At the same time, Shuang Qingqing knew that Little Bamboo Peak was not what it used to be. Many years ago, it had been reduced to only a few disciples, making every one of them a core disciple.
A core disciple, of course, represented considerable authority and access to many legacies that disciples of the other four peaks could not know.
Thus, it occurred to her that she might be able to glean some information on this matter from Li Yan.
As for Wei Zhongran, she was not familiar with him. Besides, the longer a cultivator lived, the more cunning they became.
She had actually considered using Soul-Searching on an important Malevolent Spirit Sect disciple like Wei Zhongran. But in her current state, to abduct someone right under the noses of the Malevolent Spirit Sect's four Nascent Soul cultivators was simply not feasible.
Especially since the other side had two Late-stage Great Cultivators. Although Shuang Qingqing feared nothing, she had to consider the Wood Flow Sect behind her. She might not be able to clean up the mess after eating.
In the end, she set her sights on Li Yan.
"Seeking you out today is actually just to ask about a small matter. Do you know of a Nascent Soul cultivator from Little Bamboo Peak who was once called Gu Jiuqi?"
After Shuang Qingqing finished asking, she stared at Li Yan with burning eyes. Li Yan was stunned at first and did not answer immediately. He thought for a moment, then found it somewhat strange.
"Ancestor Gu was a Peak Master of Little Bamboo Peak from a generation more than forty thousand years ago. He should have ascended to the Immortal Spirit Realm long ago."
Li Yan was still knowledgeable about the heritage of the Malevolent Spirit Sect, especially the past Peak Masters and elders of Little Bamboo Peak.
Li Yan's tone seemed relaxed, but his heart was filled with inexplicable astonishment. He thought of many possibilities in an instant, but the conclusion was unbelievable to him.
He had thought of a possibility from her words. Hearing Shuang Qingqing's tone, she spoke the name "Gu Jiuqi" very casually, as if she knew Ancestor Gu.
Shuang Qingqing had never said what era her original body existed in, only that she had participated in battles to eliminate the remnants of the Demon Clan.
The Demon Clan's invasion had occurred tens of millions of years ago, but the battles had never ceased. Just like in their generation of cultivators, Wei Zhongran and the others were fighting demonic cultivators at the Devil's Cliff Crevice.
There were still remnants of the Demon Clan lurking on the Desolate Moon Continent, mostly operating in the shadows instead of openly, often assassinating human cultivators and doing things like trying to snatch the "Realm-Breaking Pearl." It was just that ordinary cultivators were unaware of it in the past.
Forty thousand years ago, during Ancestor Gu's time, the war with the Demon Clan was extremely fierce. If Shuang Qingqing had appeared in that era, it would fit with her previously mentioned experience of fighting them.
But the moment this thought emerged in Li Yan's mind, he knew there was a problem with his thinking. This was an extremely absurd matter.
A Late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator could live for about two thousand years. Although Li Yan didn't know exactly how long a Spirit Transformation cultivator could live, he imagined it would definitely not be tens of thousands of years.
Otherwise, wouldn't there be many Spirit Transformation cultivators on the Desolate Moon Continent? Even accounting for those who ascended, their numbers should be comparable to the current number of Nascent Soul cultivators.
Moreover, Shuang Qingqing was just a wisp of a remnant soul from an Initial-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. It was already incredible that she could survive to this day.
Li Yan had some speculations about this earlier. For Shuang Qingqing to have kept a wisp of her remnant soul from dissipating must be due to some special reason.
For example, the Flying Sand Grotto-Caves had unknown secrets. That place was inherently mysterious. Legend had it that it was formed from the natal magical treasure of an ancient earth-attribute Spirit Transformation expert who had perished after a failed tribulation.
Earth-attribute cultivators were the strongest defenders to begin with. It was not impossible for their magical treasures to possess the power to isolate the laws of heaven and earth.
