Chapter 5: Testing Attributes (Part 2)

Qi Wu Zhen said, “The eleventh-tier altar? Haha, don’t you know that reaching the ninth tier already means reaching the pinnacle of altars? As for the tenth tier I created, it doesn’t count. You’ll understand later—once you reach the eighth tier.”
Guo Shier felt disheartened. Reaching the sixth tier of an altar was already satisfying for him in this life; the eighth tier was beyond even his imagination. With a bitter smile, he said, “The eighth-tier altar? Forget it. How could I possibly reach that?”
Qi Wu Zhen shook his head. “You can’t lack confidence. And… do you know? Your soul’s fluctuations are quite unique. This is a valuable advantage for advancing. With such fluctuations, your soul power is almost limitless. Not to mention the eighth-tier altar… reaching even higher levels isn’t very difficult.”
Guo Shier replied, “Maybe. I don’t want to think about it for now.” He knew that reaching the eighth-tier altar required countless materials, a long time, and most importantly, an extremely vast soul. He realized that through his own cultivation, it would be impossible for him to accumulate such a vast soul in this lifetime, unless through plundering.
Ying Mo also thought about this and said, “It’s strange. The Black Sigil People should be true strongmen. It’s very easy for them to advance…”
Qi Wu Zhen shook his head. “The Black Sigil People… they fight each other too fiercely. Their best way to accumulate souls is by plundering their own kind.”
Guo Shier was stunned. “Plundering the souls of their own kind?”
Qi Wu Zhen nodded. “Exactly. They plunder the souls of other practitioners, which poses great risks. Their own kind are the best prey. That’s why the Black Sigil People can’t develop. Of course, as long as one of them survives, their strength becomes terrifying. The Black Sigil People are often not defeated or eliminated by others—they kill themselves.”
Guo Shier broke into cold sweat. He thought of Master Luo Jie and Grandpa Nanshan, who both inherited the Black Sigil People’s teachings. He wondered how they were doing now. He couldn’t help but sigh inwardly—this world was too vast; finding someone was like searching for a needle in a haystack, almost impossible.
He prayed silently that Master Luo Jie and Grandpa Nanshan could hold on until they met. He could use the Soul Scripture to help them.
Qi Wu Zhen said, “Of course, if you encounter a Black Sigil Person, it’s best to retreat. They have a technique called ‘Soul Burning,’ which burns the opponent’s soul—extremely powerful.”
Guo Shier was intrigued and asked, “If Sister Zhen encountered one, could you defeat her?”

Qi Wu Zhen said, “If it’s a Black Sigil Person from the ninth-tier altar, I can’t defeat them, but I can escape. Below the eighth tier, they can’t defeat me. Black Sigil People are known to be invincible in their own rank, and no professionals like to fight them. When Black Sigil People are still weak, any professional who discovers them will do everything in their power to eliminate them.”

She continued, “But you don’t need to worry too much. There are very few Black Sigil People left. As soon as professionals spot their inheritance altars, they destroy them immediately. With so few of them, in our era, once Black Sigil People reach the sixth tier or above, basically no one dares to provoke them.”

Nan You asked a stupid question, “Why doesn’t anyone dare provoke them?”

Qi Wu Zhen rolled her eyes and said, “Idiot, once Black Sigil People reach the sixth-tier altar, their Soul-Burning ability can burn the souls of everyone in an entire city… everyone. Who would dare provoke them?”

Sigh…

Nan You gasped and said, “That extreme?”

Qi Wu Zhen nodded. “Of course. But I guess it’s unlikely you’ll ever see a Black Sigil Person in your lifetime.”

Nan You said, “Yes, I indeed haven’t seen one.”

Guo Shier thought to himself, “I’ve not only seen them but also know people who are close to them.” He said, “The eighth-tier altar… I’d better focus on strengthening my third-tier altar. That’s too far off.”

Qi Wu Zhen said, “I’m just giving advice. Since you want to build a celestial altar, it’s not a bad idea, though it’s difficult. It’s better if others don’t try it. It’s better to specialize in one element, as that leads to faster progression… I’m a professional who specializes in the fire element. My altar is entirely fire-based—this is the ultimate goal.”

Eagle Demon and the others became interested. None of the three of them had built a tangible altar, so this was a great opportunity to correct their path forward. Getting guidance from a super expert would definitely be beneficial for their future development.

Guo Shier said, “Sister Zhen, could you design one for Uncle Eagle Demon and the others?”

Qi Wu Zhen tilted her head and thought for a moment before saying, “Okay, I can give some guidance. Find the element that suits you best, and then keep pursuing it.”

Eagle Demon and the others were overjoyed and stepped forward to thank her.

Qi Wu Zhen showed a strange smile and said, “Eagle Demon, come here. You guys wait outside.” With that, she went inside. Eagle Demon hesitated for a moment before following her in. Guo Shier and the others exchanged glances, unsure of what Qi Wu Zhen intended to do.

