After crossing over, he has no taboos among the zombies.

Chapter 1428

Five hundred miles outside Tianqi City lies Black Wind Village.

A half-black flag hangs crookedly over the rubble-studded gate, the words "Black Wind" on it stained black with blood.

More than ten people lay sprawled on the ground, all bare-chested and covered in hideous ghostly talismans. Some had severed arms, while others had their dantian shattered by the power of the laws, coughing up black blood and barely clinging to life.

The air was thick with the stench of cheap liquor, blood, and the lingering, sticky spiritual energy of fallen cultivators, making it unpleasant to breathe.

Piles of looted storage bags were stacked in the corner, with scattered spiritual materials mixed with the remains of cultivators. It was clear that these people had committed numerous evil deeds on the trade route, leaving no survivors.

Qin He stood with his hands behind his back in the open space of the village, his boots crushing a bloodstained wolf tooth, the golden and black laws flowing subtly between his fingertips.

"Leader...Leader, spare our lives! We were blind and didn't know it was a celestial being descending upon us. We beg you, celestial being, to spare our lives!"

Several bandits who were still able to move scrambled over and knelt down, their foreheads slamming hard against the gravel, drawing blood instantly. The burly leader, with a broken left leg, had cold sweat mixed with blood streaming down his face; he didn't even have the courage to look up at Qin He.

Qin He didn't speak, but simply raised his fingertips.

Two golden-black fire threads suddenly shot out, accurately piercing the foreheads of the two closest bandits.

Before the two could even scream, their bodies melted away in the flames, leaving only wisps of mixed black energy to be swallowed up by the flames, without even leaving ashes.

This is not a brute force kill, but an annihilation at the level of laws.

Wherever the flames passed, the surrounding spiritual energy was disrupted, and the pebbles on the ground turned into dust inch by inch.

The remaining bandits were terrified, their trouser legs instantly soaked with sweat. They kowtowed even more fiercely, the blood from their foreheads staining the ground in front of them. They repeatedly begged for mercy, not even daring to hide the sound of their teeth chattering.

I want three things.

Qin He's voice wasn't loud, but it carried the pressure of the laws, making the bandits feel suffocated in their chests. "Gathering Sea Pill, Meridian Continuation Pill, Purifying and Turbidity Pill, and the main ingredients for refining pills—Deep Sea Mystic Pearl, Purple Gold Vine, World-Purifying Lotus Petal, and Seven-Leaf Resurrection Grass."

He bent down and picked up a storage bag. With a flick of his finger, the spirit stones inside transformed into streams of light and landed in front of the bandits, piling up in a small heap. "These are enough for you to gather supplies."

As he spoke, he conjured several fine, hair-like golden-black laws at his fingertips and flicked them into the brows of the bandits.

"This is a Soul-Locking Seal!"

Qin He's tone was calm, yet it carried an undeniable ruthlessness: "The restriction is hidden deep within your souls. If you dare to embezzle spirit stones, leak information, or fail to return on time, your souls will be gradually devoured, a suffering worse than death."

The bandits felt a chill run down their spines, and a cold, sinister power spread through their souls. Terrified, they immediately kowtowed, saying, "We wouldn't dare! We would never dare!"

When they realized that Qin He had only asked them to run errands and collect things, and not to take their lives, the bandits felt a sense of relief and their faces showed disbelief.

I thought I was going to die for sure, but it turned out that I was just doing a errand, and even my breathing became a little easier.

"Remember two things."

Qin He's gaze swept over the crowd. "First, keep a low profile. Go to Tianqi City and split up. Do not gather in groups, do not reveal your identities, and do not mention me. Second, prioritize finding merchant guilds and black markets. Do not touch the strongholds of the Divine Court. Your abilities are not even enough to fill the teeth of the Divine Court cultivators."

"After this is done, in addition to sparing your lives, I will also give each of you a Breakthrough Pill to help you break through your cultivation level."

The moment the words "Breakthrough Pill" were uttered, the bandits' eyes lit up instantly.

Most of them had been stuck at the Dao Palace Realm for many years, and even high-grade spirit stones were a rare sight, let alone a treasure like the Breakthrough Pill. Without hesitation, they all agreed.

"We obey your command! We will certainly accomplish it!"

Qin He waved his hand. "Let's leave now. We'll meet at the mass grave a hundred miles west of Black Wind Village within three days."

The bandits hurriedly put away the spirit stones, helped each other to their feet, and didn't even bother to treat their injuries, fearing that they would miss the appointed time. They staggered out of Black Wind Stronghold, and once they were out of Qin He's sight, they dispersed and sped towards Tianqi City.

Qin He watched their departing figures, the golden-black lines in his eyes flickering slightly.

He turned and stepped into the forest behind the village. With a movement of the laws around him, he merged into the shadows, leaving only a faint aura, which was instantly covered by the spiritual energy of the forest.

……

One day later, on the top floor of the Merit Tower in Tianqi City.

Inside the gilded hall, merit runes flowed across the walls. Wei Canglan sat on the head seat, his face still somewhat pale—the injuries he sustained from being struck by Qin He that day had not yet healed, and the cracks in his golden body of merit still needed time to heal.

Standing before him was a black-clad cultivator, an informant planted by the Divine Court in the black market and trade routes. His aura was concealed, like a ghost in the shadows.

"My lord, there is something amiss."

The black-clad cultivator knelt on one knee, his voice extremely low, "Today, several groups of rogue cultivators suddenly appeared in the city, inquiring about Gathering Sea Pills, Meridian Continuation Pills, as well as spiritual materials such as Deep Sea Mystic Pearls and Purifying Lotus Petals in various trading houses and black markets."

Wei Canglan's eyes, which had been slightly closed, suddenly opened. Golden merit laws flowed in his eyes, and his aura surged instantly: "Oh? What is their background? Did they act in groups?"

"They seem like rogue cultivators, reeking of blood. They have no interaction with each other, always acting alone. They speak vulgarly, unlike cultivators from the Divine Court or disciples from major sects."

The black-clad cultivator quickly replied, "I have already sent people to follow them and also investigated Wanbao Trading Company. They also inquired about spiritual materials just now, but they didn't dare to linger."

Wei Canglan slammed his hand on the armrest, stood up, and a look of joy appeared on his face.

The Celestial Master had predicted yesterday that Qin He would soon be searching for Sea Elixir and Meridian-Renewing Pill, but he couldn't pinpoint their exact location. Now, these bandits are suddenly buying up such spiritual materials on a large scale; they must be acting under Qin He's orders!

"Good! Excellent!" Wei Canglan's eyes flashed with a sharp light. "Pass down the order: keep a close watch on these bandits, but don't alert them. Follow their trail to find Qin He's hiding place!"

He turned to look at the other side of the hall, where an old man in a Taoist robe sat. The old man was surrounded by faint heavenly laws, and he was the elder of the Heavenly Secrets Department.

"Elder, it seems our chance has come!" Wei Canglan said excitedly. "As long as we find Qin He, we'll definitely be able to capture him this time!"

Elder Tianji slowly opened his eyes, and fine celestial runes appeared in his eyes. He said calmly, "Don't rush. These bandits are just a lead-in. Qin He is very cunning and may not show himself. Keep an eye on him first. Once we determine his location, we will activate the Heavenly Lock. We must not give him a chance to escape."

Wei Canglan nodded in agreement, his body slowly circulating the laws of merit, already calculating in his mind. This time, with the assistance of the Heavenly Secrets Bureau and the inescapable net laid out, Qin He would have no chance of escape!