Under such circumstances, a soul residing within it would lose its concept of time, and it would be possible to survive for thousands of years.
What's more, Li Yan had personally entered the Flying Sand Grotto-Caves. The mere fact that the Golden Giants there possessed the cultivation of Nascent Soul cultivators was inexplicable.
Li Yan even felt that the legends might not be true. The formation of the Flying Sand Grotto-Caves might have another reason and not necessarily be from an ancient cultivator's magical treasure. Otherwise, the presence of Astral Wind, which should only exist in chaotic flow space, would be unexplainable.
Of course, this was Li Yan's initial speculation about Shuang Qingqing's origin, but he had never imagined that a remnant soul could survive for tens of thousands of years.
Although Li Yan tried his best to keep his tone calm, how could the inadvertent fluctuation of Spirit Power on his body escape Shuang Qingqing's discerning eyes?
Her gaze instantly turned cold and frosty, and her voice became devoid of emotion.
"Boy, it seems you've thought of many things. You should know that the more you think, the faster you might die."
Li Yan felt his body freeze in an instant, and the entire cave turned into a frozen nether-palace in a flash.
Startled, Li Yan tried to circulate his cultivation to break free, but his meager magic power was no different from a weak mayfly before Shuang Qingqing. The Spirit Power in his entire Dantian was instantly frozen solid, unable to move even half an inch.
Li Yan's face instantly became unsightly. Bai Rou, at the side, also felt the icy chill emanating from Shuang Qingqing's eyes, but she herself was unaffected.
But when she saw Li Yan's expression, she was first stunned, then became extremely anxious. She took a step and stood in front of Li Yan.
"Master's ancestor, master's ancestor, what is the meaning of this? Didn't you say you were just going to ask Junior Brother Li some questions? How did his answer offend you?"
As she spoke, she raised her head to look directly into Shuang Qingqing's icy eyes.
"Oh, this boy is not being honest. He clearly knows that's not the answer I want."
Shuang Qingqing said with a blank expression.
Hearing this, and after the initial fear, Li Yan's heart quickly calmed down.
'Although with your methods you could kill me without a sound, many cultivators saw me come here.
'With her intelligence, she would never do anything to harm me. This is a warning for me not to speculate wildly and not to speak of this matter.'
Bai Rou in front of him did not back down, but just looked at Shuang Qingqing with reddened eyes. For a moment, time seemed to freeze.
But it all seemed to be an illusion. The next moment, Li Yan felt a sudden release in his body. The Spirit Power within him immediately returned to normal, surging as before.
The frigid air in the entire cave was also swept away, and Shuang Qingqing's bell-like laughter once again entered their ears.
"Hee hee hee, I was just trying to scare him. Seeing that he was really trying to deceive me, the boy's face turned pale from fright. Rou'er, you are... hee hee hee."
Shuang Qingqing, sitting above, was laughing so hard her body trembled like a blossoming branch. Beneath her purple dress, her partially visible, dazzlingly white peaks trembled up and down. Her beautiful eyes swept back and forth between Bai Rou and Li Yan.
In that instant, Bai Rou finally realized. Back in the Wood Flow Sect, this ancestor had used plenty of tricks to tease her. But she had never expected that today, while questioning Li Yan, she would suddenly resort to such a tactic. This was clearly aimed at her.
Bai Rou's jade-like face instantly turned as red as blood. She bit her pearly teeth lightly but did not turn to look at Li Yan. Instead, she let out a dissatisfied humph.
"Ancestor, this isn't fun at all. We are all your juniors here. You'll scare people to death!"
She lightly moved to the side, revealing Li Yan with a bitter expression on his face. For a moment, Li Yan didn't even know if his previous speculation was right or wrong, and he started cursing in his heart.
'Is this woman's brain damaged along with her incomplete soul? She changes her mood every second and even jokes with her own direct descendant junior...'