A moment later, they heard Eagle Demon let out a pained cry, “Ooooh…”

Both Guo Shier and Luo Zhan couldn’t help but shiver. Nan You’s face turned pale as he said, “What… what are they doing?”
“Ah… oh…”
Guo Shier stroked his chin for a while before saying, “Uncle sounds really strange when he cries out… really strange.”
“Ah… it hurts…”
Everyone was suddenly speechless. Could the Eagle Demon also feel pain? It was unbelievable—this guy would never cry out in pain even when dying. Guo Shier felt chilled and said, “What… what are they doing?”
After a while, Qi Wu Zhen walked out as if nothing had happened, with the Eagle Demon following behind, his face deathly white. Qi Wu Zhen said, “The metal element is the most suitable. You should develop along that path from now on.”
The Eagle Demon replied weakly, “Yes.”
Qi Wu Zhen pointed at Luo Zhan and said, “It’s your turn.”
For some reason, Luo Zhan suddenly felt a tremor in his heart. He forced a laugh and said, “Nan You, you go first!”
Nan You hurriedly said, “No, no, no… you go first!”
Qi Wu Zhen said, “Stop being so indecisive. Go in!” A virtual chain wrapped around Luo Zhan and dragged him inside.
Guo Shier asked curiously, “Uncle Eagle Demon, what did she do? You’re crying out so painfully…”
The Eagle Demon’s face turned red instantly as he shook his head and said, “I… I didn’t do anything…” He thought to himself, “You’ll know if you try it… Sigh, my reputation is ruined.”
“Oh… oh…”
Guo Shier thought, “Damn it, what’s going on… It sounds like a chicken…” He was extremely curious and felt an urge to go in and take a look.
Nan You looked at the Eagle Demon pitifully and asked, “What method did she use?” He knew well how strong a professional with a virtual altar was at enduring pain, yet she was crying out so painfully. He really didn’t know what method Qi Wu Zhen had used.
The Eagle Demon kept his lips tightly closed and said nothing.
Guo Shier glanced at the Eagle Demon, then at Nan You, propped his chin, and after a while, he sighed, “Thankfully, I don’t have to go in.”
The Eagle Demon and Nan You immediately felt the urge to hit someone.
Luo Zhan came out sweating profusely, also staying silent. Qi Wu Zhen said, “A strange guy. He’s suitable for the lightning element… quite rare.”
Then Qi Wu Zhen set his sights on Nan You and said, “It’s your turn!”
Nan You stepped back and forced a smile, saying, “I’ll pass. Any element will do, hehe… hehehe…” He smiled obsequiously. This guy was quite scared.
Without saying another word, Qi Wu Zhen wrapped a virtual chain around Nan You and dragged him in. The Eagle Demon and Luo Zhan both showed a hint of schadenfreude.
“Ah… ah… no…”

This time the screams were even more agonizing. Seeing Guo Shier’s eager expression, Eagle Demon said, “If I were you, I’d never want to go in and take a look.” Guo Shier immediately stepped back and laughed, “Okay, okay, I admit it—I was too curious.” “Oh… I’m dying… Aww, it hurts…” “Relax a bit. Are you a man?” “Argh… I’m not a man! Ugh… Oh…” The guy kept screaming for three whole minutes, causing Guo Shier to break into cold sweat—it was truly miserable. Only then did he realize that Eagle Demon was the real powerhouse; among the three, he was the one who screamed the least. After a while, Qi Wu Zhen dragged Nan You out and said, “Terrible, Earth element.” Nan You was foaming at the mouth, trembling uncontrollably as if shocked by electricity. Guo Shier asked, “What’s wrong with him? Is he injured?” Qi Wu Zhen replied, “He’s not injured. That idiot refused to relax and kept resisting, so… he suffered a bit.” Neither Eagle Demon nor Luo Zhan could bear to watch any longer—Nan You had been badly tortured. It took a full five minutes before Nan You stopped trembling. Sweating profusely, he got up, his eyes filled with extreme fear as he looked at Qi Wu Zhen. Guo Shier later learned that Qi Wu Zhen used fire to burn the souls in order to test the attributes of Eagle Demon and the others. Burning the soul wasn’t physical pain but pain at the soul level—no wonder even Eagle Demon couldn’t resist it. However, it was very important that Eagle Demon and the others had found the best path for development. Especially Luo Zhen, whose rare Thunder element would grant him extraordinary strength once mastered. Among the three, Nan You’s Earth element was the weakest, but it had its advantages—if he could develop it, defense would be his strength. His attacks might not be strong, but few could break through his defenses. Qi Wu Zhen helped the members of the Lost Squad determine their respective attributes for development, which was of great significance to them. It allowed them to save time and effort, avoid detours, and focus on growing stronger. According to Qi Wu Zhen, while it couldn’t guarantee they’d reach the ninth-tier altar, reaching the sixth-tier altar shouldn’t be a problem as long as their soul power accumulated sufficiently. With Guo Shier’s help in regulating their soul fluctuations and the use of Soul Beads, they didn’t have to worry about insufficient soul accumulation. From then on, the Lost Squad entered a fast track for advancement. A servant came in and said, “Ancestor Ji Yuntian has come to visit.” Guo Shier asked, “What’s the matter?”

The waiter said nervously, “I… I don’t know.”
Guo Shier said, “Ask him to come in.”
The waiter nodded and rushed outside.
Soon, Ji Yuntian came in with several altar-level experts, saying, “Sorry for the interruption.” He was extremely polite.