Looking at these two items, Song Yan was both happy and worried.

He was happy that the liangyi pearl had not been detected, but worried that the origin of the heretical cultivators notes would require a great deal of explanation.

If the other party insisted on making things difficult for him... then this item would probably be impossible to explain clearly.

"Martial Nephew Song, what is the purpose of this item? Could you enlighten this old man?"

Yang Wenxuan pointed at the mask and asked.

"Elder Yang, this item and the heretical cultivators notes were both obtained by me from a Demonic Cultivator I killed in Changping."

Song Yan had calmed down. He said neither humbly nor arrogantly: "The mask is not some miraculous treasure; it merely allows one to use Spiritual Qi to find Spiritual Materials of the same attribute."

"As for the "heretical Cultivator’s notes," it is merely an autobiography, not a Demonic Technique."

"This Disciple only flipped through it out of boredom to broaden his horizons."

Yang Wenxuan frowned slightly.

He knew that Song Yan had killed many Demonic Cultivators during the Changping incident.

Strictly speaking, these were all Song Yan’s spoils of war.

Although Yang Wenxuan could inspect his qiankun bag under the pretext of an investigation, as long as there were no Demonic Cultivator items, he would never take anything from him.

That would be against the rules.

Yang Wenxuan held the heretical cultivators notes in his hand and casually flipped through a few pages.

Indeed, there were no Demonic Cultivation Techniques or secret arts that harmed nature within it.

And Song Yan’s explanation could also account for why his Spirit Stone resources were slightly more abundant than those of ordinary Cultivators.

Yang Wenxuan nodded and placed both items back into the qiankun bag one by one.

Although the heretical cultivators notes was an item from a Demonic Cultivator, it did not involve any Demonic Path Cultivation Techniques, making it equivalent to a miscellaneous book or a gazetteer.

It was a situation where it could either be confiscated or not.

To Yang Wenxuan, it was meaningless.

After the inspection, he dispersed his spiritual power and tossed the qiankun bag back.

"Martial Nephew, please don’t be offended."

He gave Song Yan a meaningful look: "The path of Cultivation requires a steady approach."

"You can borrow power and strength to make your journey smoother."

"But some shortcuts cannot be taken."

Song Yan immediately felt the pressure around him ease and retrieved his qiankun bag.

He quickly gathered Xiao He into his arms.

He stared at the two of them with some apprehension.

Yang Wenxuan continued: "It’s not wrong to casually read such Demonic Cultivator autobiographies to gain experience for the outside world. Just be careful not to be influenced by them and go astray."

Song Yan had originally wanted to argue a few points, but the other party was already determined to find fault.

Even if he argued, he would only receive a lecture like "correct if you have, encourage if you don’t."

"Hehe..."

Song Yan sneered: "This Disciple naturally understands."

"We have disturbed you greatly this time; I hope Martial Nephew Song does not mind." Yang Wenxuan said no more, turned, and left: "Sheng’er, let’s go."

The two turned and left the small courtyard.

Looking at their receding figures, Song Yan’s expression was solemn.

"Yan Yan, who was that old man? Why is he so annoying! Rummaging through other people’s things!"

Xiao He said indignantly.

Song Yan stroked her head and whispered: "This person comes with ill intentions; we need to be more careful in the future."

He had never participated in these so-called factional struggles before and didn’t expect them to be so dangerous.

The other party even gave him a warning, a form of intimidation, simply because of his refusal.

It was hard to imagine how much mental and emotional effort it would take to get involved in such disputes.

He took a deep breath, returned to his Immortal Cave, and immediately checked his qiankun bag.

Fortunately, apart from traces of being rummaged through, no items were missing.

The liangyi pearl was safe and sound.

"Yang Wenxuan..."

He mused over the name, lost in thought.

"This matter needs to be reported to Granny Qin."

...On the mountain path, Yang Wenxuan walked with his hands behind his back, with Qin Sheng following closely.

It wasn’t until they were far from Song Yan’s Immortal Cave that Qin Sheng finally couldn’t help but speak: "Master, why did you suddenly act against him?"

"Even if he doesn’t want to join the Qin Family, we shouldn’t make an enemy of him like this..."

Yang Wenxuan glanced at her: "Don’t call me Master; you’re not worthy yet."

Qin Sheng’s expression stiffened.

"Yes... yes, Elder Yang."

Yang Wenxuan’s steps did not falter, and he suddenly sneered: "Your sister, Qin Ying, is so arrogant."

"Among the Qi Refining Disciples she personally recruited over the years, he is the second, after Li Yi."

"She couldn’t persuade him, and I couldn’t persuade him either, and he’s Qin Xijun’s Disciple."

"There’s no need to waste any more effort on such a person."

"The biggest problem with your Qin Family’s inability to develop much influence in the Cave Abyss Sect is that you are too hesitant."

