Chapter 794: Brainwash (II)

The visitor had not contacted him in advance, so someone else had clearly made the referral. That was the only possibility. Suddenly, Cao Hongchang sensed a powerful and familiar aura racing toward them through the distant sky. He was momentarily taken aback.

"Hm? Why has this fellow come here?" Cao Hongchang asked in puzzlement, though several conjectures flashed through his mind.

With a thought, a projection of Cao Hongchang condensed above Evilheart Island and calmly gazed toward the distant sky. A streak of light flashed through the void and arrived above the Evilheart Sect in an instant. As the light dissipated, Li Xiang's burly figure was revealed.

"Haha, it has been a long time. Fellow Li has grown even stronger," Cao Hongchang said with a laugh, offering him a compliment.

"Heh..." Li Xiang gave a disdainful laugh. "Is there something you ought to tell me?"

"What do you mean by that?" Cao Hongchang asked with feigned confusion in his eyes.

"Stop pretending. Other people have already contacted me about it. You really are an unscrupulous bastard. You found something this good, yet instead of contacting me first, you tried to keep it all to yourself!" Li Xiang narrowed his eyes and regarded Cao Hongchang with displeasure.

"Ah, haha! I was just about to notify you. I did not expect you to come here on your own so quickly. Come, let us discuss this inside." Cao Hongchang spoke with a smile as his projection slowly disappeared and a small opening suddenly appeared in the island-protecting formation.

Li Xiang snorted coldly, and his figure vanished with a slight flicker.

Inside the Evilheart Sect's main hall, Li Xiang strode in with his head held high and an unfriendly expression. Upon seeing Lin Zheyu seated in the place of honor, he was momentarily taken aback.

"Allow me to introduce him. This is Fellow Xiao Zhe, the new sect master of Evilheart Sect," Cao Hongchang said with a smile.

"Heh. It has been a long time. I did not expect Evilheart Sect to have changed sect masters," Li Xiang said calmly with a cold smile.

Lin Zheyu did not care about his attitude. As long as Li Xiang could bring him spirit stones, he could tolerate an even worse attitude.

"Since you have come here, you must have learned something already. However, if you wish to know more, you will need to sign this contract and swear a Blood-Soul Oath according to the terms written within," Lin Zheyu said calmly.

With a thought, a scroll shot toward Li Xiang. Li Xiang beckoned with his right hand, and the scroll landed in his grasp.

"Interesting. It appears Evilheart Sect is indeed concealing something intriguing," Li Xiang said with an amused smile.

Without hesitation, he readily signed the contract and then swore a Blood-Soul Oath. For a demonic cultivator at Li Xiang's level, the process of swearing a Blood-Soul Oath would indeed have some effect on the soul. However, it was hardly worth mentioning compared to the erosion of his soul by yao will. This was why they agreed to swear Blood-Soul Oaths so readily.

"And then?" Li Xiang asked calmly, looking at Lin Zheyu.

"Five thousand high-grade spirit stones. That is the price. In return, I will treat you twice, purging the yao will from your soul and Nascent Soul to alleviate its erosion," Lin Zheyu said calmly.

Li Xiang was approximately at the peak of the early Nascent Soul realm. According to Lin Zheyu's original rates, he would only have needed to pay three thousand high-grade spirit stones. However, this fellow had irritated Lin Zheyu.

Cao Hongchang was speechless upon hearing that. His pupils contracted slightly as he cursed inwardly, Good grief!

"Five thousand high-grade spirit stones? Heh, do you think high-grade spirit stones are as common as cabbages? Even asking the high priest to intervene once does not cost that much." Li Xiang curled his lip in a cold sneer and said, "One thousand high-grade spirit stones. Not a single stone more."

"Stay if you can accept the price. Leave if you cannot. I will not force you. Also, let me make this clear beforehand. During the process of purging the yao will, you must completely relax your mind, open your sea of consciousness, and lower the defenses around your nascent soul," Lin Zheyu said calmly.

After studying the Nascent Souls of more than a dozen Nascent Soul realm demonic cultivators, he had accumulated more than enough insights. All he lacked now was an opportunity for a breakthrough. Lin Zheyu would have to seek out that opportunity himself or find inspiration in unorthodox Immortal Dao cultivation techniques for the Nascent Soul realm.

"I do not trust you. If you are willing to swear a Blood-Soul Oath, I can pay one hundred high-grade spirit stones to experience the effects before deciding," Li Xiang said calmly, shaking his head.

Lin Zheyu had encountered more than one demonic cultivator like Li Xiang during this period. In fact, most demonic cultivators were like this. However, Lin Zheyu had no desire to continue haggling with this fellow. His figure flickered and instantly vanished from the spot. Li Xiang's expression shifted as he rapidly retreated, but after taking only two steps back, a fierce gust came howling from his left.

Li Xiang's arms rapidly swelled as he hastily raised them to block. An incomparably terrifying force struck him, sending his entire body hurtling backward and crashing into a wall protected by a defensive formation within the main hall.

Li Xiang narrowed his eyes as a ferocious expression spread across his face. "Now that packed a punch. So you are actually a mid-stage Nascent Soul-realm expert. Hehe. So what if you are in the mid-stage Nascent Soul realm? I do not have long to live anyway. Push me too far, and I will simply drag you down with me. Hahaha!"

