After fifteen years of cultivation, he finally reached the pinnacle of the first rank!

Chapter 379 Negotiation
With his indestructible golden body, Li Musheng was immune to all poisons and naturally had no fear of the Thousand Fragrance Softening Powder.

However, he didn't bother to explain. He simply lifted the immobile woman in blue, stared at her exquisite face, and threatened:
"Hurry up and detoxify, or it will be too late when I do something bad to you."

Upon hearing this, the woman in green's expression changed drastically.

But now she was powerless to resist in Li Musheng's hands, and her life was in his hands, so she had no choice but to temporarily back down and compromise.

"To counteract the effects of the Thousand Fragrance Softening Powder, you need to use a unique technique. First, release my acupoints, and I will then help them detoxify."

Wen Yue, the Grand Palace Master of Yaoyue Palace, looked at Li Musheng and spoke.

She originally thought that Li Musheng might be able to unlock her acupoints, but he would definitely restrict her movements.

To her surprise, Li Musheng simply nodded and casually tossed her onto the roof.

At the same time, all the acupoints in her body were instantly opened, and her meridian energy circulated normally, showing that her opponent had no intention of restricting her.

A strange light appeared in Wen Yue's eyes. It was unclear whether she didn't take her seriously at all, or if she was too inexperienced in the martial world, easily trusting people and unaware of the wickedness of human nature.

However, Wen Yue glanced at Li Musheng and remembered how easily he had subdued her before, and her heart sank.

She understood that this young man probably held her, the leader of one of the seven major sects, in extremely low regard.

Wen Yue's eyes flickered slightly, but she ultimately did not make a move. Instead, she activated the unique technique of the Inviting Moon Palace to neutralize the poison from the Thousand Fragrance Softening Powder around her.

A moment later, Cao Gaoshan, who had fallen to the ground below, slowly woke up. However, he was still weak all over and had lost all his martial arts energy. It would be difficult for him to recover in a short time.

The fact that the Thousand Fragrance Soft Tendon Powder could knock down a Celestial Realm expert in the blink of an eye and cripple his strength shows that it truly lives up to its name and is extremely powerful!
At this moment, the big black cat that had been slumped on the roof also woke up, its eyes half-closed and half-closed.

I yawned in a daze, not knowing how I had suddenly fallen asleep, and I felt weak all over.

However, the big black cat quickly realized what was happening and looked at the Grand Palace Master of Yaoyue Palace with wary eyes.

Li Musheng flicked his finger, and a wisp of energy split into two. One wisp fell into the body of the big black cat, while the other flew into Cao Gaoshan's body.

The next moment, the big black cat meowed and jumped up on the spot with renewed vigor. The feeling of weakness and powerlessness in its body disappeared instantly, and it seemed as if its whole body was full of inexhaustible strength.

At this moment, Cao Gaoshan also flew into the air from the ground. The aftereffects of the Thousand Fragrance Soft Tendon Powder dissipated, and the true qi in his meridians was rapidly recovering.

Upon seeing this scene, Wen Yue, the Grand Palace Master of Yaoyue Palace, showed a look of surprise in her eyes and turned to look at Li Musheng.

“Young master, this woman’s poison is truly potent. It reminds me of the Yaoyue Palace in the Great Xuan Jianghu, and a rare poison known as ‘Thousand Fragrance Soft Tendon Powder’ that strikes fear into the hearts of those in the Jianghu.”

Cao Gaoshan approached Li Musheng and glanced at the Grand Palace Master of Yaoyue Palace with considerable apprehension.

Li Musheng, meanwhile, was sizing up Wen Yue, his brows slightly raised, and he said thoughtfully:

"I didn't notice it just now, but I feel like you look a bit like someone."

Just as Li Musheng finished speaking, a figure floated over and appeared on the roof of the inn in the blink of an eye.

"She is the Grand Mistress of the Moon Invitation Palace. Young Master, you must have seen her younger sister, the Second Mistress of the Moon Invitation Palace, last night."

Upon hearing this, both Li Musheng and Cao Gaoshan turned their heads slightly to look at the arriving Daoist Qingyu.

Wen Yue's expression changed, clearly recognizing Daoist Qingyu's identity, and she exclaimed in surprise:
"Why are you here?"

Master Qingyu bowed to Wen Yue and explained:

"Great Palace Master, I was trapped in the Great Xuan Imperial Palace, but was fortunate enough to be rescued by this young master and escaped. I am now temporarily staying in this inn."

"You're actually the Grand Master of the Moon Invitation Palace?"

Cao Gaoshan frowned. He had only guessed, but he hadn't expected that the woman in front of him was actually one of the leaders of the seven major sects of the Great Xuan Jianghu.

Li Musheng remained unfazed, seemingly uninterested in Wen Yue's identity. He simply turned his gaze to Daoist Qingyu and asked:

How do you know I saw her sister last night?

