Rusty Soul-Snatching Technique

Gu Changge took a sip of tea. As if suddenly remembering something, a knowing smile touched the corners of his mouth. He turned his gaze to Xuanyangzi with a hint of teasing in his eyes.

"Besides, Senior Brother, regarding the Second Elder of the Burning Heaven Palace, Li Qingfeng... I'm afraid you've already made arrangements for him, haven't you? Letting him act as the acting sect master is exactly what you wanted, isn't it?"

Xuanyangzi's hand, holding the teacup, paused. He then shook his head with a chuckle and pointed at Gu Changge. "I knew it. Nothing can be hidden from you."

He lowered his voice, carrying a trace of smugness. "Junior Brother Qingfeng has been undercover for many years, and now the time has finally come for him to be of great use. With him in that position, the movements of the Burning Heaven Palace will be completely transparent to us."

Gu Changge nodded in understanding, but then his tone turned a bit more serious as he warned, "However, Senior Brother, you all need to pay a bit more attention to the Third Elder of the Burning Heaven Palace.

"From what I have observed of his behavior, he is a man of deep and calculating thoughts. His methods of secretly contacting the outside world are quite seasoned... If I'm not mistaken, I'm afraid he is a nail planted by another faction long ago."

Hearing this, Xuanyangzi frowned sharply, his expression instantly becoming solemn.

"A spy from another faction? Junior Brother, are you serious?" He carefully recalled the intelligence regarding that Third Elder, and the more he thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed.

"No wonder... Over the years, several of the Burning Heaven Palace's operations were inexplicably thwarted. So this is the root of the problem!"

He slapped his forehead, his tone carrying a bit of exasperation toward Lie Tianxiong's incompetence, as if he could already see the day when the Burning Heaven Palace would belong to the Azure Profound Sect.

"How is this Lie Tianxiong even the sect master? His own sect is about to be infiltrated until it resembles a sieve!

"The Second Elder is our man, and now the Third Elder turns out to be an outside spy! He really makes being a Palace Master look... effortless."

A fierce glint flashed through his eyes as he made a throat-slitting gesture. "Junior Brother, since he is a nail planted by someone else, keeping him around will sooner or later become a disaster. Should we find an opportunity to finish him off cleanly?"

Gu Changge glanced at him and couldn't help but chuckle. He shook his head, his tone carrying a bit of teasing.

"Senior Brother, is your Soul Seizing Art getting rusty? Dealing with such a professional mole by simply eliminating him is too much of a waste. Letting him become our man to feed some good news back to his former masters—wouldn't that save us more trouble and be much more... interesting?"

Xuanyangzi's eyes suddenly lit up with sudden realization. He slapped his thigh hard. "Brilliant! Why didn't I think of that! Junior Brother, your mind is truly sharp!

"Yes, yes, yes! Seize his soul, control his mind, and let him remain the Third Elder on the surface, while in reality, he becomes our double agent!

"This way, we can not only control him but also use him to feed the enemy some sweeteners. We might even be able to follow the vine to get the melon and root out even more secrets!"

The more he spoke, the more excited he became. He rubbed his hands together, eager to give it a try. "Good, good, good! This is a fantastic idea! Some other day... no, in just a few days, I will personally go to the Burning Heaven Palace to visit him!

"I guarantee it will be done completely unnoticed, without even his original masters spotting a flaw. And as for the other elders, I can conveniently take care of them while I'm at it!"

Gu Changge watched his excited demeanor, looking much like a child finding a new toy, and nodded with a smile. He picked up his teacup. "Then I wish Senior Brother immediate success."

"Haha! I will borrow your good words, Junior Brother!"

Xuanyangzi was in a fantastic mood, feeling that the future was incredibly bright. The slight gloominess he had felt earlier because Lie Tianxiong had "turned over a new leaf" was completely swept away. He picked up his teacup and clinked it in the air with Gu Changge.

"Let this tea serve as wine. Cheers!"

The pavilion was once again filled with a relaxed and cheerful atmosphere.

After Xuanyangzi left, tranquility returned to the bamboo pavilion, leaving only the curling fragrance of the tea and the rustling of bamboo leaves swaying in the wind.

Gu Changge savored his tea in solitude for a moment. His gaze was leisurely as he looked toward Xiao Ruobai and Fang Hanyu, who were currently sparring with each other. A very faint smile played at the corners of his lips as he shook his head and murmured to himself.

"These two brats are probably bored out of their minds... That's fine too. Going out to stretch their legs is always better than just burying their heads in bitter cultivation."

His divine sense spread quietly across the entire Purple Bamboo Peak like invisible ripples, gently brushing over Ling Xi, who was fiercely battling a sharp sword intent projection inside the Pagoda of Eternal Geniuses. Sensing her focused and entirely undistracted state, he nodded slightly.

"This girl is quite composed."

Before long, Xiao Ruobai and Fang Hanyu quickly arrived outside the bamboo pavilion one after the other and bowed in greeting.

"Master, you were looking for us?"

Xiao Ruobai's voice was loud and clear, carrying the unique vitality of youth. Although Fang Hanyu did not speak, his eyes also held a questioning look.

Gu Changge looked at his two disciples. After this period of cultivation, their auras had become more profound and steady, and their gazes sharper. He nodded slightly in his heart.

"Yes," Gu Changge said in a casual tone. "I heard that the border of Xuanzhou, the former territory of the Demon Heaven Sect, has been quite lively recently. People from all walks of life are gathering there."

He paused and, seeing their eyes instantly light up, continued slowly, "It's not good to always cultivate behind closed doors on the peak. You two should prepare yourselves, go down the mountain, and take a walk over there. See the sights and treat it as a journey for experience."

He then added in passing, "That girl Ling Xi is entirely focused on the Pagoda of Geniuses right now. It's a critical moment for her, so let her stay on the peak for the time being."

Hearing that they could go down the mountain to gain experience, Xiao Ruobai and Fang Hanyu's faces immediately revealed uncontrollable excitement.

"Yes, Master!" Xiao Ruobai answered eagerly, his fists clenching unconsciously, a faint battle intent burning in his eyes. "This disciple will definitely not disappoint Master's expectations and will properly see the world!"

Although Fang Hanyu was more composed, the corners of his mouth also curled up slightly. He bowed and said, "This disciple understands and will definitely act cautiously. Please rest assured, Master."

Gu Changge looked at their eager appearances and smiled. His tone was gentle but carried a clear instruction, "Go on. Remember, gaining experience is the main goal. Be smart when encountering situations, and put safety first. If you encounter any trouble you can't resolve, don't force it; send a message back."

"We will strictly remember Master's teachings!" the two replied in unison.

"Go on, and return safely." Gu Changge waved his hand.

Suppressing the excitement in their hearts, Xiao Ruobai and Fang Hanyu bowed once more and then retreated with brisk steps.

As soon as they turned around, the two couldn't help but exchange an excited glance, clearly full of anticipation for the upcoming journey.

Gu Changge watched the figures of his two disciples disappear at the end of the mountain path and murmured to himself, "Young people always need to experience more storms to grow."

Just as Xiao Ruobai and Fang Hanyu's figures disappeared at the end of the mountain path shaded by purple bamboo, Gu Changge's gaze slowly withdrew from the southwest direction.

Subsequently, his gaze seemed to pierce through the void, landing in the clouds at an extremely high altitude.

Up there, a small, dark silhouette was idly preening its feathers, yet its sharp gaze remained firmly locked onto the two excited figures on the mountain path below.

"With Little Black following them in the shadows, nothing major should go wrong."