Yu Ziqing took out a rusty short sword from his bosom.

Holding it in his hand, the rust on the short sword turned to powder and slowly drifted away.

Yu Ziqing's aura gradually enhanced, and his divine soul, which was about to manifest, began to transform into a hungry ghost form.

Black energy surged from his divine soul, forming a dense yin qi that became thick as black water seeping out.

After the rust on the short sword completely fell off, it slowly transformed into an entirely black long sword.

The sword hilt bore the head of a hungry ghost roaring with a wide-open mouth, and the handle was forged from twisted limbs. The guard twisted into two crossed arms, the angry-eyed snarling hungry ghosts, while the blade was covered with countless strange runes, exuding a heavy curse aura.

This time, the realm enhancement was not much, at most at the Fifth Tier now, but the power it invoked was indeed the power of the Hungry Ghost Dao.

Yu Ziqing raised the long sword in his hand and smiled at the White Sun Holy Mother.

"Interrogating you seems to be of no use. Alright then, die."

The White Sun Holy Mother stared intently at Yu Ziqing, instantly sensing that the power on Yu Ziqing was undoubtedly the power of the Hungry Ghost Dao.

He also let out a sly smile, a mad one.

"Hahaha..."

After laughing, he asked with a wide grin.

"What is your name?"

"Ignore him," Uncle Fu immediately said to Yu Ziqing.

Yu Ziqing smiled.

"No worries, Uncle Fu."

"Listen carefully, I won't change my name while walking, nor alter my surname while sitting. My name is Qing Ziyu. I'm waiting for you to come kill me in your next life. You better come quickly. Don't wait until I've become strong and you reappear, for by then, I can crush you with one hand again. That would be boring."

"Very well, Qing Ziyu, I remember you. It won't be long before I return to find you. You better not die first."

The White Sun Holy Mother laughed delightedly, for at the moment his identity was unknowingly recognized by the other, he knew he was doomed.

But before dying, witnessing someone walking the Hungry Ghost Dao with a human body was rewarding, making death even better.

"Then I beg you, hurry up. I'm waiting for you to kill me. Don't be a coward."

Yu Ziqing felt the hatred had ripened enough and hesitated no longer.

With a swing of the long sword, it transformed into a stream of light, piercing through the nape of the White Sun Holy Mother, releasing a flood of black water that engulfed him.

Once the black water washed away, the White Sun Holy Mother was completely gone without a trace, leaving only a long sword embedded in the ground. The hungry ghost head on the sword hilt closed its mouth, the two crossed hungry ghosts on the guard closed their eyes and lowered their heads, bowing slightly to salute Yu Ziqing.

This generation's White Sun Holy Mother perished entirely, leaving not even ashes behind.

Yu Ziqing waved his hand and the long sword flew back into his grip, putting it away.

By his side, Uncle Fu was filled with astonishment, too many questions in his heart.

How could Yu Ziqing recognize this person was the White Sun Holy Mother?

Why could Yu Ziqing wield the power of the Hungry Ghost Dao with a human body?

Most inexplicably, why was Yu Ziqing willing to use such power in front of him?

After all, he was from Dali, and such secrets were not suitable for him to know.

Revealing such explosive information, if he didn't tell the Eastern Palace, it would betray the Eastern Palace, and if he did, it would betray Yu Ziqing.

For a moment, Uncle Fu was filled with inner conflict, his heart's Devil Thought stirred restlessly.

Suddenly, the stirring Devil Thought quieted instantly.

Uncle Fu came to his senses to find Yu Ziqing's hand on his shoulder, smiling at him.

"Uncle Fu, what's wrong?"

Seeing Yu Ziqing channelling the power of the Hungry Ghost Dao, Uncle Fu sighed.

"Nothing, just an old injury acting up a bit."

"Uncle Fu, thank you for safeguarding me along the way. Without you, I wouldn't dare casually expose the White Sun Holy Mother.

Who knows what power and hidden means these demons possess.

I just didn't expect the demon to be this weak."

"You're too kind, Young Master Qing. I did nothing, it's all thanks to your wisdom, for finding the hidden White Sun demon."

Uncle Fu chuckled bitterly, quickly understanding the subtext of Yu Ziqing's statement.

Yu Ziqing allowed him to accompany them, meaning there was no intention to hide anything from him, or from the Crown Prince behind him at the Eastern Palace.

In the end, he was being too meticulous and overly cautious, almost allowing inner Devil Thought to seize him.

Yu Ziqing smiled, sitting alone. While his power still lingered, he sensed it carefully.

Previously, he practiced the Hungry Ghost Dao relying on instinct, knowing naturally the right and wrong paths, following a straight trunk that never went wrong, only cultivating the realm.

