Cultivation: I Can Steal Lifespan from Spirit Beasts

Chapter 165: Return to the Heavenly Gate Sect

Nixia Ghost Market.

As Wang Ba stepped out of the market’s concealment, he noticed cultivators still streaming in from all directions. He did not linger. Immediately, he withdrew his newly purchased Second-Grade High-Grade Flying Artifact, hastily refined it with his mark, and shot into the sky, heading straight toward the Heavenly Gate Sect.

Not long after his departure, a slightly plump old man strolled out of the market with a leisurely gait.

It was Li Qu.

He glanced around, ensuring no prying eyes were too close, before releasing a strange, black canine with a single horn protruding from its skull.

The Musk Dog’s nose twitched. It let out two low, guttural barks.

Hearing the signal, a flicker of surprise crossed Li Qu’s eyes. “Heh, this fellow has sharp instincts.”

His surprise quickly morphed into confident disdain. “But a mere early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator? I’ve already tagged you with Musk Horn Incense. You can run, but under the nose of a Musk Dog, you cannot hide.”

He immediately summoned a Second-Grade Low-Grade Flying Artifact, grabbed the hound, and streaked across the horizon in pursuit.

One hour later.

Li Qu’s expression grew serious.

“This guy is fast. It seems I need to stop playing around.”

He pulled a Speed Talisman from his Storage Bag and slapped it onto his vessel. The artifact hummed, its velocity surging instantly.

Half a day later.

Li Qu’s face turned ugly.

“This doesn’t make sense!”

“He’s in the early Foundation Establishment stage. How have I not caught him yet?”

Another half day passed.

Li Qu hovered in mid-air, his complexion a sickly blend of exhaustion-induced pallor and frustration-induced darkness. The pallor came from the excessive drain on his Spiritual Energy; the darkness came from the humiliation of flying for so long without even catching a glimpse of his quarry’s shadow.

“Bastard!”

“That kid’s flying artifact must be at least Middle Grade… no, High Grade! Otherwise, there is no way he could outpace me!”

Li Qu cursed venomously. He had planned to capture the man alive and drag him before Lin Xiwen to bargain for a batch of pills. That plan was rapidly disintegrating.

Just then, the Musk Dog let out a few hoarse, low barks.

“Hm? His position has stopped moving?”

Li Qu froze for a second before joy rushed back into his veins. “He must think he’s escaped the danger zone and let his guard down!”

“He has no idea that Musk Horn Incense is colorless, odorless, and formless. Aside from this Musk Dog, even a Golden Core cultivator might fail to detect it. The scent can linger for years!”

“Once I capture him and seize that flying artifact…”

“Haha, this fated chance is mine!”

Reinvigorated, Li Qu hastily swallowed several recovery pills to replenish his flagging Spiritual Energy and shot toward Wang Ba’s location with renewed fervor.

He sped over grasslands and low shrubbery…

At first, Li Qu didn’t notice the environmental shift. But when the landscape below transformed into an endless ocean of towering, ancient trees, he slammed to a halt.

“Hea—Heavenly Gate Sect?!”

“That man… is a cultivator of the Heavenly Gate Sect?!”

A cold shudder ran through Li Qu’s body.

In the State of Yan, the Heavenly Gate Sect was a name that made rogue cultivators tremble.

Other major sects might be arrogant, but they generally cared about their reputation and wouldn’t casually slaughter rogue cultivators without cause. The Heavenly Gate Sect was different.

These demonic path fiends kept a low profile, but when they emerged, it was often to abduct rogue cultivators to refine into human puppets, harvest for bone materials, or worse. They were inherently cruel.

Even the other major sects of Yan, wary of mutual destruction, had allowed the Heavenly Gate Sect to grow, eventually pinching their noses and acknowledging its status.

Rogue cultivators, fearing for their lives, had long since evacuated the region. The area surrounding the sect had become a vacuum zone.

In recent months, Heavenly Gate Sect disciples had been rarely seen, lulling everyone into a false sense of security. Li Qu never imagined that the Foundation Establishment cultivator who killed Zhu Jianyi would belong to this terrifying faction.

Despite his disdain for Wang Ba, the sheer terror inspired by the Heavenly Gate Sect forced his hand. He dared not proceed.

After much hesitation, he crushed a Sound Transmission Talisman.

Half a day later, a figure tore through the sky from the horizon, coming to an abrupt, physics-defying halt directly in front of Li Qu.

The transition from extreme speed to absolute stillness demonstrated a terrifying mastery over Spiritual Energy.

It was the late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator from Golden River City, Lin Xiwen.

Li Qu swallowed his nerves, his respect for Lin Xiwen deepening. He hurriedly bowed and explained the situation.

For the first time, Lin Xiwen’s refined expression turned unsightly.

“You mean to tell me the murderer who killed my disciple is a Heavenly Gate Sect cultivator?”

Li Qu nodded. “It must be. The Musk Dog never lies.”

Indignation nearly spilled from Lin Xiwen’s eyes. The ambient wind around them grew turbulent, reflecting his rage.

However, the anger in his eyes was soon forcibly suppressed. He shook his head slowly.

“Let’s go.”

Li Qu looked unwilling. “We’re just leaving? We chased him all the way here!”

“The Heavenly Gate Sect is powerful. Under these circumstances, we have no choice but to abandon the pursuit.”

Lin Xiwen cast a deep, resentful look toward the boundless forest.

