spirit-devouring rat.

After all, the spirit-devouring rat was a monster of the fifth stage of Qi condensation, one that had even unlocked an innate spell. The monster core of this beast would sell for at least a few thousand spirit stones.

Of course, they dared not covet the spirit-devouring rat, but the bits of flesh and blood remaining on the ground were still carefully extracted by the guards. The blood and flesh of such a monster were obviously treasures for these guards and spiritual farmers. Such strong monster blood was filled with spiritual Qi and could at least let them harvest a batch of spiritual material.

So, they were not shy to even scrape the blood-stained mud. While cultivators seemed so high up in the sky, they also seemed so humble sometimes.

Ning did not care about these matters and even acquiesced to them, but now he was stunned, "Patriarch, this is?"

Patriarch Luo laughed and spoke with a bit of embarrassment, "Brother Ning, this is spiritual rice we had harvested this season. Please don't rush to refuse this; while these peaches might not have an effect on your cultivation base, I guarantee their taste."

"Spiritual Rice?"

"I see. Then I won't refuse." Ning accepted the humble offering. After all, this was rice; his innate genes called for it. Plus, it was a small gift, so there was not much hesitation on his part.

But it seems the surprises were not over yet.

"Brother Ning, please take this as well." Patriarch Luo handed a letter to Ning. Truly he seemed intent on paying back Ning in full, no matter how improbable that may be.

"You can take this letter to claim the mission rewards we sent to the Pure Qi sect. I have already described the details of the mission."

Ning remembered there was something like this that the Patriarch had mentioned in the beginning, but...

"Patriarch-"

"You don't have to refuse, Brother Ning. This is the least we can do since you had to face a fifth-stage monster for us," Patriarch Luo trembled slightly.

He was only a third-stage cultivator; even with the help of a treasure like a talisman, he could only lie flat in front of such a beast. So, facing Ning, who could easily kill such a beast, Patriarch Luo had a single thought: this thigh must be hugged.

"Has Xiao Fan agreed to it?" Ning didn't agree to it hastily.

"Yes, it was part of our deal. So, please." Patriarch Luo was not lying. After all, Xiao Fan was already profiting by getting to look at the treasured scroll for free.

"If the patriarch says so, then it would be rude for me to decline." In the end, Ning was not hypocritical at the moment. Since the other party was offering to pay him, he would not become wishy-washy at the end. He could not be like those protagonists who seemed so generous; he still needed to raise himself with many resources, after all.

"Does Brother Ning want to meet Xiao Fan since you are fellow disciples? It has not been long since he had gone to comprehend the scroll, so we probably won't disturb him too much." Patriarch Luo said so because Ning seemed quite interested in this new arrival.

"No need. I don't want to trouble him, so goodbye!" Ning didn't hesitate to say peace and disappear like a mirage lest Patriarch Luo had other ideas.

Feeling the wind brush upon his face, Ning only had a single thought in his mind.

Things seem to have gotten even more interesting...

...

"Father, has Brother Ning already departed?" Luo Ran asked, visibly surprised.

"Yes."

"Was it because we offended him?" Luo Ran inquired straightforwardly.

"I don't think so. Brother Ning seemed fine with Xiao Fan, even faintly happy with the way we handled it. I just think that he had overstayed here for too long. Brother Ning had visited us just to take a look at the scroll in the first place," Patriarch Luo spoke in a single breath. "Also, has Xiao Fan comprehended anything?"

"It doesn't seem so. I still don't get why we are letting him see the scroll for free?" Luo Ran expressed his dislike for Xiao Fan.

"Ran'er, your vision is too narrow. For young disciples like Xiao Fan, our actions of choosing another disciple over him, especially after making him travel so far, would certainly breed discomfort. For us currently, what we need is stability." Patriarch Luo said, a bit disappointed by his son's vision but taking the chance to educate him.

"..." Luo Ran didn't say anything.

Patriarch Luo sighed, "There is not much hope in furthering my cultivation, especially after that injury. So, I need to ensure the future of the family."

Luo Ran was silent. As the patriarch of a small family, Patriarch Luo's cultivation was naturally higher than the third stage, but due to something that happened in the past, his cultivation stagnated.

"Father, you still have a chance to recover, so please don't speak such words."

Patriarch Luo shook his head, "Ran'er, such things are not easy. I am already too old. That's why I'm building bridges for you so that you can smoothly integrate later on. I can no longer recover my cultivation, let alone reach a higher realm."

"The highest chance to build a foundation is before the age of forty. If one wanted to reach even higher, then they should build a foundation before thirty. Even though it is said that this is an era of spiritual recovery, it's too late for me, but for you, this is a golden age. Ran'er, enter the Pure Qi sect with Xiao Fan."

"Father..."