Originally, Wen Jiu just wanted to take on a new identity and have a chat with Ye Chen about the future of Deadman Peak. However, unexpectedly, as he turned his head, he heard Li Yan shamelessly boasting, planning to sell him to an aged Evil Cultivator nearing his end to be used for body snatching.

This act was more heterodox than the Heterodox Dao, and more wicked than the Evil Cultivators, which made Wen Jiu extremely displeased.

As for why not directly use the Avoidance Technique of Soul Capture of the East Spring Undying Bone on him, it’s because killing one Li Yan is utterly useless. In the current situation of Deadman Peak, killing one Li Yan or killing ten would make no difference.

If Li Yan were to die, other Foundation Establishment Cultivators would fill the void and furthermore, challenge Deadman Peak, since Li Yan would have died there. Hence, Wen Jiu decided on a different approach, one that would make living more agonizing than dying.

Isn’t Divine Extinction Thousand Peaks fond of being high and mighty?

Fond of haughtily controlling the lives of others?

Fine.

Then let you taste the bitterness of being enslaved.

In the next moment.

Once again, Wen Jiu infused a mass of Spirit-Extinguishing Corpse Qi into Li Yan’s body, allowing it to submerge into his Upper Grade Dao Foundation, which was gleaming with golden light.

This time, the Spirit-Extinguishing Corpse Qi entered like a tide engulfing the Dao Foundation. Although it did not excessively erode the Dao Foundation, under the attachment of a substantial amount of Spirit-Extinguishing Corpse Qi, the golden light of the Upper Grade Dao Foundation was still gradually being corroded.

Seeing a scenario sufficient to obliterate his future path, Li Yan was panic-stricken, even more so than when his strongest killing move earlier couldn’t harm the corpse in the slightest, "Fellow Daoist, we are both Foundation Establishment Cultivators, whatever the terms are, just propose them, say them... anything I can do, I will certainly do, and I can even swear a Heart Demon Oath..."

Looking at the terrified Li Yan, the expression on Wen Jiu’s face altered by the Hidden God Technique showed no emotions, "An Upper Grade Dao Foundation provides a stable path for cultivation, leading inevitably to the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment, even Foundation Establishment Perfection, so this is what you pride yourself on. Indeed impressive, but have you ever thought about how your future will be once your Dao Foundation is destroyed..."

Upon hearing this, Li Yan cried out in horror, "Spare my life, Fellow Daoist, spare my life, as long as you do not destroy my Dao Foundation, I will do anything...really, anything, even if it means betraying Divine Extinction Thousand Peaks!"

Once the Dao Foundation is destroyed, the immortal path is extinguished, with no possibility of repair. His cultivation would fall to the Qi Refining Stage, with no prospect of advancement. How would he then face his former fellow Daoists, servants, and those Qi Refining Cultivators he had oppressed?

Moreover, if his Dao Foundation were destroyed, though his teacher, who had reached Foundation Establishment Perfection, wouldn’t expel him immediately from the sect, his status would plummet, causing even his family to be oppressed by fellow sect members.

No.

He couldn’t accept such a life.

The mere thought of living such a life made his soul tremble.

Just as Wen Jiu was about to further threaten, Li Yan suddenly pulled back his legs and attempted to kneel but was held suspended in the air by the Demon Corpse gripping the top of his head. Nevertheless, Li Yan continued struggling, attempting to kneel despite the blood trickling down from his head.

Wen Jiu raised his hand and took away his storage bag, while also sparing a few glances at the Spirit Stealing Insect, which piqued his interest.

According to the soul memories of the Fake Pill Demon Cultivator, the Spirit Stealing Insect wasn’t considered a potent spirit insect, but it was exceedingly rare. They can’t kill enemies or battle but can hear every sound around them.

Tier Three Spirit-Stealing Insects can even listen to any rustle of grass in the surrounding hundreds of miles, essentially serving as a second Divine Sense for Cultivators. Since Cultivators cannot consistently cover their surroundings with Divine Sense, Spirit-Stealing Insects have become an essential item for some Cultivators of the Heterodox Dao.

"Indeed a good thing," Wen Jiu murmured to himself while collecting it, then used Spirit-Extinguishing Corpse Qi to circulate through Li Yan’s meridians, sealing off his magical power. After conducting another sweep with his Divine Sense, he broke through the skin on Li Yan’s arm with a slight movement, and extracted a blood-stained Escape Talisman hidden within the flesh.

Seeing his final hope extinguished, Li Yan’s face turned ashen; he heavily knocked his head against the ground and dared not lift it again after being released by the Demon Corpse.

Witnessing this scene, Ye Chen suppressed his inner jubilation, bowed respectfully towards Wen Jiu, and said, "Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Han, on your cultivation advancing once more, subduing a major sect’s Foundation Establishment with just a wave of your hand, truly invincible within the same realm!"

Observing Wen Jiu’s immense strength, Ye Chen was completely relieved, but recalling that Deadman Peak couldn’t present a substantial token of thanks, he was a bit lost, resorting to offering the Thousand-Pound Tyrant Axe. Given the current situation, what use holding onto the Thousand-Pound Tyrant Axe?

"No need. I returned to Deadman Peak this time merely to repay a last debt of gratitude," Wen Jiu stated.

These words were meant to help Ye Chen make a firmer decision.

Ye Chen clasped his hands again in salute, "Many thanks, Fellow Daoist Han. Though I don’t know who has bestowed such favors upon you, I, along with Deadman Peak, will surely remember the kindness you have shown in these days."

"I have come today to ask you just one question: Will you lead the whole of Deadman Peak into the Three Life Gates of Wusheng, or will you go alone to Wind and Cloud Immortal City to establish your Foundation?" Wen Jiu transmitted his voice cautiously, wary of someone possibly controlling higher-tier Spirit-Stealing Insects.

Ye Chen was momentarily stunned, "Fellow Daoist Han is truly from the Three Life Gates of Wusheng?"

"No, but I have some connections with the Three Life Gates, offering a chance to find a new path for Deadman Peak in the Outer Sea," Wen Jiu’s Divine Sense didn’t give a definite answer, since there were still divisions within the Three Life Gates, hence providing the alternative of Wind and Cloud Immortal City.

As a Neutral Immortal City, Wind and Cloud Immortal City has numerous Loose Cultivators. In the past, Divine Extinction Thousand Peaks still made efforts to surveil various persons within Wind and Cloud Immortal City, but presumably now they no longer have the heart for it, so sending Ye Chen to start anew in anonymity within Wind and Cloud Immortal City is not without survival prospects, better than waiting to perish Cultivation Realm at Deadman Peak.