Zhang Ze held down the grey Dan Dan that started to tremble, his mischievous hand beckoning over half the Star Disc as he flipped it over and over, studying it. "Don’t touch if you’re not buying. I’m the future core of Thousand Mechanism City. If you break it, will you pay?" Half the Star Disc dodged away, flying behind Lily. "The boss is here, touching won’t break it, besides, it’s not like it’s never been touched before." Lily muttered softly. Half the Star Disc thought it over and realized it was true, so it flew back over, offering itself up for Zhang Ze’s research. However, Zhang Ze didn’t understand a thing and was purely fumbling around. Lu Yuzhou, standing quietly on the side, couldn’t bear it anymore and lightly coughed, "The Star Disc has already been completed, stop studying it." "Who completed it?" Zhang Ze asked. Profound Identification had been quietly floating on the side, lost in group chats, suddenly letting out a sound, but this sound wasn’t from Profound Identification. It was from the Sect Leader of Wooden Fish Sect who had turned over a new leaf. Li Yu was reluctantly pushed out from Profound Identification by his former subordinates. Zhang Ze wasn’t sure if this person could still be considered a Soul Cultivator, but right now he had no physical body, only half a remaining soul, and it was so faint that he looked like he desperately needed some incense offering for recuperation. Li Yu rubbed his hands together, honestly, he was really nervous. Although he was barely considered to have come ashore, seeing so many righteous cultivators in front of him, along with several high and mighty big shots, had his soul trembling. Especially when he glanced at those Celestial Sect disciples, his gaze was filled with guilt and conflict. Previously, when he was the Dark Helm Leader of Hundred Demons Sect undercover, he had quite a few dealings with Celestial Sect, and among these Celestial Sect disciples were several acquaintances. "Speak up, you’re already a soul, what are you afraid of?" A Celestial Sect disciple who knew Li Yu said. Li Yu nodded, and organized his words, "There are a few things, first, regarding the Star Disc. We are all criminals after all, though the dark souls are extinguished, we cannot ignore our past deeds." "So I consulted with the disciples, each contributed a part of their Yang soul to help complete the Star Disc for a bit of good karma." This soul-taking sacrificial artifact business, when explained by him, sounded quite harmonious, like distributing flour during New Year celebrations. "You guys can do that?" Zhang Ze asked. The Six Sects don’t actually practice soul refining much, given the lack of conditions and environment for research in normal times. If they were to help half the Star Disc complete itself, it would take at least several years for refinement. Surely not as quick as Li Yu and his group’s method, plus extracting one’s soul causes irreversible damage to one’s cultivation. "We can, and this is the second thing I need to say, which involves Hundred Demons Sect’s conspiracy. When establishing this Dark Helm, the Main Helm had once passed down to me a fragmented scroll of Sacrificial Refining Technique for a magical artifact named Ghost King Banner. "It involves taking Yin and Yang souls, injecting them into Ghost King Banner to complete its power. We don’t know exactly how to refine Ghost King Banner, but I am familiar with the soul-extracting and injecting technique. I discussed with the disciples, each contributed a little, extracting part of their own soul, refining and erasing traces, then injecting it into the Star Disc. That way, the Star Disc can move freely even outside the Profound Identification range." Half the Star Disc seemed puzzled, "When did you do this?" [Earlier when you were flying around, I bumped into you, then I let you in.] "Thanks, I wondered why it felt like being pricked by a needle then." Zhang Ze stroked his chin listening to the conversation between the two artifact spirits, feeling weird, unsure if this counted as violating the artifact spirit’s will unilaterally through involvement, with the added factor of multiple contributors... Better not to think further, it was too strange. Zhang Ze turned to Li Yu, "That Human Emperor Banner... err, I mean Ghost King Banner, what’s it used for?" "I don’t know this. Back then, the task given to me was to find a quiet place, establish a sect, wait for orders while practicing the remnants of the Sacrificial Refining Technique." Zhang Ze looked back at the Sect Leader. Chen Qianhu shook his head, "Zhengyang Sect is unaware of it, I’ve already checked." Li Yu dared not speak further, and only continued once it was confirmed that the Sword Sect Sect Leader had no further comment, "Different Dark Helms have different responsibilities, that Zhengyang Sect might have other tasks." "Do you know where any other Dark Helms are?" Zhang Ze asked. "I only know the locations of two other Dark Helms, respectively at..." After Li Yu disclosed the two Dark Helm addresses, Celestial Sect disciples immediately recorded them, one located in Celestial Sect territory and another near Cyan Thorn. "So all this trouble for a grand scheme aiming at Qinghe Association?" Zhang Ze looked at Li Yu. Li Yu nodded with a peculiar expression, for he indeed received orders to participate in Qinghe Association before entering the Innate Tao Embryo body. However, this order seemed absurd no matter how you looked at it. Qinghe Association was a major event among the Six Sects; at that time not only would talented youths gather, but Elders from Six Sects would also take the chance to meet up, strengthen relationships. No one knew what they planned to infiltrate for... Getting oneself caught, aiming to be swept away entirely? "Troublesome, you should rest first, we will arrange matters for you and your disciples." Zhang Ze said. "One more thing, but it’s just my suspicion, I’m not sure if I should mention it." Li Yu hesitated a bit but turned around again. "Go ahead." Lu Yuzhou urged. After a moment of silence, Li Yu organized his language, "I suspect that the Hundred Demons Sect’s Main Helm might also be related to Innate Tao Embryo." ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭·𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢·𝗇𝗲𝘵