Listening to the footsteps inside, you confirmed that two people had indeed arrived.

Could the formation within this pagoda be the legendary "Teleportation Formation"?

Something connected to spatial powers... could a second-rate martial arts sect really possess such a thing?

You increasingly felt that the Chixin Sect was problematic.

It being problematic was exactly right. What decent person would inexplicably go participate in the massacre of a village?

"Gulu gulu ji... tulu tulu pi..."

The two people inside began speaking.

But you couldn't understand them.

"Oh ho, I should have brought that 'Learn Foreign Languages' trait from before. But then again, that trait was just about being good at learning languages, not directly understanding them, right?"

After listening to them jabber for a while, you suddenly could understand.

"Am I saying it correctly?"

"Ah, yes yes yes! My lord learns so quickly."

"Hmph, if I didn't have this skill, would the General have assigned me to come here?"

"Lord Commander, your visit this time to investigate must be kept low-key. This world is not lacking in powerful individuals. If we are discovered by them, or our identities are seen through, we might come but never return. Currently, our army only has scattered reconnaissance outposts in this realm, and the 'human traitors' we've managed to recruit are not numerous enough. We haven't yet formed a significant force;we must plan for the long term. Our greatest achievement so far is this pagoda containing seven 'Demon Bridge Formations,' allowing us to travel between our main outposts. It's a pity the resources we currently control are insufficient to bring over large numbers of troops or clansmen with overly high cultivation realms."

You heard every word clearly, but when strung together, you realized you seemed to have heard some truly momentous news!

The way these two spoke didn't sound like they were human.

You wanted to get a good look, but worried about being discovered. You could only remain silent and motionless to let the effects of 'Silent Step' work.

"Hmm? I smell the scent of the demon race?"

"My lord's nose is truly sharp! The descendants of those demon race remnants from thirty thousand years ago have indeed taken root again in this world. Their relationship with the human race is not good;it's a minor detail we can exploit."

"Hmm... Why do I also smell the scent of a human?"

"My lord jokes. Of course there is a human scent here;we've disguised this place as the secluded retreat of the Chixin Sect's Founding Ancestor."

"No, not a lingering scent. Right now, at this moment, there is someone here!"

Your heart raced, pounding so fast you worried the sound of your heartbeat would be heard by the "people" inside!

You never expected that while 'Silent Step' produced no sound and couldn't be detected by divine sense when motionless, the other party actually had a dog's nose!

The two inside the pagoda searched every floor but found no one.

"My lord, we should still go to the outpost in the Eastern Wastes. After all, this is the Central Plains region, where crouching tigers and hidden dragons abound. If we stay here too long, I fear our traces might be exposed."

"Wait a moment..."

Before the words finished, you felt a piercing, bone-chilling pain drilling into your back from behind.

Your face instantly turned purplish-blue, and a mouthful of hot blood surged into your throat.

You had suffered internal injuries.

But you endured it, not uttering a sound.

"Regardless of whether there is someone here or not, since they don't dare show themselves, they must be weak. The 'Pain-Piercing Demon Sound' I released just now was enough to kill them."

"My lord is truly meticulous! Admirable, admirable!"

You heard a "buzzing" sound from within the pagoda and vaguely saw the light of a formation flash once.

You stood perfectly still on the pagoda's outer eaves for a full hour, confirming the people inside had left, before flipping back inside.

"Damn... Good thing I have that alien daddy's golden trait. Otherwise, that hit just now would have ended this simulation..."

This also confirmed for you that the two humanoid beings that appeared in the pagoda just now were indeed aliens.

And they were a race separate from both humans and demons!

Could the massacre of Luoding Village also be related to them?

Unable to figure it out, you needed to obtain more clues to get closer to the truth.

Enduring the pain, you memorized all the formation patterns, then left the Ancient Pagoda.

The fifth year, age twenty-two.

You continued within the Chixin Sect, cultivating while keeping an eye out for clues.

Your cultivation had advanced to the sixth layer of the Spirit Gathering realm.

With five years of perfect patrol attendance, the contribution points you accumulated were enough to exchange for one Mid-Grade cultivation technique.

You browsed through the Mid-Grade techniques in the Scripture Repository.

"Elder Yin, I'll exchange for this 'Nine Suns Heart Formula.'"

Yin Rui was the Scripture Repository's guardian elder. His head of red hair showcased his high proficiency in the 'Heartfire Art.'

"Chen Yi, the 'Nine Suns Heart Formula' is a heart method used to cultivate essence energy. You haven't reached the Soul Tempering realm yet. Exchanging for this technique might be useless for you, no?"

"Elder Yin, look at what you're saying. It's not like I'll never reach the Soul Tempering realm in my whole life. I'll just exchange for it first. Mainly, I'm not very interested in the other techniques."

The Chixin Sect wasn't that big. Over five years, you had gotten to know most people.

You often invited this Elder Yin from the Scripture Repository for drinks and casual chats, aiming to ask him about martial path questions during these drinking sessions.

It wasn't just cultivation. This elder was knowledgeable and well-informed on alchemy, artifact forging, and formations. He could answer a bit about anything you asked.

Back and forth, the two of you actually became friends despite the age gap.

Yin Rui stroked his white beard, then suddenly extended a hand and beckoned. A manual flew over.

"Last time I watched you spar with Captain Lin, it seemed you hadn't learned any movement-type martial arts. Take this."

Yin Rui handed you a movement-type martial art called 'Rocket Step.'

"Elder Yin, this movement technique sounds powerful just from the name! Is this also a Mid-Grade technique? Why didn't I see it on those shelves over there?"

Yin Rui laughed.

"Within Mid-Grade, there are also distinctions of high and low quality. The Mid-Grade techniques you can exchange for are the most ordinary ones. The refined techniques are on the floor above."

"Alright then, I'll exchange for this one first. The 'Nine Suns Heart Formula' will have to wait until next time."

Yin Rui turned around, placing his hands behind his back, and gestured towards the door with a wave.

"Patrol Guard Chen Yi, today exchanges for one copy of 'Rocket Step.'"

Understanding his meaning, you clasped your fists and left.

As expected, usually putting more effort into social niceties was still useful. The wine you treated Yin Rui to wasn't wasted. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Time within the simulation rushed by.

In the blink of an eye, ten years had passed.

Chen Yi's cultivation had advanced another two layers;he was now at the eighth layer of the Spirit Gathering realm.

Even in a place where the Essence of Heaven and Earth gathered, and with the sect providing monthly cultivation resources, the improvement speed was still this slow.

Cultivating with a Low-Grade Bone Structure was truly difficult.

No wonder Feng Yucheng had turned to the evil path.

Without using the methods of evil cultivators, one simply couldn't see any hope!

"Luckily, there are only two more years until I can receive the Ten Thousand Souls Banner!"

In essence, Chen Yi wanting to use the Ten Thousand Souls Banner to accelerate his improvement was also an "evil cultivator" path. He just didn't plan to kill people;he planned to kill demons!