Master of Strange Dao

Yu Ziqing didn't hurry to jump out, letting King Xiang and Feng Buju go first.

When there was no noise, he slowly climbed up from the cliff.

Putting oneself in others' shoes is a good habit and should be maintained.

When he saw the faceless person on the other side of the lake, he knew for sure that people here must have realized there was an issue.

Having discovered a problem, it was impossible that they didn't dig a pit or set a trap, waiting for someone to return.

Anyway, Yu Ziqing definitely wouldn't have just walked away.

Thinking it over, he couldn't find where the trap was, so in the end, he could only make a guess based on the objective.

They definitely wanted to enter the cave, so there was only one possibility, that the cave itself was a trap.

With a slight probe, he actually did stir someone into action.

Honestly, if he were Yu Ziqing, he thought, he would lie in wait for a few days and wouldn't jump out so quickly.

No wonder those two were only fit to stand guard outside; they were never involved in core matters.

Yu Ziqing sauntered over, and those two were already defeated by Feng Buju and King Xiang.

One of their Qi Seas was pierced, leaving a large hole in the chest, and the other's strength was completely sealed.

Both were Seventh Tier Great Cultivators; unfortunately, Yu Ziqing's side was much stronger.

Yu Ziqing stepped forward, lifted the hoods off the two men, and seeing their faces, unsurprisingly, recognized neither.

Continuing to search their belongings, among all the items, there was nothing to prove their identities.

Yang emerged from behind Yu Ziqing, glanced at the two piles of miscellaneous items on the ground, which ranged from Spirit Jade to Magical Treasures, to Jade Scrolls and books—typical things that ordinary cultivators would carry with them.

Those items floated up on their own, coming before Yang, as he examined each one and sniffed the Qi Nourishing Pills inside the jade bottles.

"Coming from the warm and humid South Qian to Dazhen, to drink the northwest wind, must be quite the adjustment, huh?"

One of the men remained expressionless, while the other's eyes slightly trembled.

"What do you say?" Yu Ziqing joked casually.

"These pills, although they are the most common Strengthening the Foundation and Nourishing the Origin Qi Nourishing Pills, which Seventh Tier Great Cultivators also use, the formulation varies from place to place.

This bottle contains a medicinal ingredient produced only in the eternally warm regions of South Qian.

There are numerous substitutes for this ingredient, easily over a hundred varieties elsewhere, but Dazhen would certainly not source this Spiritual Medicine from South Qian.

Plus this flying sword, though it bears no mark, the Artifact Refining technique is still the most common one from South Qian. During the tempering process, some cold springs are required, and different springs lead to subtle differences in the final product, even using the same materials and method."

As he said this, Yang gently stepped on the flying sword, which bent slightly and then returned to its original shape, exhibiting great resilience.

"See, if it were made in Dazhen, the spine of the flying sword would be a bit thicker, because it's harder and sharper, but the resilience would be slightly worse. Those from South Qian are thinner and more flexible, but the hardness of the blade is somewhat lower."

"They likely never came to Dazhen, or if they did, only two or three times. Otherwise, they would have known that such details, which they take for granted, are actually rarely used in Dazhen."

Yang casually taught Yu Ziqing about these things, and Yu Ziqing, looking at the pile, realized he could never have known without long-term accumulation.

"Stop looking; when you have time, you should learn some Alchemy and Artifact Refining techniques. You don't have to be very skilled, but at least understand some so you don't make the same low-level mistake as these fools, thinking nobody can tell where they are from if they don't carry obvious identity proofs.

Appearance, attire, Magical Treasures, habits, accent, word choice in speech, practiced Dharma Method—there are just too many things that are hard to conceal."

As he spoke, Yang pointed to the fellow whose chest had been punctured and who was not yet dead.

"The Qi Refinement Cultivation Technique he practices has the intensity of fierce flames and the gentleness of drizzling rain, but there's always a sense of insufficient aftereffect.

This Dharma Method should be from the now-extinct Bathing Fire Sect of South Qian. However, the Dharma Method he practices is incomplete, and he took a wrong turn, focusing only on the flames, unaware that the key to the Bathing Fire Sect's techniques was to be like spring rain—continuous and gentle, with a long Qi Veins, which is rare among those who practice Fire Cultivation Techniques.

Therefore, the Bathing Fire Sect's strongest suit was gentle fire refining pills. Some of the pills they developed had lasting effects and were very easy to refine, which continue to be very popular in the South Qian region and are commonly used Cultivation Pills.

Taking into account his belongings, one can be fairly certain that he is a cultivator born and raised in the South Qian area.

While the Bathing Fire Sect's Cultivation Techniques may have been lost to the world, ultimately, only a few powers could obtain such techniques.

Looking at his features, a low nasal bridge, flat facial features, low brow bones, and slightly dark skin, he has the typical appearance of someone from the western part of South Qian."

As Yang spoke, the man with a hole in his chest strained to appear calm, but sweat uncontrollably started to seep from his forehead.

King Xiang stood behind with the stance of a scholar eager to learn, listening attentively.

Feng Buju was also serious in demeanor, silently following along.

To them, examining the man, they might deduce he looked like someone from Daqian.

And that's that.

But there are so many people in Daqian, and cultivators travel all over—it's impossible to deduce anything substantial from just one's appearance.