C17 Madman Ou!

Feng Yimo developed a keen interest in the Soul Seizing Pill and began to study it intently.

In the grand meeting hall of the Chu Country's Imperial Palace, an elderly man with white hair and beard sat at the center. His face was etched with deep wrinkles, resembling the peel of a dried orange. His eyes were closed so tightly that, if not for the slight quiver of his beard with each breath, he could have been mistaken for a statue. To his left was a middle-aged man adorned in a yellow robe and a purple-gold crown—Chu Yi Lun, the sovereign of Chu Country, who possessed the cultivation of the Golden Core Early Period.

To the left of the elongated conference table were two individuals clad in black robes, one appearing to be in his sixties, the other in his fifties. Both exuded a demeanor of quiet submission, as if in deep contemplation. Embroidered on the left breast of their robes was a flame emblem, signifying their affiliation with the Huo Family of Hundred Flowers City. The elder was Huo Zhen Ping, the esteemed Grand Elder of the Huo Family, with a cultivation level at the Golden Core Middle Period. The younger was Huo Yi Chang, also at the Golden Core Early Period, and the current head of the Huo Family.

Across from them sat two individuals with striking blue hair and eyebrows, donning long blue robes marked with a lightning bolt on the chest. One was a woman, Lei Qiao Ying, the matriarch of the Lei Family from Hundred Flowers City, and beside her was the First Elder, Lei Bao. Both were at the Golden Core Early Period, though Lei Bao was on the cusp of advancing to the Golden Core Middle Period, showing promising signs of a breakthrough.

The six Golden Core Elders sat in silence, seemingly awaiting someone's arrival.

Soon, the doors to the meeting hall swung open. Led by an official from Chu Country, two figures rushed in. As they approached, they offered a fist-and-palm salute in apology, "Forgive us, esteemed ones. Urgent family matters have caused our delay. Our sincerest apologies!"

The speaker was a middle-aged cultivator in a green robe, with a notably handsome visage. His entrance drew the attention of Lei Qiao Ying, the Lei Family head, whose eyes briefly betrayed a flicker of emotion before fading to a somber tone. She addressed him, "Ah, Feng Jihui, so the Feng Family is preoccupied. Do you think the rest of us have nothing better to do? Enough with the excuses. Please, take your seat."

The elderly cultivator next to Feng Jihui grimaced, on the verge of an outburst, but Feng Jihui quickly grabbed him, "Alright, let's get started." He then took a seat directly across from Chu Yi.

In that instant, the elder who had been meditating abruptly opened his eyes, unleashing a formidable aura. His piercing gaze emitted a brilliant light, making everyone feel transparent, their hearts pounding with the realization that the Chu Family's venerable elder had significantly improved his cultivation. He was now at the pinnacle of the Golden Core Late Period and was on the cusp of breaking through to the Nascent Infant Stage. After his previous attempt failed, success seemed inevitable this time! With the emergence of a Nascent Infant Patriarch, Chu Country could soon rival the State of Qin and gradually ascend to the ranks of a mid-sized Cultivation Country. This would elevate the Feng, Huo, and Lei Families, solidifying their statuses—a cause for universal celebration.

Indeed, the Chu Family's ancient sage had been the linchpin that had kept Chu Country stable for over three hundred years.

With a flourish of his sleeve, Patriarch Chu presented eight cups of Spiritual Tea, brimming with rich Immortal Spiritual Qi. Just a single whiff was enough to make one feel thoroughly refreshed.

Lei Bao of the Lei Family gently sniffed his cup, visibly moved, "Patriarch Chu, is this not the Spiritual Tea made from the Heart Cleansing Fruit?" The Heart Cleansing Fruit, a third-level Spiritual Fruit, was a rare treasure within Chu Country, found only in the Chu Family's Imperial Palace. It bloomed once every ten years and bore fruit every twenty. Regular consumption could lessen the risk of cultivation deviation and enhance breakthrough potential—a treasure beyond value.

Patriarch Chu's smile was tinged with pride, "Indeed, it is that very fruit! Twenty have just ripened, and I've used two to brew this tea. Fellow Daoists, please, savor the flavor! Hahaha!"

