Chapter 781: Alien Immortal Stream Contains Evil Cult

Xu Qing gazed in the direction of the Grand Academy.

That night, a cold winter wind swept through the Imperial Capital, stirring up residual snow on the ground and sending it dancing across the sky.

Amidst the howling wind, the three core disciples of the Heretic Immortal sect, who had acquired the cyan snowflakes, embarked on a new phase of their lives.

The number of their soul threads surged from the original hundreds.

As the first three core disciples of the Heretic Immortal sect, while their practice of the sect's techniques held no special difficulties, their souls had become significantly more robust than those of ordinary cultivators through continuous day and night training.

Thus, when the morning sun rose, dispelling the darkness and bathing the world in light, a distinctly different aura emanated from the three of them.

Their cultivation improved, and their eyes became sharper.

A soul fluctuation unique to the Heretic Immortal sect resonated from their bodies. The disciple with the fewest soul threads now possessed over two thousand, while the one with the most exceeded six thousand!

Upon their arrival at the Heretic Immortal sect's white tower, this change in their aura was immediately noticed by the other nine disciples, including the mysterious woman, causing them to show surprise and doubt.

The Sect Master, seated within the white tower, watched the three approaching figures with an appreciative gaze.

"Thank you, Master!" The three exchanged glances, each seeing the excitement in the others' eyes. Compared to any potential hidden dangers, the tangible gain of rapidly growing soul threads filled them with exhilaration and conviction.

"You have integrated the Heretic Immortal Dao Seeds very well. Your next task is to quickly enhance the robustness of your souls, allowing them to grow stronger!"

"Remember, the more robust your souls become, the more astonishing the number of your soul threads will be!"

"My Heretic Immortal Dao Seeds are unique to our sect's cultivation method, just as Imperial-level techniques require a Dao Seed for practice." The Sect Master nodded slightly.

Their words stirred immense ripples in the hearts of the other core disciples. The mysterious woman's breathing quickened slightly, and she was about to ask a question.

Just then, Xu Qing's figure appeared outside the white tower's entrance and walked in. All eyes instantly converged on him, and their perceptions spread out.

The next moment, the three core disciples who had also acquired Dao Seeds were deeply shaken. The Sect Master's eyes gleamed intensely, and he even stood up.

The other nine core disciples showed even greater agitation.

A much stronger soul thread fluctuation emanated from Xu Qing, giving the impression that he possessed at least ten thousand soul threads.

"Excellent, excellent! Xuan Leizi, the first time I saw you, I felt you had an extraordinary future. Now I see you are indeed perfectly suited for my Heretic Immortal sect."

The Sect Master laughed heartily, his gaze sweeping over Xu Qing, becoming more and more surprised with each look.

He could clearly sense that his Dao Seed had integrated perfectly within Xu Qing's body. Through the insights gained from this Dao Seed, he perceived Xu Qing's soul to be far more robust than anyone else's.

This seamless integration indicated that Xuan Leizi was naturally strong-souled. While such individuals were rare, they did exist, and those capable of joining the Grand Academy naturally possessed unique qualities.

Xu Qing bowed, feeling a touch of helplessness deep down.

He didn't want this. He wasn't willing to reveal his identity so quickly, and if no soul threads were produced at all, it would be easy for others to detect a problem. So, he tried to form some normal soul threads to obscure external perception.

However, his divine source soul threads were too astonishing. Even if he only released a tiny amount, it still generated the fluctuation of tens of thousands of normal soul threads.

He couldn't reduce it further.

Hence, the current scene unfolded.

However, compared to this minor annoyance, the gains from yesterday made him much more satisfied.

Last night, as the other three core disciples integrated their Dao Seeds and began cultivating, it created a feedback loop that caused divine source to reappear in the whirlpool within Xu Qing's Sea of Consciousness.

Inside the white tower at this moment, the Sect Master's excitement far surpassed Xu Qing's. He looked at Xu Qing and the three other core disciples, a surge of ambition rising within him, then turned his gaze, sharp as lightning, to the other nine core disciples.

"As you can see, I know you all have various powers backing you, but that doesn't matter, because you are the lucky ones, arriving just as my Heretic Immortal sect begins its rise!"

"The Grand Academy is inclusive. Although my Heretic Immortal sect speaks of 'cores,' it is generally inclusive!"

"Therefore, from now on, you must perform well. Whoever among you is the first to recruit a hundred core disciples, I will exceptionally bestow upon them a Heretic Immortal Dao Seed."

Upon hearing this, the nine core disciples, including the mysterious woman, immediately bowed, each with their own thoughts.

Regardless, the success of Xu Qing and the other three was undeniable, and they were all deeply moved.

And so, a recruitment competition began within the Heretic Immortal sect.

The rapid progress of Xu Qing and the three others spread throughout the Grand Academy within days. People flocked to investigate, and it was only when rival students personally verified the matter that a storm truly erupted within the Academy.

Repeated accounts and incidents clearly demonstrated the reality of the Heretic Immortal sect's methods. Consequently, the fourteenth and fifteenth core disciples began to appear successively.

In just ten days, the number of core disciples in the Heretic Immortal sect surpassed the 1,100 mark, signifying a true resurgence.

Over these seven days, the cultivation of Xu Qing and the other three also continued to improve. The least advanced now had over five thousand soul threads, while Xu Qing and one other each reached thirteen to fourteen thousand!

Seeing this, the other core disciples grew envious. Some were motivated by personal gain, others by their missions, but regardless, the allure of the Dao Seed had successfully captured the attention of the entire Grand Academy.

Finally, on the evening of the twelfth day, a core student successfully completed the task of recruiting a hundred people.