A glint of severity flashed in Yang Wenxuan’s eyes: "People who cannot be used do not need to be treated politely."

Qin Sheng remained silent.

Yang Wenxuan slowly raised his palm, a wisp of spiritual power floating in its center.

"Moreover... this child’s spiritual power is a bit strange."

This was the wisp of Song Yan’s spiritual power he had intercepted earlier, which contained a subtle sharpness.

"His spiritual power is not pure; it seems to contain Sword Qi..."

Previously, when observing the battle, he had thought that Sword Qi was some Dao technique that condensed Spiritual Qi into a Sword Qi form, but he hadn’t expected... "Either he possesses a great treasure, or he has Cultivated the Demonic Path..."

Yang Wenxuan looked towards the depths of the sea of clouds: "Since he is Qin Xijun’s Disciple, then it is certain that this person will be at odds with the Qin Family in the future."

"Report today’s events, in detail, to your Family Elders."

"Whether to try to win him over or continue to suppress him is up to you."

"However, you absolutely must not let him become so strong in the future that the Qin Family cannot deal with him alone when he stands against them."

"Yes, Elder Yang."

...A few hours later, Song Yan arrived at the Relief Grocery Store.

Before he could knock, a lazy voice came from within: "Why are you standing there? Come in."

Inside the shop, Qin Xijun was not at the counter but lying on a green jade couch.

Her jade fingers were playing with a Medicinal Pill bottle and a few Medicinal Pills.

"Granny..."

"Impudent, call me Master."

"Master..."

"Good Disciple."

She nodded with satisfaction. This time’s sword-testing had brought her great honor in front of her sisters. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

She flicked the Medicinal Pills into the porcelain bottle: "What? The decisive battle is in a few days; why do you have time to seek me out now?"

"There’s something I need to inform you about, old one."

Qin Xijun noticed something was off.

The usually jovial Xiao Song had a somewhat solemn expression today.

"Master, how much do you know about Elder Yang Wenxuan?"

"Yang Wenxuan?"

Qin Xijun frowned slightly: "I know him, but we’re not very familiar. What’s wrong?"

Song Yan meticulously recounted the details of Yang Wenxuan’s visit.

When he mentioned his qiankun bag being intercepted, Qin Xijun suddenly straightened up, a cold light flashing in her eyes!

"What a Yang Wenxuan!"

"And monitoring Disciples? My Disciple, Qin Xijun’s Disciple, who is he to investigate him?"

Granny Qin immediately slammed the table and was about to go confront him, but Song Yan stopped her.

"Master, don’t be anxious."

His eyes were clear, without any sign of extreme anger or indignation.

"If there’s truly any animosity, I want to resolve it myself."

Having comprehended Sword Intent amidst life and death in Changping, he now wanted to rely on himself, on the Flying Sword in his scabbard.

Not on his Master or friends.

"Master, rest assured, Yang Wenxuan and the Qin Family’s actions will not affect this Disciple in any way."

On the contrary, the slight complacency that had arisen after achieving his Lifebound Flying Sword was now replaced by vigilance due to this incident.

What he needed to do now was to Cultivate diligently and establish his Dao Foundation!

It would, of course, be good to have his Master intervene immediately to regain face after suffering a setback and humiliation.

But on one hand, Qin Xijun had already voluntarily resigned from her Elder position because she no longer wished to be involved in Sect affairs.

He didn’t want to disrupt her "retirement" life and drag her back into the quagmire.

On the other hand, Qin Xijun’s intervention might not even be effective.

The Qin Clan’s influence within the Sect was probably already considerable.

This incident reminded Song Yan that even in this small Chu country, to achieve true freedom, the strength of the Qi Refinement Stage was far from enough.

It was better to use this incident to remind and spur himself on.

He should not become complacent because of a little Cultivation progress.

Continuously grow stronger, continuously improve!

"What this Disciple wants to know is..."

"Master, are you also connected to the Qin Clan?"

Song Yan suddenly changed the subject, his gaze burning as he looked into Qin Xijun’s eyes.

Caught off guard by the question, Qin Xijun was momentarily lost in thought.

"..."

Then, she sighed and finally nodded.

"That’s right, like Qin Ying and Qin Sheng, I also hail from the Qin Family."

"If we’re talking about seniority, I’m even their aunt."

Her expression was somewhat nuanced, as if she was reluctant to admit this fact.

She slowly began to speak: "The Qin Clan established its ancestral hall in Southern Chu almost four hundred years ago."

Over four hundred years is not a very long time for an Immortal Cultivation Family with more than a dozen Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivators.

The Yan Family in Northern Chu, it seems, has a history of nearly a thousand years.

Qin Xijun seemed to have an indescribable, unclear feeling about the "Family" where she grew up.

A look of reminiscence appeared in her eyes.