"Many thanks to you, Patriarch Chu!" The crowd expressed their gratitude with clasped hands before eagerly taking a sip. They immediately felt a sense of clarity wash over their consciousness and souls, prompting a chorus of loud praises.

It was some time before Patriarch Chu made a gesture with his right hand, tapping the air above the conference table. A blue light curtain materialized, revealing a map. "The Flower Blossom Gathering was scheduled for a month from now, yet this mysterious cave has been discovered. It's been explored and identified as the secluded retreat of the Demonic Cultivator Ouyang Peng, who vanished fifteen hundred years ago."

"Ouyang Peng? Is that the madman who, with his late-stage Foundation Establishment prowess, managed to slay two Golden Core Cultivators?" Lei Qiaoying asked, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"Indeed, that's the man! Legend has it he was driven into the Wu Li Mountain Range by his enemies. Ouyang Peng was quite the character; to exact his revenge, he feasted on the blood and flesh of demonic beasts. In a mere decade, he elevated his cultivation from the second level of the Qi Training Period to the late stage of Foundation Establishment. He then emerged from the mountains, exacted his vengeance, and single-handedly dismantled a Cultivation Sect, including two Golden Core Cultivators, over twenty Foundation Establishment Cultivators, and more than two thousand Qi Training Period disciples. That battle earned him the moniker 'Crazy Ouyang,'" Patriarch Chu narrated.

"After avenging himself, Crazy Ouyang vanished once more. Many believed he had succumbed to madness from consuming too much demonic beast flesh. Yet, against all expectations, he reappeared thirty years later, astonishing everyone with his advancement to the Golden Core Middle Period!"

"What? He not only achieved Golden Core status in thirty years but also progressed to the middle period? How could that be?" Lei Bao exclaimed, his voice a mix of bewilderment and awe, echoed by the Golden Core Patriarchs of the Huo and Feng Families. All eyes were fixed on Patriarch Chu, eagerly anticipating the continuation of the tale.

"Hehe, many cultivators were just as astounded as you are now. What's more, Crazy Ouyang was in a deranged state when he decimated the entire Cultivation Sect. But upon his return, his mind was lucid, his gaze sharp, and he radiated an aura of immense power and confidence. He boldly claimed that in another thirty years, he would undoubtedly achieve the Nascent Soul stage!"

"Ah?" The cultivators from the Huo, Lei, and Feng families were all dumbfounded. To progress from the Foundation Establishment Late Period to the Golden Core Middle Period, and then to a Nascent Infant in just thirty years—how could that be? If someone could actually do that, they'd be a genius of geniuses!

Patriarch Chu gave a wry smile. "I've been cultivating for over six hundred years and have only managed to reach the peak of the Golden Core Late Period. Yet this individual achieved Nascent Infant in a mere seventy years. There's simply no comparison."

"Patriarch Chu, did this person truly succeed in forming his Nascent Infant within thirty years?" Hu Yishan, the head of the Huo Family, couldn't contain his curiosity and blurted out the question.

Patriarch Chu shook his head, prompting a collective sigh of relief from the crowd. It was just too good to be true. How could such an extraordinary individual possibly exist?

Patriarch Chu went on to explain, "His boastful claim brought disaster upon him. A super Cultivation Country took him, and since then, there's been no word of his whereabouts. Yet, there are whispers that this very country wasn't always so mighty. Just over a thousand years ago, it was merely a large Cultivation Country. It only rose to prominence after several dozen Nascent Infant cultivators emerged seemingly out of nowhere. Some attribute this meteoric rise to the work of that very madman. He supposedly discovered a miraculous pill recipe capable of transforming demonic beasts into spiritual pills for cultivators to consume, offering rapid advancement in cultivation and even counteracting the detrimental effects of pill toxins. This miraculous pill came to be known as the Soul Seizing Pill."

As the group gazed at the map floating midair, a realization dawned on them. Feng Jihui spoke up, "Could this be the very cave where that mad genius went into seclusion?"