A dozen or so Yin Food Worm larvae were important for his cultivation, yes. But they were not worth provoking a war with a Heavenly Gate Sect cultivator. He was not so unwise.

No matter how bitter the pill, he had to swallow it. Fortunately, he still had other larvae; his cultivation progress would merely slow down, not halt. It was a loss he could grudgingly accept.

His gaze drifted to the Musk Dog beside Li Qu.

“This beast possesses a keen spirituality,” Lin Xiwen remarked suddenly. “I am quite fond of it. I wonder if Fellow Daoist would be willing to part with it? I am willing to exchange a batch of Earth Origin Pills for it.”

Li Qu paused, stunned, then hesitated for only a moment before nodding.

He patted the Musk Dog’s head with a look of genuine reluctance, wiping a smudge of dirt from its single horn.

“Fellow Daoist Lin’s cultivation progresses at a godly pace. If the Musk Dog can be of use to you, that is its best destiny. Today, I gift this beast to you. There is no need for pills.”

Lin Xiwen looked at him with slight surprise, not expecting such decisiveness. The polite distance he usually maintained finally thawed.

He straightened his posture. “Fellow Daoist flatters me. However, if you are not in a rush, why not return to Golden River City with me to discuss the Dao? You have traveled far for my disciple’s sake, and I have yet to properly thank you.”

“You are too kind…”

After exchanging pleasantries, Li Qu did not decline. He followed Lin Xiwen back toward Golden River City.

Nixia Ghost Market.

The three-day window passed in a flash.

At the foot of the border wall, the gathering of cultivators dissolved. The market managers retracted the concealment formations and vanished.

The location, bustling with noise and trade only half a day ago, was now desolate—just trampled grass and a few lingering stragglers.

Suddenly.

From the direction of the State of Song, a streak of light tore through the atmosphere, stopping instantly above the wall.

The figure revealed was a cultivator radiating a cold, palpable aura of slaughter.

If Wang Ba were here, he would have recognized him instantly.

This was Zhao Feng, the former Outer Sect Head Disciple of the Eastern Sage Sect in the State of Chen.

Years ago, they had parted ways, and there had been no news since. Who would have thought that Zhao Feng had fought his way south from Chen all the way to Yan?

Unlike their last parting, where his form was fading into a translucent spirit, the current Zhao Feng looked entirely solid, indistinguishable from a living human.

There was no blood on his robes, yet the scent of iron and death clung to him.

He hovered in mid-air. Before he even spoke, the cultivators and mortals below felt a phantom blade pressing against their throats.

Zhao Feng’s gaze swept over the debris-littered ground, and a look of regret crossed his face.

“Pity. I hurried, yet I still missed the market.”

He scanned the area. Without any visible movement, he vanished.

He reappeared instantly in front of a second-layer Qi Refining cultivator.

“Do you know of any other ghost markets nearby?”

“I… I… S-Senior, I don’t know! I don’t know anything!”

The cultivator was so overwhelmed by the suffocating blood aura that his legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground, stammering.

Zhao Feng frowned slightly. He shook his head and flickered away, appearing in front of a fifth-layer Qi Refining cultivator.

This one fared better. Though trembling, he bowed hastily. “Senior, I am not clear on the details, but I know someone who is.”

Zhao Feng remained silent for a beat.

“Lead the way.”

“Yes!”

One hour later.

Liu Yaodong stared blankly at the cold, stern cultivator before him, his face draining of color.

Damn it! Why are there so many Foundation Establishment cultivators tormenting me lately?!

Two days ago, after Wang Ba left without a word, the residual Yin Spirit power had faded, waking Liu from the Dream Creation spell. Before he could even process the lingering fear, a “friend” had dragged this terrifying entity to his doorstep.

At this moment, Liu Yaodong wanted to strangle the friend who brought him here.

But the man before him was clearly not to be trifled with. Liu Yaodong didn’t dare play games. Upon hearing the request, he thumped his chest and spilled everything he knew about the Exquisite Ghost Market.

“Senior found the right person. This Junior has a wide network. To my knowledge, in the northwest of Yan, only the second floor of the Exquisite Ghost Market remains active.”

“However, it won’t open for another month. If Senior is in a hurry, you could try the south. The markets there are mostly run by Qi Refining cultivators, but they are numerous.”

“In that case, I will wait a month.”

The cold cultivator nodded faintly.

Liu Yaodong wanted to slap himself.

Why do I always have to show off? I should have just said I didn’t know!

But the words were out, and lying to a Foundation Establishment cultivator was a death wish. He could only pinch his nose and offer the stern man the finest quarters in his mansion, complete with beautiful maids and spirit wine.

Zhao Feng refused it all.

He simply chose a secluded corner of the estate, closed the door, and did not emerge. He lived like an ascetic monk.

Seeing this, Liu Yaodong actually relaxed, feeling a strange sense of security. He had known many people, and he could read character types. He knew that as long as he harbored no ill intent toward such a focused, bitter cultivator, he would likely be safe.

Heavenly Gate Sect, Sword Billow Garrison.

Inside the kitchen.

Wang Ba mimed wiping non-existent sweat from his forehead.

He looked down at the array of dissected biological samples—organs, tissues, and fluids extracted from spirit beasts—and a satisfied smile finally graced his lips.

Beside him, Bao Chao stared, unable to mask the shock in his eyes.

“The second step… he achieved it so quickly!”