The avian head that had burst forth from nowhere was, shockingly, a He Tou.
In the faint light, Yang An felt as if he could see clear emotions in its eyes, and he jumped in fright.
'Who is this, daring to shout at a True Master with such an attitude?'
'Could it be an existence even more terrifying than Mother Divination True Master?'
'And what did its words mean?'
'Was it the one who sent Mother Divination True Master to capture me?'
Countless questions flooded Yang An's mind, making him feel the situation was dire. He didn't dare to speak.
Yet, in the face of this suddenly-appeared He Tou, Mother Divination True Master showed no trace of emotion. On the contrary, her attitude was one of utter deference.
"Elder Life Crane, I will bring him to you right now."
No one knew what she was truly thinking when she said those words.
But Yang An was dumbfounded.
'Life Crane… Elder?'
Hearing this name, Yang An's mind went blank with a buzz, and he froze on the spot.
'It can't… be such a coincidence, can it?'
'To actually run into the very person whose name I've been using?'
Moreover, the man himself had already discovered him, and that was why he'd been sought out.
When Glue Insect Child had informed him that the True Master requested his presence, he had suspected that his impersonation of a disciple of Elder Life Crane might have been exposed.
And it turned out to be for that exact reason.
He had originally thought the Life Crane Sect was just a small, unknown sect. Even Pan Shi had never heard of it, so it surely couldn't have much of a reputation.
But now it seemed that even the famous Mother Divination True Master of the Xiyue River had to address him respectfully as Elder Life Crane, not daring to show the slightest hint of defiance.
'Just what kind of terrifying existence is this Elder Life Crane?'
"Since I am already here, what need is there for you to bring him! Get lost!"
The He Tou let out a strange cry. Yang An didn't even dare to breathe as he saw the surrounding darkness tear apart as if it were a giant curtain.
When he came to his senses, he found himself in a dim cavern.
Beside him stood a woman nearly ten feet tall. Her upper body was that of a normal human, with bright eyes and pearly teeth, but her lower half was a mass formed from countless fleshy buds and eggs.
Directly in front of him, a figure sat cross-legged in the shadows. It had a thin build, and a withered, ancient arm held a cup. But atop its neck and shoulders rested two heads.
One was the enormous He Tou that had just burst out from the darkness.
The other head, by contrast, belonged to a perfectly normal old man.
Without a doubt, these two had to be Mother Divination True Master and Elder Life Crane.
The moment he saw them, cold sweat broke out on Yang An's forehead. He was suddenly crushed by an invisible, terrifying pressure that was suffocating.
'None of these Cultivators are normal!'
Mother Divination True Master stood silently to one side, not uttering a word. The mass of Meat Egg tissue that formed her lower body writhed slowly before adhering itself to the cavern wall.
The enormous He Tou stretched its long neck out toward Yang An, looping around his left side before poking its head out from his right.
At such a close distance, a rancid stench wafted from its head and into Yang An's nostrils, making him want to retch. Yang An could only force himself to bear it, his Heart pounding wildly in his chest.
The two nostrils on its long beak twitched, and the He Tou's expression suddenly turned strange and intrigued.
"A mortal, that's for sure."
Then, it turned to the other head with some excitement.
"You smelled it too, didn't you? It's the aura of the Lighting Technique! He's learned our Lighting Technique! Haha!"
Yang An suddenly felt an invisible force take control of his right hand, lifting it into the air.
The cloth strips wrapped around his hand instantly disintegrated, exposing the unhealed scars from his bloodletting.
"Where did you learn the Lighting Technique?"
Elder Life Crane slowly set down the cup in his hand, inside which a faint, golden-yellow light gently rippled.
His somewhat grayish eyes stared directly at Yang An, as if they could see right through to his soul.
"My father left it to me."
Yang An swallowed nervously, deciding it was best to answer honestly.
'In front of such a terrifying Great Cultivator, there were no tricks I could play.'
"How did your father die?"
"He killed my mother and younger brother, then committed suicide."
When he obtained the Lighting Technique and saw the price of using it, Yang An had already guessed why his predecessor's father killed his family and then committed suicide.
The flames ignited by the Lighting Technique would make one lose their mind and go insane.
Hearing Yang An's answer, the He Tou let out a sharp, strange laugh filled with mockery.
"So, you knew the Lighting Technique came from my Life Crane Sect, and you also knew the consequences of learning it?"
"Yes."
"Then why did you still learn it?"
"If I didn't, I would have died."
"Life hasn't been easy for you, child."
Elder Life Crane sighed softly, seemingly filled with emotion.
"Cut the act, old geezer. We released the Lighting Technique to recruit disciples. You know better than anyone what happens to those who learn it. Your pretentious act is disgusting."
The He Tou was completely unfiltered, blurting out the truth as it shot a look of disgust at Life Crane's human head.
"Hahahaha, right. I forgot."
Elder Life Crane laughed and slapped his forehead.
Perhaps old age was making him forgetful. He considered himself far too old.
But then he turned his gaze back to Yang An.
"You came here using the name of one of my disciples, and I happened to find out. If I were to decide to take you as my disciple right now, would you accept?"
"…"
The sudden question left Yang An at a loss. It was the complete opposite of what he had imagined.
But he glanced at the enormous, savage He Tou in front of him, then at the benevolent-looking human head.
'What would happen if I dared to refuse?'
"I agree! I agree! This disciple pays his respects to Mas—"
Unquestionably, Yang An did not want to die. He immediately made the right choice, planning to seize the opportunity and formally become a disciple on the spot.
But just as he was about to perform a kowtow, an invisible force stopped him.
His body tilted forward, but he was frozen in mid-air, caught in a state between standing and falling that looked rather comical.
"Don't be so hasty. I do want to take you as my disciple, but we'll have to see if you have the good fortune for it."
It was Life Crane who had stopped his movements. He then added with a smile,
"Even if you don't become a disciple, you'd make a decent meal," the He Tou suddenly chimed in, its crane-like face filled with greed.
'Either way, they have no intention of letting me go.'
"…"
"What kind of good fortune?"
Yang An asked, his curiosity piqued.
"Let me say it! Let me! You shut up, old geezer!"
Elder Life Crane was about to speak, but the He Tou shouted excitedly first, its long neck twisting like the thick body of a snake.
Its gaze suddenly fell upon Mother Divination True Master, who had been silent this entire time, as if it had just thought of a brilliant idea.
"Little guy, you kill this bitch, and we'll take you as our disciple! How about it?"
Mother Divination True Master: "…"
Yang An: "…"
'Are you kidding me!?'
"Elder Life Crane! Please don't toy with this junior! I can't bear such a thing."
Mother Divination immediately begged for mercy, her voice filled with pitiful pleading.
'A mere mortal could never kill me, but if I dare to resist, the He Tou will surely attack me.'
'That damned He Tou!'
'Damn it!!'