"When I was young, the Qin Family was still the last-ranked among the four great Immortal Cultivation Families."

"At that time, the Qin Family and another Family, the Hu Family, were of comparable strength."

"Generations of people worked hard to make the Qin Family stronger and stronger, to gain a firm foothold in this man-eat-man world."

"From the branch Family Disciples to the main Family Elders."

"Everyone was a part of the Qin Family, and everyone was proud to be born into the Qin Family."

Song Yan listened quietly. In reality, these were not what he initially wanted to know when he asked the question.

But these were the past experiences of Granny Qin, his only Elder relative in this world.

"If a Family Disciple was found to have a good Spiritual Root, they would be sent to a Sect."

"A long time ago, all Six Major Sects had members of the Qin Family. Later, due to various reasons, only the Profound Origin Sect, Hanging Sword Mountain, and the current Cave Abyss Sect remained as options."

"Back then, I was sent to the Cave Abyss Sect by the Family Elders."

"My dual Spiritual Root Aptitude was naturally outstanding within the Family, and coupled with some Opportunities, my Cultivation advanced extremely quickly."

"In just five or six years, I was already preparing for Foundation Establishment."

Song Yan’s face showed no expression, but he sighed inwardly.

This world truly was unfair.

Some people are trapped at the three bottlenecks of Late Stage Qi Refining their entire lives.

While others can Cultivate from a Mortal to Level 9 Qi Refining in five or six years.

Qin Xijun suddenly gave a bitter smile: "It was from that time that the Family Elders’ ideas began to change."

"At that time, there were three Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivators from the Family in the Cave Abyss Sect."

"After I successfully achieved Foundation Establishment, there were even four Foundation Establishment Cultivators. You should know that at that time, the entire main and branch families of the Qin Family only had eight Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivators in total."

"The Family Elders then wanted to use the four Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivators in the Cave Abyss Sect as a base to develop their influence."

"To win over and befriend those Cultivators within the Sect who had no background, no resources, but good Aptitude."

At this point, Qin Xijun added: "This is not a bad thing."

When she said this, she looked at Song Yan, her eyes not at all like a powerful Elder or a high and mighty Master.

Just like a "person" who wanted affirmation.

"..."

Song Yan nodded: "It’s perfectly normal for a Family to want to develop quickly."

Receiving a response, Qin Xijun’s mood seemed to calm down somewhat.

She continued: "I naturally supported it wholeheartedly, just like the other three."

"Over the years, the Qin Family indeed developed very strong connections within the Sect."

"Even several Foundation Establishment Cultivators became Guest Elders of the Qin Family."

"But..."

Everything fears a "but."

"The Qin Family’s methods for winning people over became increasingly underhanded and despicable."

Qin Xijun leaned back, sighing softly. Song Yan could feel that deep sense of helplessness.

"...Alas, let’s not talk about it."

"I argued with the various Family Elders, but among them, some were willing to stoop to any means for the ’prosperity’ of the Family."

"Others were caught in the game, unable to help themselves."

"At first, I would deceive myself, thinking that the Qin Family was doing this for the future of their descendants."

"But the Family became increasingly extreme. A few years ago, I truly couldn’t bear the torment in my heart, so I stopped helping the Qin Family and simply resigned from my Elder position."

She looked at Song Yan: "One of the reasons I didn’t let you apprentice under Qin Ying before was precisely this."

"The current Qin Ying is me from back then."

"However, she is an obedient chess piece, a useful Puppet."

Song Yan frowned.

He had not expected this matter to involve such complex issues.

"What truly made me completely break ties with the Family was when I discovered that in recent years, a ’Spirit Pill’ capable of enhancing a Disciple’s Cultivation talent had appeared within the Family."

Hmm?

Song Yan’s eyes narrowed slightly, feeling somewhat puzzled: "Enhance Cultivation talent?"

Unless it was a special sword Dao lineage like his own, the talent that affected Cultivation speed primarily referred to Spiritual Roots.

But enhancing Spiritual Root Aptitude?

"That’s right. As far as I know, Qin Ying’s Cultivation speed, under the influence of this Spirit Pill, is almost equivalent to that of a single Spiritual Root Cultivator."

It sounded like a fantasy.

How could there be such a thing in this world... Suddenly, Song Yan’s thoughts paused.

He remembered a type of Medicinal Pill he had confiscated from a group of Demonic Cultivators a few years ago.

That Medicinal Pill was called a "Spirit Transformation Blood Pill."

Consuming it could cause a special meridian to grow in the body of a Mortal without Cultivation Aptitude, thereby giving them the Opportunity to Cultivate to Level 3 Qi Refining.

It should not be the same as what Qin Xijun described.

But it seemed that apart from top-tier Heaven And Earth Treasure, only Demonic Path Medicinal Pills could have such Heaven-Defying effects.