After Aaron Ouyang left, the cultivators who had gathered remained in place, discussing fervently.

    "What’s going on? Why has Master taken another personal disciple, and a Spirit Slave at that?"

    "Exactly, even if his Qi Sea isn’t broken, anyone who becomes a Spirit Slave must have terrible aptitude. This doesn’t make sense."

    "You don’t understand. For us cultivators, fate is paramount. That kid brought Master a supreme treasure, so naturally, Master will treat him well. Who knows what other opportunities he might bring?"

    "True, among cultivators, the strong are revered. How much is the title of personal disciple really worth? With his aptitude, he might never get past Qi Refinement Level One. So what if he’s a personal disciple?"

    Mark Ye listened on the side, his face flushed with anger. Although these senior brothers were belittling Ghost Guest, it felt like they were mocking him instead.

    Even though they didn’t say it outright, their contemptuous glances said it all.

    Almost being killed by a Spirit Slave—what kind of genius with a perfect Gold and Fire Spirit Root was he? Nothing but crap!

    Fury surged within Mark Ye as he drew his sword and charged at Ghost Guest.

    "Junior Brother Ye, calm down." A white-robed youth stepped forward, blocking Ghost Guest and gently pinching Mark Ye’s sword. "Have you forgotten the rule against infighting? Even Master can’t protect you if you break it in front of so many people."

    Reluctantly, Mark Ye withdrew his sword, but his eyes still burned with hatred as he glared at Ghost Guest.

    "Your injuries are severe; you should heal first." The white-robed youth pressed Mark Ye down to sit, took out a pill, and placed it in Mark Ye’s mouth, then held his wrist. Suddenly, he glanced sharply at Ghost Guest, a flash of shock in his eyes.

    Everyone had assumed Mark Ye had refined the pills himself, but the moment he checked Mark Ye’s pulse, he understood everything.

    Mark Ye was poisoned by pill toxins. Those pills were all refined by Ghost Guest.

    The fact that Mark Ye had a Spirit Slave refining pills for him was already unbelievable. But for the Spirit Slave to actually succeed and produce so many pills was even more astonishing.

    The most crucial point was that this Spirit Slave had endured for so long and actually gained Mark Ye’s trust, making him ingest the fake pills laced with toxins.

    Pill toxins were no small matter. It wasn’t just about mixing up the order of ingredients. For a Spirit Slave who had no teacher and had to figure everything out on his own, this was already incredible.

    The white-robed youth understood but didn’t reveal it in front of everyone to save Mark Ye’s face.

    After a while, Mark Ye slowly opened his eyes. The toxins in his body had dissipated, and his breath returned to normal.

    Seeing there was no more excitement to watch, the crowd gradually dispersed.

    Ghost Guest suddenly walked up to Mark Ye, cupped his fists, and said loudly, "I have a request for Senior Brother Ye. Could you return the bodies of my companions to me?"

    Mark Ye sneered, "Now you’re begging me? I’d rather chop them up and feed them to the dogs than give them to you!"

    Ghost Guest leaned in close and whispered, "If not for that protective magical tool, you’d be dead. You’ve lost face today; don’t you want to regain it? As a so-called genius, you’ll be looked down upon from now on. I’m giving you a chance to humiliate me, just once. If you don’t want it, then forget it. They’re just a few dead bodies; I don’t care."

    "Fine!" Mark Ye stood up abruptly and announced, "Everyone, bear witness. If he kowtows to me three times, I’ll return the bodies of those lackeys to him!" S~ea??h the novёlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    The disciples turned back, grinning as they prepared to watch the show.

    "Please, Senior Brother, bear witness." Ghost Guest bowed to the white-robed youth.

    "Alright." The white-robed youth nodded with a smile, watching Ghost Guest with interest.

    He had thought he understood everything, but hearing the exchange between Ghost Guest and Mark Ye, he realized he had underestimated the situation.

    It wasn’t just one Spirit Slave rebelling, but five of them together.

    Moreover, he had overlooked one point: Ghost Guest must have dealt with the blood-red pill toxins in his body; otherwise, he couldn’t have escaped here.

    He knew well how the Demonic Extreme Sect controlled Spirit Slaves. To overcome such fear, devise a solution, and persuade other Spirit Slaves to rebel with him—this Ghost Guest was truly capable and cunning!

    Although Ghost Guest ultimately failed, the protective magical tool was an unexpected factor, a privilege only Mark Ye had. With any other new disciple, Ghost Guest would have succeeded.

    With a "thud," Ghost Guest knelt before Mark Ye and solemnly kowtowed three times, his teeth grinding.

    He knew this was humiliating and that no one would respect him after this.

    But Ryan Ji and the others had risked their lives to help him escape. If he didn’t retrieve their bodies for a proper burial, he’d feel guilty for life.

    "Too quiet, I didn’t hear it." Mark Ye dug at his ear.

    The surrounding disciples immediately showed schadenfreude expressions.

    Ghost Guest gritted his teeth and kowtowed heavily three more times.

    "Still can’t hear it." Mark Ye looked at Ghost Guest mockingly.

    "Bang, bang, bang!" Another three kowtows.

    "Didn’t you eat? I can’t hear it." Mark Ye said indifferently.

    Seeing Ghost Guest about to kowtow again, the white-robed youth bent down and pulled him up, smiling gently at Mark Ye.

    "Junior Brother Ye, that’s enough. Don’t push it too far."

    "Since Senior Brother has spoken, I’ll listen to him." Mark Ye finally took out the four bodies from his storage bag and left arrogantly. "Whether you’re called Dylan Chen or Ghost Guest, you were under my foot as a Spirit Slave, and you’ll stay there for life! I’ve got you for good."

    "Thank you, Senior Brother." Ghost Guest stood up and bowed respectfully to the white-robed youth.

    The white-robed youth looked at the four bodies on the ground, sighed, and took out a new storage bag to put the bodies in, handing it to Ghost Guest.

    "Let’s go. I’ll take you to your cave dwelling."

    Ghost Guest bowed again, "I have another request. I hope Senior Brother can help."

    ...

    "You lackey, I’ll beat you to death!"

    "Resist again, and I’ll chop you up to feed the Mystic Tiger!"

    "Beat him! Beat him to death!"

    Inside a cave dwelling, a thin youth wielded a whip, lashing a Spirit Slave rolling on the ground.

    After a while, he tossed the whip to another Spirit Slave to continue the beating.

    The Spirit Slave screamed in agony, continuously muttering, "Dylan Chen, Dylan Chen, where are you?"

    This Spirit Slave was Little Tiger.

    The light screen above the cave suddenly fluctuated, and the gentle voice of the white-robed youth penetrated the barrier.

    "Junior Brother Juan Zeng, are you free?"

    Juan Zeng immediately opened the light screen and went out to greet him. Seeing the white-robed youth, he quickly cupped his fists and smiled warmly.

    "Oh, Senior Brother, what brings you here? Please, come in."

    The white-robed youth shook his head, "I won’t go in. I have something to discuss with you."

    "Of course, Senior Brother. Whatever you need, I’ll do it, no matter what." Juan Zeng patted his chest in assurance.

    The white-robed youth smiled and pointed at Ghost Guest, "This is Junior Brother Ghost Guest, Master’s newly accepted personal disciple. He needs your help with something."

    Juan Zeng smiled, "To be accepted as a personal disciple by Master, you must be exceptionally talented. Whatever you need, just say the word, and I’ll do my best."

    Ghost Guest cupped his fists, "I’d like to ask for someone."

    "Who?"

    "Little Tiger."

    Juan Zeng’s face immediately darkened, cautiously asking, "May I ask what your relationship with him is?"