In front of all the core disciples, the Sect Master held a grand ceremony, using its solemnity to highlight the preciousness of the Heretic Immortal Dao Seed. Without a moment of hesitation, he pressed the Dao Seed into the core disciple's hand, integrating it into their body.

This event was not only closely watched by the newly joined core disciples of the Heretic Immortal sect but also by all other factions within the Grand Academy.

Under the watchful eyes of the multitude, the core disciple trembled all over. The number of soul threads within their body surged from single digits, reaching over a thousand within an hour.

The diffusion of the soul thread aura fully ignited the Heretic Immortal sect's storm within the Grand Academy.

Consequently, discussions about the Heretic Immortal sect became the hottest topic at the Grand Academy. The number of new core disciples joining the sect increased daily, and most existing core disciples also began recruiting.

As time passed, more and more core disciples acquired Dao Seeds and began cultivating the Heretic Immortal path. Their successive successes acted like a whirlpool, attracting even more students.

However, not all core disciples were dedicated to this. A portion remained observers.

The purpose of these individuals' joining was observation; they harbored more doubts and conjectures regarding the Dao Seed. The mysterious woman, for example, consistently felt that the Heretic Immortal Dao Seed might possess some fatal flaws.

Nevertheless, it must be said that the Heretic Immortal Sect Master's initial claim that the Heretic Immortal Dao Seed was linked to Imperial-level techniques was very plausible.

After all, cultivating Imperial-level techniques indeed requires a seed to appear within the body. Thus, even those who suspected flaws could only speculate, unable to confirm their suspicions.

Watching the Heretic Immortal sect's white tower transform from an empty place to its current bustling state, Xu Qing felt immense admiration for the Sect Master.

He clearly understood that while his Dao Seed had provided a crucial opportunity, the Sect Master's persistence and effort were the key factors in the Heretic Immortal sect's rise.

As for the flaws in the Dao Seed, Xu Qing wasn't worried. He had studied the structure of the cyan snowflake Dao Seed; it was remarkably unique, feeling perfectly natural and complete.

What was particularly strange was the faint trace of heavenly principles it subtly contained, as if the entire object had been blessed by the Heavenly Dao. As more and more core disciples absorbed the cyan Dao Seed,

the Sect Master clearly reaped benefits as well. After distributing over ninety Dao Seeds, his soul threads increased to over eighty thousand. Naturally, Xu Qing, the source, gained even more.

Within the whirlpool of his Sea of Consciousness, divine source formed daily, increasing the number of his soul threads from one million to over 1.1 million.

All those who integrated a Dao Seed were like roots, growing themselves while also providing nourishment to the main trunk. Xu Qing mused, "I wonder if a branch will appear if a disciple also cultivates to fifty thousand soul threads."

Xu Qing felt a touch of anticipation regarding this.

And so, within the Grand Academy, the once glorious but long-declining Heretic Immortal sect truly revived.

Various powers within the Imperial Capital also paid attention to this matter.

In particular, other factions within the Grand Academy were even more concerned about the Heretic Immortal sect's resurgence and glory.

Among these, the Soul Melting sect was primary.

After all, the Heretic Immortal sect and the Soul Melting sect had vastly different philosophies. While not entirely incompatible, the rise of one would inevitably have a strong impact on the other.

Thus, as the Heretic Immortal sect's revival gained momentum, an internal meeting was convened that afternoon in the Soul Melting sect's white tower to address the matter.

Attendees included the Soul Melting Sect Master and all high-ranking members of the sect, who took their seats in order.

The Seventh Prince was also present, seated to the Sect Master's left. Across from him sat a student with particularly striking red eyes—the Soul Melting sect's Chief Disciple.

At the beginning of the meeting, the Heretic Immortal sect was not discussed. Instead, each party reported on their sect's recent activities and their personal cultivation progress.

The Seventh Prince, as the current representative of the Soul Melting sect, also spoke about his own cultivation.

After everyone had spoken, the Soul Melting Sect Master nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the attendees with words of encouragement. He then looked at the Seventh Prince with an appreciative expression.

"The Seventh Prince possesses extraordinary talent and is very suited to my Soul Melting path. If he continues to cultivate like this, he will undoubtedly achieve great things in sixty years."

The Seventh Prince cupped his hands, remaining silent and showing no discernible reaction.

The Soul Melting Sect Master smiled faintly, then withdrew his gaze, letting it fall upon the Chief Disciple to his right.

"Ling Pozi, show me the Heretic Immortal Dao Seed you acquired!" The Soul Melting Chief Disciple, with scarlet pupils, raised his right hand, and a cyan snowflake immediately appeared before him.

A calm voice emerged from his lips: "This was extracted from the body of a core student of the Heretic Immortal sect outside the Grand Academy and given to me. Please examine it, Sect Master."

With a flick of his sleeve, the snowflake shot directly toward the Sect Master.

The Soul Melting Sect Master raised his hand, his fingertips suspending the snowflake in mid-air. His eyes glowed with a faint, deep light as he meticulously examined it.

The next instant, his pupils visibly constricted. As he leaned in for closer inspection, hundreds of tiny, dense red threads extended from his eyes, piercing into the snowflake.

The snowflake vibrated, began to disintegrate, and eventually vanished.

During this process, a sense of solemnity gradually emanated from the Sect Master.

After a long time, the red threads retracted, and he closed his eyes.

Silence filled the white tower as everyone looked at the Sect Master.

After a moment, a hoarse voice slowly emerged from the Soul Melting Sect Master's mouth.

"This object is evil and tyrannical. It devours the souls of all living beings!"

"There is evil within the Heretic Immortal sect!" As he spoke, he slowly rose to his feet.

"You will come with me to the Heretic Immortal sect to see for yourselves!"