Now, in a conscious state, drawing out the power of the Hungry Ghost Dao, he decided to understand it thoroughly.

It all pointed toward his future path, showing how to grow new buds and branches from the main trunk. This is where the Cultivation Technique, secret techniques of the Hungry Ghost Dao come from, extending from the main trunk.

Moments later, the power dissipated, Yu Ziqing returned to normal, and Cece dispersed the Despair Abyss, everyone returned to the rural path.

After more than three months of thorough investigation, it finally concluded.

Uncle Fu sighed, gazing towards the south.

"The matters are resolved, it's time for me to return. Does Miss Cece have any letters for me to deliver to the young lady?"

"Thank you, Uncle Fu." Cece handed over a prepared letter and a jade bottle to Uncle Fu. "Uncle Fu, please accept it."

"This... thank you, Miss Cece, thank you, Young Master Qing."

After parting with Uncle Fu, they stood at the center of the road, looking around.

"Young Master, where shall we go now? Back home?"

"Of course, we'll go back, but no rush. Let's find a place to rest first. It's been months; I'm sure you're all tired, I'm tired too. I just want a good bath and sleep now. We'll definitely bring back lots of things when we return home."

Yu Ziqing smiled and added.

"Then, we'll wait for the White Sun Holy Mother to descend again, wait for him to come kill me."

Though Uncle Fu praised his cleverness, he did not dare admit it. He knew he wasn't particularly smart, just that his thinking differed from most here, was diligent, prepared, and willing to spend the time doing it himself.

The cultivators here are conditioned not to delve to the bottom, visit one by one, collecting the joys and sorrows of thousands of mortals, knowing why they were hurt, when they stole neighbor's chickens, when they got married or buried or when they couldn't survive…

Not to mention, preparing food and farm tools, making contact one by one, readying explanations, and brightening the bitter lives they explored.

Dali registers, giving them a household registration so villagers can watch over them, purely to prevent stubborn elements among the evil path.

Nobody cared when a man died or a child, when ran out of food.

For this reason, the White Sun Holy Mother never thought he'd be exposed, dared to return upon hearing the county sent people.

Even though Yu Ziqing could trace the White Sun Holy Mother, Dali could have easily done so.

Getting deep into the bottom, despite the pains, scouring a large area, they could easily track down the fake Xia.

Cultivators, with all manners of methods, considered mortal information unguarded. If encouraged, mortals could examine slowly but surely.

At that point, even if they didn't know the alias Xia was the White Sun Holy Mother, finding the suspicious parts could confirm the rogue remnants.

White Sun Holy Mother would eventually have to die.

The old farmer working in the fields showed a timid expression seeing a clean, neat-dressed Yu Ziqing, which he had witnessed too often on this journey already.

This drove home why he succeeded.

Simply willing to spend time with slow, tedious methods.

Thus, he could not become arrogant.

Still lacking security.

The body must continue refining, armor piling up the priority, while continuing the Hungry Ghost Dao cultivation.

The point being reached, surviving anything, allowing brief relaxation.

Even then, not until realizing not even capable of ending himself.

...

High Priest Liu Xin gazed into the distance, taken aback.

He felt a sudden void in his heart, a sense of loss so overwhelming, it brought tears, a landslide of grief surging through him.

"The Holy Mother, fallen?"

"Impossible, after all these months..."

He was already poised to select another from contingency plans, ready for the White Sun Holy Mother's return once things calmed.

Unexpectedly his collapse arrived abruptly.

Everything must start anew.

His cultivation speed drastically reduced again.

Linked with the White Sun Evil Cult, their prosperity bound together, being the High Priest meant when the Evil Cult followers flourished, even absent incense fire crystals from the Holy Mother, his cultivation quickened beyond previous decades.

Stuck at the Sixth Tier for decades, suffering slow progress made the great threshold between Sixth and Seventh Tier impassable, hence seizing opportunity after Wilderness cataclysm.

Now, a restart, reflecting his grimace as if swallowing a fly.

After long contemplation, he breathed out, holding a purple-gold ring.

With simple design, purple-gold metal band, paired with a triangular face set with a jet-black gemstone.

He donned the ring and closed his eyes.

The ring face continuously shifted, forming a seven-story tower, the gem becoming a dark vortex at the tower's base.

Liu Xin's soul fragment passed through, entered through the vortex.

His soul fragment, manifesting within the tower, became a faceless figure, ascending layer upon layer.

Reaching the top floor, an empty space with seven short tables and seven cushions.

He seated himself on the third cushion, waiting quietly.

After an incense stick's time, a shadowy figure ascended to the top floor stairs.