Li Musheng naturally remembered that he had seen one of the most beautiful concubines of the Great Xuan Emperor in the Great Xuan Palace last night, and that her appearance and martial arts aura were somewhat similar to Wen Yue in front of him.

But the Taoist priest Qingyu was not by his side at the time; the other party had neither seen the concubine nor knew anything about the matter.

Therefore, he was naturally curious as to how the other party knew about this.
Upon hearing this, Master Qingyu showed a hint of apology on his face and bowed to Li Musheng, saying:
"It is true that I have concealed this matter from you, young master. In fact, since we came out of the tunnel, I have been faintly sensing the residual aura of 'Thousand Fragrance Softening Powder' in that palace."

"It's just that I wasn't entirely sure at the time, which is why I didn't mention it to you, young master."

Li Musheng raised an eyebrow slightly and looked at Daoist Qingyu, asking:

"You mean to say that her sister was responsible for those people disappearing last night?"

"Not necessarily, but it's definitely related to her."

Master Qingyu gently shook his head, then his gaze fell on Princess Wen Yue of Yaoyue Palace, and he said:

"The Thousand Fragrance Softening Powder is only in the possession of the two palace masters of the Inviting Moon Palace, and the Grand Palace Master clearly does not know the young master, otherwise she would not have dared to attack him just now."

"Therefore, the one who made the move in the Great Xuan Imperial Palace last night must have been that Second Palace Master."

Upon hearing this, the Grand Palace Master of Yaoyue Palace had an uncertain expression. She was naturally aware that her younger sister, Shiyue, had infiltrated the Great Xuan Imperial Palace.

Moreover, they had originally agreed to deliver a message from the palace in the early hours of this morning.

However, things took an unexpected turn, and she never received any news from the other party.

Therefore, when Wen Yue did not arrive after a long wait, he had no choice but to leave temporarily and planned to consult with the people of the Moon Palace to find another solution.

As luck would have it, on her way to find the disciples of the Invitation Moon Palace, she happened to run into the big black cat leading people from the seven major sects to the inn.

Furthermore, through a secret telepathic communication with the woman from the Moon Invitation Palace among the seven, she discovered that the people from the seven major sects had been forced by the big black cat to sign a huge debt of ten thousand taels of gold.

Upon learning of this, as the Grand Mistress of the Inviting Moon Palace, she naturally could not sit idly by.

Thus, the incident of Wen Yue snatching the contract and making things difficult for the big black cat occurred.

"Taoist Master, do you know where my sister is?"

Wen Yue's eyes flickered slightly as she looked at Daoist Qingyu and asked.

She was unaware of what had happened at the palace the previous night, but she knew for certain that Yazuki would not break his promise without a reason; there must be something fishy going on.

Upon hearing this, Daoist Qingyu shook his head and said:
"This humble Taoist priest is merely guessing; I do not know your sister's whereabouts."

"However, I am somewhat curious, what is the reason that Yaoyue Palace sent its Second Palace Master to infiltrate the Great Xuan Imperial Palace?" Wen Yue did not reply, but glanced almost imperceptibly at the Qingyu Daoist before her, a strange light flashing in her eyes. She then sighed and cupped her hands in greeting:
"This matter is a private affair of my Yaoyue Palace, and I cannot inform the Daoist Master. Please forgive me."

Having said that, she turned to look at Li Musheng, but suddenly her attitude changed drastically, and she said:
“I acted impulsively just now, and I hope you will forgive me, young master. The matter of the Demonic Yuan is of great importance and is worth ten thousand taels of gold. You can exchange it for gold with the seven major sects at any time.”

These words indicate that the Grand Master of the Invitation Moon Palace has clearly given in.

Li Musheng looked thoughtful, but he didn't seem to want to make things difficult for the other party. He simply waved his hand, showing no interest in the matter.

But the big black cat's eyes blazed with fury, and it stretched out its paws, pointing and gesturing, clearly not intending to let the woman who had poisoned it off easily.

"The Grand Palace Master cares deeply for the seven major sects and has no ill intentions. We urge you two to show mercy."

At this moment, Master Qingyu spoke up, pleading with Cao Gaoshan and the big black cat to spare them from the wrath of the Grand Master of Yaoyue Palace.

Cao Gaoshan nodded, thinking it best to be forgiving when possible. He didn't harbor the same intense resentment towards the big black cat.

"Alright, you're just a cat, how can you be so vengeful?"

Li Musheng patted the big black cat's head, then gave Qingyu Daoist a deep look before ignoring the Grand Master of Yaoyue Palace and returning directly to the inn.

The reason Li Musheng appeared and took action when the big black cat was captured was purely to take the opportunity to test the Soul Searching Technique on the big black cat.

Otherwise, a master of the same caliber as the Grand Master of the Moon Palace could easily intimidate and scare away the opponent even without showing himself.

As for the purpose of the Second Palace Master of the Invitation Moon Palace infiltrating the palace, or the affairs between the seven major sects, the demonic path, and the Great Xuan Dynasty, he had no interest in caring.

