Kao Yun Yun was sitting calmly in her chair, observing Bai Lin Hua.
The fog surrounding her brain was finally growing thinner.
She wiped the sweat out of her forehead, and let out a soft sigh.
Since the day she had informed the Supreme Leader that she suspected that Bai Lin Hua belonged to a Demonic Organization, the priority of this project had reached the very limit.
Not only she received countless assistants, but was also dragged into an extraordinary Formation were time was almost a hundred times faster than anywhere else.
Even the Supreme Leader alongside a few Immortals personally came to act as her bodyguard, whilst she conducted her investigation.
The reasoning?
Soul Path was the most powerful Path of the era, as of now several experts had already emerged, some which had even touched the exalted Rank 8.
In such a chaotic era, grasping the power of Soul Path was essential.
And if they knew this clearly, then of course whichever organization Bai Lin Hua belonged could understand this too.
That plus the very fact that she had a seal inside her brain which likely contained a tracker, meant a very simple thing.
They were coming.
Of course, with the people they had unless a Rank 8 personally came, it would be very difficult to retrieve her.
But one never knew.
Just in case, it was better to hurry up the investigation, so even if they rescued her, they would have extracted everything useful.
…
Kao Yun Yun cleared her throat.
"Alright. It seems almost ready." She pressed her brush across her forehead, creating a few strokes.
Bai Lin Hua who seemed to be sleeping pleasantly.
Woke up with her eyes jolted awake.
"Hah…So you finally woke me up?" She said with a tiny smile in her face, there was none of the confusion one would expect from somebody who had just woke up in an isolated jail.
Kao Yun Yun stared at the woman somewhat puzzled, before her realization dawned upon her face.
"Ah…I see! You've been conscious the whole time, haven't you?"
Bai Lin Hua shrugged.
"Sort of. Most of the time. When you were not messing with…
Whatever that Land Spirit put in my brain." She touched her forehead.
"That thing….Even now, I feel so mentally drained. Controlling my motor actions is hard, and it feels like half of my brain is shut down." Then she turned her face towards Kao Yun Yun and added.
"Had it not been because of you, I would most probably died. As my organs stopped receiving instructions from my brain."
Kao Yun Yun chuckled.
"So are you grateful for my aid?"
Bai Lin Hua shook her head.
"Not much. I know what you are here for."
After saying those words, a wide smile appeared in her face.
"And that, I may be willing to give. At a price."
Kao Yun Yun stared at the woman with a very peculiar expression in her face.
"In all my years, I had yet to see such a proud prisoner, my horizons have truly been expanded." Her tone seemed both amused yet mocking.
Bai Lin Hua simply replied.
"The reason why I'm acting so rational, is purely because I was given plenty of time to consider my options. And sincerely, I'd rather directly help you than to be tortured by months or years.
Similarly, I doubt that you want to go through this thing of I give you fake info, you test it in prisoners, they die. And repeat.
Until I give you a crumble of truth, that may be laced in poison.
That you distrust for months or years, until your worst fears get proven or disproven after countless testing.
So why not spare us the chore?"
Then she shrugged again.
"Besides do you really have the time to go through all of this?" She smirked; her intent was clear.
"So, what do you propose?" Kao Yun Yun lowered her eyebrows.
"Lend me your most talented Featherman, and I can teach them. Similarly, I can also write one or two of my Killer Moves every month or so."
"And what do you want in exchange?"
"I want my ability to use Gu again, I want to be able to access my aperture, and I want to leave this jail."
Kao Yun Yun lowered her eyebrows.
Generally, she would not have minded this much, after all gaining vital info, at the cost of giving partial freedom to a mere Rank 6 Gu Master, who did not even have Immortal Gu was basically a steal.
But Soul Cultivators were scary, that much had been engraved onto people during the millennia of Spectral Soul's era.
"Hah…I'd be willing to give you a chance, but as a gesture of good faith, the first Killer Move I'd ask would be, Soul Search."
Bai Lin Hua smile stiffened, she snorted coldly shaking her head.
"Do you think I am an idiot? The second you get that, is the second I get tortured to death."
Kao Yun Yun chuckled; it was a worth a try.
Besides.
Her eyes gleamed with a certain sharpness.
During this whole conversation, she was getting a 'read' of Bai Lin Hua and her personality.
Soon she would be able to-
Bai Lin Hua smiled.
Except for the most vital functions such as breathing or heartbeat, everything else stopped entirely.
Only rare thoughts could be grasped, and even they were flickering.
"You seemed to be trying to read my mind, weren't you? Well. Is not so easy.
As a Soul Cultivator, while I may lack the Soul Foundation to be able to survive outside my body for long.
I still can take a walk or so.
During this period, I can easily keep my thoughts concealed to you.
Of course, I need to take a breath from time to time.
But during those shallow periods, I will do my absolute best to keep everything I know hidden."
Her smile vanished.
"Of course, I may slip a thing or two, from time to time, but honestly, you have no time to go through this chore."
She chuckled.
"As I said before, the best course of action for you is to agree to my deal."
Kao Yun Yun pressed her fingers towards a table.
Rhythmically her fingers hit the table.
She was getting pretty frustrated with this prisoner, why couldn't she be screaming bloody murder and make her job so much easier?
She rolled her eyes.
"Even so. Even if we give you some modest freedom do you truly think you will be able to escape? Wishful thinking." She inwardly thought.
Despite her thoughts, she smiled warmly.
Stretching her palm, and said.
"Very well, then. Let us make an agreement, shall we? An Spiritual Contract."