He grinned viciously, licked the blood from the corner of his mouth, and laughed wildly.

As both a demonic cultivator and a member of the Painful Holy Sect, Li Xiang was an utter madman. More accurately, most members of the Painful Holy Sect were madmen.

"If you are not even afraid of death, why not give it a try? As long as you possess enough spirit stones and still have sufficient lifespan remaining, I can extend your life by at least a hundred years," Lin Zheyu said calmly.

Demonic qi surged around him, and his entire body was instantly covered in magnificent dark purple scales that radiated a dangerous aura. These believers of the Painful Holy Sect were all madmen who would only speak properly when facing someone stronger than themselves. Only by displaying strength far beyond theirs could one make them settle down and listen.

"Another hundred years? You certainly talk big. Hmph! Since you put it that way, I will experience it for myself," Li Xiang said with a sinister chuckle.

He flipped his right hand, and a hundred high-grade spirit stones appeared in his palm. "Let me see what a hundred high-grade spirit stones will get me first."

"Certainly." Lin Zheyu beckoned with his right hand, and the hundred high-grade spirit stones in Li Xiang's palm flew into his own.

He took several steps forward and stopped before Li Xiang without withdrawing the scales covering his body. After all, when dealing with these madmen, there was no telling whether they might suddenly lose control and self-destruct.

"Relax your mind, open your sea of consciousness, and lower the defenses around your nascent soul," Lin Zheyu said calmly.

"Very well," Li Xiang replied calmly.

Immediately afterward, his hands rapidly formed seals, and vast amounts of demon essence surged from his body. Countless faces swam within the energy, each contorted in agony and emitting piercing, anguished howls. Their cries struck terror into the heart.

"Heh!" Li Xiang chuckled as a black crystal flew out and disappeared into the energy.

The demon essence churned and condensed into a wailing, weeping ghostly face the size of a human head.

"We may begin. Please proceed," Li Xiang said with a smile.

A moment ago, this fellow's face had been twisted with madness and ferocity, yet now he was perfectly calm and even wore a faint smile. Lin Zheyu remained expressionless as he slowly extended both hands and pressed them against Li Xiang's abdomen and the spot between his brows.

"The process will be somewhat painful, but I am sure you can endure it," Lin Zheyu said calmly. As soon as he finished speaking, fine strands of golden energy surged forth and flowed into Li Xiang's body.

"Hiss!" Li Xiang suddenly sucked in a sharp breath, his smiling face contorting hideously. The pain was so intense that his entire body twisted slightly and began to tremble.

Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!

Fine wisps of dark purple smoke soon began rising from Li Xiang's body, and a brilliant gleam abruptly flashed through his eyes, which were wild with pain.

It works! It really works, and the results are unexpectedly good! Damn it, just what kind of method is this fellow using?

Countless thoughts flashed through Li Xiang's mind in an instant. Even the horrifying pain could not suppress his excitement.

It seems this fellow was telling the truth!

His spiritual soul has been deeply eroded by the will of a demon god! If he remains in the Painful Holy Sect, it probably will not be long before he becomes the demon god's puppet, Lin Zheyu thought.

After treating more than a dozen demonic cultivators from demon god religions, Lin Zheyu had also discovered something unusual within their souls. A vague and unfathomable power lingered inside the souls of these demonic cultivators. This power left almost no trace, and Lin Zheyu had not noticed it at first. Only after treating five demonic cultivators from demon god religions did he finally detect something amiss. This mysterious energy contained a faint will.

Lin Zheyu suspected that it was the will of the demon god worshipped by those religions. Unlike yao will, this demon god will was not as aggressively invasive, but it was exceedingly insidious. It fused completely with a cultivator's soul, then subtly influenced the cultivator's mind and will over time.

Eventually, it would transform the cultivator into a fanatical believer who worshipped the demon god with utter madness. This was true brainwashing! Lin Zheyu carefully controlled the golden energy, doing his utmost to purge only the yao will contained within Li Xiang's soul and nascent soul without touching the demon god's will, lest he attract its attention.

Time slowly passed. Just as Li Xiang was immersed in boundless joy, Lin Zheyu slowly withdrew his hands, took a step back, and regarded him calmly.

"That is the result obtained from a hundred high-grade spirit stones. What do you think? Is the full treatment worth five thousand high-grade spirit stones?" Lin Zheyu asked calmly.

These Nascent Soul realm demonic cultivators were far wealthier than he had imagined. Even after Cao Hongchang took referral fees ranging from five hundred to one thousand high-grade spirit stones, they could still produce another three thousand. That alone demonstrated their wealth. Li Xiang should be able to afford five thousand high-grade spirit stones.

"It is over? That is all?" Li Xiang returned to his senses and asked with wide eyes.

He shook his head slightly and began to bargain. "Five thousand is too much. I will pay no more than four thousand. If it costs more than four thousand high-grade spirit stones, I might as well return and ask the high priest to help me."

"Is that so? Given your current condition, if you ask him to help you another two times, you will probably become a complete fanatic of the Mother of Pain and be reduced to Her puppet," Lin Zheyu said calmly.