After all, it would be better to spend this time studying demonic cultivation techniques, which is much more interesting than these troublesome things.

When Li Musheng spoke, even if the big black cat wanted to scratch Wen Yue to death, it could only give up in frustration.

It stretched out its paw and touched the contract hidden under its belly. Seeing that the ten thousand taels of gold were still there, it glared at Wen Yue fiercely, then reluctantly leaped up and followed Li Musheng back to the inn.

Cao Gaoshan didn't say anything more, and with a quick movement, he returned to his room.

"Thank you for your help earlier, Daoist. However, I must go to find Ya Yue now and cannot catch up with you here. I will definitely visit Qingyun Temple to express my gratitude in person when I have time in the future."

The Grand Palace Master of Yaoyue Palace lowered her eyes and bowed to Daoist Qingyu to take her leave.

Master Qingyu gently shook his head and said:

"You flatter me, Grand Palace Master. The matter of the Second Palace Master is naturally even more important. If there is anything I can do to help you, please don't hesitate to ask."

Upon hearing this, the Grand Palace Master of the Moon Invitation Palace nodded slightly, her eyes filled with an inscrutable expression. Then, without lingering any longer, she turned and left quickly.

As Master Qingyu watched the departing figure of the eldest princess of Yaoyue Palace, a meaningful hint of mockery appeared in his originally gentle and kind eyes.

Immediately, Master Qingyu's figure disappeared from the rooftop, silently returning to his room.

……

After the big black cat summoned people from the seven major sects in order to exchange demonic energy for gold, causing quite a commotion.

The already remote inn was quite peaceful for the next few days.

The big black cat was also well-behaved, spending its days eating and sleeping, occasionally going out for a stroll, but never getting into any trouble.

Li Musheng, on the other hand, continued to stay at the inn to study the demonic cultivation techniques he had acquired.

The only unusual thing is that, in the past few days, all the inn guests, including Cao Gaoshan and Shen Anran, have been waking up inexplicably in the middle of the night.

Upon waking, the group vaguely sensed a terrifying and overwhelming demonic aura.

The aura was extremely terrifying, and everyone trembled with fear at the sight of it.

It was as if a peerless demon had descended upon the entire inn!
However, the aura appeared quickly and disappeared just as quickly, almost vanishing in a flash.

Everyone was terrified and quite frightened, but they were completely unable to detect the presence of that aura.

This led many people to believe they were having a nightmare. Although they were terrified and broke out in a cold sweat, the incident did not have a significant impact on them.

The only one who truly understands the reason behind this is Master Qingyu.

She knew very well that this situation was caused by Li Musheng practicing the demonic scriptures and the demonic arts left behind by the founder of the demonic path.

"Several days have passed, and he still hasn't completely succumbed to demonic possession. This kid's strength is truly beyond expectations."

Master Qingyu sat cross-legged on the bed, but his gaze was directed towards the room where Li Musheng was.

However, her expression remained as calm as ever.

……

Meanwhile, the members of the three major demonic sects have been working tirelessly day and night, searching for the whereabouts of the last demonic essence based on the thirteen neighborhood locations provided by the Sun Moon Demonic Sect.

The city of Tai Xuan was silent under curfew. The entire capital of the Great Xuan Dynasty was now draped in white mourning clothes. The Crown Prince of Great Xuan was observing mourning for the Emperor of Tai Xuan while temporarily assuming imperial power.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Rites of the imperial court was busy formulating rituals and laws, selecting an auspicious day for the enthronement ceremony, and making preparations for the Crown Prince of Da Xuan's ascension to the throne.

With the death of Emperor Da Xuan, Zhao Kuang ascended to the throne, and it seemed that the dust had settled.

"That Crown Prince of Da Xuan's actions are quite like our demonic path, murdering his father to seize the throne, his methods are truly ruthless and merciless."

Several hall masters from the three major demonic sects moved through the night, searching for traces of demonic energy while chatting in hushed tones to pass the time.

"You're wrong about that. The Crown Prince is really different from us demonic cultivators. He did such an outrageous thing, yet he still managed to leave behind a good reputation for filial piety among the people. This kind of seemingly righteous master is not as infamous as us demonic cultivators."

Someone sneered, and upon hearing this, the other demonic experts also showed mocking expressions.

However, at this moment, one of the Demon Sect leaders suddenly changed his expression, immediately stopped, and raised his hand to stop the others, saying:

"Be careful."

Upon hearing this, everyone else immediately stopped and followed the other person's gaze.

But then they saw a woman in black standing on the dark street ahead, vaguely blocking their path.

Seeing this, the several Demon Sect leaders did not take it lightly at all. They immediately activated their demonic true energy, exchanged glances, and then moved in a flash to surround the other side.

However, the woman showed no intention of running away; she simply stood there and waited quietly for the group.

(End of this chapter)