The Grand Priest finished speaking, his eyes fixed on Ying Chen, awaiting his oath.
It seemed the Grand Priest would not utter another word if Ying Chen did not swear.
However, upon hearing this, Ying Chen burst into laughter.
In the next second, Ying Chen's figure flickered, and he suddenly appeared beside the Grand Priest.
With one hand, as if grabbing a small chicken, he lifted the Grand Priest off the ground.
The Grand Priest's face instantly turned pale, filled with panic. "You... you... you're not upholding martial ethics... sneaking... sneaking an attack..."
"Huh, I didn't expect the Grand Priest's surname to be Ma?" Master Gui said with surprise at this moment.
Elder Guo looked at Master Gui curiously, "How do you know his surname is Ma?"
"If his surname wasn't Ma, why would he say things like 'not upholding martial ethics, attacking this 69-year-old man'? I suspect he might use techniques like the right whip kick, the five-stage whip, and might even advise Immortal Master Ying to conserve his energy..."
Master Gui replied with mock seriousness.
"Is that so?" Elder Guo, who had never seen a short video app, was skeptical.
He had no idea Master Gui was quoting a popular internet meme.
Ying Chen, who also hadn't seen such things, narrowed his eyes, a hint of vigilance appearing in their depths.
He paid no mind to techniques like the right whip kick or the five-stage whip; they were merely ordinary martial arts techniques.
But what was "conserving his energy"?
It sounded rather sinister. Could it be a unique Gu technique of the Ancestral Witch Cult?
Ying Chen's five fingers instantly tightened, forcefully squeezing the Grand Priest's neck until it creaked.
It seemed his neck would be crushed in the next moment!
This terrified all the Ancestral Witch Cult members present.
And it terrified the Grand Priest even more.
The Grand Priest stammered, his words indistinct, as if trying to say something.
However, because his throat was being squeezed by Ying Chen and he couldn't breathe properly, he couldn't articulate clearly.
Just as the Grand Priest was about to meet his end on the spot,
Granny Grass Ghost stepped forward, translating, "Immortal Master, please stop! Our Grand Priest says everything can be negotiated. If you don't want to swear, then don't swear!"
"All of us in the Ancestral Witch Cult believe in your strength and character, Immortal Master, and we absolutely do not believe you would go back on your word! Therefore, the Grand Priest agrees to immediately tell you the whereabouts of the Soul Locking Gu!"
Hearing Granny Grass Ghost's translation, Ying Chen's expression softened slightly, and he loosened his grip.
The Grand Priest, having narrowly escaped death, had no idea he had been tricked by Master Gui.
"Speak!"
Ying Chen glanced at the Grand Priest indifferently and said.
"Remember, you are not qualified to set conditions for me."
"Do you really think I am kinder than the group from ten years ago?"
Upon hearing Ying Chen's words, the Grand Priest and all the Ancestral Witch Cult members present shivered simultaneously.
Ying Chen's meaning was clear: if the Grand Priest did not cooperate, Ying Chen would unleash a massacre, just like the group from ten years ago!
The Grand Priest hurriedly wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. I will never dare to set conditions with Immortal Master again."
"In fact, I only have a vague understanding of the Soul Locking Gu's whereabouts. I only know that the Soul Locking Gu is in the hands of another Gu organization called the Chiyou Banner. However, the Chiyou Banner suffered a devastating blow a thousand years ago, leaving only a handful of successors."
"As for whether the Soul Locking Gu was passed down with them, I don't know."
"And one of their successors resides on a cloud peak about ten miles from here. If Immortal Master wishes to find the Soul Locking Gu, you only need to find him."
Hearing the Grand Priest's words, Ying Chen's eyes flickered slightly.
This aligned with the information Ying Chen currently possessed.
It seemed the group from ten years ago had indeed found that successor of the Chiyou Banner and had taken the Soul Locking Gu from their hands.
Otherwise, there was no way to explain how the Soul Locking Gu in Nannan's mind came to be.
However... if the Soul Locking Gu had already been taken, was that successor of the Chiyou Banner still alive?
Given the methods of the group from ten years ago, they likely would have silenced any witnesses.
With these doubts in mind, Ying Chen looked at the Grand Priest and coldly uttered two words: "Lead the way!"
Whether he was alive or not would be evident.
The Grand Priest, trembling, hesitated for a moment before finally nodding. "Yes, yes, yes, I will lead the way, I will lead the way."
Ying Chen let out a cold snort and threw the Grand Priest onto the ground.
After a long while, the Grand Priest managed to get up from the ground.
He cast a fearful glance at Ying Chen before cautiously leading the way forward, towards the place he had mentioned.
The remaining Ancestral Witch Cult members watched the Grand Priest's retreating figure helplessly, their faces occasionally flashing with grief.
They all believed this would be the Grand Priest's final journey, with no possibility of return!
Ten miles, not long, not short.
Especially on a mountain path.
Coupled with Master Gui, the drag, the group spent a good half hour to reach their destination.
The so-called "cloud peak" was merely the mountainside of a large mountain.
However, due to the local environment, it was shrouded in clouds and mist, giving one the feeling of "clouds surging from the chest" even from the mountainside, hence it was called the cloud peak.
The Grand Priest pointed to the area obscured by clouds ahead. "It's there."
"There is a cave dwelling there, which is the residence of that successor of the Chiyou Banner."
"He has a bad temper and dislikes interacting with people, let alone being disturbed. I only chanced upon it once when I was collecting herbs as a child. That's how I learned this secret."
"Three Immortal Masters, can I... not go in? After all, our Ancestral Witch Cult is not far from here. When you leave, we will be stuck here. If we are retaliated against by this person, our Ancestral Witch Cult will be wiped out!"
The Grand Priest pleaded pitifully.
Ying Chen glanced at the Grand Priest indifferently and did not reply.
Instead, he strode into the depths of the clouds.
Elder Guo and Master Gui followed closely behind.
The Grand Priest remained standing in place, unmoving.
Only after watching Ying Chen and the other two disappear into the clouds did he heave a sigh of relief.
At the same time, a smug look appeared on his face. "Hmph, outsiders actually think they can contend with me?"
"This is indeed the cave dwelling of a Chiyou Banner successor, but there is more than one successor to the Chiyou Banner!"
"There are hundreds and thousands of them!"
"Our Ancestral Witch Cult is also a subordinate sect of the Chiyou Banner. The true sect leader of the Chiyou Banner is the Chiyou Banner itself!"
"We are called the Sheng Miao Hei Wu, while the adults of the Chiyou Banner are a level higher than us, called the Tian Fang Chi Wu! In a few more years, I will also become a member of the Tian Fang Chi Wu and live out my retirement in the Chiyou Banner sect!"
"The Tian Fang Chi Wu are beings whose strength and cultivation truly rival immortals! Just like that group from ten years ago, do you really think they found the Soul Locking Gu?"
"In reality, from the moment they entered the Chiyou Banner's cave dwelling, they were already crushed into dust by the adults of the Tian Fang Chi Wu! They have long since disappeared from this world!"
"And you three poor souls are the second batch! Hahahaha..."
The Grand Priest laughed heartily at the sky, looking like someone who had just gotten revenge after their younger sibling had been beaten in a fight and they had called their parents.
However, before the Grand Priest could finish laughing, he heard a voice leisurely say, "You seem to have misunderstood one thing. The group from ten years ago did indeed find the Soul Locking Gu."