Bai Lin Hua stared at her suspiciously, she muttered.
"Let us keep our promise verbal."
Kao Yun Yun was a Rank 7 Gu Master specialized in Information and Wisdom Path.
Not even a Land Spirit would be foolish enough to agree.
Speaking of which.
Why was that Land Spirit Kao Dao Ji so abnormal?
That bastard, it was his fault that she ended up in this position.
"Sigh. I will have to keep enduring for a bit longer." She shook her head.
No matter how angry, how bitter and how regretful she was, she could not allow emotions to blind her, not now.
…
Meanwhile.
"Acho." Kao Dao Ji sneezed.
"Was somebody thinking about me?" He rubbed his nose somewhat puzzled.
"Hopefully it was Le Tu. Sigh. I know time here and there are very different, but still.
It has been months since I sent him that letter and yet he has yet to reply."
He shook his head.
This was not the time to get distracted.
Because today, he was surveying his employees for the very first time.
Across his full aperture, one could see a thousand of bird-like figures flying everywhere.
Their sights?
Set onto the seas beneath.
One could already see the seas above.
His seas were clear and beautiful.
But as they reflected the colors of the skies, instead of looking a soft-celeste, they instead look more like purple wine or dark blue.
Due to the layer of clouds above, furthermore, upon a closer look.
One could see a continuous flux of electricity around the deep seas.
As well as the sound, and sensation.
Sparkles of light continuously surged.
Tides upon tides of beautiful electric eels swam in small hordes.
They moved together, in hordes towards the algae.
Small minnows were devouring this algae.
Until suddenly.
One of the electric eel approached, with its electricity it hit its body paralyzing it, before opening its mouth to eat it.
Kao Dao Ji observed this cycle, and took a deep breath.
This cycle of nature, so beautiful yet cruel had been developed by him.
Such an ecosystem had been developed by him, practically from the beginning.
Still.
While the ecosystem looked grand and beautiful, it was still fragile in essence.
There were several minor and major things that could destroy the whole thing, if he was the slightest careless.
There was for example, his Acid Rain.
While the Killer Move was certainly useful, and its core mainly relied on the natural ability of water to dissolve things, in reality several substances had been added to it, to enhance its efficiency.
Turning this innocuous water into deadly poison.
And while this water was very diluted, it was still a huge hidden danger.
Another hidden danger, were the phenomenon known as Thunder Rocks.
Thunder Rocks are a common material that can be found in places where lighting continuously befalls.
They are born from lighting striking a rock.
Whilst generally this would destroy the rock, there are some instances in which it can withstand it.
Thus, in the process it gets 'forged' and strengthened.
Not only that, but this very process also means that the stone itself gets charged by a bit of electricity.
If one repeats this process a few times, a Thunder Rock is born.
While those rocks are generally innocuous virtually undistinguishable from common rocks, once they are split.
They explode in a violent manner.
Not only that but during common times, the Qi they emanate produces an instinctive sensation of danger in most living creatures.
While that may not sound much, it can in essence stress every living creature on the zone.
Yet.
Despite the dangers, they were also highly valuable.
They were useful for forging many Gu and even Immortal Swords.
Immortal Swords, were akin to Totems or Spiritual Drinks.
Half-made Gu Recipes that carried the profundity of Gu Refinement without going the whole way through.
By doing this, it was possible to mass produce Immortal objects which were in certain ways comparable to Rank 6 Gu.
Alas. Such a shame that those objects were only usable for Immortal Swordman, and the technique was only known to a few, regardless.
Thunder Rocks were extremely useful, in more than a sense.
Apart from the previously mentioned detail, they were also useful as a substitute material for Primeval Stones.
No, in a way they were even better.
For Thunder Rocks could carry dozens, hundreds and even thousands times more energy than ordinary Primeval Stones.
But while there were benefits there was also deep danger.
Trying to absorb that energy could easily led to your doom, if you were not careful.
Furthermore, the acquisition of a powerful physique or suitable Lighting Gu could also facilitate the process, there was also a factor of luck and manipulation of energy.
A deep lighting attainment could also smooth out the transition.
Regardless, it was a rather dangerous and expensive way to Cultivate rapidly and erode bottlenecks to breakthrough.
Regarding his aperture.
Both before and after the oceans were established, intense lighting befell onto the ground.
This of course, led to a very abundant production of Thunder Rocks that were continuously piling up.
…
The very first nature that he gave his disciples was in essence a freebie.
Find and get as many Thunder Rocks as you are able to.
Of course, he would be watching.
There would be no infighting, not stealing, no killing.
Not damaging the resources, he had painstakingly developed.
Just swimming underneath the seas, getting those Thunder Rocks and getting out.
Nothing more, nothing else.
If anybody dared to try anything funny, they would pay the price.
Still, he doubted that many would try.
After all, the benefits were already there.
With just a low-grade a Rank 1 Gu Master could transcend to Rank 2 easily, and with a Supreme-Grade even a Rank 4 Gu Master could go to Rank 5.
Of course, finding a Supreme Grade Stone was very, very rare.
For Thunder Rocks graded up by continuously absorbing lighting, and his aperture was still very young.
At most, there were a few High-Grade Stones across his whole aperture.
Still.
Many who had been stuck in a bottleneck, still were very excited.
After all, even if they could not use a High-Grade Stone alone to breakthrough, what if they had a few, or what if they employed other means alongside this?
In other words.
There was a massive frenzy.
Akin to the gold frenzy.
Every Featherman had red eyes, as they scanned his aperture trying to find even the weakest Thunder Rock.