Master of Strange Dao

It clearly isn't, yet the compass indicates it is.""

"Under the heavens, aside from that suppressed giant, it's absolutely impossible for a second person to achieve this."

"Then that's fine; this matter isn't completely beyond salvation."

"Do you really believe that the Crown Prince of Dali wouldn't practice such Incarnation Techniques?"

"I just feel that such a person wouldn't leave such a big loophole."

"That's also true..."

After asking the questions, Yu Ziqing was ready to leave when he suddenly thought of another question.

"Then, is there another possibility, where someone has indeed cultivated it, but the compass shows they haven't?"

"Didn't I just say..." Old Yang blurted out, thought about it, and then froze in place: "This, I honestly can't guarantee."

Those who haven't cultivated can indeed not be detected by the compass, because it requires a resonance with the core runes.

Cultivators can't create something out of nothing after all.

But theoretically, if someone has cultivated, as long as they can shield the resonance with the runes inside the compass, it will show that they haven't cultivated."

And what method could shield this resonance, to exploit a loophole.

Knowing the core powers of the Compass, Old Yang can now think of three or four potentially viable methods.

"I've encountered the Black Robed Man before. I gave him a compass, and he used it right in front of me. At that time, the compass indicated that he hadn't cultivated. Is it possible that if the incarnation disperses, it can no longer be detected?"

"It's possible, but surely the Crown Prince of Dali wouldn't use such a method, right?"

"He might not want to, but you can't stop others from willing to do it. If Gu Tianxin were to die, it would be a death without evidence, and this matter would never again be verifiable."

Old Yang's head ached upon hearing this.

In matters of scheming, he indeed couldn't keep up with Yu Ziqing's ideas.

But after a bit more thought, he realized that those people might really be so treacherously cunning.

"You handle these matters. I'll just stick to my research."

"The Second Generation Compass, besides distinguishing between the original person and the incarnation, can you find a way to exploit a loophole, making what exists appear as though it does not?"

"Impossible, the Second Generation Compass, I've already sealed every loophole you might think of. I've added thirty times more Meteor material to the Second Generation Compass! No Dharma Method could exploit a loophole!"

"Good, then there's nothing to worry about. You go ahead with your work. Everything's alright back home, right?"

"All's well. Han Dong guards the southern grove every day, immersing himself in that Sword Manual you wrote. I really don't know how he can study anything from the Sword Manual that you, who have never practiced Qi Refinement or even swung a sword, wrote. This world is too unbelievable."

"The main doctrine of that Sword Manual isn't just me talking nonsense."

"Enough, I'm leaving." Old Yang didn't want to listen anymore and walked off.

Yu Ziqing sat alone in front of An History Book, propping his chin with his hand and frowning in deep thought.

He had been in the Demon Concubine's Sealing, watching everything as an observer, but still, no one showed up afterward.

It seems that the chief director thinks that regaining his status in front of Emperor Qian is the most important thing.

With such a powerful supporter and his status intact, he can continue his journey.

If Yu Ziqing doesn't trip him up, it'd be unbearably uncomfortable.

Especially when he sees the chief director engaging in plans and achieving some results, which feels even worse than losing money himself.

The matter must be swiftly resolved; suppressing it would only lead to greater backlash, but he couldn't let the Crown Prince step forward and take action.

After some thought, Yu Ziqing said,

"Lou Huai, I have a task for you."

Having released Lou Huai, Yu Ziqing himself continued to delve into the Sealing, to collect more information.

All the information gathered so far in this Sealing seems to be problem-free, but Yu Ziqing still feels something is off.

This time, he once again appeared outside the city, starting from the initial period of the Sealing's timeframe.

A little girl with hair coiled into sheep-horn braids hopped from afar, holding a candy in her hand, muttering unclearly under her breath.

"Jade Tower Demon, Beautiful Ghost, turns into wisps of light smoke..."

With a thought, Yu Ziqing stepped forward, appearing behind the little girl's view, and slowly walked past.

"Little girl, who taught you these words?"

"Grandpa said not to tell others, or I won't get candy."

Yu Ziqing took out a handful of dates and handed them to the little girl.

"You don't have to tell me; you tell the dates. Dates aren't people, and if you tell them, they'll go with you."

Yu Ziqing stuffed the dates into the girl's hands and turned away, standing dozens of feet away.

The girl stretched her neck to see, and only when she saw that Yu Ziqing had walked far away did she carefully cradle the dates and whispered to them,

"A bearded old man told me, if I recite it I'll get candy. If I teach it to others, I can eat candy tomorrow.

Jade Tower Demon, Beautiful Ghost, turns into wisps of light smoke..."

After reciting, the girl suddenly froze and started to cry loudly, clasping the dates.

"I forgot the rest; I forgot..."

Yu Ziqing's gaze was piercing as he looked around, but within a dozen miles, he found not a single bearded old man, not even a Cultivator aside from two low-tier Cultivators passing by.

Last time he came, this nursery rhyme had unconsciously spread throughout Dingmao City, and he couldn't find the original source, only certain that at the very beginning, the rhyme was almost non-existent.

During the second exploration of this Sealing, though he stayed only a few days, he confirmed that the rhyme wasn't there at all during the first half of the first day.

And this was his third time; as soon as he came out, he encountered a little girl reciting the rhyme.