In the end, it turned into a wave of helplessness in his heart. Li Yan was now truly afraid of meeting this Senior Shuang Qingqing. He remembered how she had deliberately shown off her alluring figure to make him look foolish before.
"Li Yan, what else do you know about Gu Jiuqi? You are a direct disciple of Little Bamboo Peak. I imagine you know more than just this about him."
Shuang Qingqing asked again with a charming smile. This smile, graceful and full of charm, made the quick-witted Li Yan momentarily unable to tell which of this peerless beauty's words were true and which were false.
Had she really seen through his thoughts just now, causing her dissatisfaction and a hint of killing intent?
When it came to the minds of Nascent Soul old monsters, Li Yan was still too naive. He couldn't see through her.
"Senior, there really aren't many records about Ancestor Gu. One day, tens of thousands of years ago, he truly left behind the Peak Master's token and a jade slip, and then all news of him was lost. He never returned to the sect.
"But his Soul Lamp, which was left in the sect, only extinguished a hundred years later.
"You should know that if one truly ascends successfully, because the Mortal Realm and the Immortal Spirit Realm are completely different, the Soul Lamp will also automatically extinguish when it can no longer sense the person.
"This doesn't necessarily mean he perished. So, what ultimately happened to Ancestor Gu, no one knows."
After hearing this, Shuang Qingqing frowned in thought for a while, then nodded lightly. Of course, she knew this, but she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.
After a short pause, she said with a smile on her face, "This Ancestor Gu of yours had some connection with my Wood Flow Sect back then. A Supreme Elder of the Wood Flow Sect once entrusted something to him for safekeeping.
"After I returned to the sect this time, I unintentionally came across this jade slip. This was something I hadn't discovered before.
"This item is extremely important to the Wood Flow Sect. So, could you tell me in detail everything you've read about Gu Jiuqi? Perhaps I can find some clues from it.
"I promise you, regardless of the outcome, I will refine a puppet for you within five years.
"Although it will definitely not be as good as the 'Thousand Luo Ancient Ape,' it will be on par with the puppet Rou'er currently has in her hands."
It was unclear whether she said these words intentionally or unintentionally, but they answered the questions in Li Yan and Bai Rou's hearts, serving as a non-explanation for why she had summoned Li Yan today.
At the same time, she actually promised Li Yan a great gift. Li Yan was of course aware of the power of the Parent-Child Puppet in Bai Rou's hands. Just based on the puppet's own combat strength, even with a Foundation Establishment cultivation, one would have the power to fight a Golden Core.
Especially as one's realm increased. After Bai Rou entered the Golden Core stage, she would have no fear of a Mid-stage Golden Core cultivator at all.
Such a great benefit was undoubtedly a pie falling from the sky. Moreover, it also allowed him to form a connection with a Nascent Soul cultivator. This was not something a cultivator could refuse.
Although Li Yan's own strength was already considerable, he of course also hoped to obtain such a high-level puppet. Thus, Li Yan no longer cared about Shuang Qingqing's fickle personality and immediately bowed in thanks.
Then he began to try his best to recall the jade slips he had read and recounted everything about this Ancestor Gu Jiuqi.
The Malevolent Spirit Sect had quite a few records in jade slips about each generation's Peak Master or important disciples. These served as the historical records of the Malevolent Spirit Sect, the inherited memories of a certain peak, to encourage later generations to emulate them.
But the jade slips would certainly only record some important matters; trivial details would not be mentioned at all. So if Li Yan spoke quickly, he could finish in less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea.
But whenever he spoke a few sentences, Shuang Qingqing, her beautiful eyes half-closed, would lean back on the stone chair and gently tap the armrest with a jade-like finger as white as a spring onion. Li Yan would tactfully pause.
He would wait until Shuang Qingqing signaled him to continue. She would also inadvertently bring up some questions about a certain sentence, and Li Yan would have to connect it with other jade slips he had read, trying hard to recall related information.